DukeKart

[Steve]

This mod is gonna rock... now what about a in game multiplayer browser? This would be cool to play with friends.

[Bonesnapper]

Originally Posted by C. M. Dratz

You should be able to play this as a DNF minigame! Seriously. That would kick so much ass! I hope you finish it so I can PM and e-mail George Broussard about it. [Edit: In the Octabrain frame 6, I think that perhaps the metal in the top center of the back of his head should be darker (between the brightness of frame 5 and frame 7).]

Thats bone, man.

[eyceguy]

hey all, I'm running into a small road block and looking for some help.

i'm looking at chaning the waypoint system slightly to resemble something like a Flow Field, but in order to to that i need to store the angle of the waypoint actor into the actual sector (instead of thousands of sprites).

So Off to the wiki I went.

looking at the sector member functions i saw two possible fields i could store the value in, filler and extra. filler had no info on it yet, and extra only talked about its role in sprites and hittypes, but not sectors . so the the next stop eduke32 source code. now i see that in the function operatesectors in sector.c the 'extra' parameter is referenced and bitshifted right 4, so i figure that this is not the variable to store info in. more searching in sector.c shows nothing for filler, so i figure what do i got to lose, so i go to my code and try to store the value in filler. and on con compiling it finks out saying filler is not a recognized symbol .

and if for some reason i cannot store a value in a sector memeber, how would i go about looking for a certain actor within the same sector as the current actor, cause that is the only other idea i can think of.

so does anyone have any ideas? all help is appreciated

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by DeeperThought

eyceguy says: YOU'RE HIRED! You can start making all those levels right away!

I wouldn't mind trying to build one or more of those tracks if that's allright. Even though I can hardly finish my own personal map. :/

[Chip]

I have a load of maps which I'm sure you could make some use with. That is, if I've still got them.


Oh and why not add Lo Wang into this? He can be like MarioKarts Donkey Kong equivlent and I don't mean as a stuid Ape, anyone whos played the Mario Kart series will know what I'm on about.

[DeeperThought]

Originally Posted by eyceguy

hey all, I'm running into a small road block and looking for some help.

i'm looking at chaning the waypoint system slightly to resemble something like a Flow Field, but in order to to that i need to store the angle of the waypoint actor into the actual sector (instead of thousands of sprites).

So Off to the wiki I went.

looking at the sector member functions i saw two possible fields i could store the value in, filler and extra. filler had no info on it yet, and extra only talked about its role in sprites and hittypes, but not sectors . so the the next stop eduke32 source code. now i see that in the function operatesectors in sector.c the 'extra' parameter is referenced and bitshifted right 4, so i figure that this is not the variable to store info in. more searching in sector.c shows nothing for filler, so i figure what do i got to lose, so i go to my code and try to store the value in filler. and on con compiling it finks out saying filler is not a recognized symbol .

and if for some reason i cannot store a value in a sector memeber, how would i go about looking for a certain actor within the same sector as the current actor, cause that is the only other idea i can think of.

so does anyone have any ideas? all help is appreciated

Some thoughts:

Your waypoint actors can be angled, just like in that flowfield demonstration you linked to, so what is the problem? As long as the cars know what the next waypoint is, they can adjust their angle accordingly.

But I gather that your karts don't know which waypoint to go to next, which is why you are asking about looking for a certain actor within the same sector.

I think you want to figure a lot of this out out for yourself, but maybe I can steer you in the right direction. There are lots and lots of waypoints, but there are only a small number of karts. You could set aside some global gamevars for storing the IDs of the karts, then have the waypoints check these IDs to see where the karts are headed and set goals on them as appropriate. (This way, actors don't have to look for each other using findnearactor, which is inefficient). Also, you don't need to have as many waypoints as it sounds like you are using. You can have the karts turn gradually instead of facing the angle of the next waypoint immediately.

[eyceguy]

DT: youre right i do like to figure stuff out on my own. i at least try to give it a whack or two before asking for help.

and i think I may have been unclear about how many waypoints i was using. for a simple 8 style track i have under 15 waypoints. (there's no way in hades i would want to manually angle thousands of waypoints)

i did use your idea with the bot's id stored in gamevars and even though i didn't use findnearactor a lot, i can now say that my code will be findnearactor free .

my waypoints are angled, thats not the problem, but i was just trying to figure out how to take the value of the angle and store it in the waypoint's sector, thus simulating a flow field when actually im using only one waypoint per sector. i ran across the idea while googleing 'racing ai' and though that it was a simple yet elegant method.

but, i'll look into your idea some more, and if i have any other problems, i'll ask some more

thanks for the help DT!

[DeeperThought]

Originally Posted by eyceguy

i did use your idea with the bot's id stored in gamevars

I think you'll want to store IDs for human players using the same set of vars, because it's convenient to treat all players the same when you're doing things like listing the race positions (1st, 2nd, 3rd, ...) or have a guided missile deciding who it's going to track, etc.

[arno]

Hi! Kev and Geoffrey your sprites are gorgeous!

[eyceguy]

Hey all! Got some good news for ya!

Progress is moving along great!

Had a nice run in with waypoints "sleeping" on the job, making life fun. What stunk was that the error that the bots showed because of the sleeping waypoints was EXACTLY the same from a error I had in the bot turning code (thus thinking my error was there and not elsewhere), but that is all taken care of.

I've purposely give the bots a slight advantage when it comes to turning. They don't slow down as much as a human player does. This is due to the fact that a bot can/may use the turn function quite a bit to try to stay in line as possible with it's target, thus slowing them down on long straight paths. They might need more advantages, I was able to lap the person I *think* was in second by the 4th lap.

Have a few more minor things to work out and then I think DukeKart might be ready for a development/beta release so I can get some feedback from the community.

So with that in mind I would like to ask for the first round of feedback.

Item probability. Here is what I have so far

                 (1-4)  (5-8)
Slimer           ~37%*  ~3%
Booster          ~10%   ~41%*
PipeBomb         ~25%   ~3%
Rocket           ~22%   ~3%
H. Rocket        ~6%    ~38%
Atomic Shield     0%    ~13%

* denotes the fall back item if none of
  the "ifrnd" come through

So what do you think? Do you like/dislike the probability? What would you change?

[DeeperThought]

When it comes to boosting, I prefer the F-ZERO type system where players get a certain amount of boost energy which they can use whenever they want, and gets restored at certain points (either by completing a lap or by driving over a recharge area). But then again, I've never been a big fan of kart racers, so what do I know. It's hard to comment meaningfully on the item distribution without knowing how effective the items are.

On the bot turning issue, it sounds like you might want to try (a) allowing karts to turn in small increments without losing speed (e.g. you only start to lose speed if you have turned more than X degrees over Y ticks), and/or (b) making bots wait in between angle adjustments so they aren't turning all the time.

EDIT: One more thing. In kart racers, the bots always cheat, and I've always hated that. I know it will be tempting to make them cheat, but I hope you don't give in to the dark side on that issue.

[eyceguy]

Originally Posted by DeeperThought

One more thing. In kart racers, the bots always cheat, and I've always hated that. I know it will be tempting to make them cheat, but I hope you don't give in to the dark side on that issue.

Yes, I do agree that when bots cheat it is annoying, and I don't want them to cheat, but at the same time there has to be some competition, I remember playing the original MarioKart and I always lap at least the 8th place and 7th place players, by the end of the race (even on the harder modes). and one or two times i actually managed to lap the 2nd place player (no joke!)

[eyceguy]

Okay as promised a development release!

http://www.freewebtown.com/eyceguy/d...070430-dev.zip

just extract to a dir and add duke3d.grp and start er up!


oh and before anyone says
*episodes don't have any corresponding tracks with them, use a usermap
*bots can get stuck from time to time but work for the most part, still figuring that one out

*yes I'm using move commands for the carts.
(BEGIN TRUTH STRETCHING)
i had tried something else one time and ended up moving so fast i ended up in someone's quake 3 game. that was awkward to try to explain.
(END TRUTH STRETCHING)

anyway lemme know what you think of it so far!

EDIT:
upload was corrupt, that should be fixed now

[Bonesnapper]

I find the control scheme confusing. What are the new controls and game play mechanics so far? I noticed my kart was hard to stop and it'd randomly change speeds.

[gt1750]

I've just tried it. Nice piece of work though it's obvious it's a very early relelase.

My main complaint: The turning doesn't feel right at all.

It should be closer to this (if possible): E.g. when you the turn left key, the sprite should turn left and a tiny bit later the screen should follow it.

Other:
-weird acceleration, the speed seems to change randomly
-lots of missing stuff (black squares instead of some sprites) Eduke complains about it. I guess that's because of the ripped MarioKart stuff you use and that can't be included.

Still, it's pretty cool. I look forward to see more

[eyceguy]

@bonesnapper:
I completely forgot to mention the controls

up arrow: accelerate
down arrow: decelerate / stops / reverse
left/right: turn
left control: fire item / select player

as i mentioned i am using the move commands to move the carts, and tried to simulate 'gears' using them thats why the jumpy-ness while accelerating

stopping isn't automatic, but there are two ways:
pressing the down arrow will down-shift until you stop at which point you will reverse.
also not pressing the accel key will cause your kart to cruise to a stop.

@gt1750
the missing black squares and eduke complaints are from the lack of highres art (mostly due to the mario kart stuff), but the reason i included it was because of dummytiling the missing actors within the art file eg actors 3-8 so that the game would still use them even though the art doesn't exist.
as i get art for those sections, i can remove the dummytile sections, and then maybe altogether remove the dire need for the def files and fork off a dukekart hrp.


i do understand that the game's controls are awkward/stiff and i definately would like to redo that part. at the same time, I'm proud of what i managed to get done in about a months time with this, and felt it would be beneficial to at least release a dev version to get some feedback before pushing forward.

thanks for the comments!
eyceguy

[Bonesnapper]

As someone who has drove a real go-kart before, which was an automatic, its a really smooth experience if you know what youre doing. I noticed on the second lap the other racers went crazy and started clinging on the walls and warp and stuff.

[Kev_Hectic]

I just tried it and, I have to say it's pretty buggy. But a good start anyway. Yeah, the acceleration is pretty random, and the enemy cars get confused sometimes, they run into walls and drive around backwards. It's pretty cool though seeing my sprites in action . Even though they lack animation.

Maybe that's something I'll try to do when I get some more time... add some more animation to the current two sprites I have. Also, maybe I'll make a few new character sprites as well, and try to make a whole set. If anyone would like to help me out a bit, feel free.

Would it be possible to add additional frames of animation, to make it look like the character is steering left and right while from the behind the camera view? (like the leaning animation in Mario Kart) I don't want to make any additional frames that will go to waste.

Originally Posted by Kalki

Aces!

Next, Duke on a Deliverator to complete the trinity please.

I don't remember what the Deliverator was in any of the Duke games, got any pics?

Originally Posted by Sang

The octabrain looks a bit too "fat" when compared to the original - But it still looks good

Yeah, I know. The shape of the Octobrain was harder to get right then I expected it to be.

Originally Posted by Micki!

Awesome Kev..!
The Octabrain being one of my favorite enemies, makes this even more awesome

I had an Idea for the Battlelord..!
sort of like Bowser from MarioKart 64, just a bit bigger... The character that is... the kart should remain standard size...makes his appearance a little more exaggerated, as the big guy he is...

The kart being a sort of rover, with big spikey wheels... and two/four tubes on the back where alot of smoke comes out...

Yeah, I'd like to see a Battleloard Cart, too. But I have a feeling that one is going to be a hard one to do. I'll take a stab at one though.

[Dopefish7590]

the duke nukem kart should be duke nukem on deeperthoughts devistator drone

[Kev_Hectic]

I updated my Pig Kart a bit... I added frames of animation to the tank treads...



There are four frames of 'tread' animation for each pose... except for the side angle which has none. I also made the Pig Cop shake a bit to try to make him look less static... though I'm not sure how well I succeeded.

animation:



will probably update the Octobrain later.

[Tea Monster]

It looks like hes laughing - probably at when he is going to pull some evil power-up on you. That looks great!!!

[Micki!]

Originally Posted by Kev_Hectic

Yeah, I'd like to see a Battleloard Cart, too. But I have a feeling that one is going to be a hard one to do. I'll take a stab at one though.

The updated pigcop seems better... though, i don't know about the shaking... maybe it'll look more fitting if he's actually moving..?

We need Enforcers riding small rocket-cars

[Micki!]

@Kev_Hectic

I made a quicky in Photoshop
I thought of something along these lines with the Battlelord Kart...
---

---
I've only drawn the stuff i mainly thought of on a Battlelord-Kart... Those are:
1) An engine visible outside the kart, like those sports cars...
2) The exhaust having a similar shape like shown (not the look, just the shape )
3) A plow in front... for visual appeal, not affecting other vehicles
4) Spikes on the wheels
5) The steering box-thingy, should be a bit messy... with cables all over and stuff
Basicly the whole kart should look somewhat custom made out of scrap pieces... Hence the unusual engine for a kart, and the plow etc...
I will leave additional details to you if you like this idea... i didn't bother looking how an actual engine looked like, or doing any other angles (though, if it's prefered, i'd make other angles )

I hope this might help make you finish it faster

[Bonesnapper]

I think maybe the Battle Lord could drive something like the Dragula.
Less tacky, and better colors, and I think it could be cool.

[DeeperThought]

Originally Posted by Bonesnapper

I think maybe the Battle Lord could drive something like the Dragula.
Less tacky, and better colors, and I think it could be cool.

So, uh, what would be left of the original design if it weren't tacky?

[Micki!]

Originally Posted by Bonesnapper

I think maybe the Battle Lord could drive something like the Dragula.
Less tacky, and better colors, and I think it could be cool.

Doesn't look stable enough to handle a Battellord though
Haha, i remember that car from Carmageddon TDR2000 (though, the games itself isn't that good)

[DavoX]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat, How Dare You Say Carmageddon Isn't That Good!!! Heresy!!

[Micki!]

Originally Posted by DavoX

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat, How Dare You Say Carmageddon Isn't That Good!!! Heresy!!

I didn't say Carmageddon is bad... Carmageddon is awesome... (i even build myself my own Red Eagle Carmageddon LEGO Car)
But Carmageddon TDR2000 is poor...

[lycanox]

I don't remember what the Deliverator was in any of the Duke games, got any pics?

It was death rally, I believe. Starring Duke nukem.
Death rally

[Bonesnapper]

Originally Posted by DeeperThought

So, uh, what would be left of the original design if it weren't tacky?

Well I meant get rid of the bicycle wheels and racing tires.

[Kev_Hectic]

Originally Posted by Micki!

@Kev_Hectic

I made a quicky in Photoshop
I thought of something along these lines with the Battlelord Kart...
---

---
I've only drawn the stuff i mainly thought of on a Battlelord-Kart... Those are:
1) An engine visible outside the kart, like those sports cars...
2) The exhaust having a similar shape like shown (not the look, just the shape )
3) A plow in front... for visual appeal, not affecting other vehicles
4) Spikes on the wheels
5) The steering box-thingy, should be a bit messy... with cables all over and stuff
Basicly the whole kart should look somewhat custom made out of scrap pieces... Hence the unusual engine for a kart, and the plow etc...
I will leave additional details to you if you like this idea... i didn't bother looking how an actual engine looked like, or doing any other angles (though, if it's prefered, i'd make other angles )

I hope this might help make you finish it faster

The engine block looks a little weird because it overlaps with the steering column, I'm not sure how that would look from a front angle. I'd probably push it forward a bit. But other then that, the design looks cool. I like the metal plow in the front.

[Micki!]

You shouldn't mind any displacement or anything... as i said, i'm not familiar with engines look...
Or vehicle design in general...
You're right though, the steering column should likely be placed a little backwards-(or more angled maybe)... or the engine pushed forwards ...

Perhaps the Plow could be bigger... the Engine could be placed right behind it (half covered by it)

Maybe the two wheels on the back should be bigger

Else, cool you seem to like it...

[Bonesnapper]

I think a bigger spikey plow would be awesome.

[Sang]

Seeing as the look of the sprites is based just on how fun(ny) it looks, I think it may be fun to give the Battlelord a small kart (like the one Micki! drew) but then also see how he holds his legs open so they won't block his view (after all, it is a small kart)

[Kev_Hectic]

Well, here's what I came up with. What do you think?

[Dopefish7590]

i like it :thumbs:

good work

[C. M. Dratz]

Would it look better if there were simply 4 big (not long) spikes sticking out of the axle sides in the center of the wheels instead of the smaller and harder to see ones: most especially when spinning?

[Kev_Hectic]

actually, yeah. It would look better, if the spikes were sticking out of the hubcaps instead of on the tires. Maybe I'll change that.

[Micki!]

That looks realy cool..!
The orange spikes on his back look a little strange though... maybe a little too simple (the colors look so "plain" compared to everything else)
Also, on the Battellords neck, there's actually two long spikes (one on each side)
This GIF animation of the battlelord shooting, you can slightly (hardly actualy) see the spike i mean just a few pixels above the shoulder pads... it's not that long...

Also on this GIF, you see a slight black part on the orange spikes too

On this Fanart i once made, i made them clearly visible (because i doubled the length )
Though, the spike on the Battlelords right looks like it's coming OUT of the neck...
Anyways, it's that particular spike i'm refering to...
http://www.duke4.net/images/fanart/micki/23.png
Also, the whole head isn't covered in metal plating, only the part above the eyes... like a head-band

Else it's extremely cool looking, just like i had imagined it actually..!

[Parkar]

Originally Posted by Kev_Hectic

Well, here's what I came up with. What do you think?

Something I should have posted before but wouldn't it look cooler with the engine on the back? That way you will see it while driving to. It does look pretty darn sweet though.

Another thing I just thought of, why not have parts of all the characters blue so you can pick the color? Not shure what on the octabrain cart would work though.