Ludum Dare #11compo
BlockOut
BlockOut v0.LD48_11
LoneStranger – 04/20/2008
—
This is by far not what I wanted it to be. There are only two brick types implemented, but I think its enough to get the idea of the game I wanted to do.
I wrote it using the Sun JVM version 1.6.0, however, it should work with version 1.5.0. It will not work with 1.4.2, because it needs the System.nanoTime() method.
My game is like Breakout… only in reverse. The object of the game is to protect the goal from the bouncing ball by placing bricks on the field of play. Bricks cost money, which you earn by playing and the computer’s misfortune.
The ball will bounce around and the computer will attempt to keep it in play. The player gets points/money for each couple seconds the game is going. If the ball leaves the field of play through the bottom, the player gets bonus money.
If the ball leaves the field of play through the top goal, the game is over and the score is reported.
I know the collision on the bricks from the side isn’t the best. I have some solutions in mind but not time to implement them.
You can download the game
from my website
and the
code as well
.
[Update] I used Eclipse as my IDE, and Photoshop to do the graphics. That’s all the tools I used. Oh, except for this pen and scratch paper.
[Update 2] I changed the above link to the zip version of the download. The jar just wasn’t handling some pathing stuff right. I’ll check into it for the eventual post-LD release.
LoneStranger – 04/20/2008
—
This is by far not what I wanted it to be. There are only two brick types implemented, but I think its enough to get the idea of the game I wanted to do.
I wrote it using the Sun JVM version 1.6.0, however, it should work with version 1.5.0. It will not work with 1.4.2, because it needs the System.nanoTime() method.
My game is like Breakout… only in reverse. The object of the game is to protect the goal from the bouncing ball by placing bricks on the field of play. Bricks cost money, which you earn by playing and the computer’s misfortune.
The ball will bounce around and the computer will attempt to keep it in play. The player gets points/money for each couple seconds the game is going. If the ball leaves the field of play through the bottom, the player gets bonus money.
If the ball leaves the field of play through the top goal, the game is over and the score is reported.
I know the collision on the bricks from the side isn’t the best. I have some solutions in mind but not time to implement them.
You can download the game
from my website
and the
code as well
.
[Update] I used Eclipse as my IDE, and Photoshop to do the graphics. That’s all the tools I used. Oh, except for this pen and scratch paper.
[Update 2] I changed the above link to the zip version of the download. The jar just wasn’t handling some pathing stuff right. I’ll check into it for the eventual post-LD release.
Comments15
The idea is really nice, and it makes for an interesting twist on the whole thing. Collisions in this implementation are a bit shaky though, and that results in some unfair situations where the ball gets tangled up and takes down a large number of bricks at once.
It's also a bit annoying that the only way to gain more cash is to wait... a long time. Might have been better to include some more alternative sources of income, like selling old bricks or building certain structures that aren't really helping to protect the goal but rather help you to raise money instead, or something like that. Maybe you had some of that stuff planned already.
You've got a good idea, though. If the computer were smarter and the ball bounced more sharply, then I would have to budget my resources and the game would be more interesting. Or you could even remove the AI entirely and make the object of the game to keep the ball in play for as long as possible (and open up the entire top of the screen if you do this, otherwise adding blocks is unnecessary).
Looks like you were more interested in the backwards and defense themes than minimalist!
It's a cool idea, but it will take a major change to reach "fun" status. A first step might be to triple the ball and paddle speed, quadruple the rate you make money, fix the collision, and give it mouse control! Right now, as others said, it's very boring. Even though I made a big every time the computer dropped the ball, I didn't like it anyway, since it meant more waiting.