Database blues
Ok, so I got a bit tired of working on the database editor and decided to take a break. By taking a break I mean doing some fun stuff, like getting a new sprite running around on the screen. This means that the competition editor has been on hold for a week or two, but I'll get back to it soon enough. It was going so well until I hit the club competitions. Suddenly things got more complicated. Who'd have though that organising the FA Cup was 10 times more troublesome than the entire World Cup from qualification to the final?
Anyway, the new Sensational Engine is underway now and this is what i have so far.
Don't be too disappointed. The graphics are just place holders until I get some proper sprites done by a professional artist. As you can see, it's a directly overhead view at the moment, a la Dino Dini's KickOff. The reason for this is that I wanted to give the player complete 360° movement. Having an overhead sprite means he only needs to be animated running in 1 direction, then I simply rotate him for the other 359°. That saves me a lot of work. :) I should be returning to the slightly less overhead, end-on view of NSS3 when the real sprites are ready, although if people prefer the overhead view then it may stay. Let me know your thoughts.
A nice feature of BlitzMax is the super smooth scaling of images. This means the action can be viewed up close, as in the image above, or zoomed out like this one. All at the touch of a button. :)
What you obviously can't see from the screenshots is the delightful way that the player dribbles the ball. He knocks it out in front of him rather than having it stick to his feet, as in NSS3. It will add a lot more realism to the game and make dribbling a fine art. I've also added a sprint button which allows for faster running. The down side is that dribbling is more difficult because the ball is knocked further ahead and your turning circle is wider. Sprinting will also sap your energy faster, but I haven't implemented any skills or attributes yet.
Another feature that I wanted to build into the new Sensational Engine was online play. I not much of a network coder, so this may not reach the light of day but I have already created a small server and have had 2 or 3 players running and kicking the ball around. Played NetSoccer? Well, I envisage NSS Online being something like that, only you'll be able to take your offline player and use him online against other humans. Well, that's the hope. It remains to be seen how much lag there will be when 10+ players are connected but the nice thing is when you have control of the ball your player has a 1 to 1 connection with it. In other words, your PC is controlling your player AND the ball, and relaying that information to the other players. If you lose the ball and someone else collects it then they get a direct connection with the ball and you wait for updates from them. This way there won't be any lag at all when you dribble and kick the ball. Of course, if you haven't got the ball then you may see it lagging but i think this is a fair compromise. :D
Here's an idea of how the online lobby might look...
Ok, so I know what you're thinking. When can we play it?! Well, i hope to test the multiplayer features soon. It won't be much, just a bunch of players charging after the ball and kicking it at an empty goal. There's a whole bunch of stuff I need to add yet, such as goalkeepers, set-pieces, throw-ins... Heck, the game doesn't even split players into two teams or keep score yet! But i'm having a whale of a time building it, especially when some features like the radar are a simple matter of porting over code from the Sensational Engine 1 and getting it working in half and hour. If only everything was that easy! :D
Anyway, the new Sensational Engine is underway now and this is what i have so far.
Don't be too disappointed. The graphics are just place holders until I get some proper sprites done by a professional artist. As you can see, it's a directly overhead view at the moment, a la Dino Dini's KickOff. The reason for this is that I wanted to give the player complete 360° movement. Having an overhead sprite means he only needs to be animated running in 1 direction, then I simply rotate him for the other 359°. That saves me a lot of work. :) I should be returning to the slightly less overhead, end-on view of NSS3 when the real sprites are ready, although if people prefer the overhead view then it may stay. Let me know your thoughts.
A nice feature of BlitzMax is the super smooth scaling of images. This means the action can be viewed up close, as in the image above, or zoomed out like this one. All at the touch of a button. :)
What you obviously can't see from the screenshots is the delightful way that the player dribbles the ball. He knocks it out in front of him rather than having it stick to his feet, as in NSS3. It will add a lot more realism to the game and make dribbling a fine art. I've also added a sprint button which allows for faster running. The down side is that dribbling is more difficult because the ball is knocked further ahead and your turning circle is wider. Sprinting will also sap your energy faster, but I haven't implemented any skills or attributes yet.
Another feature that I wanted to build into the new Sensational Engine was online play. I not much of a network coder, so this may not reach the light of day but I have already created a small server and have had 2 or 3 players running and kicking the ball around. Played NetSoccer? Well, I envisage NSS Online being something like that, only you'll be able to take your offline player and use him online against other humans. Well, that's the hope. It remains to be seen how much lag there will be when 10+ players are connected but the nice thing is when you have control of the ball your player has a 1 to 1 connection with it. In other words, your PC is controlling your player AND the ball, and relaying that information to the other players. If you lose the ball and someone else collects it then they get a direct connection with the ball and you wait for updates from them. This way there won't be any lag at all when you dribble and kick the ball. Of course, if you haven't got the ball then you may see it lagging but i think this is a fair compromise. :D
Here's an idea of how the online lobby might look...
Ok, so I know what you're thinking. When can we play it?! Well, i hope to test the multiplayer features soon. It won't be much, just a bunch of players charging after the ball and kicking it at an empty goal. There's a whole bunch of stuff I need to add yet, such as goalkeepers, set-pieces, throw-ins... Heck, the game doesn't even split players into two teams or keep score yet! But i'm having a whale of a time building it, especially when some features like the radar are a simple matter of porting over code from the Sensational Engine 1 and getting it working in half and hour. If only everything was that easy! :D
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