Smash Bros Brawl! and wifi

[SmartBoy16]

for anyone who is getting or has this game, is it better than the smash bros before? as soon as Wiis are easier to get, i might get this game. (if you read yeaterday's Start Tribune (april 15, 08) theres a interesting article about the Wii)

also wheres the best place to hook up WiFi for a DS in southern MN? (in iowa, there's Iowa 80, but ive only been down there once)

[durnurd]

On the front end, the game is very, very similar.  There are more things to do in the second one, and more playable characters, but in the end, it's basically the same game when you're playing it with three friends.  There's more things to do solo, though, like how far can you hit a punching bag with the home-run bat after you deal it as much damage as you can in a given timeframe.  Other mini-games like this.  You can also design your own levels in the second one, but don't expect to design your own landscape or anything.  You're just taking pieces they've provided and sticking them together in a predefined background.

[Jam0864]

ya i think they overcomplicated it, i still like the one on n64

I never manage to find wi-fi anywehre in australia, so I just use my own router.

[SmartBoy16]

You can also design your own levels in the second one, but don't expect to design your own landscape or anything.  You're just taking pieces they've provided and sticking them together in a predefined background.

i like that actually (as probably most game developers do)

[durnurd]

Yes, it's nice to be able to do this with predefined objects, but it's more level design than game design at that point, because you can't change the graphics or anything.

[SmartBoy16]

Yes, it's nice to be able to do this with predefined objects, but it's more level design than game design at that point, because you can't change the graphics or anything.

that's another thing that i like is limitation for something, because then it challenges you to build wat you want. it makes unpredected effects sometimes too

[bluemonkmn]

Yeah, it can be kind of hard to come up with something interesting when presented with a totally blank slate.  One needs to be inspired by something, and working within a more confined set of limitations (working from a starting point of some specific rules and pre-defined objects) helps guide your efforts down a narrower path making it easier to invent something interesting without having to exert as much effort and creativity.  Maybe I should start adding limitations to SGDK2 and hyping it up as a "super-limited system!" 

[Tanja]

 

[Jam0864]

HAHAHA rofl lmao

[durnurd]

You laugh, but this is one of the things I've found that the industry does.  There's the "simple mode" and the "advanced mode" for many pieces of software I've seen.  The "simple mode" offers the most standard use with all of the other settings at the default/optimal values.  It limits what you can do so that it doesn't look so daunting.  It makes working with the system go faster and more easily.  Once you get a hang of what the simple things do, then you can start experimenting with the advanced options, without having them in the way.

What's less daunting if you don't know what anything does here?

This?


Or this?

[Tanja]

in fact, this was exactly what i wanted to suggest bluemonk some time ago. a lot of people take a look into sgdk2 and are very confused. this simple mode and advanced mode would make it easier for a lot of people to get into it.

[bluemonkmn]

I was hoping that this already existed in SGDK2.  If you only want to do simple things, just use the import commands and avoid the rule editor and the code editor.  Of course I may need to provide more templates for that to work well.  But I think we almost already have that.

How did you imagine SGDK2 would look in simple mode?

[durnurd]

Well, one thing I would point to is your perhaps farcical comment above about purposefully limiting user actions.  Have two obviously different modes of operation.  Hide things away in the easy mode.  Don't even allow access to them.  The user should be able to completely make a game using the simple operations, of course, but these simple operations should have predefined sprites in an easy to use GUI where you can see all of the sprites in the library (visually) and choose which ones you want in your game.  Same with tilesets and everything else, of course.  Only allow layers to be at a scroll rate of 0 or 1, maybe, so that things don't get complicated.  Allow the user to resize the map with drag handles.  Have the background layer already filled in with a predefined background-layer tileset that comes default as soon as you start the program in easy mode.  Have common operations be easier.  Make a nice big button to link a platform sprite to a path, or at least have some built-in way to do it without looking at any rules.  Properties boxes should show minimal amounts of data.  All sprites should default to the default tile solidity class (which should be set up when they import a tileset).  The first time the user switches to advanced mode, be sure to let them know of things they need to watch out for (the default solidity not being set, for example, although I think this should also be done in advanced mode, if possible.)

It may sound too limiting, but that is kind of the point.  It can also be expanded with even more templates, so it can become less limiting.

[SmartBoy16]

also wheres the best place to hook up WiFi for a DS in southern MN? (in iowa, there's Iowa 80, but ive only been down there once)

i found a place at Riverhills Mall in Mankato, which is only an hour away from where i live.