B.LAST - A Space Bounty Hunter Adventure Game
Current Version: B.LAST.v.a.3130
NEWEST VIDEO:
http://youtu.be/8X5l-VIG-t4
http://youtu.be/CkWihjt0yOA
LATEST NEWS:
The big update is here!
If you send me a private message and I take a few days to respond, please forgive me. I read every single message I get and give it a moment of consideration. If I don't message back I am either:
1. At my full time sign shop job.
2. Working feverishly developing this game, putting in 60 hours on top of the 40 I spend paying the bills, likely on a creative streak and not wanting to break it.
3. Drunk, passed out and actually getting some rest.
4. Spending time with my dogs or my girlfriend who understands my passion to finish this game and is hugely supportive.
5. Pretty forgetful when I am so focused on development.
If you haven't heard from me, send another message. I will get back with you eventually, and I truly consider your comments and input helpful.
CURRENTLY WORKING ON --- Finalizing game mechanics
---Sun Sep 14, 2014 - Just released a ton of new game info. Hoot Hoot!
---Sunday, Aug 24, 2014 --- HUGE week in bug fixes and code rewriting. Current version boasts improved frame rate, full keyboard and mouse support, full 2 player support. Working on content and part of the story for the demo release. Release date TBD, shooting for a month from now.
New video posted, and yes I know it's cropped funny.
---Sunday, Aug 7, 2014 --- I'm creating a mega thread for the game. You know that because you're in it.
---Community Request: As the Open Alpha testing nears, I'll need to set aside a small portion of my time for keeping the community updated and spreading the word. Can anyone recommend other communities to branch out to? It's almost time to broadcast.
---20 NEW SCREENSHOTS POSTED
---Open Alpha Testing: Not Yet Started
---Limited Secret Ninja Alpha Testing: Currently 3 spots, all taken.
Most Recent Screenshots:
View Album
Older Albums:
http://imgur.com/a/hMLQQ
http://imgur.com/a/CsOyn
Just finished this:
High Res
This is the new Level 1.1. it's called Valley of Seeds
Known Bugs:
---RIDING THE RED ROCKET -- Rare --Sometime when you pick up items, the Bounty Hunter flies wildly toward the edge of the level.
---HANDS OF MANY GRABS -- Consistent -- You can pluck more than one plant at a time.
---FRAME RATE SQUAT THRUSTS -- Often -- The frame rate drops and jumps back up. - see below
---THE HAUNTED DIALOGUE BOX -- Occasional -- the dialogue box will "haunt" you.
---DALI OR ESCHER? -- Occasional -- You may occasionally spot items that do not overlap properly, creating a surrealist image that is implausible. There is a small risk that your brain, failing to properly interpret the impossible image illusion, will completely shut down.
---THIS THING DRIVES LIKE A JEEP -- Occasional to Consistent -- General control and handling issues. Particularly around the ladder.
Reported Bugs:
---This section will be updated during Open Alpha
Photo Bombed:
The communicator went off at a bad time.
Video:
8 minues and 55 seconds of B.LAST goodness:
Older Videos:
Animated GIFs:
Stage of Development: Development is still very early. I've got most of the game's function worked in. I believe I'm pushing the HTML5 engine to its limits though, so for the next couple of weeks, I'll be working on optimization. After that, updating 2 player and adding the versus battle mode.
Version Naming System: The alpha version of the game is being named after the number of hours I've spent in C2 developing it. The actual number of hours in development are likely much higher due to time spent designing assets. The next version I talk about will be a.3150 or so. Version a.3700 is the target for Open Alpha.
Current hours Spent:
Screen Breakdown:
Controls:
Currently, the game only supports gamepad controls. I'll post a Controls Chart sometime before Open Alpha.
Over on reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/IndieGaming/com ... ened_with/
Frame Rate Issue & Spriter Enemies:
I love what Spriter can do, and I think it's an amazing tool. It is dropping my Frame Rate along with my coding and a few things that are on my fix list. It's not the only culprit. I've said before, I'm also pushing the boundaries of the HTML 5 engine. Whether I'll use the Spriter enemy animations for the final version is up in the air, depending on how much I can improve the frame rate from other areas.
8/19/14 Update: Most of my frame rate loss appears to be coming from the number of sprites I have on screen. Most of those are being used to create the environment, and there's about 300 of them. I now have to either alter the level look, or split area 1.1. Spriter's fps impact appears minimal at this point, which is encouraging for future enemy animations.
System Requirements: TBD
State of the Character:
Still using the initial design. New look update is on hold.
Before and After:
Joey's Quick Bio:
- I am 36.9 years old, I grew up really poor and I have a masters degree in something really boring. Right now, I work as a Sign Designer. I also put in about 60 hours a week on B.LAST. Seriously, I sometimes don't eat or shower so I can keep working.
- First Full Game: B.LAST
- Previous Game Design Experience: High school BASIC course. I made an MMO map in Minecraft. I also did this weird card game Http://www.fishdeck.net
- Skills: Photoshop, Illustrator, Design, Construct2, Spriter, Level Layout, Pixel Assets, Tiled
Joey's RamblingThrough trials come triumph.
Several days ago, one of my beloved dogs suddenly passed. I have a few rescues and a couple of them are getting old. I know what's coming, but it is hard to be prepared for. They are my friends, and I do not want to lose them. I've had a rough couple of weeks.
I've tried to be productive on my game this week, but it has been difficult. It is important for you to understand that I am the kind of person who, when knocked down by someone or thing, jumps back up swinging. I came about that the hard way, which I won't go into. But I have been getting knocked down my whole life, and coming back up swinging is something you quickly learn to do. That's why, at less than a month from 37 years of age, I'm designing my first full 2d game. This is something I have always wanted to do.
I wanted to design games so bad that, while holding a full time job working in a factory, I designed a board game. It failed. It was actually a really good multiplayer strategy game, but if failed. The feedback I got from people that played it was either, "It's cool and addictive," or "It confuses people that can't spend a lot of time learning to play it."
I came up swinging and I made FiSH DeCK. It was an interesting card game based on the classic game Tonk(Trunk). I spent hours and hours illustrating weird fish cards that were pretty awesome: http://www.fishdeck.net
It failed.
I am not a promoter.
I am a game designer. And I'm good at it.
So I came up swinging again. This time, the practice rounds were over. Time to reach for the dream. I taught myself to do pixel art. Swing. I taught myself, with ton of help from the scirra tutorials & forums, Construct 2. Swing, swing. Then Spriter, swing, Audacity, swing, animation, swing. Then I started making my game, swing swing, swing swing.
I miss my sweet little friend, I mourned and I let my eyes rain.
Now it's time to swing even harder. To make punches land. Little Stanley, this is for me, and this is for you. Swing swing. I just finished a 12 hour shift. My body is tired, but my mind is on fire. I feel a very productive weekend coming on.
6 months ago:
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jjevil
I'd love to hear your feedback.
P.S. Wearing the BLUE SUIT, having some fun with ladders:
http://imgur.com/a/J76Z5