Keen 64: Unity (Release 8: Super Keen 64 Jumping II)

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troublesomekeen
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 3.5: Level 1)

Post by troublesomekeen »

proYorp wrote: Wed Apr 26, 2017 6:47 Is this happening to anyone else, or is my computer just wierd?
Works perfectly for me in both Chrome and Firefox.
My screen will only look like yours if I fall through the level.
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Commander Keen in... Canteloupe Quest!
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 3.5: Level 1)

Post by Lava89 »

Thanks for getting back to me ProYorp! Good to know the actual mechanics of the game works-- I will disable that masking shader in the next release, to see if that helps. What games usually work on your computer? Just so I get a feel of its capabilities. Also, what version of Windows are you using?

And thanks for trying out the game, troublesomekeen. I also tried it out today at my school's library computers, so hopefully this isn't a widespread thing.
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 3.5: Level 1)

Post by proYorp »

Lava89 wrote: Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:21 What games usually work on your computer?
Hmm, let's see. Not a lot of newer 3D games, I don't think. A fair amount of the games I have are open-source, like SuperTuxKart and Neverball. Those work. Also the Keen 64 Pogo Demo, and Beta 0.1.5 I believe it was, worked.

I'm using Windows 7. I have only 1GB RAM, and don't have OpenGL 2.0 according to one game that didn't work. (If you can't tell, I'm using a slightly outdated laptop.)
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Keen 64: Release 4

Post by Lava89 »

Release 4 is out!

Play via Browser, standalone Windows. or standalone Linux.

Since most of the changes are visual, with motion, I thought videos would serve better than screens. The images below link to animated gifs and there are original YouTube links (with a better framerate) above each linked pic:

Exit:
YouTube Video of Exit animation
Image
Animated GIF of Exit animation

Die:
YouTube Video of Death animation
Image
Animated GIF of Death animation

As you can see by the animation, Keen just plops down. Which is a "modernized" sequence, as opposed to the original one. But right now it's just temporary. I might make the new model have more of a "death" sequence like you'd see in Keen 4-6 -- it will depend on if it fits with the rest of the game or just looks weird.

Changes:
  • Graphics:
    Disabled masking shader on exit door (to see if it runs better for proYorp and anyone else who might've had issues).
  • Keen Must Die:
    With corresponding death animation and displayed lives count.
  • Keen can now use the exit door
    Right now he just goes back to the start of the level, but that will change when I implement the map from the Blitz3D Beta (an exit sign will be added when I can get the glow effects to work).
Anyhow, enjoy!
-LAVA89
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 4: Level 1 -- dying and functional exit)

Post by KeenRush »

Looking good! Those yorps are so cute. :yorp

My only complaint - and it's not really a complaint because I know this is early work still - is about the movement. Once it feels more solid (like, that there's more gravity), like in originals, it improves the game exponentially. I've come to the conclusion that in a platformer the way the character feels solid is one of the most important things. I think it's something all the most popular platformers share: Sonic, Mario, Crash Bandicoot, Keen - gravity affects the character smoothly but insistently.

Edit: Love that death animation. :lol
My newest mod - Commander Keen: Sunset: viewtopic.php?t=8568 | codename H.Y.E.N.A.
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 4: Level 1 -- dying and functional exit)

Post by Lava89 »

KeenRush wrote: Wed May 10, 2017 5:17 My only complaint - and it's not really a complaint because I know this is early work still - is about the movement.
Actually, this is the feedback I want the most (aside from technical \ stability issues); making sure the gameplay is fluid is a big reason why I moved over to Unity.

So you want "more gravity" -- does this mean that you think the fall speed needs to be faster? But please correct me if I'm wrong. :)

Many thanks!
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Keen 64: Release 5

Post by Lava89 »

Release 5 is out!

Play via Browser, standalone Windows or standalone Linux.

Changes:
We got yorps leaping!

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We got yorp thinkin'!

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We got Yorps conked out!

Image


We got deadly hazards!

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We got yorps pushing people into deadly hazards!

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We got pay back!

Image


Enjoy!
-LAVA89

DISCLAIMER: I plan to add more "zap" effects when yorps get shot-- I just need more time to better understand how to modify shaders \ materials in Unity3D.

Also, level 1 is still very much WIP (it's still more or less a test level)-- eventually I plan to add more Keen 1-accurate signs and hazards, as well as background landscapes like from the original Pogo demo.
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 5: Yorp Free and Conk Hard)

Post by KeenRush »

Sorry about the lateness of my reply. Every now and then during the past few days I've tried to describe what I meant, and the more I think the less I seem to know. When I compared times it seems that the time it takes to jump and fall is roughly about the same in your game and Keen 1, yours being a little faster I think. Maybe the issue isn't that, after all. Since I'm most used to Keen 1-3 when it comes to platforming (or any games whatsoever), maybe what I need is that kind of jumping. I realized that in this project you can manipulate your jump while in air: you can keep pressing jump key and 'fly' higher. In ordinary Keen the reach of the jump is decided before it begins, based on how long jump key is held. Maybe that's the difference that "disturbs" me on some metaphysical level. The K1-3 jumping seems to be something that's so ingrained in my worldview that when something doesn't work that way it doesn't seem real. :crazy

The latest version is looking good, especially liking the pat pats and yorp jumps.
My newest mod - Commander Keen: Sunset: viewtopic.php?t=8568 | codename H.Y.E.N.A.
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 5: Yorp Free and Conk Hard)

Post by Lava89 »

KeenRush wrote: Tue May 16, 2017 17:40 The K1-3 jumping seems to be something that's so ingrained in my worldview that when something doesn't work that way it doesn't seem real. :crazy

The latest version is looking good, especially liking the pat pats and yorp jumps.
Thanks! Also, there's no shame having trouble to describe what you mean, I think that's why platformers are so hard to make (especially the 3D ones).

After seeing first your post I went back to Keen 1 and noticed that I should lower the largest jump height and also make Keen fall faster (though if I recall correctly, Keen 4 is much more "floaty", like I originally had it). I didn't mention this update because I didn't want to bog the post down in a bunch of changes \ fixes.

So if you happen to get a chance and try out the new version (Release 5), please tell me if this is an improvement or at least a step in the right direction of what you were thinking of. :)
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 5: Yorp Free and Conk Hard)

Post by KeenRush »

Lava89 wrote: Tue May 16, 2017 17:51After seeing first your post I went back to Keen 1 and noticed that I should lower the largest jump height and also make Keen fall faster (though if I recall correctly, Keen 4 is much more "floaty", like I originally had it). I didn't mention this update because I didn't want to bog the post down in a bunch of changes \ fixes.
No wonder I had some slight confusion (which I didn't mention); when I wrote my post and mentioned about jumping times I was playing the latest (version 5) and felt that I was sure the jump had been a little different - I just thought I remembered slightly wrong, I didn't realize there had been changes since version 4. From 4 to 5 it's definitely improvement. (And yeah, in newer Keens the jumping is more floaty.)
My newest mod - Commander Keen: Sunset: viewtopic.php?t=8568 | codename H.Y.E.N.A.
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Keen 64: Release 6

Post by Lava89 »

Release 6 is out!

Play via Browser, standalone Windows or standalone Linux.

Changes:
• Added a Pogo (but you have to find and collect it first!).

Image


• Camera pans out when "pogoing".

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• Yorps now have animated facial textures and are cel shaded.

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• New bullet / "laser blast mesh".
Made to look "fuzzier" and more game accurate, it also now looks the same across both Windows and Web builds.

• Since Release 5, Keen shoots in the direction of the mouse.
Optional crosshairs will eventually be added

• Keen now stops when shooting.
To be more accurate to the original game.

Horizion: So what's next?
Phase 1 (remainder of):
•"Tanks and Butlers and Gargs, Oh My!" Release
Tank Robots, Butler Robots and Gargs will be added into the game.
The exit in Level 1 will lead to a secondary test level, partially inspired by level 3 of the original game.
This new level will serve as a sandbox for the community to test out the newly added gargs and robots (since Level 1
in the original game only featured yorps).

•"Visual Update" Release
New Keen model will be added.
Level 1 will be more "Keen 1-accurate"-- with added signs and visual hazards (i.e. spikes and more pat-pats).
Test Level 2 will eventually look accurate to level 3 from the original game.
Both levels will then feature mountainous backgrounds.

Phase 2:
The goal of Phase 1 is to (hopefully) gather as much community feedback as possible regarding the core gameplay mechanics and to have remade enough of the original game's elements (i.e. NPC's, items etc) to serve as building blocks, so I can quickly build the rest of the levels till completion.

The goal and desire of Phase 2 is to limit public releases and focus on delivering the completed fangame. Phase 2 ends when the fangame is initially released.

Phase 3:
Phase 3 will consist of-- well, forget that for now! Let's get Keening!



-LAVA89
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 6: How The POGO Got Its Groove Back)

Post by Fleexy »

Looks great! I love the appearance of the shots. The game itself is very responsive, even in the web player.

Tiny nitpick: in the original games, Keen would only come to a complete stop if he shot while on the ground. If he shot while moving in the air, he would continue into a slide after hitting the ground. (That slip-slide behavior has killed me quite a few times and I'm not sure how I feel about it, but if you're trying to recreate the original game's mechanics, I thought you might want to know.)
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 6: How The POGO Got Its Groove Back)

Post by Plasma Captain »

This is looking good!

Something about the pogo and jumping - I feel like the camera shouldn't raise during a normal jump or even a normal pogo (the zoom-out feature of the pogo is great though). Because jumping is so integral to the game, the resulting bouncing effect is somewhat jarring. If you can get the camera to z-lock and then perhaps drag toward Keen when he reaches too far from the current z-focus, I feel that would be greatly beneficial. Some examples of this camera behaviour would be Mario 64 and Croc.
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Re: Keen 64: Unity (Release 6: How The POGO Got Its Groove Back)

Post by Lava89 »

@Fleexy:
I gotta give you alot fan cred for noticing something like that!

However, I think I will leave something like that out. As it is, compared to the original, the amount of sliding has been reduced, just to give things more precision. But if there is a fan outcry I can always put something like that to stay true to the original.

Either way, I appreciate that you played my game and that you raised awareness on something I would have never noticed!

@Plasma Captain:
Thanks for bringing this up. I took your advice and revisited Mario 64, so it seems the camera behavior works as follows:
  • If Player jumps ==> move slightly up and rotate to follow the Player as it rises
  • If Player jumps and land on ground ==> move to the new location behind the Player.
  • If Player falls from ground ==> closely follow behind the Player
For release 7, I think I've replicated this as best as possible, within the confines of Keen-- one major difference is that Keen jumps way higher than Mario does. Which is needed, because Keen's levels has more random platforms that are higher up. Whereas Mario's levels have more stretches of terrain than random platforms.

Also, originally Mario 64 didn't really allow you to constantly adjust the camera-- it pretty much acted on its own. So having the camera merely move to where Mario has landed on a platform didn't give you a very accurate sense of depth. But one thing that really helped me was actually digging up the Mario 64 demo someone made in Unity3D (I happened to download it before Nintendo shut it down).

Since the creator of the demo was adapting Mario 64 to modern standards, I was able to look at his work and get ideas. For instance, his demo makes the camera follow Mario a little more vertically (instead of just "looking up" when Mario jumps). Also, the transition to Mario's new location after he's landed on a platform is smoother.

I'll admit that I didn't try out Croc, but I can always dig it out, if this is still off the mark from what you were thinking.

Also, since I am eventually going to have more control schemes down the road and this new one is still highly experimental, I made this new camera movement optional, and left the old control scheme as the default. So that I can always just tweak the new one, but let players still use the original (which I feel I've spent alot of time fine-tuning). This will be especially helpful if I need to go back to the drawing board on this new control scheme (which will depend on community feedback).

Just press "K" to see the new control scheme, and if you don't like the camera's "look motion", you can press L to disable it. Disabling it just makes the camera follow the player vertically, without any rotation.

Now pogoing is a completely different animal. While I may not always use the new control scheme, I do agree that stabilizing Pogo movement should be the status quo. So I made a new scheme, which was adapted from the new jumping camera movements: after enabling the pogo, and Keen is "pogo hopping" on his own, the camera stays in one location until you "pogo jump".

Then if you press and hold the jump button, the camera follows Keen as before-- I could also make the camera stationary for even pogo jumps, but that will take some work to figure out what we even want that look like, since no platformer I've played allows you to jump as high (but hopefully zooming out will suffice for now).

Also, just like with the standard jumping, this new pogo scheme is optional, and can be disabled to go back to the old scheme. But it is set as the default; just press "P" to go back to the old one.

Lastly, press "i" to see all of the new control options.

Anyways, I hope this is really close to what you were thinking of-- but by all means, please let me know if you think something needs to be tweaked.
Last edited by Lava89 on Mon May 29, 2017 0:08, edited 1 time in total.
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Keen 64: Release 7

Post by Lava89 »

Release 7 is out!

Play via Browser, standalone Windows or standalone Linux.

Press "i" to see all of the different control schemes!

Image


Changes:
In a nutshell, I've added two new OPTIONAL control schemes, which I hope work out for everyone-- if anyone thinks they need to be tweaked more (like if the camera is too jumpy, etc), please let me know. My goal is to allow everyone to play how they like.

More details below:
• New optional jumping control scheme.
Thanks to the suggestion by Plasma Captain, I added a new control scheme more reminiscent of games like Mario 64. Basically the camera doesn't constantly follow Keen when he jumps and waits to transitions to his new location if he's landed on the ground.

Please refer to my last post if you'd like to see more details of how the new control schemes work.

Press "K" to enable it, and press "L" to toggle the camera's "looking" motion when Keen jumps.

Also, if the camera is locked-- you are using the OLD control scheme.

• New optional pogo control scheme.
Also, thanks to the Cap'n's suggestion, I added a new control scheme that "stabilizes" the pogo's motion-- when you first enable the pogo and Keen is only doing "base" hops, without pressing the jump button, the camera stays in place. The camera will follow Keen once you start "pogo jumping", like in the original pogo control scheme.

This is set true by default, so press "P" to disable it and use the original Pogo controls.

• GUI: Hidden Options Display.
Status of options-- such as the new jumping and pogo camera control schemes are hidden by default, but can be toggled by pressing "i". Also, sensitivity is now hidden under this and I added a default Pogo status, which says whether you've grabbed the pogo or not. And you can still change the different options WITHOUT pressing "i" first (this just displays whether they're enabled).

This will be the precursor to a fully fledged "options" screen and the default stats (i.e. score, ammo, etc) will be the building blocks to do a "status" screen. Also, the different pogo and jump control schemes are the start of optional control schemes, that were used in the original "Pogo Demo".

• I gave Yorps more of a "shocked" look when they get shot.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Enjoy!
-LAVA89
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