My Java 4k submission

Contests 4K Game Competition - 2005
#1

Still in VERY early stages, but here are some screen shots:

http://www.imagehosting.us/imagehosting/showimg.jpg/?id=165301

http://www.imagehosting.us/imagehosting/showimg.jpg/?id=165298

(Shots on an AMD 2600 with a Geoforce 4 MX card, 1024x728 32 bit color)

I think you can see where the game is going. Basically it will be mission based where you progress to bigger and better ships while fighting badder and badder enemies. I will be adding animated sequences using the engine itself as well as video sequences.

This is probably going to take me a year to finish. Well, maybe not that long because the biggest technical hurdles are kinda done with…

Engine Features:

  • High speed/light weight scene graph
    • Branches, nodes, transforms, appearances, materials, textures, bounds, etc.
  • Mutli-threaded Engine
    • Engine thread
      • independent of all rendering
      • Non-blocking to the renderer thread
      • constant engine framerate (all transformations based on engine rather then renderer)
      • AI
      • Acutally all game functions except actual rendering
    • Renderer thread (main loop) only does raw geometry pumping
  • math functions
  • Matrix management (rewrite of some of the Open GL spec in Java for performance; rotations, stack, translations, etc)
  • key frame interpolators
  • camera managment
    • first person (in cockpit)
    • third person (chase cam),
  • Animation manager
  • Entity manager,
  • High speed Collision detection
  • Several particle systems
  • Frustum culling with some z-order occlusion
  • Dynamic bounds detection
  • Static and non-static entities

My goal is to produce an advanced engine in Java and a AAA quality game (done by just one person), to prove Java is a viable platform for game development…and maybe make some money from sales :wink:

I haven’t started on the GUI or sound system yet, but I have a pretty good idea what will be involved and it should be easy compared to the parts completed. However, I am not sure when I will get to those becuase I am constantly tweaking for performance and I know there is alot more I can do yet.

The game goal is epic battles. Protecting convoys, minning operations, large fleet ships, space stations, etc. I will also be adding a drone capability where you can control “remotes” that you launch from your ship to collect things such as parts from ships you’ve destroyed or “alien artifacts” (depending on how story goes) from asteroids, wrecked space stations, etc.

Let me know what you think.

PS: Just kidding about the 4K :slight_smile:

#2

Hey Vorax,

They are very good graphics :o

Whats the actual storyline for the game? Are their going to be main characters or just “player”?

I look forward to seeing the first person views (in cockpit) shots, they’ll really immerse the player in the game!!

Are you planning anything innovative for the radar, what you’ve done here shows extreme potential and a cool radar would really make it look polished and professional.

Excellent work, and good luck with the game!

Hauk

P.S I laughed like hell until i saw the P.S at the bottom :wink:

#3

[quote]Hey Vorax,

They are very good graphics :o
[/quote]
Thanks, I am fortunate that I have a good foundation in programming, graphics, 3D modelling and texturing…the only part I am short on is sound, so I will have to invest some money for that…or maybe learn that as well? :slight_smile:

The story line is still in the idea stage. I am thinking of basically having this as a “first contact” kind of scenario where we are suddenly surprised by alien visitors. Technology exhanges happen, all is good until we find out why they were looking for friends…they have enemies. You are a cadet who gets thrust into the fight for humanity because you were commissioned on a deep space battle cruiser.

I am torn between developing a different cockpit for each type of ship you fly (will be alot or work). There will be “Terran” technology as well as alien ships.

Yes, the radar system will be indepth. The better ships will have more advanced HUDs/radar capablilities. Such as tactical analysis for tracked targets and night vision. I am also planning a stealth ship for some stealth missions. That will be very volnurable, but invisible if flown correctly.

Thanks!

#4

And all of these models, 3d engine, story line, images (particles and textures) are under 4K? :o

WOW!

#5

[quote]And all of these models, 3d engine, story line, images (particles and textures) are under 4K? :o

WOW!
[/quote]
You saw the last line of my first post right? :wink:

#6

Very neat! I’ll be happy to test and give feedback for this’n as often as you need :wink:

#7

Very good.
I think the difficult part will be when you’ll have to create different models of ships and all of the art that will make your game a game, the 3d engine is generally not the more difficult,I’m not sure it will be possible just by yourself, but you’re definitely on the right tracks.

#8

Ya, the art and plot will be alot of work, that is really why I figure I am a year from completion even though most of the technology is done.

The models I am using now are just ones I wipped together for testing the engine, physics and AI…though I really like the white and blue one (but it needs more work), I may keep it.

Most of my real world game development experience is in the modeling/texturing side (though I have been programming for over 22 years). I am sure I can build whatever I need in that department, it’s just a matter of time and pulling myself away from tweaking the engine :wink:

#9

[quote]Very neat! I’ll be happy to test and give feedback for this’n as often as you need :wink:
[/quote]
Great! I will be putting a package together once things are far enough along (a month?). I will need many testers to get an idea of how the engine performs (or blows up) on different systems.

Game play testing will be an ongoing hase after that and I will probably keep things closed to just these testers. Though, I haven’t really decided yet…still alot to do before I am at that stage.

With the first release you will be able to test the flight controls and get a feel for the dog-fighting. (I usually spend more time chasing down enemy fighters then programming :wink: its pretty fun, even at this stage).

#10

LOL! Silly sod :slight_smile:

Cas ::slight_smile:

#11

[quote]LOL! Silly sod :slight_smile:
[/quote]
What’s “sod” mean?

[edit]errr…come to think of it…what’s your post mean? ;)[/edit]

#12

Another British colloquiallism I’m afraid :slight_smile: You need to watch Monty Python’s Holy Grail for a full and perfect context in which to understand the expression.

Go now! Straight to Blockbusters! Watch!

Cas :slight_smile: