Blue Blast!!

I added some sound to Blue Boy's game play today.  Some of the sound does not seem to be loading correctly but it is a good start I think.  I found some tasty sound bites out here:

http://www.freesound.org/

So check out Blue Boy blasting things in Stereo:

BLUE BOY!!!

Leaving Comments

I just received a request my Daddy to sort out commenting.  Looks like my parents are having trouble leaving comments.  He is asking to be allowed to post comments as an anonymous user.  I did not think this was possible but after reviewing my settings it looks like it is.  Seeing how they are probably the only ones checking this blog on a regular basis:

ANONYMOUS COMMENTS NOW ALLOWED!!!

Theme Music - Maybe

OK it is still Monday and here is my update:

BLUE BOY THEME MUSIC

This is Theme Music I created using instuments in my "home studio".  A fellow developer, Auntie Val, from one of the gaming sites has reviewed my game and suggested some possible theme songs from this location - http://audionautix.com/index.php

I might use one from there called Dark Mystery.  I sort of like the one I have but it has no driving beat like the stuff out there on audionautix.  And this brings me to another point.  I am breaking one of my survival rules.  I am not using much graphics or music from some of these freely available sites.  I guess the creative site of me can't help itself from doing much of this from scratch.  I do think the sound tracks on audionatix are way better.

I am getting some positive feedback on my game mostly around the art and animation.  I need to start sketching out level 2.  

 

Blue Boy Theme Music

OK I did not get to put together any sample tracks yesterday.  That said I got two things accomplished.

1. I took a really good nap
2. I setup a space for my rudimentary music/sound recording equipment in the office. 

Hopefully today will produce some actually results. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Having reached the milestone of finishing the training level, I took a breather from Blue Boy.  There are some items I think I will be working on next:

• 1. Sound affects
• 2. Background music
• 3. Proper Start up sequence 

not necessarily in that order. 

For Background Music I am going to be using my piano.  I guess this will be my Blue Boy activity for today.  If I have something created by this evening I will post it here. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Blue Boy's Mechanics

Here is my survival guide for bringing Blue Boy to fruition:

1. Make the game as simple as possible as to keep it completable in 1 year.
2. Keep the game mechanics as simple as possible.  No combo shots here.  Simple left, right, up, down, and shoot.
3. Simple Graphics.  If I can't draw it or render it in Blender myself it ain't going in the game.  No Character should take more than 2 days to animate.
4. Use as much free art as I can find.  I will only create original art when I have to (not just because I want to).

I am not really sure what the format of this Blog will be.  Sometimes I might post a graphic novel style description a level I am working on.  This will help to continue the story of Blue Boy.  Sometimes I might just blab/blog about some technical issue I am having with his game.  For tonight I decided to include a link to Blue Boy in its current state.  I have worked out a "Training Level" which walks the user through the basic mechanics of the game.

Here is what I have so far:

BLUE BOY!!!


To date I have put about 1 and a half months into this effort.  I also worked out some rudimentary start and end screen that I am not at all pleased with.  I might spend time working on this next.  At the very least the end screen should have credits and some sort of summary of what happened during game play.  

Meet Blue Boy

I guess I will jot down an introduction to Blue Boy.

Blue Boy is basically the antithesis of one of my favorite Marvel Comic characters called The Silver Surfer.  The Silver Surfer had a primary goal of seeking out worlds to be consumed and destroyed by an astronomically powerful character named Galactus.  Unlike the Silver Surfer who was forced to play herald to a world gobbling super entity, Blue Boy's mission is to actually save worlds from destruction.  He is charged to do so by an intergalactic Senate.  Of course we will have to have a prequel game where we go into the origins of both Blue Boy and the Senate, but for now we start Blue Boy's story somewhere in the middle.

Blackberry: Men have always hated us. 
  Holly: No. They just destroyed the warren because we were in their way.  
Fiver: They'll never rest until they've spoiled the earth. 

-Watership Down

It is the year 2173 and the Earth has been taken over by the very machines they created to help make life more of a utopia. Not long after Earth's Point of Singularity was reached, humans lost control of innovation on their planet.  Machines were now the new innovators creating ever more fantastically horrific systems, and optimizing Bio Extraction with dire consequences.   With all non-renewable energy sources gone, these machines are using biotechnology to remain operational. Ordinarily biotechnology is a good thing, it can be made renewable and has endless possibilities.  But without a soul to measure their steps machines have gone to far and raped the Earth of most of its vegetation without any thought of replenishing it.  Until now we have been mentioning the machines as one nameless entity.  However there is a central control they call Crystal Gate.  Crystal Gate is composed of a series of subsystems each with its own dedicated task.  Oddly enough CG has sorted out a way to properly restore balance to the Earth and still have the energy they currently need.  However, having already discovered thousands of other planets and a means to reach them, they care less for Earth's outcome then a man eating a single grape cares for it when sitting down to eat an entire basket.  In either case Earth could never contain CG's lust for expansion.  It is this lust for expansion that has caught the notice of the Intergalactic Senate.   

What of humans?  What has happened to them in this new age...

Humans would have been wiped out long ago if it were not for an interesting technical twist of fate.  You see these machines are not completely composed of wires and metal.  They descend from the very first Humanoids created by humans in 2030 and containing neurons taken from living human subjects.  The neurons do not live long outside of the human body.  CG has gone far in its humanoid evolution, and the neurons can last for much longer now, but must be replaced with new ones at some point.  Humans were spared for this reason alone.  I use the term spared lightly.  If you consider living under the cruel tyranny of CG being spared.  Humans are treated like cattle.  They are kept in small prison camps and milked for there precious neurons.  The air on earth is no longer fit to breath so even if they wanted to rebel they would not live long outside of these prison camps with their artificial atmosphere.

Sensing Earths impending destruction as well as the doom about to be unleashed on the universe the intergalactic senate has called upon one of their youngest Planet Savers.  Blue Boy's mission is to go to Earth, shut down the CG, free the humans, and restore Earths natural balance.  God Speed Blue Boy!!