Some questions before i start with Corona.

[vesper7dc]

Hello guys,

I m thinking to start game development, mostly for android, and during my research about game engines i read a lot about corona, so i just want to make sure for some things before i start to learn it and work with.

First of all, i dont want to make a clone of anything, nor a code-less gravity based game. The type of games i want to make is rpg (like LoZ, but with some unique stuff). Second, i have some programming experience, not in lua, but i have the will to learn a new language if i ll be sure that it fits for my needs. So before i start i want to be sure that i can create the following things in Corona:

1. Abillity to create random-generated tilesets (used as “dungeons”), but with the option to set up some rules

2. Ability to create multiply “layers” one on top of the other (ex. 1st backround - 2nd “dungeon” tileset - 3rd some effect or whatever - 4th character - 5th something above the character, like a bird lol :P)

3. Some basic path-finding

4. Light conditions (ex. all the screen will be dark except an area around the character, or some object)

5. Abillity to set  a relative posisition for an object.

[rob]

You should be able to do all of that with Corona SDK.  The layering is going to happen using graphics with an alpha transparency to let the lower layers show through.

There are several implementations of the A* path finding system already coded in Lua and several Corona SDK programmers have implemented them. 

There are several tile oriented engines that can make using tiles easier, but they are not hard to write for your specific need as well. 

Light conditions would be more of having a mask (black image with a hole in it, see the Flashlight Sample App).  By using gradients to go from transparent to black, you can give the illusion of light fall off.

I’m not sure what you mean about setting a relative position for an object.  All objects have an X, Y.  You can always say:

object.x = player.x + 10

to place the object 10 pixels to the right of the player.

Rob

[vesper7dc]

@rob

You should be able to do all of that with Corona SDK.  The layering is going to happen using graphics with an alpha transparency to let the lower layers show through.

There are several implementations of the A* path finding system already coded in Lua and several Corona SDK programmers have implemented them. 

There are several tile oriented engines that can make using tiles easier, but they are not hard to write for your specific need as well. 

Light conditions would be more of having a mask (black image with a hole in it, see the Flashlight Sample App).  By using gradients to go from transparent to black, you can give the illusion of light fall off.

I’m not sure what you mean about setting a relative position for an object.  All objects have an X, Y.  You can always say:

object.x = player.x + 10

to place the object 10 pixels to the right of the player.

Rob

Thanks for the quick answer Rob, as it seems it’s ok for my needs so i will stick to it. I m kinda noob in game dev so i m thinking more complex ways to do a thing than it actually needs to. I have a lot of things to learn about game dev logic as it seems.

[paulscottrobson]

I think “Million Tile Engine” does almost all of what you describe I don’t know how up to date it is ; Corona can certainly cope with this. 

Lua is easy enough if you are used to Python, Ruby, Javascript. Like Javascript it is extensible to use OOP via prototyping. It will only be an issue if you are only used to strongly typed languages like Java.

And, hey, it’s pretty much free to start - and if you go for Pro it’s not *that* much ; there are no huge hidden costs to get extra stuff.

With Corona it really doesn’t matter hugely whether you are iOS or Android, tbh. There are a few odds and sods, and the annoying requirement for 732 different size icons, but it is pretty easy to cross port.

[vesper7dc]

@paulscottrobson

I think “Million Tile Engine” does almost all of what you describe I don’t know how up to date it is ; Corona can certainly cope with this. 

Lua is easy enough if you are used to Python, Ruby, Javascript. Like Javascript it is extensible to use OOP via prototyping. It will only be an issue if you are only used to strongly typed languages like Java.

And, hey, it’s pretty much free to start - and if you go for Pro it’s not *that* much ; there are no huge hidden costs to get extra stuff.

With Corona it really doesn’t matter hugely whether you are iOS or Android, tbh. There are a few odds and sods, and the annoying requirement for 732 different size icons, but it is pretty easy to cross port.

Yes, it seems that MPE is exactly what i need, specially the light system and the multiply layers is 100% what i have in mind ( in this video is the layers system https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv0EMzgr5vQ ). 
My experience in programming is in pascal (the first language i learned in school) and in c/c++, mostly making “trainers” and stuff for cheating in pc games ( if i continue in game dev, i guess that i regret this ), but this languages is a no-go for an indie game developer, so i need something faster.

Anyway, i m gonna start learning the basics in lua and corona and i guess that i will make a lot of question threads in the future. :P 

cya…

[Gremlin_Interactive]

“Jumper” is that path finding module you are after

[rob]

You should be able to do all of that with Corona SDK.  The layering is going to happen using graphics with an alpha transparency to let the lower layers show through.

There are several implementations of the A* path finding system already coded in Lua and several Corona SDK programmers have implemented them. 

There are several tile oriented engines that can make using tiles easier, but they are not hard to write for your specific need as well. 

Light conditions would be more of having a mask (black image with a hole in it, see the Flashlight Sample App).  By using gradients to go from transparent to black, you can give the illusion of light fall off.

I’m not sure what you mean about setting a relative position for an object.  All objects have an X, Y.  You can always say:

object.x = player.x + 10

to place the object 10 pixels to the right of the player.

Rob

[vesper7dc]

@rob

You should be able to do all of that with Corona SDK.  The layering is going to happen using graphics with an alpha transparency to let the lower layers show through.

There are several implementations of the A* path finding system already coded in Lua and several Corona SDK programmers have implemented them. 

There are several tile oriented engines that can make using tiles easier, but they are not hard to write for your specific need as well. 

Light conditions would be more of having a mask (black image with a hole in it, see the Flashlight Sample App).  By using gradients to go from transparent to black, you can give the illusion of light fall off.

I’m not sure what you mean about setting a relative position for an object.  All objects have an X, Y.  You can always say:

object.x = player.x + 10

to place the object 10 pixels to the right of the player.

Rob

Thanks for the quick answer Rob, as it seems it’s ok for my needs so i will stick to it. I m kinda noob in game dev so i m thinking more complex ways to do a thing than it actually needs to. I have a lot of things to learn about game dev logic as it seems.

[paulscottrobson]

I think “Million Tile Engine” does almost all of what you describe I don’t know how up to date it is ; Corona can certainly cope with this. 

Lua is easy enough if you are used to Python, Ruby, Javascript. Like Javascript it is extensible to use OOP via prototyping. It will only be an issue if you are only used to strongly typed languages like Java.

And, hey, it’s pretty much free to start - and if you go for Pro it’s not *that* much ; there are no huge hidden costs to get extra stuff.

With Corona it really doesn’t matter hugely whether you are iOS or Android, tbh. There are a few odds and sods, and the annoying requirement for 732 different size icons, but it is pretty easy to cross port.

[vesper7dc]

@paulscottrobson

I think “Million Tile Engine” does almost all of what you describe I don’t know how up to date it is ; Corona can certainly cope with this. 

Lua is easy enough if you are used to Python, Ruby, Javascript. Like Javascript it is extensible to use OOP via prototyping. It will only be an issue if you are only used to strongly typed languages like Java.

And, hey, it’s pretty much free to start - and if you go for Pro it’s not *that* much ; there are no huge hidden costs to get extra stuff.

With Corona it really doesn’t matter hugely whether you are iOS or Android, tbh. There are a few odds and sods, and the annoying requirement for 732 different size icons, but it is pretty easy to cross port.

Yes, it seems that MPE is exactly what i need, specially the light system and the multiply layers is 100% what i have in mind ( in this video is the layers system https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv0EMzgr5vQ ). 
My experience in programming is in pascal (the first language i learned in school) and in c/c++, mostly making “trainers” and stuff for cheating in pc games ( if i continue in game dev, i guess that i regret this ), but this languages is a no-go for an indie game developer, so i need something faster.

Anyway, i m gonna start learning the basics in lua and corona and i guess that i will make a lot of question threads in the future. :P 

cya…

[Gremlin_Interactive]

“Jumper” is that path finding module you are after