23 replies to this topic

[PaulT]

Is anyone interested in trying to recreate the basic concept of C:BEL or C:BCoD?  I have started work a few weeks ago using KineticJS and a few other free JavaScript libraries on creating the gameplay elements of Commandos, but the work is to much for just me.  Here are 2 screenshots of some of the things I have done.

 

Screens:

http://db.tt/67CZDjsQ

http://db.tt/dhRj93KP

 

Obviously there is a lot that needs to be done, but the benefits are great (cross platform, easy to mod and distribute and update).  It is really easy to create the collision geometry (seen in blue and red).  The red is what is being processed by the vision cone and blue is not.  Both will be hidden in the final version obviously.  Please respond with any feedback/suggestions/help!

 

Some of the things I have right now:

1. Menu state machine.

2. Vision cone (can adjust quality of the arc piece.  I have it on 5 sides right now, but I have run it with what would appear to be a perfect arc) also, customizable colors.  probably should flip the red and green to make it more user friendly!

3. Light objects, just like a vision cone, but is a circle and is sizable.  figured this could be cool in a game.

4. player animation and movement.  some of this could be applied for paths for patrols and guards, maybe even with random paths it can pick from.

5. collision with solid objects (blue and red polygons in screens, I kept them as simple as I could to reduce processing time, they could have some more sides and points added to them with near 0 performance cost.)

6. partial path finding. have some strange kinks I need to work out.  may need to look at a different method or if anyone knows how commandos does it, let me know!

7. Sorta kinda a map editor, could integrate tiled map editor. My stuff currently uses one image as the entire map and I plan to add buildings and trees as separate objects that get added on top.  It really needs LOTS of work!

[herbert3000]

Hey Paul, looks great so far!

This might be useful: Commandos uses a 3d navigation mesh for pathfinding.

The map itself is pieced together out of multiple tiles. Each static object on the map has a bounding volume to determine the drawing order of the tiles.

 

[PaulT]

Thank you very much for your contribution.  I have started to implement a nav mesh system and it is working perfectly.  I'm using triangles which will add more nodes, but is much easier for me to work with and understand.  Not sure if I have the skills to do any of the 3d stuff.  When I get some more stuff done, I will definitely post what I have.

[PaulT]

Does anyone know how they are doing the water animation?  I want to make an algorithm for this and it looks like it repeats a specific design, but I cant match the water texture to anything specific.  They must be breaking it into smaller chunks and moving them around in the pattern. And some are the pattern below flipped horizontally.  Any ideas?

    ___

   /      |

  /       |

 /       /

|       /

|___/

[herbert3000]

If I replace the original water texture with another one (see attachments), I get this result:

Maybe this helps you figuring out a proper algorithm.

 

In the .MIS file I use these settings:

  .WATER [
    .BMP MAR01.BMP
    .BMPSRC MAR0SRC.BMP
    .BMPDST MAR0DST.BMP
    .VELINC 0
    .ANGINC 0
    .SININC 2
  ]

Original water texture:  MAR0DST.BMP   65.05KB   238 downloads

New water texture:  MAR0DST_NEW.BMP   65.05KB   224 downloads

 

[PaulT]

Thank you very much Herbert.  I have made an algorithm very similar to the one you sent me and I wish I had seen yours much sooner.    It is extremely slow to do in JavaScript, so I think I am just going to create an animated sprite for the water.  I may look at optimizations I can do, but not looking to hopeful.  It will take up a little more space, but won't cause any real processing overhead. I would lose the ability to tweak the rate of the waves which I am a little sad about. At least it was an interesting exercise in programming!  I guess now I'm on to the next thing.

Edited by PaulT, 15 April 2013 - 12:56 AM.

[Sinc]

The map itself is pieced together out of multiple tiles. Each static object on the map has a bounding volume to determine the drawing order of the tiles.

How does the bounding volume drawing order algorithm work? Would you have details?

I'm currently stuck with this while trying to re-implement the game..

[Salvadorc17]

mAYBE
 

How does the bounding volume drawing order algorithm work? Would you have details?

I'm currently stuck with this while trying to re-implement the game..

Maybe you can find all the info you need by reading commandos modding tutorials for file formats and editing
https://sites.google...osmod/tutorials

[Sinc]

 

Maybe you can find all the info you need by reading commandos modding tutorials for file formats and editing
https://sites.google...osmod/tutorials

 

 

I've reviewed all the files on that site, as well as information on http://commandosmodding.wikia.com/wiki/Special:WikiActivity 

 

This isn't covered any where that I could find...

 

In fact, even after tons of googling,  this comment by herbert3000 is the only mention I have found of drawing order in Commandos BEL...

[Salvadorc17]

I've reviewed all the files on that site, as well as information on http://commandosmodding.wikia.com/wiki/Special:WikiActivity 
 
This isn't covered any where that I could find...
 
In fact, even after tons of googling,  this comment by herbert3000 is the only mention I have found of drawing order in Commandos BEL...

Ok, if you have readed all those files, then you should know about that the drawing order is controlled by volume files (VOL), by this way:

 

Of course tiles are drawed in fake isometric becuase they are still 2d images, and the only the element that control movement and collision is the (SEC) sectors file.

 

You need to know something else more specified??

Edited by Salvadorc17, 29 September 2015 - 09:52 PM.

[Sinc]

I am recreating the game completely from scratch in HTML5. 

 

I do use the SEC files for pathfinding/movement and that portion seems to be working fine...

 

For the tile drawing, I used a very simple painters algorithm (sort all items in vol file by centroY and then by centroX), and then paint from back to front.... While that works in most places, there are occasional bugs like I pointed out in the screen shot...

 

I was wondering if someone had any details on the algorithm for drawing the vol file contents using the bounding boxes information in the vol files....

[Salvadorc17]

I am recreating the game completely from scratch in HTML5. 

 

 

I was wondering if someone had any details on the algorithm for drawing the vol file contents using the bounding boxes information in the vol files....

 

The image you show above is from your html5 version???

The bounding boxes are used for overlays, when some tiles have multiple images, for creating animated stuff like gates...

[Sinc]

The image you show above is from your html5 version???

Yes. I should hopefully have a working beta to demo sometime in October... Will share a link once it is up

[Salvadorc17]

 

The image you show above is from your html5 version???

Yes. I should hopefully have a working beta to demo sometime in October... Will share a link once it is up

 

Willl be good to see how you have achieve to made this demo, maybe some snippet of source code...

[herbert3000]

Hey guys, here's a link to the progress of Sinc's HTML5 Commandos clone:

https://www.facebook...shankarfanpage/

 

Awesome work so far!

Edited by herbert3000, 31 October 2015 - 08:39 PM.
changed the url

[Sinc]

Hey guys, here's a link to the progress of Sinc's HTML5 Commandos clone:

#commandoshtml5

 

Awesome work so far!

 

Thank you... Your feedback and encouragement helps me slog through some of the tougher challenges in this project...  I am getting closer to the finish line, though this last bit feels like it will take forever

 

BTW, that url you posted will end up showing duplicates of the images (including re-shares) ...

 

If you want an easier to track URL, I post all images to this page regularly... https://www.facebook.com/adityaravishankarfanpage/ 

 

I also track likes/comments and reply pretty quickly over there so people can follow the project and talk to me easily

[Salvadorc17]

Is good seeing your progress, but please can you make gif image instead of static ones, will give us a better idea of current game status..

[Sinc]

Is good seeing your progress, but please can you make gif image instead of static ones, will give us a better idea of current game status..

 

It's been a long period of development and a lot of work, however it is finally done. YOU CAN NOW PLAY COMMANDOS:BEL ON YOUR BROWSER!!!

 

 

The game is now functional and I have a working BETA out for beta testers on the website.

If you are interested in trying out the game and beta testing it, you can sign up your email to be notified over here. http://www.adityarav...ames/commandos/

Even if you don't want to BETA TEST, and would like to be notified when the finished version is ready for playing, that is fine.

 

If you have already signed up as a BETA TESTER, you should have received the link in your email today. Do leave comments and feedback and let me know what you think... I'm really excited about this, and would love to get your feedback to polish up the game and make it even better

 

Cheers, and Happy New Year!!!

[SirRH]

Great work mate! keep it up! can't wait!

 

I've signed up, would gladly like to help beta testing

 

Little question, will Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty missions be added in the future too? 

 

And maybe something to allow users to mod the game or create custom missions? since modding for BEL/BCD is kinda limited

Edited by robb, 31 December 2015 - 07:17 PM.

[Salvadorc17]

Based from this image, seems he will add Strike in Narrow Path missions.