So I got myself a Hauppauge HD PVR. It’s a curious little device quite popular among the YouTube game video crowd. In fact, our very own Monster Hunter Podcast is recorded with it. The little box records and compresses analogue HD video. It spits the result out using the USB port.

Lots of cables go in, magic happens, lots of cables go out.

It is not specifically a purchase I desperately needed. It was more that I had a couple ideas about things I could do with the device. They slowly accumulated until I decided to just give it a try.

I was skeptical at first since the box doesn’t accept HDMI input, only analogue HD. All my devices use exclusively HDMI cables. So in order to make this work, I had to buy a bunch of cables. On the other hand, I was surprised how many devices can be actually recorded with the PVR. Even the PSP has a nifty cable that provides component outputs. HDMI on the other hand, is a bit problematic as it turns out. Due to some shady copy protection bullshit, there is some encoding going on with the HDMI signal. So creating devices that capture images over HDMI is difficult. Luckily, the image quality over the analogue cable is better than I have expected. It’s more than enough for everything I want to do with it. The bottleneck of quality will be often YouTube anyway.

I really like how the device takes care of the compression. This finally eliminates the problem of bandwidth between the capturing the device and the PC. It doesn’t require a fast PC either. I have been capturing video on PC for a LOOOOONG time now. It’s nice to see the technology getting simpler and easier to use.

My plan is to use the box for the podcast, perhaps to record a video every now and then. The most important feature is that I will be able to make some high quality screen-shots for this blog. I have been doing photos of the screen so far. It was a difficult procedure that yielded poor results.

So without further ado, here is my first experiment.

Of course it’s not HD at all since it’s recorded off the PSP. I realized too late that I didn’t do the best job at upscaling either. There is also an experiment with Twixtor at the end(7:30). Twixtor is a plugin to create fake slow motion video. Again, quite popular for dramatic matrix effects in FPS gameplay replays. I like it a lot although it’s not the best result in this case. I realized too late that Peace Walker runs in the 3rd frame (20FPS). Ouch!

I’m looking forward to do more experiments. I already had a recording in the box with screen shots for an upcoming Game Design Review. Stay tuned!

While trying to get a game done, bad luck always tricks with you.
So this time my intentions to implement everything needed into the game,
to fulfill my “featuritis” (actually a nice german word creation, for feature creep), has gone to a screetching halt: Everything has gone to slow.

Today: Developer Blues.

Quite intentionally I do not develop on a fast Android phone, quite contrary my
Motorola Droid has quite a bit low cpu and gpu specs for its high screen resolution. But besides me liking its hardware keyboar a lot, I think its good to develop on a medium spec machine in order to get games running on more consumer owned phones.

So from the style point of view the game features intentionally no textures on landscape and objects, and thus is already running quite fast from the pixel performance point of view.
Nevertheless, the games basic idea managed to criple its performance a bit: I wanted the game to show what was so cool about Yanns processing based applet, which is the fact that you can play on the games background. Nearly all platformers do only have decorative paralax backgrounds, and we wanted to make it playable.

To be absolutely honest, we had quite a struggle with our first ideas to include the background into actual gameplay, and finaly our design resulted in the fact that the background is just a foreground, because you can travel to it. Nevertheless, my aesthetic mind feels quite pleased by the look alone, so i think its worth a try to keep this as it is.

The background layers become smaller when farer away, more or less imitating a 3d perspective. But this brings us back to the current problem: When on screen only 10% of the foreground layer is visible, the 7th layer shows aprox. 95%. Which means that, on average two third of all objects in the game are visible at all time.

Which makes the game currently run on my phone with less than 30 fps. So last thursday from 8pm to friday night at 3am i used Google supplied tools to profile and analyze the performance bottlenecks. Tried to handtune code parts, read (again) about all basic tips to speed up java code on Android. All failed! In the end i managed to win aprox. 5%, which is less than 2fps, and probably the worst performance optimization session i ever had.

My resulting opinion: Java is unbelievable slow.
One of the bottleneck calls that eats up most exclusive time is a static function that does two adds and a divide. Yes, it is using floating point, which are done in software on android, still my benchmark doing floats in a C lib via JNI results in only 60% performance gain overall for massive float calculations.
But here its not possible to place the calls into a lib without to much overhead from the JNI calls themself and also we are talking about 10.000 cals per second, not about the millions a benchmark can achieve per second.

To be fair, the official Java virtual machines actually are not slow anymore, since more than 5 years JIT (Just in time) Compilers rule the Java world. There are even some benchmarks arround showing that Java code with proper JIT outperform C code (even when compiled by an extremely opimizing compiler).
But Google did not manage to include a JIT before Android version 2.2. And because over 25% of the currently customer owned phones are less than version 2.2, i think one can not rely on JIT to safe the day.

Of course my code could be better. There will always be some details i missed – but from day one i talked with Yann about the performance and how we should be careful about it. I used my knowledge from my previous 2 prototypes and from my first released game and thus conceptually my framework must atleast be okay from the performance point of view.
Which must also be due to the fact that it is truly not doing much, Silent Totems still is a simple game, with quite few active objects (compared to an Real Time Strategy or even Tower Defense game).

As a result I’m pretty pissed.

In the end easter- and 1st-may-holiday-weekends are over and i haven’t gotten much further with the games intended features. And additionally the performance got slow when not even all intended features are implemented!

The only way to reduce the performance drastically, is to display fewer objects. Only two tools to do this are available: The first one was a redesign session, where we talked about all possible objects and how to reduce the amounts of them in one play session.
The second one, is scalable, working extremely well, but makes me quite sad: reducing the amount of background layers visible. Take a look at the screenshot.

I adore it: Many layers with many objects look so life-like.

Todays diary ends with the following request: Please do me a favour and post into the comments… and tell me your subjective opinion: how many layers do you think it looks really good. Is it still as “great” with 6 or even only 5 layers?

This weekend I started seriously digging into the actual website. I came up with a satisfying screen design. Impromptu user tests showed to major problems. There are still some minor details I want to tweak. But I decided to move on to the HTML/CSS stage.

That turned out to be a major source of frustration. At least initially. It’s basically the same problem Webdesign had 20 years ago. The language is still very shitty if you want to have precise control over your layout. Multiple browser with individual idiosyncrasies make every column that aligns with the others and every line of text that appears in the right place a small victory. Especially if it stays that way when you view it in Internet Explorer. So it’s basically same old. The difference is that now there are more files you need to keep track of at the same time.

But I have been doing it for quite a while now. I may have been a bit rusty. However, after the fist few, DIV’s I was in the saddle again. Here is a small sneak preview of what the end result MIGHT look like.

All content, including the price, is placeholder – ‘mkay?

About 80% of what you see is already implemented. The form input boxes, the big yellow buy button and the about paragraph are still missing. Not on the screen is the Facebook integration, a couple of tweaks with the buy box I wanted to try and some additional, derivative pages for errors and administrative crap. It’s still a bit of work but at least I got a foot in the door.

Implementing this I used the opportunity to get some deepen my knowledge of JavaScript. I wanted the big buttons (”WATCH TRAILER” and “TRY ONLINE”) to have similar mouse over effects as the buttons in the game have. I didn’t want to use Flash just for such a small effect though. I experimented with animated GIFs. I used them for such effects back in the days. But that didn’t out so well. So I started from scratch and tweaked a Java Script mouse over effect until I finally got it right. Eventually I could get rid of all images. The entire effect is made in JavaScrpt. The buttons flash and fade away smoothly at 30fps. You won’t believe it’s not Flash. I used this sample. It’s good for learning the syntax. But I eventually ended up throwing most of the code away. The tweening in that sample quite un-juicy and yet super complicated. I might do a post on this someday.

Finally I also got a sweet lightbox for the Trailer and perhaps for screenshots. I tried a couple of different ones. This one looks well and works flawlessly. There is a license associated with it – 20 bucks. I can live with that.

This week I will be going to FMX. This means train rides. So I should be able to get some work done during the week. Hey, perhaps the website will done next Weekend! It’s possible. I keep you posted.

This is going to be the final entry of my Monster Hunter Tri diary. The end came without much drama. Yesterday I sat down for an hour to finish the last single-player mission. I had already finished the main missions before. This was just a post-campaign extra mission. A monster I have fought before. My gear was overpowered and it was over soon.

As of now I have spent over 280 hours with the game. Even though that specific mission wasn’t the most thrilling, the game is still engaging even after all this time. The mechanics are solid and still hold water. If anything, they have become more rich and varied because I appreciate all the nooks and crannies. I am familiar with techniques and strategies for each individual monster. I have the skills, gear and attitude to fool around and experiment (see last Podcast).

After 280 Hours, there was no big bang at the end. Funny isn’t it? We are somehow indoctrinated with this idea of a final boss, a climax right at the very last second of the game. And then the credits roll. But that’s not Monster Hunter at all. As already noted, Monster Hunter leads the player through multiple narrative climaxes, sometimes even maintaining multiple villains in paralell. As a result, it’s really difficult to tell what is the final boss of the game. Perhaps there is none. But there certainly are a lot of good contenders (Spoilers ahead):

• 

  Lagiacrus, the final boss by appearance.

  Lagiacrus is the flagship monster. It’s the monster on the box. If you bought the special edition, it’s even the monster IN the box. The story foreshadows the fight with Lagicacrus from the very first second. There are at least two missions in which you encounter it before actually having to hunt it. The actual fight against Lagiacrus showcases the new underwater combat feature and takes place in the spectacular underwater areas. For all intents and purposes, it feels like a final boss. Except it isn’t. Once you slay the Lagiacrus the story continues with even more monsters to look forward to. And while Lagiacrus eventually joins the ranks of your usual adversaries, it still remains an formidable and memorable foe. Perhaps a final boss, but one that is not at the end of the game.

• 

  Ceadeus, the final boss by story.

  Ceadeus is the final monster of the single player campaign and the monster I was talking about at the beginning. The fight is not foreshadowed at all. It is actually somewhat of a last minute surprise. While not hard to defeat, it does looks intimidating and respectable. It comes with it’s own epic theme song and it’s own epic underwater arena. It would be easy to claim Ceadeus was the final boss of the game. It’s the last monster you fight offline. There is a final cut-scene and a credit roll after it’s fight. And yet, it’s the final boss of only a small part of the game. The Ceadeus doesn’t come up in the multi-player part of the game. It can’t be hunted with friends. It is a respectable king, but it is the king of a country with a population of 1.

• 

  Jhen Mohran, the final boss by sheer size.

  Jhen Moran is the biggest monster. The fight against him is the most cinematic one. It’s a whale the size of a mountain. It’s so big you need an entire ship to battle him. In true Shadow of the Colossus fashion, you can climb on his back to do some extra damage or even MINE MINERALS. Due to it’s size and amount of health points, the battle against him is a coordinated team effort. Arm the ballistas and the cannons. Distrupt his attacks with the gong. Trigger the crushing but precious Dragonatgor weapon at just the right moment. Each member of the team needs to take care of different roles. Only an experienced, battle-hardened team will succeed. Jhen Moran has all the trappings of the final boss of the multi-player campaign. Except he isn’t really. He is the boss of the low-rank part. After defeating Jhen Moran the “real” multi-player game begins.

• 

  Devil Jho, the final boss by badassery.

  Devil Jho is the most bad-ass monster in the game. He is angry. He is hungry. He will mess you up and eat you alive. Entering the high-rank portion of the game, the players are often vulnerable as they don’t have any high-rank armor or weapons to deal with the more resilient high-rank monsters. They scavenge the easier missions for materials to get a foot in door. That’s where Devil Jho comes in. He is notorious for appearing in the worst possible moment, especially when summoned by the much weaker, unseeming Qurupeco. Players soon learn to fear and respect him. No wonder the phrase “I will brave the Devil Jho” is embedded as a preset phrase in the chat system. While notorious, he is not the last monster in the game. But even as the hunting missions for Jho unlock, he remains a difficult and viscous enemy, capable to smash even a well-prepared and well-equipped team.

• 

  Alatreon, the final boss by multi-player mission structure.

  Alatreon is indeed the final monster the player will encounter in the game. Again, a mysterious surprise monster that is not foreshadowed at all. There are no cut-scenes or credit rolls to underscore the the graveness of the battle. None are required. It’s an exhausting, technical fight that takes place in it’s own volcanic arena. An arena that lacks a place to rest and heal your wounds. The monster is quick and has devastating attacks. The battle against him requires the hunters to use their best equipment and summon up all the skills they acquired on their way there. Defeating Alatreon finally unlocks the last set of quests so while he is the last monster, there is life after Alatreon. In fact, at this point many players have forged a relationship with the game and continue setting their own, personal goals and final bosses. They will fight Alatreon multiple times to create weapons and armor out of his parts. They will go to the arena and to compete for best times. They will go on the event quests to try outrageous things like fighting two Devil Jho’s at once. They will experiment with unfamiliar weapons and armor setup. Or perhaps they will even invent they own games to play within Monster Hunter.

This, my friends, is where I am now at. I may have invested countless hours in the game to finish all the quests. But the game is far from being over. In fact, it has has barely begun.

But for the sake of this diary, my “Now Playing” box on this Blog and my backlog, I will consider Monster Hunter Tri as completed. And with that, I will continue playing the game. But with a different attitude. Not hasty and furious like at the beginning but laid back and patient. That attitude didn’t come suddenly with that last mission. I could have completed the missions months ago. But why would I? A state of mind sets in gradually as I approach the 300 hour mark. Monster Hunter Tri ceased to be a game full of fierce final bosses. It has become one full of good friends.

After explaining the build-blocks of Silent Totems in my last three Tuesday-Developer-Diary Entries (part 1, part 2,part 3), its now time to show how all comes together.

Initially the game was planned to be about the game world, its strangeness, and a little classic-adventure-like unfolding story. This would have included setting up puzzles in a linear order (get A, bring to B, help C, solve D, talk to E, get key F, get back to G, open door H, …), which is nice to tell as a story but brings some difficulties into the development process than most often turn into difficulties for the player.

In this dev-diary entry I will try to explain the difficulties and what solution we came up with for Silent Totems.

Task Cards: ever collected and kept track of solved and unsolved puzzles in a game?

Continue reading “Tuesday Developer Diary – Silent Totems #4″