Official Release

The title says it all.

Go to this page:
http://andrewanimation.biz/games

You have to access the game from that page or it won't work. I changed some of the old paths and filenames, so the old one won't work.

Remember: Go with Internet Explorer. That's the only browser that I know works.

Moment of Final Suspense

I was thinking about releasing the game yesterday for you to beta-test it before the official release. Unfortunately, I was in New York without an internet connection, so I couldn't put it on my server. Which was good, since I found out that my trophy codes were backwards in some spots. So I fixed that.

My New York trip was fun. I went to Rockefellar Center, saw some NBC studios, and went to their store. They had some pretty interesting stuff there. I also got some real New-York-Style Pizza (which I really like). So I had a pretty good day yesterday. We actually took the train both ways, which is a 3-hour trip each way. Except I brought my laptop so I got to work on Maze Adventure, and another little game that I'm working on. It's more of a puzzle game, so I don't know if you guy will like it.

Anyway, back to the game. So I'm going to upload it at about 12:00 EST (in about three hours). Except I know that WJUK and Mistercheef are busy and can't play it. Hopefully someone will. ;-)
I actually brought my computer to one of my customers to show them a website design, and I wound up showing them Maze Adventure. That person really liked it, so I got someone else looking forward to the release.

Also: take a look at the new lower-graphic. I think it's funny.

Hopefully the Final Update

I'm really hoping that I won't need to give you any more updates, since the game is almost done. So here's what I've been doing the past few days:

Redid the "sprites" for business dude
I didn't like that he was just an outline in a yellow circle, so I went into photoshop and colored him in a bit. This is what he looks like now

I think that's a little better. Don't you?

Finished both final bosses
I'm not going to elaborate too much on this, just that there will be two, and you get to pick which one you want to do. Sortof. I've said too much already.

Wrote the code for the Fancy Pants cameo
I think I already told you that FPM was going to be in here. Basically what I had to do is rewrite all the code for business dude, just change the images that he uses to FPM images. And change the enemy images into spiders and snails.

Recoded gravity
You're going to be in for a nasty suprise on Friday (I hope that's the release date). I think. The new gravity code means I'll have to redo some levels and the level editor. And I don't really want to do that. But I'll see. >:-) *evil laugh*
[edit] Nevermind this. I'll just keep classic gravity in there. (Note: I might change my mind again. You never know.... :-P)

I changed a few other things, but you probably won't notice them.

Also: Sorry to Firefox users (like WJUK), but the game doesn't work there. I don't know why, since that deals with the part of the code I didn't write. I'm not sure if any amount of new code would make it work, so I'm not going to try. Sorry, but I have other things that I'm kinda pushing off until Maze Adventure is finished.

Like I said, I'm really hoping for Friday, but no guarantees. Something will stop working for no reason, I'm sure.

Update

Is Maze Adventure done yet? OF COURSE NOT!
But I think it will be done by Friday. I hope.

I could blame it on a lack of traffic, but instead I have a list.

My excuses:

• The trophy scripts stopped working, so I had to completely recode the trophy room.
• I didn't have the "Fancy Files" (I actually had a folder called that on my old computer, which I didn't bring on the trip.) so I couldn't make the FPA cameo.
• I actually spent some time reading a book.

But I did spend some time on the Level Editor. And I have another beta for you. What I want you to try is the new level loader. Now you can take a previous level and edit it again. If you have errors enabled in your browser, you will get a script error there, but I don't know why. The editor seems to work, so I think you should just ignore it.

You can just get it from http://andrewanimation.biz/games/maze%20adventure/level_ed.html

Here's another teaser from the game: the credits screen. http://andrewanimation.biz/old/screenshot3.jpg

Let me know if I spelled anyone's name wrong or forgot anybody.

For those of you who were wondering, here's a picture of my new computer next to my old computer. I'm not gonna make a video of them (ahem WJUK), but there's a picture: http://andrewanimation.biz/old/P1000827.JPG

And an interesting story: I haven't had a chance to put all my music on my new computer, only the Trans Siberian Orchestra CDs. Beethoven's Last Night and Christmas Eve & Other Stories. So I spent half the trip listening to the second one. It was weird listening to Christmas music in the middle of June, but they're awesome songs, so it doesn't matter.

So like I said, I think Friday will be the release date.

[edit] Wrong link for my laptop. Try this: http://andrewanimation.biz/old/P1000837.JPG

Road Trip

That title is exactly what it sounds like. Except I'll only be gone today and tomorrow. Anyway so it's three hours in the car each way, for a grand total of six hours to work on Maze Adventure. Well, maybe that's stretching it, since I'll also be working for my customers, but I'll definitely spend some time working on Maze Adventure. Like I said, if I'm happy with the way it is, maybe I'll release it on Monday ;-)

I'll probably also finish the level editor, too. I just want to make the level loader, then change the interface a bit, to make it look nicer. Other than that, I think it works the way it is. :-D

See you on Monday!

Delay (you knew this was coming)

Putting that countdown up there was a huge mistake. I WAAAYYYYYYY underestimated the time I would need to finish the game. Basically, now I have more stuff to do, including some work for a customer to my site. So, I think it might be done by next Friday. Really.

In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy a screenshot of what I was working on yesterday.

[edit] Too big to embed. Click Here

That's King Tyberus, and that's who you're gonna fight in the final boss. Doesn't he look so kingly sitting on his throne?

Displayed in Window-Flip mode, cuz it's awesome! (and our Forum is right behind that PowerPoint window, you can tell by the giant Serious Business tag on the left.
You can also see a bit of the final boss fight (that's the page that has a path that splits into three), and my AIM window. Bonus points to anyone who can figure out my screenname.

So sorry about the game delay, but the good news is that I'm going on a road trip this weekend. Meaning I have a grand total of six hours in the car. That should be enough time to finish Maze Adventure. Who knows, maybe I'll just release the game on Monday.

Oh, and I might give you another beta of the Maze-Ed, just to try the new loading page.

Feel free to leave comments.

Important: When you go into the trophy room, do they all say "Not Yet" for everybody? or do some say "Got It"? If they do, you'll probably need to hit an "Erase All Data" button that clears your cookes from the game. Please comment here or on the forum if you have a "Got It" in your trophy room.

Progress Update

Well, Maze Adventure is coming along. Yesterday I basically went through each level with a fine-tooth comb and looked at what things were too hard, too easy, etc. I also had to change some of the wording below the level. One of the new features is that you have a lifebar at the top of the screen, instead of on the side.

One of the things that always annoyed me about the demo was that if you were going fast enough, you could go right through an enemy without getting hurt. Go ahead and try it out. Thats because it only tested for a hit when the enemy moved. Since they move sortof slowly, they dont test for a hit very often.
But no more! Now the hittest runs every millisecond, so there's no getting by those enemies! (This is still on my hard drive, so you can try the bad hittesting in the demo.)

The Final Boss is coming along, that's all I'm gonna say for now.

For the Level Editor, would you like me to try and make it so that when you load some code, you can edit that level again? Or just leave it the way it is?

I know this sounds like a lot, but it was four days worth of work. Maybe I've been spending too much time playing Cheese Dreams on MiniClip. The last six levels are HARD! I'm currently stuck on 18. I think I'm gonna give up. (You can click on that link to play it.)

Behind the Maze Adventure/Progress Update ([edit] and new timer)

http://www.andrewanimation.biz/games/maze%20adventure/kittymaz.htm

What is that link? It's part of a Javascript teaching resource that I have on my computer. And yes, it is where I got the idea, graphics, some of the code, and other things for maze adventure.

I like Maze Adventure a lot better. I think you will, too, after playing this.

And now, a quick progress update:
I'm getting really close to finishing Maze Adventure. Right now I'm working out all the bugs in the final boss level, then I basically just need to go through each level with a fine-tooth comb and change anything I think is too easy, too hard. If you have any input on anything you would like me to change, post it here. And if you want me to put in any of your levels, post them here too.

Oh right, and I need to make the FPM cameo level. I predict I'll be done by, ummm........ next Friday.

[edit] Look up^ I know the suspense is killing you already, but I added a countdown until the release of Maze Adventure. Assuming I release it on Friday at 12:00....
It also reminds me to keep working :-)

Maze-Ed 1.5

I don't know if this deserves a bigger or smaller number than I gave it, but for now, let's just call it version 1.5

Anyway, there are a bunch of new features in this version. Most importantly, now you can load a level code. I guess that was kind of stupid on my part, writing all these instructions about how to save your level, then not giving you any way to load it. The page I have isn't very fancy, but it gets the job done.

Another new feature is the black holes. Now this isn't how I wanted to do it, but the only way to put them in is to insert the center, then click around that center with the "Area Around Black Hole." I wanted to have it so that the editor would automatically put the space around the hole. But to do that, I would have to go through every brick and define more properties that say the names of the bricks around it. Thats about 200 bricks, and I think I've spent too much time on the Level Editor as it is.

And the other new feature is.....Gravity! The feature you love to hate. You can choose between three speeds, Standard (which is what I use in most of the game), Moon (only half as strong as standard), and Sticky (twice as strong as standard).

Other small changes:

• I changed the window that opens up for you to play the level, now it looks a little nicer.
• Shrunk the font size of the instructions. I was running out of room over there.
• Added a "Life Force" bar at the bottom of the playing window. (Had to, for the black holes)
• Fixed the bottom-left corner (that works now, WJUK)
• And maybe some other stuff you probably won't notice

So before you go off to test it, I want you to use this link instead. Now there's a door on the start page for the editor, as well as one for this blog. And the trophy room is only there so can test the cookies and stuff. You can't save trophys yet.

So go to http://andrewanimation.biz/games/maze%20adventure.

And I'm looking for feedback on the whole level-editor thingy. Are there any other features you would like in it? Are there any other bugs I should look at? Cuz I think I'm going to spend more time on the rest of the game.

Remember, if you email me a level code or leave one in the comments, it might make it into the game! So send me your levels!

Level Editor 1.1

Probably the simplest thing I've ever had to code

f.history.go(0);

To translate that into english, "f" is the name of the open window. "history.go(0)" is a fancy way of saying refresh. You see, Javascript can't really do a refresh, so us programmers use this little hack, that basically says "go 0 pages into the past" aka. the same page. But I'm rambling now.....

The point is, now the window will refresh automatically, and the Level Editor Preview Window should work now. I didn't think this deseved a new number, (it is only one line of code different) so I just made it version 1.1

I still don't understand why this works, but since it does, who cares?

So please try it, let me know if it works for you now.
http://andrewanimation.biz/games/maze%20adventure/level_ed.html

Level Editor 1.0

Well...........Level Editor didn't take as much work as I thought it would. Granted, some features are missing, like it can't do black holes yet, but the basics are still there. What I would like is if you could play around with it, see if you can find any bugs, and then leave it here as a comment.

Even better, if you create any levels that you really like and want to be in the Maze Adventure, email the code to me (andrew [at] andrewanimation.biz). Who knows? You might be in there!

http://www.andrewanimation.biz/games/maze%20adventure/level_ed.html

Where Have I Been?

I don't think anyone is reading this blog anymore, but if they are, those people might be wondering where I've been. The short answer is that I've been so busy with graduation that I haven't had time to update the blog here.

On Monday, I had the last of my tests (see "6 Tests in 2 Days" post). On Tuesday, I went on my class trip to New York. The next few days we were rehearsing and setting up for class night/graduation. Then some family came up on Saturday, then Graduation was sunday.

Today is Monday, and my Summer Vacation has officially started. I've been pushing so many web design things back until it began, so I'm still working.

As for Maze Adventure, I haven't had much time to work on that either. But whenever I have a free moment, I spend a little time working on the level editor. It's a lot of code, but most of it repeats, so I don't have to write that much.