lamar's Forum Posts

  • Updated Pinball Sandbox with Simpson's Theme Fan Game:

    https://www.scirra.com/arcade/tutorial-games/pinball-sandbox-demo-13984

    I also tweaked the flipper and ball for better finite control and added some grit to the ball so you can aim it very accurately. You can really control the ball about as well as in real pinball now with a little practice.

    The game scoring and missions are still in development but you can see where I am headed.

    I am working on the editor and also a mobile version and flat screen editor version for people that want to design their own games.

    I have a website set up now so I can start promoting the game and sandbox editor when it is finished:

    http://pinball-sandbox.comli.com/

    The plan:

    When I get this finished the user will be able to choose between several themes I create which will be different playfield layouts from easy to extreme and several fun sport themes including soccer, baseball, ice hockey (puck instead of a ball), football, golf, and bowling and others I come up with.

    The user can also create their own playfields using the components I create and drag and drop them in place and change their colors and sizes. Assets will include everything found in a traditional pinball layout with lots of lights and bumpers and buzzers for affect plus specialty assets like sport players, zombies and chutes and ramps.

    I will also include lots of decals so the user can personalize their games and choices of room wall and floor and other ambiance assets.

    This is designed so anyone with no design skills can easily create a pinball game layout in minutes so they can play and share their games with their friends or for an advanced user that wants to design their own assets to be uploaded to the game.

    I plan to have a free demo version available that will allow only one pinball creation to be saved and limited assets to wet the users appetite.

    The full version will include many more assets and 6 save slots and the ability to lock a design so your kid brother can't edit it later and other features.

    This will be a stand alone game and also considering HTML5 version for online play and a mobile version and of course make it available on Kongregate and C2 arcade directing people to my website.

    After I get both free and full versions complete (about a month from now) I will set up a website where I will have both available and advertise the heck out of them on all the many pinball forums and I will have free online play of the many theme games I create and maybe a forum so people can share their theme designs.

    I am not trying to get rich off this game and I think $5 is a fair price for the full version and I will sell it from my website and make it available through other sources like Amazon games and maybe Steam but those sources take more of the money and I have experience and accounts set up for selling and promoting my own stuff already.

    I also think I will create videos (I have experience) that demonstrate how to create playfields for best affect and introducing new themes I and users create and new assets as they are designed. Videos are another stream of revenue and I can also sell new asset PAK files I create.

    So that is my game design and marketing strategy.

    Would you pay $5 for a full blown pinball sandbox editor with those features?

    — You are certainly onto something big here. Yes, there is plenty work to be done to get some things right but very commendable efforts. I have tried the editor and I like the direction the project is taking. This is an excellent project. Don't stop!

    Thanks- I am excited about this project and see some real potential. I am amazed at how many websites and forums are dedicated to Pinball both traditional and video and there are lots of people that I think would like this sandbox creator. Not hard to learn and you can design your own game playfield in a few minutes or create your own assets for hardcore game designers.

    I am designing ramps and chutes today which will really add to the affect.

    awesome man!:D i like how it feel now its more stable.

    Edited: editor is ok, its buggy though, mouse gets stuck when you create objects, also im not entirely sure if i can create new objects, if i change the theme, theme button doesn't toggle from original default to football theme and back,

    color works, background floor wall changing is a nice addition, everything that are in editor option are a good addition to the gameplay and the customization ability, it only needs to be fixed so no glitches appear. a bit more polishing details and its the best pinball i seen on scirra arcade.

    Thanks- Yes quite a few bugs in the editor I need to fix. I am getting all the playfields and assets designed right now and then I will have to tweak controls and scoring for each playfield.

    Lots of work still to do but I think I have a handle on how I want the game to function and to make it as easy as possible for other people to design a playfield and game of their own.

    This is kind of in between the hardcore visual pinball creator programs and windows pinball creator that is just flat screen. Feels like a real pinball game and plays enough like one to give people a real challenge.

    At least I hope so!

    I am working on new playfield designs and assets so the screens may be a bit buggy for awhile. I will get all that fixed after I get playfields designed as each one requires tweaking controls and scoring.

    Don't get alarmed if a ball suddenly disappears or a soccer field becomes an ice hockey rink lol!

  • I know for 3D modeling of Game characters, texturing, animation you can see live "rendered" updates like that. Although I am unaware of anything that does it with 2D.

    Since this is 2D I only need a front perspective with the proper tilt angle to match the table angle so I am using Sketchup and designing the assets and I can render them using that.

    I will do a video showing how to design your own assets to go with the Pinball Sandbox game when I am finished. Then people can design whatever they want and add it to the game. Have to figure out how to set collisions for new assets.

    Here is a Demo of my editor so far:

    https://www.scirra.com/arcade/tutorial-games/pinball-physics-sandbox-demo-13984?action=updated

  • UPDATE:

    Here is a Demo of my editor:

    https://www.scirra.com/arcade/tutorial-games/pinball-physics-sandbox-demo-13984?action=updated

    Just getting the controls working now and will add assets later.

    Still need to figure out how to upload a sprite created by a user into the game but I think I got that figured out and it will need a blob and PAK file. Any help there appreciated.

    Note: Play the Soccer theme and you will see the soccer players move and will throw up their little arms when you score a goal and the crowd cheers.

    That is one thing I like about video pinball as I can make objects do things that would be quite impossible in real pinball including have character objects that will move and walk and speak or trigger a major event like a new layout etc.

    There are so many possibilities I get caught up working on themes instead of getting the basic editor parts all working lol!

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    You aren't resetting controls after a tilt/end game.

    There are still a few bugs to work out as I do not restart the layer when switching between games and some controls are carrying over.

    This is just to demonstrate the editor.

    Did you try the editor and what did you think?

    awesome man!:D i like how it feel now its more stable.

    Thanks- yes I think I have most of the physics probs fixed.

    Did you try the editor and what did you think?

    I forgot and left in my mousX and mouseY and I moved the bumpers back where they are supposed to start. I just uploaded the changes.

    OK just excited that I finally have a game that is attracting some attention and made it to the top games list on Scirra arcade.

    Now before anybody rains on my parade you should know I have worked really hard to finally get a game that people like and will come back and play over and over and many of my games have been duds so take this as my way of encouragement and saying to keep trying and don't give up just because some of your games bomb. Rework them or learn from them and the feedback you get and put that to use in your next game.

    I learn something from every game I make and new ways of doing things and new effects and I collect sprites and sound effects in my library and skills for my next project from every game. I have over 20 games published on Scirra but probably well over a 100 games that I never finished for one reason or another.

    So here is my Pinball Sandbox with new Simpson's playfield and I am proud of this game so far and will continue to make it better and I hope people appreciate the hard work and time that goes in to our games.

    https://www.scirra.com/arcade/tutorial-games/pinball-sandbox-demo-13984

    Check it out and play the different playfields and let me know what you think please!

    Updated Pinball Sandbox with Simpson's Theme Fan Game:

    https://www.scirra.com/arcade/tutorial-games/pinball-sandbox-demo-13984

    I also tweaked the flipper and ball for better finite control and added some grit to the ball so you can aim it very accurately. You can really control the ball about as well as in real pinball now with a little practice.

    The game scoring and missions are still in development but you can see where I am headed.

    I am working on the editor and also a mobile version and flat screen editor version for people that want to design their own games.

    I have a website set up now so I can start promoting the game and sandbox editor when it is finished:

    http://pinball-sandbox.comli.com/

    Now you can create your own Pinball games using accurate physics and objects or select from themes I will create.

    This is a Demo of the controls and features for feedback purposes.

    I have been working hard on the Pinball Sandbox Editor and I have the controls working but not all the objects can be modified or created yet.

    Here is the Demo:

    https://www.scirra.com/arcade/tutorial-games/pinball-physics-sandbox-demo-13984?action=updated

    Edit Controls:

    Themes: Click to choose Soccer theme (more themes coming)

    Play: Closes the editor

    Color: click on color and then object to color and color on primary board (only yellow)

    Move: Click on object and then right click to place

    Bigger Smaller: Changes size of objects

    Copy: Right click to place

    Create: Opens object window. left click to select and right to place

    Delete: Deletes playfield objects

    Change wall, floor, and cabinet by clicking on Labels

    Save and Load to Save your creations to share (Only one creation)

    Lock does not work in Arcade version.

    I intend to have at least 5 sport themes to choose from and maybe a Zombie. I have to create assets for each game and design the layout so that take a lot of time. I will have many more wall and floor choices and stickers and other play elements in the next update. This was just to test the controls and get feedback.

    The plan is to make this a stand alone game and also a mobile game and maybe get it on Amazon Games and Steam. You will be able to create several of your own pinball games to share with friends and modify them at any time. There will be many more assets in the paid version and you will be able to lock a game so no one else can edit it and have more saves.

    This is a large game file so the first time you run it may take 5 minutes to load. Don't get upset and go have a cup of coffee and come back.

    If you are still seeing the old version you need to clear you Browser Cache images and downloads.

    Picture of Soccer Theme and Editor Screen.

    Picture of the Create Object Window.

  • Well, let's say it's not feasible.

    Yup too much work. Has anyone designed an in game sprite editor you are aware of?

    That would be a nice routine for people building sandbox games and worth a few bucks I think!

  • Oh and never say anything is impossible with C2 as I see the impossible being done everyday lol!

  • It's not possible, you'll need to make your own editor.

    I figured as much but worth asking.

    I have designed my own editor now but sure would be nice if that was possible.

  • lamar

    Yes but I want to be able to change the created sprite with a variable

    So set a Global variable to CHANGESPRITE

    On CHANGESPRITE = number Create Object new sprite at Position old sprite and Destroy old sprite

  • Strange question I know but is it possible to call up the C2 sprite editor from inside a game to allow users to change a sprite?

    I am creating a Pinball sandbox that will allow users to change existing objects size, color and placement but it would be nice if it would allow the user to create or modify a sprite using the existing C2 editor.

    UPDATE:

    Here is a Demo of my editor:

    https://www.scirra.com/arcade/tutorial-games/pinball-physics-sandbox-demo-13984?action=updated

    Just getting the controls working now and will add assets later.

    Still need to figure out how to upload a sprite created by a user into the game but I think I got that figured out and it will need a blob and PAK file. Any help there appreciated.