I have a cold.

Before I start moaning, I need to clear up the issue of my comparison in my last post of Toast with Mario. Toast is nothing like Mario. Toast is a very original, side scrolling platform adventure. It has jumping, dying and enemies. Mario is different, it has jumping, dying and enemies which you can kill.

Right, glad we sorted that out.

I have a cold. On top of this I have Physics coursework. We all know coursework/lab work is a bitch, however I always grow to cope with it. This time I haven't though, because it just won't work how I want it to. I am supposed to be investigating crosstalk in a couple of wires. I decided I would test the variables of distance between the wires, the angle they lie to each other and the frequency of the original signal.

This would all be acceptable if I could actually observe it. It took me three sessions to find an oscilloscope that worked and fish out the other equipment I needed. And I spent the next two getting the experiment to work full stop. Now I can observe some crosstalk. The problem being though, I can only get 5mV of the damn stuff! When changing the frequency over a range of approx. 1kHz - 100kHz I observed between 1mV and 5mV - and it's 5mV per division!

So, my results are crap. And things just don't get any better in that there are no digital oscilloscopes left. And I need an A in Physics. Without coursework that would require me to get 120/100 in the two exam units!

I could compare it to being stuck in a hole with no spade, but someone will only point out Physics A levels don't have spades... Or something.

Freelance [2]

This post of course is a triumphant return to blogging.

After pretty much a year I am back to entertain my pitiful audience with useless drivel about pixels and such like. Much has changed in a year. My game is now worthy of a demo, and boasts one whole complete level (apart from the first bit isn't drawn right, and the character is short of one walk animation and a few sound effects and cutscenes and rooms are missing).

Aside from my game I've applied to universities. And got in to some. And been turned down by others. It was a good one though. In fact Oxford have missed out on a genius this year... as sadly my friend didn't get in either - he is a brilliant Mathematician!

I digress however to the subject of this post: my most recent freelance contract. Out of the kindness of my heart, I refused generous offers of payment for my services. Though I am confident the project will be wholly professional, despite the lack of financial encouragement.

That Martin and his friend that Tom are working on a game called "Toast". Toast is, as far as I know, just Mario with a timer and characters made of toast. I think however that it will go a long way when injected with some artistic flair.

I was initially disappointed when all the toast jokes I proposed were dismissed, and all the cool game mechanics involving butter and jam were rejected, however I have been given sufficient reason for why this is so. In fact, I'm taking a leaf out of that Martin's and that Tom's book in deciding that this post was a good idea, but, all in all far too much effor-

Now Everything Starts To Come Together...

I haven't posted for almost a month now. Which is no suprise as this isn't exactly the most consistent blog in existance. Anyway, you'll be pleased to know (I haven't a clue who I'm talking to. Myself?) that the time out has produced some results...

Firstly, I have made the decision to develop my game in Adventure Game Studio. Mainly because it's an amazing engine and I want to concentrate on the pixel art involed for now. In making this decision I have now put all efforts into the plot and the art.

The plot is coming along nicely now, it's a sci-fi/conspiracy themed adventure set in the future universe. I decided not to attach a specific year to it, as I find this thins the realism of most plots. For example, the idea of Star Wars is great, because you can write stories all along the timetime, and nothing is connected to our present day or our past (and the Star Wars past is fairly dismissable). I did decide however to set the game around Earth, as it depends on a development in science that affects our world in a certain way.

The art is also slotting nicely into place. I am now starting the first sequence, which sees you on a cargo ship heading for a mining world. After planning the backgrounds I need, and writing the level content, I am now going through the process of drawing it all.

I'm posting a lot of what I'm working on at The Gibbage Forums, so log on and give me some constructive - or perhaps rather insulting - criticism. It's up to you. So long as it's not the latter. And no doubt won't listen anyway.

By Popular Request...

http://freewebs.com/markbilly/he%20walks!.gif

http://freewebs.com/markbilly/he%20walks!%20left.gif

http://freewebs.com/markbilly/cycle1.bmp (not finished)

People Read This?

Recently I have discovered that some people actually read my blog. Arrgh!

After being asked what had happened to the blog previous to my previous entry, and then a few days ago seeing my blog up on someone elses computer, I've realised I may have to put some effort into this posting malarkey. Now that is one terrifying thought...

Maybe now that I have some fans (OK I have evidence of only two readers, but still...) I'm going to have to up the standard of my entries, and maybe even the volume of them. Something which I am clearly not doing now. I haven't posted for nearly a month, and this is utter shite!

Anyway, people (Hehe! I'm actually talking to someone!) amazingly amusing and informative posts are on their way! For now, I hope you liked this one.


You didn't? Ow nuts!

Freelance Work

Hi, I'm back from the dead.

I've been neglecting this Blog for a while, but by popular request (that's Robert) it's going again in full force! I think the last time I wrote something for the Blog was 30th August, which is actually a really long time ago. Almost three months.

I won't go into why I've not been writing, but one of the reasons is starting college. And to be honest the work load isn't really that huge, I just can't be arsed at the moment. Anyway today I can be arsed, so I'm going to get this down quick before all motivation deteriorates.

On the issue of my little sprite man, he's come on a little since I last wrote, he nows walks... mostly, and is looking quite good. I've also been looking at developing the story of my game a bit recently and that is coming on fine. I haven't however looked anymore into the programming side of things. I realise this is immensely stupid as the programming is the largest aspect, or at least the fundamental one. I have really enjoyed the art though, so fuck it.

As for the title, and the accompanying sprite then... Whilst at college I have bumped into this rather insane trio who are planning to create there own MMORPG entirely using Visual BASIC. Yes, I laughed too. In fact I laughed a lot. But this didn't seem to deter them from allowing me to do the art for the project. It's great actually, I think the game idea is fairly mad, however they have the vision to make it work... A bit anyway, and so because I only have to worry about drawing generic fantasy RPG top-down sprites it doesn't matter how shit I think it is because at least my sprites will look OK.

For the game, entitled (rather amusingly) Wizards and Mages there will be three character classes: Wizard, Mage, and... hang on, Warrior. I have drawn the three character sprites and done 32 rotated versions so they can freely move around the map. Sorted. Gives me something to do, and I can deny any responsibility for the game if it's crap.

Great. Now on with embarrasing myself with my game...


Seriously, Martin I really do like the way Wizards and Mages is going. Honest. It's just, like some politians I have to bend the truth a little to please the masses. You understand that, don't you?

No, honestly, it looks great. I'm honoured to be a part of it.

A Walking Sprite That Doesn't Walk

On the sprite note. I went back and re-drew the walk cycle completely, using a different template cycle (however toning the legs movement down a little).

It's better.

Instead of just jumping around all over the place and looking like a shite, my sprite now does produce sensible movement. Unfortunately it still doesn't walk. Just try to imagine seeing someone walking down your street. Their arms are swinging perfectly beside them, just as God intended... However their legs just flick about in mid air and their head jumpily dips in and out of their shoulders.

Still not right.

Problem is, after sorting the arms, and being ready and eager to start work on those bastard legs I was carted off on holiday. Fortunately for me, it wasn't to Cornwall, and it wasn't with my parents. Instead I flew out to Jersey late notice with my girlfriend.

Sod the sprite.

Now I'm back, and I can't be arsed. You see, after flying back (admittedly it was only 40 minutes) I went straight off to Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival. This meant a twenty minute walk from camp to the main stage; sleeping on a mat, with a matchstick pillow; sleeping in a chair outside one night and not getting to sleep 'til 4am.

Zzzzzz.

Still, after a boring day at home and a sudden realisation for the ridiculous amount of spare time I've got I've started work on the sprite again. This time I'm keeping the one's I have, however deleting the bottom half of them and drawing the legs again, this time not drawing the character's cloak on top. I will finish the leg cycle and check it's all working, before adding the cloak afterwards.

Back to the sprite.



P.S. He needs a name. Suggestions please.