I am a 22 year old Computer Games Development graduate. I graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a third after three years of study. I chose this course because I have a keen interest in gaming, and I wanted the opportunity to see how games were created. I hope to improve the knowledge I gained by creating some games in my spare time and learning some extra languages.
I tend to play RPGs and adventure games, such as Final Fantasy and Monkey Island respectively. However, I enjoy many genres and play a large array of games. I play pen and paper roleplaying games as well, and host a fortnightly Exalted game with a group of friends. I have also reviewed and written about a lot of games, as can be shown on the rest of this blog.
In my spare time, if I'm not playing or writing about them, I'm coding games in some way or another.
I will use this page to show the demos and projects I have worked on in the past. Each project is coupled with a download link, and comes with the code and models used. If you have any issues with the projects or would like to know more please feel free to email me at SirGeek89@gmail.com
You can also download my CV here.
Scitalis Games:
I have recently been involved in the development of an indie game with Scitalis Games, a new company in the field. The company's debut game, Infans Solaris, is coded using the XNA game studio and is due for release on PC on the 9th June and XBox 360 shortly.
Infans Solaris gameplay video:
Video demo:
What Game Should I Play?:
I own a lot of games and can rarely decide which to play, so I created something to help me out. It reads any .txt files in the directory the program is placed, allowing you to modify the list of games available before choosing what to play. The program allows for multiple lists for multiple genres, e.g. a txt file purely for Shooters and one for Role Playing Games.
As of now the program is very much a work in progress with new features added as I get them working. Future updates include:
-: Creating a new list if none are found.
-: Checking for duplicate name on list creation.
-: Changing the location lists are saved in.
-: Checking the list name exists on opening.
-: Case insensitive list selection.
Download
Tanks:
For a Games Development assignment I created a demo of two tanks following a route and firing at each other. The route they follow is generated randomly, with each tank being given a point within an area, which gets generated when the position is reached. I also added a wizard to heal a tank if it gets within a certain radius. This heal has a recharge time, so tanks do not go back to full health while within the radius.
Post Processing Effects:
Full Screen:
This was created as an introduction to post processing during a class in university. After learning about full screen effects, and learning how some are made, I implemeted this example. Most of the effects provided needed improving or needed fixing, such as the burning effect. When the class was over, I then played around with the effects to see what I could do and produced the red/black effect, similar to Red Dead Redemption's Pause screen.
Download
Area:
This was another assignment, where I created some post processing effects using pixel and vertex shaders, and used them to create windows with various effects. The wall with 4 holes holds area post processing effects, while the other uses polygon post processing effects. The area effects would follow the camera, so the wall's width has been increased to make it look better. This would be solved by using polygon processing, but it has been left as is just to show the various effects.
Polygon:
This is an extension of the above project, where each window holds a different polygon post processing effect. The effects include an inverse of the colourscheme of the area behind the window, a high contrast view, a tinted view and a greyscale view. The example also comes with full screen post processing effect. Two can be turned on at a time.
Download
Monopoly
An assignment from my second year, where I had to simulate a game of Monopoly being played by a varying number of players. Polymorphism was an important aspect of the project, as each tile inherited from a base class. This allowed for similar functionality and allowed the actions of each tile to be overwritten depending on the desired function of the tile. Each turn tells the user their dice roll, what tile the player landed on, what happened, and how much money they have aquired.
I am currently rewriting the project as an excerise to see how well I've improved and to add some features I didn't have time to during the deadline. This should be uploaded shortly.
Download
More projects are to be added soon.
Please contact me if you have any problems with the projects or any questions.
