AgeOfCivilizations

Contests 4K Game Competition - 2014
#1

UPDATE(26/02/2014)

Added animated gif:

https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B9i-DPAdw_3YOTQ1b01UX011dTg&export=download

PREVIOUS:

Well I thought that I will try my hand at this years java4k comp after a couple of years hiatus.

This is post is more to keep me motivated for and complete the entry.

The premise of this game is to take two of my most favourite games of all time : Age of Empires and Civilization 2 and merge them together. It may be a little ambitious for a 4k game but I am hoping that since the behaviour and scope of the game is bound by the union of both games I should be able to draw upon, and implement only the most core (and fun) aspects of both games.

I will be more drawing from the game mechanics of Civilization but putting a real time bent on them.

At this point I do not have a lot to show yet, only the basic world:

1005×738 303 KB

Implemented thus far:
-random world generation, rivers and trees. via simple deposition technique.
-isometric rendering
-initial unit sprites/tiles
-initial path finding via floodfill. (seems to be the cheapest in byte code costs)

TODO:
-implement the concept of a city.
-worker units: resource gathering, building, terrain improvements (roads, irrigation, mines, etc)
-military units: attacking / zone of control
-Fog of War
-AI opponent
-User AI for automatic city development ( so that user can concentrate on a battle etc )
-win conditions.
-much much more :stuck_out_tongue:

#2

That’s some nice rendering you’ve got there.
I like your ambition - it will be interesting to see how much of your TODO list makes the final cut!
This year’s contest is definitely starting to warm up :smiley:

#3

It looks very nice!!! 8)
As dapy said I am very interested to see what you can implement in 4k.

#4

@Apo, dapy

Thanks for the encouragement :slight_smile:

It is still early days and I am consciously not looking at byte code cost as I implement the features… I am however using the cheapest algorithms to achieve the features. When I have completed the set of features so that the game is playable then I will start tackling the bytes :stuck_out_tongue:

#5

I have not had much time to work on the entry but I have made some sprites… and it does show my lack of artistic talent :stuck_out_tongue:

915×654 48.6 KB

#6

Looks great! I cant help but wonder how you will fit all this into 4k however ;D

#7

Oh i have no doubts that I will need to reduce the game to fit the 4k limit :stuck_out_tongue: but first I will make a working game and then optimise for space.

If that means I will have to cull a feature, then at least at that point I will be able make a more informed decision as to what to cull but still make the game fun.

#8

It’s a ambitious project !
But I’m agree with you, make your game like you want with all features needed and finally find solutions to fit it into 4K.
I’ve done that for the first time this year, and it was less frustating during development.

#9

Whilst i have made (and still making) good progress on my entry, I doubt that I will make the dead line.

But I am committed to finishing my entry so I will make it available after the end of competition.

@appel: is there a way to submit out-of-competition entries to java4k site?

#10

-Added initial different terrain
-Now can use mini map for instant view port navigation
-reduced size of world to 100x100 (to make the game finish sooner)

https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B9i-DPAdw_3Yc1cxQlY0akN4cFE&export=download

#11

Fix the sorting order on those house sprites please. ;D

#12

This is a little off topic, but how do you make those fancy animated gifs like that. (P.S. I’m running Mac if that matters)

#13

There was a program that could record your screen and turn it into a gif format that someone posted a while back, I think I still have it hold on…

Nope, can’t find it sorry. It was a really nice program, I used it to make my profile picture.

#14

Found one: http://www.cockos.com/licecap/
Hows that packets coming along? :stuck_out_tongue:

#15

Yeah, it was licecap, cool!

I’m pretty much done, I don’t want to derail this thread though so no more talking about it!

#16

@zeroone hehe maybe… if the bytes allow it :stuck_out_tongue:
@Jacob Pickens I user GifCam. Very simple to use. I then used File Optimizer to shrink the gif down by about 25%)

#17

@Jacob Pickens: i am not sure what you mean by packets…

#18

Moogie, he was talking about a math packet I was doing for school. I told him I would write a tutorial for him after I finished my math packet for school!