Scrolling map

Related posts:
- New private game project
- Collecting graphics for my new game project
- Dreams due come true

I'm still working on my top down scrolling shooter. Last weekend I decided to make the background map for my game. There is google maps with it's satellite photo's of the world, so I thought why not make a scrolling map from images of google maps. How did I do it? Simple, go to the google maps site and find a place / map that is suited. Of course chose satellite to get real images. I wanted some water in my background, so I made my background from images of the province Zeeland in the Netherlands. When you have the right location "Print Screen" and voila you have an image. You might want to cut the background image out of the "shot" by editing it in photoshop (or paint). Than go back to google maps and move the map. By pressing the "up" key you will move the map up, perfect if you don't want to change in the horizontal (x) direction. Move your map up and make a shot again, do the entire process. Make sure that you keep a small part of the previous map in your new map, so when you are going to attach them they will fit nicely. After shooting images it's time to attach the lose map images to get 1 big map image.

In my case, I was going a little far with it. I made 43 map images. Attaching the images together I had a big map of 626 x 14200 pixels. When you are working in photoshop, you might want to use the "save for web ..." option to make the quality lower and the file size smaller. My map was 15 mb but with "save for web ...", jpg, low quality it went from 15 mb to 700 kb!

I'm using the map in my game now. I had cut it up in 6 pieces because Flash/actionscript can't work with movie clips, which are more then 2500 pixels in width / height.

Here is the map, might be useful for someone who want to save the hours of print screens, cutting and attaching work ^_^


hmmm...... blogspot has decreased the image size with 10 fold

My CV (English version)

CURICULLUM VITAE

Personal data

Name: Chan, Kar Ching

Address: Vermeerplantsoen 128
5151 WZ Drunen
the Netherlands

Phone Tel: +31 (0)416-377259

Mobile Tel: 06-48731926

E-mail address: karching@hotmail.com

Place and date of birth: Rhenen 14-08-1985

Marital status: Single

Nationality: Dutch

Gender: M

Website: http://kcchans.blogspot.com/

Education

· September 2003 – present
Computer science, specialised in Multimedia, at the Avans University in Den Bosch.

· September 1997 – June 2003
High school (Atheneum in Dutch), direction Nature & Technology, at the
‘d Oultremont high school in Drunen.

· October 1995 – June 2000
Chinese language course at the foundation Yu Hua Chinese school in Den Bosch.

Professional experience

· November 2006 – present
Game developer / programmer internship at Fantazm.com.
Fantazm is specialised in web advertisement / casual games.
The games which I worked on, I was responsible for the development and programming of the game play. For the games see http://kcchans.blogspot.com/
I am also working on a tracking system to trace data from the game and the player. The traced data will be stored in a database and shown on a website.

· August 2005 – November 2006
Software test engineer at
Siemens VDO Trading B.V.
Infotainment Solutions
Development Center Eindhoven
I was responsible for designing test specifications and functional testing of new navigation, information and entertainment software. Discover errors in the software and report them clearly, fully in English. I have done these tasks with great success.
The first 5 months, I worked as an intern at Siemens VDO. After the internship, I have been asked by Siemens VDO to work there as a part-timer, knowing that I still have to finish my study. This is an exceptional occurrence at Siemens VDO Eindhoven, because they have never contracted a student to work as a part-timer before.

· May 2000 – January 2007
I worked at a market gardening company in Haarsteeg.

· September 2000 – June 2003
I worked as a bartender at a Chinese restaurant in Drunen.

Skills

· Game development, see http://kcchans.blogspot.com/ for the games.
- I have developed a few games at Fantazm in Flash / actionscript.
- Since April 2007, 3 friends and I are working on a new game project. The game will be a multi player online 2D shooter and it will be developed in C-sharp.
- Since March 2007, I am working on a private game project. The game will be developed in Flash / actionscript and it will be a top down scrolling shooter.
- In the period February 2006 – June 2006, with a team of only 4 men (including myself), we developed a top down scrolling shooter game called Last Haeven in JAVA as an assignment of the Avans University. Of all the games that were developed by the multimedia students at the Avans University, this game got the highest grade.

· Languages
Fluent in the Dutch and English language, basic in the Chinese, German, French and Japanese language.

· Computers
Full knowledge of Windows XP and basic knowledge of DOS and UNIX. Some technical (hardware) knowledge of computers.

· Programming languages
- Object Orient modulation and programming in the languages:
- JAVA,
- C++,
- Delphi,
- Actionscript.

· Web script languages
- HTML
- JAVASCRIPT
- XML
- CSS
- PHP

· Database language
- SQL

· Multimedia software
- Macromedia Flash
- Adobe Photoshop
- Pinnacle Studio
- Avid Xpress

· Driving license
I poses driving license B (passenger car).

· Strong qualities
Ambitious, hard worker, focused, team player, focused on results and solutions, good social and communication skills, positive mentality, quick learner, a lot of knowledge about old and new video games.

Hobby’s

· Play video games

· Japanese animation

· Going out with friends

· Sport, soccer and basketball

· Building and painting Japanese animation and game characters model kits

· Collecting Japanese animation and game character figures and statues

· Visiting computer, games, comics, collectors and Japanese animation conventions.

My CV (Dutch version)

CURICULLUM VITAE

Persoonlijke gegevens

Naam: Chan, Kar Ching

Straat: Vermeerplantsoen 128

Postcode, woonplaats: 5151 WZ Drunen

Telefoon nummer: 0416-377259

Mobiel nummer: 06-48731926

E-mail adres: karching@hotmail.com

Geboortedatum: 14-08-1985

Geboorteplaats: Rhenen

Burgerlijke staat: Ongehuwd

Nationaliteit: Nederlands

Geslacht: M

Website: kcchans.blogspot.com

Opleiding

• september 2003 - Heden
  Hogere Informatica, specialisatie richting Multimedia, aan de Avans Hogeschool in Den Bosch
• september 1997 - juni 2003
  Atheneumopleiding, richting Natuur & Techniek aan het ‘d Oultremont college in Drunen
• oktober 1995 - juni 2000
  Chinese taalopleiding aan de Stichting Yu Hua Chinese school in Den Bosch

Werkervaring

• november 2006 – heden
  Game programmeur / developer stagiair bij
  fantazm.com dat gespecialiseerd is in web advertentie / casual games.
  Voor de games waar ik aan gewerkt heb, was ik verantwoordelijk voor het programmeren en uitwerken van de game play. Voor de games zie kcchans.blogspot.com.
  Verder werk ik aan een trackingssysteem dat data van de games en de spelers traceert in een database en de verzamelde data weergeeft in een website.
  
  
• augustus 2005 - november 2006
  Software Test Engineer bij
  Siemens VDO Trading B.V.
  Infotainment Solutions
  Development Center Eindhoven
  Het ontwerpen van testspecificaties en functioneel testen van nieuwe navigatie, informatie en entertainment software. Fouten in de software ontdekken en deze helder en duidelijk omschrijven, volledig in het Engels. Deze taken heb ik met veel succes uitgevoerd.
  Ik heb bij Siemens VDO 5 maanden stage gelopen. Vervolgens ben ik door Siemens VDO gevraagd om als parttimer te blijven werken, wetend dat ik mijn opleiding nog moest afmaken. Dit is een uitzonderlijke gebeurtenis bij Siemens VDO Eindhoven, omdat zij nog nooit eerder een student als parttimer hebben aangenomen.
  Referenties: op aanvraag
  
  
• mei 2000 – januari 2007
  Medewerker bij een tuindersbedrijf in Haarsteeg
  
  
• september 2000 - juni 2003
  Barkeeper bij een Chinees restaurant in Drunen

Vaardigheden

• Game ontwerpen en realiseren, zie kcchans.blogspot.com voor de games.
  - Enkele games ontwikkeld bij Fantazm.com in Flash / actionscript.
  - Sinds april 2007 ben ik met 3 vrienden begonnen aan een nieuw game project. De game zal een online multiplayer 2D shooter worden, dat geprogrammeerd wordt in C-sharp.
  - Sinds maart 2007 ben ik zelf bezig met een eigen game project. De game wordt gemaakt in Flash / actionscript en het is een top down scrolling shooter game.
  - In de periode februari 2006 t/m juni 2006 heb ik voor de Avans Hogeschool een computerspel gemaakt in de programmeertaal JAVA. Met een projectgroep van 4 man (inclusief mezelf) heb ik een groot aandeel gehad in het ontwerpen en realiseren van het spel ‘Last Haeven’. Dit spel heeft de beste beoordeling gehad van de gehele multimedia opleiding op de Avans Hogeschool.
• Talen
  Volledige kennis van de Nederlandse en Engelse taal. Redelijke kennis van de Chinese, Duitse, Franse en Japanse taal.
• Computerervaring
  Volledige kennis van Windows XP en aardige technische kennis van computers. Redelijke kennis van DOS en UNIX.
• Programmeertalen, object georiënteerd moduleren en programmeren in:
  JAVA, C++, Delphi en Actionscript
• Webscript talen
  HTML, JAVASCRIPT, XML, CSS and PHP
• Databasetalen
  SQL
• Multimedia software
  - Macromedia Flash
  - Adobe Photoshop
  - Pinnacle Studio
  - Avid Xpress
• Rijbewijzen
  In het bezit van Rijbewijs B
• Sterke Eigenschappen
  Ambitieus, harde werker, geconcentreerd bezig, kan goed samenwerken, teamplayer, resultaat en oplossing gericht, goede sociale en communicatieve vaardigheden, positieve instelling, ik leer dingen snel, veel kennis van oude en nieuwe video games.

Hobby’s

· Spelen van videogames

· Bekijken van Japanse animatie, anime

· Uitgaan met vrienden

· Sporten, basketbal, voetbal

· Bouwen en schilderen van Japanse animatie modelkits

· Verzamelen van Japanse animatie en games figuren en beeldjes

· Bezoeken van computer, strips (comics), verzamelaars en Japanse animatie beurzen

Last Haeven

Last Haeven (yes Haeven and not Heaven :p) is my first relatively big game, which was made in assignment of my Avans university. The game was a big success, my team and I got the highest grades for Last Haeven. The game was created in the period February '06 - June '06.

I build this game with only 3 students/friends:
- Michiel Synhaeve
- Bram Smulders
- Roy van der Vorst

At the Avans university, all the multi media specialized students need to do the game project. You get 5 months to create a game: create a game concept and fully work it out to a playable game. The only requirements were:
- the game needs to be build in JAVA,
- the game needs to have different levels,
- the game needs to have some kind of character development,
- keep the game 2d (5 months is not enough to develop a 3d game).


Level background

The teachers make up the teams, each team will make their own game. At that time there were 6 teams, so 6 games to be developed. From the first day of the game project, my team was different. Each team consisted of 6 or more members. On paper my team also had 6 members, but on the first day of the project, 2 members couldn't do the game project. So my team was left with only 4 members. Knowing that, the teachers were planning to split the team and put each member on a other team. It was our own decision to keep the team and to do the entire project with only 4 men.

During the project each team had to do presentations showing their progress and demo's of the game. With only 4 men, my team always had the best progress and results. Already from the 2nd month of the project, everyone (teachers and students) expected that my team would develop the best game.

With only 4 men we chose an old game concept to work with, the top down shooter (like space invaders). Our final concept was based on a few games, Sonic wings (Aero fighters), Warning forever and Ikaruga. Especially the game play of Ikaruga had a big influence in Last Haeven. In Ikaruga an enemy can be black or white and fire black or white projectiles. The players ship can change from black to white and vise versa. By doing so the player can absorb the projectiles of the same color and fill a meter to perform a special. The player could only be destroyed by projectiles of the opposite color. We used this concept for Last Haeven.


Sonic wings


Warning forever


Ikaruga

The final concept was a top down scrolling shooter with a modified Ikuragua game play and 8 levels with enemies and a cool (big) bosses. A friend and I (50% of the team) are big anime fans so we build in some anime like bosses: Meteor (gundam seed), Mobius Zero (gundam seed), a space ship from the anime Vandread and Macross from Macross (Robotech in the US) . Also the players ship was based on a spaceship from the anime Crest of the stars.
One member (Roy) of the team was good in 3D Max, so we gave him some pics of the anime ships and he made a 3D model, black and white version of them. We used the 3D models in Last Haeven, making the game more 3D like, even tho the game play is fully 2D.



Meteor from Gundam Seed


Mobius Zero from gundam Seed


Ship from Vandread


Macross


The players ship based on a spaceship from the anime Crest of the stars

I even used different scenes from anime series to create cut scenes for the game. The plan was to do an anime cut scene for every boss, but I only had time to create 2.


Intro movie of Last Haeven, the visuals are from the anime Crest of the stars and the song...... I forgot from which anime OST.


Mobius zero boss intro, visuals from gundam seed and the song is from the anime movie Appleseed OST (boom boom satellites - Dive for you), but since we only had 2 movies this movie was put at the end of the game. Like an reward to the player for finishing the game.


With a team of only 4 men, I was involved with almost any aspect of the game from designing, sound choice, cut scenes to coding and testing. I programmed the enemies and most of the bosses, their patterns of moving and shooting, the different types of projectiles, the collision detection, a combo counter etc.
We all have spend a lot of time in this game. For me, even tho it was an assignment for the uni, I loved working on this project. I didn't mind working a lot at home and missing some hours of sleep for this project. The game project was the nicest project that I had to do for the uni.

At the end of the game project, the game had:
- 2 movies ( one intro and 1 boss movie),
- 5 levels with enemies and bosses, background music and scrolling map,
- a combo/kills counter with voices from quake 3 and unreal tournament,
- a level editor where we could drag and drop enemies on the map and generate the level with an .xml file.
- character / spaceship development at the end of each level, for the kills the player gained a rank and the ships weapons would be upgraded.

The game was almost complete except for the movies. The original concept had 8 levels, but we only did 5, so that we could work on other things for the game.

Of all the games that were made by the teams, our game was the most complete and had the best and nicest game play of them all. We got a 9 (out of 10) for the entire game project and the best of all, the experience of creating a game out of nothing.

There is only one problem with the game. The game is build in JAVA, not the most ideal language to write a game in -_-. To playback movies and music we used the JMF, JAVA Media Framework. To play the game,the pc needs the JRE, JAVA Runtime Environment and the JMF installed and configured. On the pcs, which we used to develop the game, the game runs fine, but on some pcs the movie and background music wouldn't playback. Probably something with the JMF. Last Haeven without it's background music, just isn't the experience that we want to give to the players.

Looking back at it now, we really did an excellent job. With only 4 men we managed to build the best and most complete game. It's something I'm really proud of.

I won't put this game online, because of the problem I mentioned earlier (maybe someday when the problem is solved). To give an impression of the game, I made a game play movie of it (playing it on my own pc where the problem doesn't occur).


Last Haeven game play movie, the video capturing tool that I used made the framerate of the game slower, so the game runs smoother normally ^_^

Shopping mania game

PLAY THE GAME HERE

The game shopping mania was the first game, which I have worked on, that went live. The game was made and released for last years('06) X-mas by Fantazm. At that time I was working on this game as a freelancer at Fantazm (I'm currently doing my graduation internship there).

Shopping mania is a casual game. In the game you are a helper elf of Santa. Your goal is to collect the presents that are dropped by the people in the shopping mall, but you have to avoid the people that are doing their x-mas sale.

I programmed most of the game play in this game. The controls and movements of the main character, the map movement, the collision detection, the presents etc.

The price that players could win was the brand new Nintendo Wii. The Wii was given to the player which had the highest score at January 31 '07. The person who won the Wii had an impressive score of almost 2.5 million. Even tho I have worked on this game, my max score isn't even near 500 k.

The game can still be played HERE. There is no price to win at the moment though.


The Main menu


Help Santa by collecting the presents


There are different presents to collect

Another game released by Fantazm

PLAY THE GAME HERE

Another game is released by Fantazm (the company where I'm doing my internship). The game is created for real estate agents to promote their event. I have spend a few days, programming and bug fixing, on this game. The game play of the game is build on the game engine which I have worked on for a big part.
It's a casual game with fairly easy goals. You have to collect keys and prevent collision with other people. The faster you collect the keys the more bonus points you get. An easy game if you ask me. The price that players can win is sweet though, a LCD TV for the player who has the highest score. But yet again it's only for dutch people and people who weren't involved with the creation of the game ( -_-).

The game can be played HERE



Collect the keys quickly without colliding with other people


Each level has it's own map

Collecting and editing graphics for my private game project

Akuma special from street Fighter

Related posts:
- New private game project
- Scrolling map
- Dreams due come true

Like I said in previous posts, I'm working on a private game project of my own. The coding and all is going well. I can program stuff and design the game play as I want, but the thing is the visual side of my game. To be able to program and design things, but not having the visual to back it up, is an issue. The graphics and animations that I'm using now are mostly borrowed (ripped) from other games. I'm talking about sprite, which can be found on the Internet. A great site to get sprites from is the Sprite Database

I don't really have much choice but to get graphics and animation from others. I just don't have the skills (yet) to create nice visuals, worthy to be in my game. Because of this the game play will be restricted by the visuals that I can find. So far I have found the graphics for the important game play parts, e.g. bullet animations, explosions, etc.

Finding graphics and editing them has taken at least as much time as programming them. I often find nice graphics, but usually they need to be edited e.g. an object which should be removed, or the wrong color and size etc. To edit graphics it requires time, patience and the right tools. I have been editing graphics these last few days in Photoshop. I know the basics of Photoshop, but these last few days I have learned some new tricks. One of the hardest thing that I did was removing Chun-li from her super special.


Chun-li sprites, click on the pic for a bigger pic

I want to use her super special as a bomb in my game, but to do so I had to remove Chun-li from the animation as if she was never there. Before I started, I thought that it would be to difficult to do so, but the experience that I would get, would definitely be useful. So I started with the Chun-li removal process. It toke some time (half a day) and effort but it was worth it :p.






The results of the Chun-li removal process. Like she was never there ^_^

By doing this I have definitely learned some new Photoshop skills. Useful skills that I will use for editing other visuals. If any one wants to know how I did it, just let me know and I'll write an tutorial about it.