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This is a huge wall-o-text - and I don't blame you at all if you just hit 'BACK' right now as it's a pain to read so much ..apologies.
For fun I am thinking about putting together an indie (only me) programmed game and wanted to run the concept past you, I really am legitimately interested in your thoughts.. This isn't really for the profit but rather the personal challenge (in fact if it ends up rubbish I'll just 'freeware' it). Still if it ends up good I may try to flog it and earn a few quid.
I am worried about the concept as it's a bit wierd. You'll pick up on what I'm saying easiest if you've played 'audiosurf' but let's see how you go.
The game is called 'AUDIO-JUMP'
My game looks a lot like the old MARIO games. Not 3D. its a 2d platform scroller. On all levels you must get from the left of the level, to the right. Just like Mario again.
However to play you HAVE to have stored locally an MP3 file (or use one of the 3 I give away with the game (not breaking copyright as I own the rights to a few fairly poor music tracks).
Now it all gets a little complex (and this is where I'll start losing people..). You choose your MUSIC track, and the computer spends 30 seconds analysing it, and produces a platform level based on the dips and frequencies in the track.
So if you choose 'MC Hammer - you can't touch this' you (everyone in the world choosing this track) always get exactly the same level. The track acts as a 'seed'.
Even cleverer, as the analysis of the track sees it gets quiet the level produced by the game involves 'easy, nice' sections of woodland, with easy platforms and nice lakes and sunshine. When the track's tempo pushes up or volume pushes up or the analyser senses its getting hectic, the level at that point enters a nasty cave with lava and pretty tough baddies and platforms. Or not necessarily a cave but something that is generally quite difficult with the enemies starting to pile out.
You always finish the level exactly when the music finishes. The 'music analyser' puts the finishing line so you will cross it when the music stops.
Now my first problem is that if someone doesn't move to the right at top speed, and the music plays as if he is then the level design will immediately become 'de-synced' with the music (as its not working it out real-time its working it out in advance .. the same peice of music will ALWAYS produce exactly the same level). So if they hang around they may reach the gentle 'forest' area of the generated level when the music is ACTUALLY back to the mental chorus, and the whole game dynamic fails.
For this reason I'm thinking of using a 'BRAID'esque approach. The music only plays forward if you move to the right. The music plays backwards if you move to the left. You'll virtually always be moving to the right. Nothing else is affected. That way you will always reach the end of the level exactly when the final power chord is struck. Keeping up?
Each run is timed. The timer keeps moving forward no matter if the users is moving forward or backward or standing still.
They'll be all the usual 'high scores', 'high scores by user/artist/album/song/country' etc everything you can imagine, so you can see if you have done the best (read fastest) run ever of 'I kissed a girl and I liked it' against other dudes that have played that 'generated level'.
So, at this time, does anyone see any problem with the general concept? Or does it sound like something you'd try the demo of and see if you might consider buying the full thing for, I dunno, £4?
If everyone says 'Sounds like a load of tosh to be honest don't bother mate', well to be honest that'll be enough to persuade me to not bother, and watch all the seasons of prison break instead. Your opinion really will make or break this project existing at all!!
I appreciate your time, oh, and anything else you think would be cool.
MORE DETAIL IF YOU DON'T 'GET' HOW I'D GET THE COMPUTER TO CREATE THE SAME LEVEL TIME AND TIME AGAIN FOR THE SAME PEICE OF MUSIC
To give an example of the simplest form of music analysis
RULE #1 - If the music artists's name begins with
A to E = make it a snowy level
F to L = make it a sunny level
M to S = make it a raining level
T to Z = make it a 'nighttime' level
RULE #2 - Every time the track hits the top 2% of it's volume, send a baddy wandering towards the player from the right.
RULE #3 - Every time the track hits exactly 45% volume, put a bit of water the player has to jump over ..
etc. etc. but with 1550 different rules!!
So the same music track will always come out with the same weather, as an extremely simple example, even if I've personally never heard of the music track! It is not necessary for me to design any level, just program the 'level designing' formula.
So go on, hit me with your thoughts! Destroy the concept if you want! Would save me the massive effort of programming something that is doomed to failure ??
Britters.
For fun I am thinking about putting together an indie (only me) programmed game and wanted to run the concept past you, I really am legitimately interested in your thoughts.. This isn't really for the profit but rather the personal challenge (in fact if it ends up rubbish I'll just 'freeware' it). Still if it ends up good I may try to flog it and earn a few quid.
I am worried about the concept as it's a bit wierd. You'll pick up on what I'm saying easiest if you've played 'audiosurf' but let's see how you go.
The game is called 'AUDIO-JUMP'
My game looks a lot like the old MARIO games. Not 3D. its a 2d platform scroller. On all levels you must get from the left of the level, to the right. Just like Mario again.
However to play you HAVE to have stored locally an MP3 file (or use one of the 3 I give away with the game (not breaking copyright as I own the rights to a few fairly poor music tracks).
Now it all gets a little complex (and this is where I'll start losing people..). You choose your MUSIC track, and the computer spends 30 seconds analysing it, and produces a platform level based on the dips and frequencies in the track.
So if you choose 'MC Hammer - you can't touch this' you (everyone in the world choosing this track) always get exactly the same level. The track acts as a 'seed'.
Even cleverer, as the analysis of the track sees it gets quiet the level produced by the game involves 'easy, nice' sections of woodland, with easy platforms and nice lakes and sunshine. When the track's tempo pushes up or volume pushes up or the analyser senses its getting hectic, the level at that point enters a nasty cave with lava and pretty tough baddies and platforms. Or not necessarily a cave but something that is generally quite difficult with the enemies starting to pile out.
You always finish the level exactly when the music finishes. The 'music analyser' puts the finishing line so you will cross it when the music stops.
Now my first problem is that if someone doesn't move to the right at top speed, and the music plays as if he is then the level design will immediately become 'de-synced' with the music (as its not working it out real-time its working it out in advance .. the same peice of music will ALWAYS produce exactly the same level). So if they hang around they may reach the gentle 'forest' area of the generated level when the music is ACTUALLY back to the mental chorus, and the whole game dynamic fails.
For this reason I'm thinking of using a 'BRAID'esque approach. The music only plays forward if you move to the right. The music plays backwards if you move to the left. You'll virtually always be moving to the right. Nothing else is affected. That way you will always reach the end of the level exactly when the final power chord is struck. Keeping up?
Each run is timed. The timer keeps moving forward no matter if the users is moving forward or backward or standing still.
They'll be all the usual 'high scores', 'high scores by user/artist/album/song/country' etc everything you can imagine, so you can see if you have done the best (read fastest) run ever of 'I kissed a girl and I liked it' against other dudes that have played that 'generated level'.
So, at this time, does anyone see any problem with the general concept? Or does it sound like something you'd try the demo of and see if you might consider buying the full thing for, I dunno, £4?
If everyone says 'Sounds like a load of tosh to be honest don't bother mate', well to be honest that'll be enough to persuade me to not bother, and watch all the seasons of prison break instead. Your opinion really will make or break this project existing at all!!
I appreciate your time, oh, and anything else you think would be cool.
MORE DETAIL IF YOU DON'T 'GET' HOW I'D GET THE COMPUTER TO CREATE THE SAME LEVEL TIME AND TIME AGAIN FOR THE SAME PEICE OF MUSIC
To give an example of the simplest form of music analysis
RULE #1 - If the music artists's name begins with
A to E = make it a snowy level
F to L = make it a sunny level
M to S = make it a raining level
T to Z = make it a 'nighttime' level
RULE #2 - Every time the track hits the top 2% of it's volume, send a baddy wandering towards the player from the right.
RULE #3 - Every time the track hits exactly 45% volume, put a bit of water the player has to jump over ..
etc. etc. but with 1550 different rules!!
So the same music track will always come out with the same weather, as an extremely simple example, even if I've personally never heard of the music track! It is not necessary for me to design any level, just program the 'level designing' formula.
So go on, hit me with your thoughts! Destroy the concept if you want! Would save me the massive effort of programming something that is doomed to failure ??
Britters.
Last edited:
) although maybe rather than stopping and rewinding the song the player should perhaps have a constant velocity and just be responsible for jump timings perhaps? 
