Best backup for your photos or important files

There has been a continuous discussions over this topic regarding which is the best backup for photos and stuffs. It makes you wonder if your files is currently secured and if not what really is the best backup to go with... well, we need to list down first all the backup methods and the pros and cons.

Not another online 2d chat...

It's been a month since my last update from my game project.

Building an Atom 330 Server PC

Here are some of my insights...

I'm building one for my 24/7 server like web, ftp, NAS, my-game-server and torrent of course.

I read somewhere that atom is 200%+ much faster than p4 2.8ghz when doing mysql queries (a big plus for my project)... P4 is what i really plan to build in the first place but i change my mind.

Upcomming project?

I got bored playing WOW and a 'game' concept I came across while surfing. By randomly clicking through websites I happen to read this article "Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix" game -- hehe haba eh noh. It's not new but just a remix and I think just to support HD screens.

Back to gamedev!: AI FSM + Entity Manager + Messaging

I just got myself in condition to write some code again but this time it's more of an strategic and effective approach in coding AI using C++ rather than Game Engine / Graphics / Sound / Network... well i'm somewhat satisfied for now what my 2d engine is capable off... but now i'm better of doing other things to make my game more alive!

Please check Downloads category: AI_FSM_EntityMgr_Msging.zip

I wish next year of Q1-Q2 will be my first casual game release using my game engine. I'm planning at least 3 games before I start working on my 3D engine again.

This should work now...

Cheers and Merry Christmas!

edited: I forgot that this AI includes instant and delayed messaging capabilities! You will notice some 1sec delays before other entity response.

My new graphic 'wrapper'

Presenting my new wrapper! well not engine really, more of like direct3d wrapper :( hehehe!. Anyway this 'wrapper' can do 2D and 3D and mix at the same time - gui 2D using orthographic projection. This is still a prototype, but the 2D side seems to be good enough to create a simple casual game. This is actually a code re-write from my previous game engine. Some of the codes will still be used and planning to recode most of the graphic part for shader aproach. Everything still goes into plan. Here are the pics... :D

2D (shooter demo)
3D (box on grid)

Any BSG Fans?

Well I am! check out my new prototype 2D game engine "Battlestar Galactica". Most of the resource are not original but anyway this is just for fun not planning for commercial; only to my friends and anyone who wants too :-P

http://rapidshare.com/files/25125720/roogz_bsg_game_proto.mpg.html

I use Direct3d, OpenAL Ogg Vorbis and Lua for this game. Pure arcade game, currently implementing multiplayer support and my bro will be on game design and arts.

cheers!

Running projects

I just had this very unpleasant event happen this past few months... it will be easier for me to just put the whole thing behind me.

Well i'm back and will keep you updated.

What's new... i'm currently working on different windowsmobile projects from foreign companies, one from Singapore and one from Denmark. Why not locally? i believe here in Philippines there are like only 1% who knows what the hell is 'windowsmobile'. heheh. I hope it's gamedev project y' know.

Anyway I already managed my time for this project and so far everything still goes into plan.

Cheers.

Back to game engine: rewrite?!

Hehehe... since i'm already bored here at work, i think 'now' is the right time to rewrite my code and redesign as well. This is my chance to use my new d3d shader approach book as my base rendering code and ai book.

Wish me luck!

Game Engine: GUI / New Game AI Books!

I'm quite busy this days and it does really affect my game engine progress. But anyway i'm still aiming to finish my first game engine Q1 of next year.

I just finished my basic GUI engine that is powered by lua scripting. GUI includes Panel/Parent Window, Cursor, Editbox, Button, Label, Checkbox, and Progressbar. Can modify it's color, texture, position, size, border(some) etc...

I think that's enough for now since i already covers most GUI controls that can bee seen in most games. Here are the screenshots:


I might go back to AI for a while... i just bought 2 books from the internet. Programming Game AI by Example by Mat Buckland and AI Game Engine Programming by Brian Schwab. I've already read some parts and i think it will help my engine to become more modular and systematic. I just wonder at first why these 2 books somehow have their own approaches in creating game AI... and just realized AI by Example is more beginner approach and AI Game Engine is for intermediate to advance which is kind of releif. I don't want to waste money for 2 beginner books. Well i can't really decide what book buy at first hehehe... so i bought both! They have really good reviews y'know. Can't wait to try them out.

Cheers all! and Advance Merry Christmas!

game engine: AI Basic FSM (Finite State Machine)

i almost totally forgot, actually this has been updated late last month. monster's AI are now more fun to attack rather than standing and waiting to get killed hehehe. FSM includes IDLE, WANDER, EVADE, DEAD.. that's all, i told you it's basic :D. i'm currently workin on revised code of my engine. anyway you can check the screenshots.

hey, one a time please...

kill kill!

new game plan... sound programming?

i decided to stop workin on AI for a while. for some reason i think i already know the basic theory how you implement it into your engine (ok fsm and stimuli probably). anyway for the last few weeks i've been playing my game with diablo2 soundtracks of Matt Uelmen (on winamp) and it realy came out good and the only thing missing is the sounds. then i realize based on what i saw in the net... sound programming should be easier than any of the modules in game development.

so instead i will just start studying the basics of sound programming using OpenAL with OGG Vorbis and my only goal is my engine to at least play stereo music and play mono sound streams that can change position.

...and after that i will jump back to scripting, AI and sounds should work cooperatively on scripts.

cheers

game engine: AI (Deterministic Algorithm) - Random Motion

no big surprises, i just add another character WANDERING state if in boredom or no evading is involve. anyway check those minotaurs wander around the maps. yeah you wonder why it's slow / low fps, yes my code is not optimize yet plus my laptop's vc sucks. check the screenshots...

i spawned 10 creatures and works pretty well.
next stop, EVADING state most probably, if detected in line of sight and in distance then boom! creature will attack you... classic diablo hehehe.

Using AntTweakBar Library

i am amazed how this little thing works and how will save my time and effort changing data inside the core (even using scripts). plus it only takes me less than an hour to understand and embed it to my engine. check this out:

my game engine using AntTweakBar
i'm looking forweard to check out those advance samples.

cheers!

game engine: avoiding objects

i'm not sure i just made this up actually but actually works anyway. i know there are much better implementation around but sadly i never got a chance to seen one probably until my AI book will finally come. here is the screenshot: hope you get this hehehe.

whooops, sorry, comming thru, yes!

game engine: character mouse over

hi again! i just wanted to post my quick update for character mouse over. life meter and the text all displayed in orthorgaphic view. not probably the best solution but works for me and i think it should be faster than rendering it in perspective view. blahblah... check all the screenshots.

minotaur!
horse!
lagur mount at horse!
ciao!

game engine: added camera features

i added some camera features to my engine. it supports rotation around the point and panning. check the screenshots.




i'm still developing the character selection, attack sequence and AI part of the monsters. it's not easy as it sound really... i have this regret that i should have tried AI before when i have plenty of time. anyway i'm really exited.

game engine: attacking & realistic turn

just added realistic turn(AI) of characters which comes out really good! check out my new screenshots that shows character attack animation.

normal standing attack position of 2 characters, nothing interesting...

...but this one is! here you can attack while riding your running horse (like rohirims at lord of the rings movie).

this still has plenty of problems that is need to fix, and there are some things i need to prioritize this comming week... i just hope.. even if i loose my momentum continuing my engine, i still be able to catch up without scanning my codes again.

cheers

game engine: updates as for July30'06

here is my updates so far which includes character mounting and pathfinding. plus, i just bought gems 2 & 3 and got it discounted from macromind megamall, thanks guys!

anyway here is the list...

Updates
- Mersenne Twister Randomizer.
- Object manager.
   + Object Nodes.
   + Collision detection.
   + Fast Ray Picking.
   + Mount handling.
- Lua script test.
- Screenshot path.
- Texture Manager.
- DirectX File Mesh Loader.
   + Texture Path.
   + Optimizer and Cleaning.
- Navigation Mesh
   + A* Pathfinding.
   + Smoothing.

and some screenshot...

rohirim!

navigation mesh pathfinding - wireframe rendering.

navigation mesh pathfinding - solid rendering.

next stop i'm not sure yet but on top of my mind right now is encounter/enemy and battle sequence... ciao

game engine: chris mod test v1

while doin some code cleaning up with no special update. my bro (chris) as a 2d/3d artist tried to mod my game engine just for fun... check this out. =)