[Pre-Alpha] PopEm (May 22)

[Manticore-X]

Game Name: PopEm
Creator: Manticore-X
Version: 0.02
Download URL: http://files.filefront.com/PopEmMay2.../fileinfo.html



Description / Instructions / Anything you want to say:
This is my attempt at cloning the popular flash game "Bloons" created by Ninja Kiwi. This is my first time using C# and coding in XNA, and the game has a ways to go, but the framework is there and I wanted to get some input. The sprites were also a first time thing (pretty obvious) but they do the job decently. If anyone wants to contact me my AIM is "Manticore0X" and email is manticorex at gmail dot com.

Controls:
Aim with touchpad/buttons (on zune 80 or 4/8 if you press it will rotate faster)

click center to start the shot

release center to shoot

tap the back button to switch between levels (or complete the level)

Hold the back button to quit


Please do not post this or code modified from this anywhere else other than here. Thanks!

Please post best/average shots for the levels. This will help me create a good difficulty for the game!

Todo:
menu (important but not urgent)
music (important but not urgent)
full level structure (implemented but needs improvement)
score (implemented but needs improvement)
powerups (important but as urgent)
[I know I am forgetting some]
Some special ideas that will give this some things unique from the original bloons!

Far Off:
In game UI level builder
Saved games and saved levels
Wireless (multiplayer maybe, level transfer hopfully if possible)
[suggestions?]

How to build a level: (and potentially get it featured in the game)
I tried to make the level structure as easy as possible. To access it go to the MapLoad class and look to the LoadMap method. Above is an empty level which i am also going to post here.

                    slots[0] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                    slots[1] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                    slots[2] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                    slots[3] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                    slots[4] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                    slots[5] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                    slots[6] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                    slots[7] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                    slots[8] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                    slots[9] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
                   slots[10] = new int[] { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };

When you change a 0 to a 1 a target appears! Its easy enough that my girlfriend with little computer skills was able to make a teddy bear with it (the 4th lvl)

You then paste your new code in a new case. Reference the other cases for what you need in it.

Now Look in the Game1 class at the Update Method. Change the if(lvl == 5) so that 5 is one greater than the number of cases (initially there are 4 cases so it is 5. If you add 1 case the number should then be 6)

And thats all you need to do!

Comments are appreciated!

Screenshots From Previous Version(thanks soccerfreak24!):

[wonkoswain]

which flash game is this a clone of?

zune 30 supported?

[Manticore-X]

Its a clone of Bloons

And yes 30 support (havent tested but i believe I did it right)

[BurlySkink]

Sweet, I love bloons. Deploying now, ill let you know what I think when its done

[bjmiller121]

Yep. it works on the 30 gig. Fun game! I think with the todos and far offs it will be a very good game. Not sure i really like the graphics though. I'm gonna tinker with them a bit.

[BurlySkink]

Only problem I have with it, is no score!, other then that great so far!.

Could use a menu

[Manticore-X]

Thanks for the comments so far!

And yes score is coming next. Im hopfully going to get that and a more set level structure out tomorrow. I felt like I got it to a point today that I would like to hear some of the public's opinions.

I would also like to add a menu,music, and sounds, but those are less important in my opinion.

@bjmiller121:
I would love to see what you could do with the sprites. The ones I made were done in MS Paint and pretty quickly. If you could improve I would love to see them.

[Gman561]

i had trouble exiting...

[bjmiller121]

Originally Posted by Gman561

i had trouble exiting...

Hold the back button for a few seconds. if that doesn't work, hold back button and up on the d pad. This does essentially the same thing.

[Red Sky]

Manticore, the music will take a few seconds, it's really only like 4 lines of code plus a few lines to respond to user button presses to change music. Unless you're changing it from a menu, but then it's not button presses, but menu click. If you need any help with that let me know.

[bjmiller121]

is there an easy way to make the game read png's instead of the bitmaps you used?

[cable729]

cool, a new game

[BurlySkink]

Originally Posted by bjmiller121

is there an easy way to make the game read png's instead of the bitmaps you used?

yes, save the pngs under the same name, delete the bmp, post the pngs, and done!

[bjmiller121]

Originally Posted by The Undead

yes, save the pngs under the same name, delete the bmp, post the pngs, and done!

Just figured it out after i posted. : p

[Soccerfreak24]

Looks fun, i'm deploying as we speak.

[bjmiller121]

This is much trickier than i thought it would be to come up with graphics for. I can't come up with anything right now. Maybe later if I have some time I can try coming up with something again.

[ZuneMan4]

Nice game man! Nice to see a new game. A couple of suggestions:
1. Increase the "gravity" the pin "floats too long."
2 Have a pin limit on each level

Otherwise its decent.

[flattspott]

Nice. Downloading now.

[DareckT]

Impressive especially since its your first time using C#, and a really good base. On whats here as of now, gameplay wise, i can't find anything that needs changed. It works exactly as you'd expect it to. I can see this having a great finished product

Nice work :]

[lpxxfaintxx]

Sweet dude, Bloons is an epic game.