What are you working on?

[Spike]

y o u s h o u l d p r o b a b l y d o s o m e t h i n g a b o u t a l l t h e e x t r a n e o u s s p a c e s , t h e y k i n d a m a k e i t h a r d t o r e a d .

I'm not saying variable-width nor ttf fonts (which are fun, but messy), just that non-square glyphs would really help readability (though perhaps not with CJK glyphs).

[Shpuld]

Been working a bit on procedural level generation for something roguelite-ish. I first have it generate a 4x4 layout of meta-tiles using a somewhat simple algorithm that guarantees levels that aren't too simple and never have too long dead ends, and going to the exit never requires the player to go south by design.


then after this step the map itself is filled with actual tiles based on the meta-tiles. each meta-tile represents just a basic shape (straight, corner, t-junction, dead-end), and I'm planning on having a good amount of pre-made 8x8 tile layouts for each meta-tile shape, so it can just pick those randomly to generate the actual level. I haven't gotten this far yet, but I started making my own tile editor for these 8x8 shapes

[Shpuld]

Continued from the previous post:

I improved the tile editor for the meta tiles, now you can save save and load tile sets, pick which category, and which variation of that category you are editing. still some minor bugs in it, and in the future I'll have more than just wall/not-wall as paintable types, like enemy and item placements.

Here's a video of it in action:


Then I implemented filling an actual map grid using both the meta tile map (in the first gif in the previous post) and a tile set created with the tile editor, spawning block entities in server qc for each tile and set their model/solid accordingly.

[Shpuld]

Continuing from the last 2 posts, you can see the procedurally generated map in action in a top down shooter form, just with no enemies or anything yet.
I did write a custom lighting system that works by rendering these circular light meshes on a texture and then overlaying that texture on top of a fullbright scene, works surprisingly nicely (but only in top down/2d-style views).

Video:

[Shpuld]

More progress with the same project. The map is now completely rendered using FTE's trisoup drawing instead of one entity per block, so I write all the map geometry vertices and indices in QC and when rendering I can draw the entire level with a single call (not counting actual entities like the player). This gives me a lot of control and in theory at least it should also be very fast. I also implemented a system to pick the correct texture for that particular block, so corners, walls, etc, all have the correct texture applied to them.

[frag.machine]

How about the collision between the trisoup and the AABB entities ? I am very interested on this approach.

[toneddu2000]

Outstanding work, man! Could you please describe how to use FTE's trisoup drawing, because I tried but I couldn't manage how to do it

[Shpuld]

[frag.machine]

[Shpuld]

Yeah that's basically the idea, technically there's no entity used at all for the trisoup, just data in arrays and one built-in func call per updateview. So instead of drawing X*Y amount of models, it just draws one mesh that I created when the map data was received from the server. The fact I generate it "on the fly" means I can also customize it to my liking, picking the correct UV coords, maybe translate the vertices to make it look more organic, some vertex colors to alter color to make it "dirtier" or whatever I want

[toneddu2000]

Thanks a lot Shpuld, really helpful! I'll definately try this out!

[Shpuld]

I'm always glad to help!


Some more progress! The tile editor can now place some entities and different tile types on the preset 8x8 meta tiles. The UI of the editor has evolved with it.




I also made another set of textures for the tiles, to better represent what can be done and reflect the mood I'm going for in the game. (The lights are still completely randomized and not from the tile presets, that will come later)




And here's the actual texture itself, since it's pretty small it's quick to whip out new tile styles and entire tile sets hopefully,

[toneddu2000]

very very nice work!

[Shpuld]

Next (this) weekend is another Ludum Dare and I'm taking part again and streaming it at for those who are interested

Related to that, I put out the UI lib I used for my previous LD game as well as the game I've been working on that I posted about in the previous posts in this thread, it's called SUI and you can find it here: (Actually the code is a new empty menuqc+csqc+ssqc template with SUI preinstalled)

It still needs more documentation but it's been serving me well already in its current state. After I've documented the API and made more examples of how to do some interesting things with it, I'll make a proper thread for it I guess.

[toneddu2000]

oh boy oh boy oh boy, can't wait to see your game!
sui-qc seems a good addition, look it up!Have you tried my (craFTEr User Interface)?
It's not advanced like yours (it needs to create for every ui element a quake entity, so..) but I'd like to hear your thoughts

Good luck for your next ld!