Down Hill Cup

Work in progress to make this a Facebook Game

I’m creating and programming small computer games and several are under making. The road to complete these ideas involves some learning projects with the goal to learn different aspects on game making.

AI (Artificial Intelligence)

I’m using a Stack-Based FSM (Finite State Machine).

The Brain Of Ants

At the moment I’m researching and learning to make AI in a game and I started small with trying to program some ants. To give them some senses and abilities to react to different situations and perform some tasks. To achieve this I’m using and creating a Finite State Machine (FSM). I’m in the middle of this learning the mechanics, it’s hard to understand some things but I’ve managed to get hold of the basic mechanic so far. Next step is to learn using a Stack-Based FSM. So the ants can transition more easily to and from different states. States like… ‘RunAway’ ‘FindLeaf’ ‘GoHome’ ‘FindMate’ ‘Reproduce’ and so on…

 Things I’m Exploring

• How do you create AI
• Finite State Machine FSM – how do they work and what can they do
• How do you work with physics
• How do you manage a vast variety of objects and their instances
• The management of instance variables, arrays and loops.
• The common sense of programming – ways of doing stuff

Games

Learning more about these techniques leads me to create one working game that hopefully will be fun to play. There are three or four game ideas I will try to create with this knowledge.

• A classic vintage looking space shooter (working title ‘Parallax’). Inspired by the ones I played when I was a little boy… Like in the late 80s early 90s.
  I’ve already made the basic environment and mechanics. The first level are nearly complete. Right now I’m working on a level editor to create balanced levels in a graphical way, not only using numbers.
• A gravity based game using physics in a creative way (working title ‘Hoock’Eye’).
  This game are also in production. Several levels are complete, and the mechanics for the physics based world. At the moment the meta is: get from A to B as fast as possible – but I’m thinking of putting in a puzzle component where you have to figure out how to get from A to B. The player and the world objects are pretty much finished. Right now I’m working on some objects for the player to use on it’s way to the goal. Also some component that disrupts the player achieving his goals.
• One secret game. Its FUN, but its a secret for now. 😉
• A multi-player game.
  I’m waiting for the new multi-player feature coming up in the game-editor: Construct II. I hope it will not be too complicated to learn and use.
  I have some ideas for example a player controlled old pirate-ship with inspiring mechanics on the controls. Learn to aim, fire, and destroy your opponent.