Author Topic: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?  (Read 35947 times)

TheLaw

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SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« on: 2009-09-10, 11:16:35 AM »
Hey, gang:
   I confess, I have a lot of time on my hands these days! I've picked up a second project (well kinda at this point anyway). I'd love to write it with SGDK, except this one might look better on an XBOX 360. And as you may or may not know, I've been on other areas of the forums wishing for a 'tile-less' editor and in game GUI.
   So I've been wondering about writing a version of SGDK for XNA, with the changes above added, plus any other suggestions. For those who have no knowledge of XNA, briefly, you can write games with it for windows for free, and pay I think about 100 (?) bucks to build 360 games. Here's the site: http://creators.xna.com/en-US/. There's a video of a tileless type editor in action here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiUdJYFEfIs&eurl=http://www.gleed2d.de/&feature=player_embedded. Also, here's a look at the type of in game GUI I'd like to include: http://www.tomshane.cz/neoforce/Features/tabid/55/Default.aspx.

To be clear, my intent is not to distract from the existing SGDK and all of bluemonk's hard work. I'd like to build it as another optional in-house tool for us all to use - made by us for us kinda thing. Also, at this point it's just an idea I thought I'd post to see if anyone is interested at all.

If I were to do it I'd love to get any and all help either hands on in support and suggestions.

So, 'SGDK-X', let me know if it sounds cool or not.
Thanks,
Lawrence

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tprime

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #1 on: 2009-09-10, 08:17:49 PM »
I've always thought about doing that. But I am still learning the C# language. But combining them might be not as easy as it sounds. But I'm ready for a challenge. revolucionstudio@live.com

Jam0864

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TheLaw

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #3 on: 2009-09-11, 05:22:55 AM »
@TonyX:
   It's quite possible I'm missing the true value of what you're saying, but you've already been (sorta) using c# already. SGDK is written in c# and the plan editor is producing c# code for us. Since XNA is programmed exclusively with C#, there should not be any major changes. It's mostly a matter of ever so gently removing OpenGL (actually it's OpenTK...) and putting XNA back in it's place. Which of course is no small task!!!

@Jam0864:
   Yeah, get in line!!! Haha. Seems to me this is a game just like my current RPG project. It's really all 3D, put it's considered "2D gameplay".  When you do that you can have all that nice lighting. Fortunately for us, I was planning to make SGDK-X into some sorta 2D/3D hybrid. So yeah it's gonna be possible, but you'd have to design your game with 3D models instead of 2D sprites in order to have that.

I'm still in a back and forth over at XNA trying to figure a way to be able to build and deploy (run) 360 games from the comfort of the SGDK editor. It sounds like Visual C# may have to be used in some way. Right now this is the biggest threat to the success of this project! ...Well  and also your opinions too. So far it's not generating much excitement...!


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tprime

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #4 on: 2009-09-11, 09:13:29 PM »
Well, I'm available for any task. However, I can't be given deadlines. Since I really don't have too much time recently. Plus I think the SGDK-X should be free.

TheLaw

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Re: SGDK-360 ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #5 on: 2009-09-11, 09:48:44 PM »
Great, TonyX! And you're darn right it'll be free. It wouldn't be SGDK if it wasn't free! It would be done under GPL, which is the same license as SGDK. Although Ben has advised me that there may be a few stones in the road (on the sourceforge end), the idea would be to make it available right along side SGDK2 and have a separate section for it right here in this forum.

And no of course no deadlines. Anyone can pitch in whatever they can, whenever they have some time - there's no money involved here, so we'll just have to do the best we can. Also, toss me some suggestions too. Like I said, this'd be our tool, so I need to know what we want!

I'm slowly getting my ducks in a row here, so I may go weapons hot next week.
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Jam0864

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #6 on: 2009-09-11, 11:06:12 PM »
What exactly are you going to do with SGDK-X?

Doesn't it make more sense to just integrate your improvements with SGDK2? It is open source after all.

Or is your idea so vastly different from SGDK2 that it needs seperation?

TheLaw

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #7 on: 2009-09-12, 05:57:05 AM »
Quote
Doesn't it make more sense to just integrate your improvements with SGDK2? It is open source after all.
Or, better still, why wouldn't I use something else that already offers all I need? As I mentioned I have lots of time, and I'm going to be making an XBOX game at some point. Also, this is my favorite community and SGDK is great software to write 2D games with. I'm simply offering us a chance to make some XBOX games - is all.
Also, this is more of a rewrite than an integration. I'm going to be starting with a blank project and I'll unfortunately only be able to bring in a few bits of the original code here and there. (Ahhh, there should be a fair about I can re-use, but I think it's still classed as a rewrite!)


Quote
Or is your idea so vastly different from SGDK2 that it needs seperation?
I think the fact that it's XNA automatically puts it in a class of its own, but, also I think the tileless map editor gives it separation too.

Quote
What exactly are you going to do with SGDK-X?
Well here's quick look at my wishlist:
1)I'm gonna rewrite SGDK to make use of XNA instead of OpenGL.
2)Change the map editor from tiled to tile-less.
3)Add an in-game graphical user interface.
4)Add a physics engine for collision and fun.
5)Bring in Boo scripting to assist with games that have a large story line - as well as other things like GUI events and such.
6)Add some form of multi player networking
7)Add support for 3D models.
*This is only a early wish list. Things'll certainly change!

#7 is neat I think. Once the fog clears from my mind I'll know more. But right now I'm thinking I could add a place in the IDE where we could load in a 3D model and kinda zoom it and rotate it, set up some lights, and then take a "picture" of it and use in our 2D levels. ...But I don't know, I'm still wrestling with this one!


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Vincent

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #8 on: 2009-09-12, 11:37:50 AM »
Wow, this seems ambitious!  :o
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TheLaw

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #9 on: 2009-09-12, 11:58:24 AM »
LOL, Yes it sure is! But it must be done for us to be competitive in the wide world of Windows and XBOX games. Could take me a few minutes!!!  :laugh:

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tprime

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #10 on: 2009-09-13, 12:50:22 AM »
With XNA, Zune is also another possibility for us too!  ;)

3D seems like a tough challenge. Perhaps we should add that later, when we get 2D to work. Right?  :-\

When do we start development!
(so eager)  ;D

TheLaw

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #11 on: 2009-09-13, 05:55:47 AM »
Yes, I failed to mention the Zune. That's also quite cool.

Quote
3D seems like a tough challenge. Perhaps we should add that later, when we get 2D to work. Right?
Well it might not be so bad with another library like this to help: http://www.hilva.com/clients.php
I just have put in some time with all the available libraries to see which ones best suit our needs and also make sure they play nice with each other. (Licence-wise too)

Quote
When do we start development!
Well, from now 'till October I plan to experiment with all these libraries and hone my C# skills. Then I won't be around at all for the month of October. Finally in November the rubber hits the road!

So, for me with a month off coming up, I can't commit to much right now other than planning. I would like to have an IM chat sometime if that's alright?
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tprime

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #12 on: 2009-09-13, 01:35:48 PM »
I'll give you my msn.

TheLaw

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #13 on: 2009-09-16, 01:30:04 PM »
Well, here's a crude text document I've been working on. It's a "Wishlist" of some feature I've been dreaming about.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AarYbzRwn79qZGRkNms2NWpfNWZtNzlwY2dw&hl=en

It's a work in progress still, but check it out if you'd like to see what I'm up too!
Bless the mess/bad grammar/bad English. ...It's "ruff" ???




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Vincent

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Re: SGDK-XNA ...Cool or not cool...?
« Reply #14 on: 2009-09-16, 01:40:04 PM »
Oh boy!  After reading your wish list, I don't have choice but to take my comment "This seems ambitious" back. 

This time I'll say this: This is incredibly ambitious!  :o :o :o
 :laugh:

But hey, you've got to be ambitious to achieve great things.  So go for it!
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