This thread is where all official information will be posted about the upcoming game Dejeweled.

If you have a helpful comment or question about any of the official information released here, you are welcome to post your response in this thread. However, all other discussion about the game should take place in the other thread. Do not post random comments here.


[SIZE="4"]About the Game[/SIZE]

Dejeweled will be a Flash game available to play on the web for free. It will be a physics-based building game, where you construct elaborate contraptions in order to brutally extract jewels from the bodies of defenseless ragdolls.

The business model for funding the project is as of yet undecided. However, it will be definitely be free to play. Most likely, ads will be embedded into the web page the game sits in, or directly into the loading screen through MochiAds. This revenue may be supplemented with non-exclusive licenses to specific game sites such as Miniclip.


[SIZE="4"]About the Team[/SIZE]

The current development team consists of axcho and Exilement.

The idea for the game was first brought forth by Exilement in June of 2007. Now, as the dawn of 2008 approaches, the team begins work in earnest. Designs will be fleshed out, concepts sketched and experimental prototypes coded by axcho. The results of this process will be presented to you here in this thread.

There are currently no estimates as to the completion date of this project. We will see how it evolves.


Pretty pictures below!

[SIZE="4"]Detailed Design Information[/SIZE]

These are written descriptions of what Dejeweled will be like. Topics may include the specifics of the physics engine, what building components will be available and how they work, how points are scored and spent, and what game modes will be available, for example.

Why Dejeweled will be fun - by axcho on June 20, 2007

In terms of the three reward types that make a game fun, this game satisfies competence by its level-based progression and unlocking of new building parts. Also, the visceral action of the player's machine emphasizes the feeling of mastery and effectiveness when a ragdoll is successfully killed. It satisfies autonomy in the ability to design whatever sort of contraption you want within your abilities and your in-game resources. Each unlocked building part offers a new opportunity for experimentation. Finally, it satisfies relatedness similarly to Line Rider in the ability to share your unique designs with others. This can either be through YouTube or directly facilitated by the game with a copy'n'paste-able killing machine format.

Dejeweled Engine constraint functions - by axcho on July 20, 2008

Today I dusted off my calculus hat and got to work on the math behind the Dejeweled physics engine (specifically the projection gradient functions for the constraint solver).

If you're curious, the physics engine I'm working on is based on the approach described in Position Based Dynamics (excellent paper), which provides an algorithm for simulating particle physics with any sort of constraint you can imagine. You just need to do a bit of vector calculus first. :)

Here's what I've come up with: (untested, so may contain errors)

Notation Notes!

• Uppercase letters are vectors, lowercase letters are scalars
  
• | V | = length of vector V
  
• U . V = dot product of vectors U and V
  

Rod Constraint (P1, P2, d) - a simple rod of distance d with endpoints P1 and P2

• Constraint function C = | P1 - P2 | - d
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P1[/SIZE]C = ( P1 - P2 ) / | P1 - P2 |
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P2[/SIZE]C = ( P2 - P1 ) / | P1 - P2 |
  

Pin Constraint (P0, P1, P2, f, d) - a connection of distance d between pin P0 and the point Pf at fraction f along the line from point P1 to P2

• Intermediate point Pf = (1-f)P1 + (f)P2
  
• Constraint function C = | P0 - Pf | - d
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P0[/SIZE]C = ( P0 - Pf ) / | P0 - Pf |
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P1[/SIZE]C = (f-1)( P0 - Pf ) / | P0 - Pf |
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P2[/SIZE]C = (-f)( P0 - Pf ) / | P0 - Pf |
  

Wall Constraint (P0, P1, N, d) - a separation of distance d between point P0 and the surface of a wall at point P1 with surface normal N

• Constraint function C = ( P0 - Pf ) . N - d
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P0[/SIZE]C = N
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P1[/SIZE]C = -N
  

Door Constraint (P0, P1, P2, d) - a hinge centered on point P0 between endpoints P1 and P2 at an angle corresponding to dot product d

• Constraint function C = ( P0 - P1 ) . ( P0 - P2 ) - d
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P0[/SIZE]C = ( P0 - P1 ) + ( P0 - P2 )
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P1[/SIZE]C = ( P2 - P0 )
  
• Gradient function [SIZE="1"]P2[/SIZE]C = ( P1 - P0 )
  

Those four constraint types should be plenty, at least for now.

[SIZE="4"]Engine Concept Art[/SIZE]

These are pictures drawn to illustrate how the mechanics of the game and physics might work. In particular, they present possible ideas for building components and how they could be used to make contraptions.

Engine Concept 01 - by axcho on January 26, 2008

[SWF="http://www.deviantart.com/download/107912704/Engine_Concept_01_by_axcho.swf"]"http://www.deviantart.com/download/107912704/Engine_Concept_01_by_axcho.swf" width="480" height="360"[/SWF]
This is a description of the physics engine I intend to use for the first prototype of the building editor. There are three basic types of objects: Rods, Pins, and... other stuff. Don't mind the glowy highlights on everything, I'm just testing out the style.

[SIZE="4"]Color Concept Art[/SIZE]

These are pictures drawn to experiment with possible color schemes for the game. Since it's only the colors that really matter in these drawings, don't use them to draw conclusions about the overall graphical style or gameplay. These aren't meant to be screen shots.

Color Concept 01 - by axcho on December 30, 2007

In this picture you can see experiments with color schemes for structures, blood, and jewels. The black is for the foreground structure and ragdoll, while the gray is for the background structure not involved in collision. There are also two shades of red for the blood sprays, where the bright red might be used for a temporary particle spray and the darker red could be used for persistent stains. Also notice the white highlight on these objects, intended to make the background seem like a glowing white field rather than an empty screen. There is also some experimentation with jewel colors and glow effects. The seven jewels lined up at the bottom are colored to correspond roughly with the seven chakra points of the body.

[SIZE="4"]Interface Concept Art[/SIZE]

These are pictures drawn to test out ideas for how the user interface will look. This can include menu design as well as the arrangement and appearance of displays and buttons in any part of the game.

[SIZE="4"]Gameplay Concept Art[/SIZE]

These are pictures drawn to illustrate ideas for how the game will play. This can include ideas for game modes, level design, for guiding the player's progression through the game, or anything else really.

[SIZE="4"]Development Screen Shots[/SIZE]

These are screen shots taken of game prototypes at any stage in their development. This is not what the final game will look like necessarily, but everything in this section is an actual screen shot of a working program, however incomplete it may be.

[SIZE="4"]Engine Prototypes[/SIZE]

These are experimental programs written to test out how the physics engine or contraption editor might work in the final game. They are here so you can try them out and offer your suggestions for how they could be improved, before they're used in the actual game.

[SIZE="4"]Gameplay Prototypes[/SIZE]

These are experimental programs written to test out issues of gameplay, such as the balance between item costs and money accumulation. They are here so you can try them out and offer your suggestions for how they could be improved, before they're used in the actual game.

Quote from axcho

Dejeweled will be a Flash game available to play on the web for free. It will be a physics-based building game, where you construct elaborate contraptions in order to brutally extract jewels from the bodies of defenseless ragdolls

Haha, oh wow. Sounds fun for some sick reason.

If you need some flashy jewels, I can make some spinning 3d movie clips in swift.

I'm assuming the number of jewels being extracted is going to amount to a large number at one time.. that might slow it down, no?

And Axcho, regarding the domain name, I'll have to get back to you with that. I know now it's not free but I can probably come up with the money, domain name hosting is pretty cheap. I need to know that what we have is worth starting a website for first, though.

We probably won't need any spinning jewels yet, but thanks for the offer. I'll keep it in mind.

Quote from Exilement

And Axcho, regarding the domain name, I'll have to get back to you with that. I know now it's not free but I can probably come up with the money, domain name hosting is pretty cheap. I need to know that what we have is worth starting a website for first, though.

If it's not free don't worry about it, I'll take care of it.

The highest priority right now would be to get a game prototype up and running. We can talk more about web site stuff once we finish that.

But let's avoid posting too much in this thread. For general discussion we can use the Horribly Violent Ragdoll Killing Game thread.

How will the jewel system work? Will it be, the more damage you do, the better gems you get? Or will it be random?