Topic: Castlevania Chronicles: Dracula's Curse

[Fes]

In Reply To #14

I took a look at the code you linked and I'm curious.. why go through all the trouble of implementing a software rasterizer when you could just use SDL's OpenGL support with an orthographic projection matrix and call it a day? As for rotation/scaling, I believe SDL_gfx supports that already too.

OpenGL of course requires 3d hardware to be practical, but who doesn't at least have an intel GMA chip? And it seems to me that the work saved outweigh's the minor increase in requirements.

Just seems to me that with a hobby project, libraries that are already done for you should be leveraged whenever possible, and optimizations made later if and only if they are necessary.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

In Reply To #14

Sorry about that.  I just remembered that you did deliver some stuff... I believe midway through last year.  I forgot about it.

I will not chastise you further, and would like to keep you on the team.  However... it'd be nice if I got at least an email once in a while (if you want, we can schedule some stuff... scheduling usually makes people want to do something).  It seems leaving up to 'whenever we have time' doesn't work.

Anyway, the rest will be up in PM.

If any other programmers want to work on this, it's fine by me.

Also, the code IS available.  Has been for a while.  Let me find a link or something.

CVC:DC Source ZIP
This has been up for a while now actually.
I didn't make a big link/announcement for it for two reasons:

1. people ripping it off and calling it theirs.
2. Konami and their cease-and-desist orders (which they did for Shin Natsume and his Simon's Quest 3D game).

I also would encourage a small band of CV Programmers' Guild.  We have quite a few bona fide Programmers here (Ringo, Heretic, Quasar, and others), so it wouldn't be a bad idea to put something together.  Problem is, most people just don't have the time and/or resources.

Well, anyway Quasar, again forgive me for saying you didn't give me anything, and yes I'd like you to stay on the team... but I do want something tangible on a regular basis, just so we know stuff is still being worked on.

-Jorge-

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

In Reply To #14

I took a look at the code you linked and I'm curious.. why go through all the trouble of implementing a software rasterizer when you could just use SDL's OpenGL support with an orthographic projection matrix and call it a day? As for rotation/scaling, I believe SDL_gfx supports that already too.

The original code was done on the only type of interface that John Morris knew, which was DirectX.  In an effort to not lose time/resources, a decision was made to continue working on it the same way.  We're talking back in 2002/2003 when JohnMorris started working less and less on it.

Quasar started on coding in... hmm... February of last year?  I forget the exact date.

[ringo]

In Reply To #14

I took a look at the code you linked and I'm curious.. why go through all the trouble of implementing a software rasterizer when you could just use SDL's OpenGL support with an orthographic projection matrix and call it a day? As for rotation/scaling, I believe SDL_gfx supports that already too.

OpenGL of course requires 3d hardware to be practical, but who doesn't at least have an intel GMA chip? And it seems to me that the work saved outweigh's the minor increase in requirements.

Just seems to me that with a hobby project, libraries that are already done for you should be leveraged whenever possible, and optimizations made later if and only if they are necessary.

Yeah, I was also confused as to why he chose to write his own software rasterizer as opposed to using a 3D API like OpenGL or Direct3D. These days, you are unlikely to find a computer that doesn't support 3D hardware acceleration.

Besides, any compatibility advantage of a software renderer would be outweighed by the sheer time required to code it. If the code was specific to the game, he could have done a fair chunk of it if he didnt write his own software rasterizer. But I believe he was planning to release the whole rendering code as an engine.

[Quasar]

I didn't use GL over SDL because it makes the framebuffer unwritable, and the engine I've been coding for a few years now is otherwise entirely software-based. I felt it would be more of a setback to try to rebuild Halif Engine from the ground up to be GL-based, as my megalithic Surface class would become completely useless. I might have been wrong, but let me tell you this, I gained some valuable experience by doing it. It is also quite sufficient for the uses we have planned, and turned out pretty fast as well.

If I ever write another 2D engine framework, it would indeed be more logical to do it as 2D-in-3D.

I wouldn't be opposed to having other programmers contribute. But I have a pretty high standard. Any code going into Halif Engine would need to meet the same design criteria as far as documentation, encapsulation, and object-oriented design go. Note that the engine itself is meant to be totally reusable, and that the code for CVC:DC itself will be separate from the engine code.

Another reason for that would be that on the unthinkable occasion of a C&D order, I wouldn't lose the rights to my entire source code. Frankly, all that needs to be done to avoid a C&D is not to post any info about this, anywhere. No websites, no regular announcements, etc. Even these threads make me a bit nervous.

[Fes]

In Reply To #20

I'd be open to helping, except that I've developed an intense loathing of c++ over the years, and am firmly in the c# camp now. It's a great language, and with XNA now it's good for games too.

Anyway, will your engine be using LUAscript or similar for entity control? If so I'd consider helping with that.

In either case, good luck with it and I hope things start to work out from here.

[Johnny]

Well for me, my part is over with. I had a purpose then which was to do what I did. Now theres lots of proggies anyways that can do that. So my role on the team is over. "Count Dracula rises once every century, but my role is over......"

After all the work I put in though it would certainly be sad to have this project just die. After seeing myself first hand what we all had to go through just to make a little bit of progress, I would personally love to see the finished product of all of our laboring.

Just to let you guys know this much. If it ever comes down to a cease and desist from Konami, and this remake can no longer be worked on, I will gladly help out on another game remake where there is no threat of a cease and desist or possibly a brand new project.

[Quasar]

In Reply To #21

Lua is a definite candidate for the scripting language.

[Fes]

In Reply To #23

I definitely think LUA would be a good move for the project and dramatically speed up development of the actual "game" part. It's lightweight, fast, easy to interop with, and supports coroutines.

Coroutines are great for entity logic and make it much easier to write complex behaviors without having to fumble around with a bunch of state-machine clutter. I've made a couple concept demos using c#'s coroutine support and it works fantastically well.

Anyway, just something to keep in mind when weighing the options.

[buijon]

In Reply To #24

so....is this dead again?

[NeoBelmont89]

I have a feeling it's not exactly dead. I think this project is just suffering some of the same problems that most of the top projects on this forum have over the years.

Castlevania, though seemingly simple, is actually a very complex game to program right, especially to get it verbatim. I feel for everybody on this forum who is geniunely working on a fangame right now. I especially feel for the programmers, because I think it's diffucult for non-programmers to understand how much work it really takes to get even a basic engine running. It is very difficult to describe, but game programs get very complex extremely fast.

I'm happy to report that Undying Legacy (formerly SVK) is moving foward faster than it ever has, but our team has gone through many of the same phases that every main project on this forum seems to go through periodically. It's just the nature of homebrewing, especially when most of us are out of highschool, work full-time jobs, experience an occasional crisis, and have family and loved-ones to attend to. And don't forget, we also have to somehow find time to sit down and play the latest Castlevania games as well!

[Quasar]

This has never been dead, at least not since I signed up to help. It has been backburnered a few times, the last time for a lot longer than I meant to allow.

Regular progress reports are *not* going to be posted, and I explained why a few posts up. This thing could SO easily get foxed if we keep putting up more and more info about it.

But since you asked, the tile engine is currently being worked on. Tile layer drawing is finished and I'm currently working on positioned bitmap backgrounds. Once enough functionality is present, another tech demo will probably be released. However I will not be putting a link to it here. You'd have to stop by the IRC channel and talk to me about it personally.

[uzo]

We have quite a few bona fide Programmers here (Ringo, Heretic, Quasar, and others)

*raises hand* Don't forget me. Too bad I already have a CV project going.

[Johnny]

This has never been dead, at least not since I signed up to help. It has been backburnered a few times, the last time for a lot longer than I meant to allow.

Regular progress reports are *not* going to be posted, and I explained why a few posts up. This thing could SO easily get foxed if we keep putting up more and more info about it.

But since you asked, the tile engine is currently being worked on. Tile layer drawing is finished and I'm currently working on positioned bitmap backgrounds. Once enough functionality is present, another tech demo will probably be released. However I will not be putting a link to it here. You'd have to stop by the IRC channel and talk to me about it personally.

I'm glad to hear this project is still going on. I wish you guys lots of luck. Might I ask one favor since I had contributions to this project. Can I be listed in the credits for research and development? If not its ok. Its just merely a request. This is if and when the project does get completed.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

In Reply To #29

Of course you're gonna get credited.  But we don't even have Credits to begin with since the game is not done.

You did not need to request this, since it's obvious you would've gotten credit.  No worries.