Chaos is in the air! Last month was a busy month for sure, and this month looks to be about the same… I love it! Last night I decided to upload a video to YouTube showing the new feel of the game. (If you follow @H3Games, you would have known that already!) I really wish I had a bit more time to polish up the video, however Windows Movie Maker absolutely hated every video I threw at it last night and was not playing nice in the sandbox. (yes, must eventually get some authoring software)
The video is showcased below for your enjoyment. Feel free to leave your thoughts.
Currently there are 13 total fixtures implemented in the game. The HUD is going down for a complete overhaul currently, as you will notice in the video the only HUD item left is the Fixture Selection screen when building your store. Its being redesigned to be cleaner, and more intuitive to whats going on in game. These computer avatars are starting to have a mind of their own, and there will be a few components added to aid game play.
There is currently a basic implementation of shopping actions which are displayed above the shoppers head. This makes it much easier to manage your store, and aids in managing the store in huge swarms of customers. Model transparencies have been implemented in this release, which isn’t a huge thing to do but makes the progress videos look a bit nicer. Some basic avatar “grab” actions have been added for when the customer is shopping, and will include the avatar “picking up” and item and holding it in their hand. Now the most important update is to the AI and pathing. The AI now has is the ability to base decisions on frustration tolerance. Don’t have an item in stock? That’s frustrating. Waiting in a long register line? Also adds frustration. Walking through a coffee spill? That may just be the straw that broke the camels back, and your potential customer is lost. No big deal right? Well your game is constantly adjusted based off a customer satisfaction rating, which will directly influence the amount of customers that enter your store later on in the week. (Who said there isn’t any power with word of mouth?) And when your store is no longer meeting its sales targets, well… Don’t be surprised if your boss comes down and gives your a courageous conversation.
The next update will add some “fun” to its on-going campy feel. The game fixtures are to be renamed with more interesting descriptions. Sure I could have a “Ice Cream Freezer” in my store, but why would you want that when you can place a “Ice Cream Extreme Deep-Freeze” unit in there? The idea originally started with a pun I made on twitter about George Clingerman’s coffee drinking tweets. From that day forward the Convenient Chaos coffee machine will forever be known as the “Clingerman GW-5000 Series BrewMaster”. Yes, I dubbed it that, however I’m all for the community renaming some in game items, so if you’d like to have a gander at the fixture list and submit a name, we’d love to hear your name!
Well its been a fun filled month updating Convenient Chaos’ models to the new ones provided by our project’s talented modeler. Early in the month we dove into importing the new level and fixture models, and I had some limited success. For some reason we experienced heavy problems with model exports from Blender and axis direction not orienting correctly. If your pivot point is not aligned correctly, bad things happen. Fast. Mix that with a lack of modeling experience *cough* Mesh Connections *cough*, certain elements don’t become oriented correctly because the parent isn’t (blender_root box), and you have a REAL frustrated coder trying to get his code to function with some beautiful pieces of art.
I’ve not developed much in 3D prior to Convenient Chaos, but knew a lot about it from schooling and reading different books. So development hasn’t been hindered, however one thing I did not learn was much about was model file format of FBX. This was a hindrance. I’ve had limited success with different modeling programs that fit within the budget of a small Indie studio. So it was off to the root cause, how are my models being exported exactly. After understanding the orientation format of FBX (ASCII) and the general layout of the file (thanks Autodesk FBX SDK), Mixed in with pre-processing rotation in the ContentManager, the models were imported beautifully! Then had to scale the models, avatars, collision/pathing manager to the size of the new (bigger) store.
Was all the frustration worth it? You tell me…
Shopping In Chaos
Granted the transparencies have yet to be set, but I’m totally digging the new eye candy. The game level still is not completely modeled, however the final version should be up soon. (What are those orange boxes in the picture you say? New addition: Avatars also now have an action icon above their head with what action the shopper is preforming. This should hopefully avoid some confusion when the store becomes packed.)
So whats next on the list? Well I have been working on balancing game play. The game is designed to be fun, intuitive, and to have a balanced difficulty curve that should appeal to most. But we will discuss more of that in my next post…
Lots of stuff coming together in the Convenient Chaos ‘scene… The game is about to have a brand new look. I have just received new model renders for Convenient Chaos and thought I might share. The game’s modeler Kaya has been putting out some amazing work. The image displayed showcases some main models in different stages of completion. I think they are looking fantastic! The final in-game fixture list has been created and you will now be able to build the following fixtures/machines in your store:
ATM Machine
Energy Drink Stand
Nacho Machine Stand
Ice Cream Freezer
Soft Drink Fridge
Coffee Counter
Hot Dog Stand
Candy Counter
Bagged Ice Freezer
Potato Chip Counter
Gum Impulse Counter
Lottery Booth
Magazine Rack
Slush Machine
Movie Rack
Newspaper Stand
16 Unique fixtures to place in your store, each one generating different revenues, each one with a different probability of attracting a sale. Game play balance still has to be achieved, and difficulty ratings adjusted. I will be looking for a few Creators Club Members to play a test build of Convenient Chaos. I am looking to sheerly tweak a few aspects of the game and to help with gameplay balancing. If you are interested in donating a few hours to play a pre-playtest game, send a message to H3 on Twitter (@H3Games) or use the comment box below to be considered.
Well its been quite some time since we have updated this blog… (shame on me) But fear not! There has been some great developments with our upcoming release Convenient Chaos. Im happy to say that basic gameplay and AI are now completely implemented, and now its on to adding more features. The lighting system has been tweaked, with only a little more to be added. All nightly builds are being testing internally to hopefully make for a better gameplay experience.
It’s kinda rewarding to be able to play your creation a bunch of times, enjoy it, and have the ability to make it even better. But I cannot say I make the best tester, since I know how to operate the game better then anyone. Games need to be intuitive; to be able to have the player pick up the controller and not read through instructions. (Less frustration is more fun no matter how you slice it. ) However I will say that my wife makes the best play tester when it comes to input controls.. If something doesn’t ‘feel right’, I’ll hear about it alright… Overall though, its shaping up nicely. All the nice technical bugs will be handled by the fine folks on the XNA Creators site, but hopefully there wont be much of them come close to release time.
Now where’s the updated gameplay video you ask? I know its been some time since our last one, however I would like to have some updated “non-programmer” graphics in our next video. The Convenient Chaos project has just joined forces with Kaya, a talented individual who is going to take our game models to another level. When some of the newer items are implemented I will then release a nice video showcasing this amazing game. What can I say, I would like to showcase a more polished state of Chaos! (Does that even exist? Well it will soon!)
Be sure to follow our Twitter Feed as its updated daily! More to come…
That’s right, today I have uploaded a new video to the Convenient Chaos media section. This update has been a bit of a challenging one, but I’m satisfied with how this production is turning out. The UI has been updated slightly (Its still missing a TON, and needs a little TLC), and I hope to put a more polished look on the UI with the next media release. “Shoppers” are now intelligent enough to run around a store, and pickup some products off the shelves. After completing their shopping they proceed to walk to the register and wait. Unfortunately I didn’t showcase the line “stacking” that occurs at the register. Shoppers will now line up single file to be checked out at the register. Soon timers will be implemented, as these shoppers don’t want to wait!
It was a busy weekend, but managed to get quite a bit added to Convenient Chaos. I have cleaned up the UI a bit, and have made it scaled for different TV resolutions. The biggest improvement to the code has been AI pathing using an A* algorithm. Upon spawning, the computer AI Avatars will now generate a “shopping list” based off what you offer in your store, and will generate the paths required to walk to what they need. Collision avoidance is built into the method (which is nice) but it needs to be worked so it is a little more sensitive to bounds. Computer Avatars will avoid objects for the most part, but can still clip through edges of objects in a high fixture populated store.
More features will be implemented into the pathing to allow for a Computer Avatar to be “influenced” to pick up/use an item from a fixture while walking by it. After the AI has completed its shopping path, it will then proceed to a static cash desk, to purchase its goods. (Where you score “points”) After purchasing, the computer AI will then proceed to exit the store. Once this is complete it will provide a nice base to build a basic game structure around. Timed level rounds will be added soon after, and other features yet to be mentioned…
I was originally going to make a new updated development video, however the capture equipment I just bought is not being co-operative… The next update I will provide a new video, but for now the Media section has been updated with some new screen shots.
Its status update time… Hot off the press! (Almost as hot as some jalapenos. )If you have been following H3 on Twitter(@H3Games), you have got a sneak peek at some of the development video of Convenient Chaos. If you have yet to take a peek at it, head over to the game’s production page and view it for yourself. The video highlights the initial build process when starting a fresh game (fixture selection, rotation, placement, collision). My previous post touches on how fixtures work in game.
I should have a new video for viewing in a week highlighting improved collision with fixture placement, and placing some brains in those silly computer avatars (shoppers) we have running around the store! Just finishing up the AI on the shoppers and hopefully will have them walking to fixtures and picking up items off their shopping list by the end of the week. Once that task is accomplished, the games development should progress very quickly thereafter. From the tremendous response I have gotten thorough various mediums, it looks like this may turn into a very unique game.
Also on the on the back burner, I am in the process of finishing up some skinning on some new fixture models which will be inserted in soon. (Yes we still need a modeler, the poor coder is modeling as well.) Check out Looking For Work? for more information.
Stay tuned for more…
I’ve been a bit more frequent on my Twitter updates, so I figured it would be a decent idea to post a little more what Convenient Chaos is all about. In Convenient Chaos, your Xbox Live Avatar plays the role of a small convenience store clerk, who must contend with everything from building/merchandising your store to running after shoplifters. The main goal in the game is to achieve the highest sales, while always beating your level “Budgets”. However, be sure to keep the money flowing in by keeping the shelves stocked, fixing broken equipment and most important cashing your customer out. Customers wont wait around long, before they discard their purchase entirely and leave your store.
The player has the ultimate control on how his/her store will look. The player will be able to place retail fixtures in their store, each generating different revenues. Currently there are four different styles of fixtures:
Retail Fixture
These fixtures are your plain shelving units, which are able to hold a hefty amount of goods and available with different product layouts. These fixtures do not break.
Machine Fixture From drink coolers to ice cream freezers these are a real bonus to your bottom line and hold a standard amount of goods. These fixtures can possibly break.
Impulse Impulse goods are those last minute “I gotta have’!” that you see around stores and checkouts across the world. Customers who didn’t intend to purchase this item may be attracted to the fixture and pick up one of the goods contained within. These are not big money makers, but it all adds up!
Promotional You may only place one promotional fixture in your store at any given time. Promotional fixtures will generate high-revenue to key customers interested in the goods contained, and will also create an “Impulse” effect on other shoppers who didn’t intend to come to purchase the goods the fixture holds.
Now after making all the tough decisions on placing fixtures, keep ‘em stocked, running after those shoplifters, and remembering to cash that those customers out…. Easy Right?
I’ll have a video up soon of some initial game play… Actually here’s an idea for a video, and chance to get some ‘cred etched into 1′s and 0′s (maybe some other goodies). I am looking for the most obscure/weirdest/funniest product or display you have come across in a convenience store. The chosen entry will be the “inspiration” for an in-game fixture. Follow me on Twitter and send me an direct message of what you have seen, or a picture… lets have some fun and see what comes of it, as I’m sure there are some interesting things out in the wild…
H3 has decided to set our production Outbreak on hold for the time being, while we redesign some game elements. After some initial testing, we didn’t feel the game played out to how we initially wanted it to. Later on I will be stripping it down to throw some 3D in it and changing some game dynamics.
But fear not! As H3 still has an active team developing “Convenient Chaos”, an Xbox 360 Avatar based indie game. The Production section has been updated, with new initial Sketch-up’s of Convenient Chaos.
Outbreak is the first title scheduled for release by H3 Games Studio. Outbreak is a fast paced puzzle game with increasing difficulty. Eliminate groups of two or more to score points, while using power-ups to help clear the level.
Planned release date for this title is mid-February, 2010. (pending XBLA approval)
Price for this product has yet to be set.
Outbreak is currently a stable (playable) Windows build that is in the process of being converted to the Xbox360. Mid-January we will begin XBLA testing, and look forward to a smooth launch thereafter. If you are intrested in testing this product before release, check back as we will be posting more details very soon.
Some basic avatar “grab” actions have been added for when the customer is shopping, and will include the avatar “picking up” and item and holding it in their hand. Now the most important update is to the AI and pathing. The AI now has is the ability to base decisions on frustration tolerance. Don’t have an item in stock? That’s frustrating. Waiting in a long register line? Also adds frustration. Walking through a coffee spill? That may just be the straw that broke the camels back, and your potential customer is lost. No big deal right? Well your game is constantly adjusted based off a customer satisfaction rating, which will directly influence the amount of customers that enter your store later on in the week. (Who said there isn’t any power with word of mouth?) And when your store is no longer meeting its sales targets, well… Don’t be surprised if your boss comes down and gives your a courageous conversation.
Well its been a fun filled month updating Convenient Chaos’ models to the new ones provided by our project’s talented modeler. Early in the month we dove into importing the new level and fixture models, and I had some limited success. For some reason we experienced heavy problems with model exports from Blender and axis direction not orienting correctly. If your pivot point is not aligned correctly, bad things happen. Fast. Mix that with a lack of modeling experience *cough* Mesh Connections *cough*, certain elements don’t become oriented correctly because the parent isn’t (blender_root box), and you have a REAL frustrated coder trying to get his code to function with some beautiful pieces of art. 
Overall though, its shaping up nicely. All the nice technical bugs will be handled by the fine folks on the XNA Creators site, but hopefully there wont be much of them come close to release time.
That’s right, today I have uploaded a new video to the Convenient Chaos media section. This update has been a bit of a challenging one, but I’m satisfied with how this production is turning out. The UI has been updated slightly (Its still missing a TON, and needs a little TLC), and I hope to put a more polished look on the UI with the next media release. “Shoppers” are now intelligent enough to run around a store, and pickup some products off the shelves. After completing their shopping they proceed to walk to the register and wait. Unfortunately I didn’t showcase the line “stacking” that occurs at the register. Shoppers will now line up single file to be checked out at the register. Soon timers will be implemented, as these shoppers don’t want to wait!
It was a busy weekend, but managed to get quite a bit added to Convenient Chaos. I have cleaned up the UI a bit, and have made it scaled for different TV resolutions. The biggest improvement to the code has been AI pathing using an A* algorithm. Upon spawning, the computer AI Avatars will now generate a “shopping list” based off what you offer in your store, and will generate the paths required to walk to what they need. Collision avoidance is built into the method (which is nice) but it needs to be worked so it is a little more sensitive to bounds. Computer Avatars will avoid objects for the most part, but can still clip through edges of objects in a high fixture populated store.
Its status update time… Hot off the press! (Almost as hot as some jalapenos. 
I’ve been a bit more frequent on my 
