Shadowcast Lite

I was recently challenged to a kind of competition by a friend.
The challenge was that I have two work weeks, meaning 80 hours to create a fully functional game.
I was free to choose my own programming language so I have chosen Python with pygame.
No point and click game making programs were to be used, only an IDE and free API's and libraries.
Also, This is a game with zero budget, meaning I can't buy my assets or anything, and all assets must either be free or made in free programs.
I have decided to make a roleplaying game, the hardest genre you can make but I am doing this because I am already very familiar with the shadowcast universe and I want to continue this game.
So without further ado, here are the rules:

Rule 1: A limit of two work-weeks (defined as 80 hours)
Game Development time should be restricted to 80 total hours. These will be actual game development or research hours. Breaks of longer than ten minutes won't count towards the total time. This will be an "ideal" workweek of 80 highly productive hours.

The 80 hours only includes development to a feature-complete "alpha test" stage. Debugging and packaging the game for distribution and won't count towards the development time, but no new features should be implemented. Documentation of the process doesn't count.

Rule 2: All Free Tools
Except for the software that comes with a Windows install, only free / open-source software tools are used. The point of this whole exercise is to show how you don't need expensive (or even not-so-expensive) tools to develop a game. Hardware such as a scanner, microphone, and digital camera are exempted from this rule – if you don't have these, you can probably borrow them from someone.

Rule 3: No Engines, only basic libraries / APIs
The game must be created "from scratch" without the benefit of a fully-featured Game Engine. No cheating and creating a game using some kind of "click-and-play" game-maker software to throw together a game.
The Tools

Code:

* Python 2.3 (http://www.python.org/)
* PythonWin
* PyGame (http://www.pygame.org/)
* Py2EXE to compile this into an executable for distribution (http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/py2exe/)

Art:

* Gimp 2.0 (http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/)
* MS Paint (which comes with Windows) – for pasting up screen shots grabbed by hitting the PrintScreen key (GiMP doesn't like these for some reason)
* Free textures available from places like Toob's Tiled Textures (http://www.textureartist.net/textures/index.htm) and Mayang's Free Textures (http://www.mayang.com/textures/)

Sound:

* Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) plus my microphone or free sound samples



I will be documenting my every step with an hour to hour diary.
Later I will update with my schedual (Or planned schedual anyway.)

Here is the progress page.

Are you allowed assistance?
Because you know I'm in... and I'm hoping you'll change your mind about Shadowcast and make it a long term project again.

Yes I'm allowed assistance.
Probably once this challenge is over I will have the time again to pick up shadowcast full time.
Then we just have to get a new team together. =)
Glad you're still with me buddy.

Alright, will I see you on the Grimson forums?
If you plan to use the Grimson forums... I just defavourited it today... tough luck. May I have it again if you plan to use it?

Here it is.
See you there.

Was this the game you and Gene were working on where the main part of the game were based on the Power of Music?

If so, I'd highly encourage you to read a series, the first of the books being called 'Rhapsody'

It matches that game perfectly and is a great read.

The intended schedule.

Schedules are made to be broken, but it's important to have them as a baseline to compare your progress with and make corrections as necessary.

Hour 1-20: Basic Architecture
Design the "engine" and the main components. Get the world displaying on the screen. I should be able to move a 'test player' around the world to look at things. In fact, I should allow the "test player" to be turned into a full-on editing tool if I can swing it.

Hour 21-40: Player Interaction
Implement all core interactivity for the player – moving around, attacking things, opening doors, dying, picking up and using inventory. Bare-Bones representative objects in the environment will be created to test the interactivity

Hour 41-60: Making the World Active
Add the AI, game "events", traps, and special effects. By the end of this period, the game should be a pretty complete tech-demo of all of the game's major features.

Hour 61-80: Adding Content and Rules
Take the project from "tech demo" to game. Add all additional content. Complete and balance the game-play mechanics. Apply polish where time permits – adding special effects, animation, etc.

Post-Hour 80: Testing and Game Release
Fix bugs (no adding features!) Package up the game and release it. Finish documentation.

Excellent. I should have a set of music and sounds ready in a few days.

Sounds awesome dude. Way over my head haha.

Good luck!

Hey am i still in on that project from the graphic designing? lol, i thought that project had just been forgotten in the sands of time.

It had been forgotten a little but I dug it up again.
I missed working with you guys.
Sum, can you do sprites and such or just banners and sigs?
I forget.

Anyway, Here is the progress page, I will be using this for documentation and to track my progress.

Sounds great Sum.
As you can see, I have used the banner you created ages ago for the forum banner, it looks great.

I have started documenting my progress, so far I have used two hours to learn that I didn't know enough about classes so now I've gone into serious research mode.

Best of luck mate. Maybe if i had taken up ICT with games design for my course instead of software i would be able to help you more lol. Right now im only really familiar with HTML, CSS, and Pascal. I can maybe help out with art work if you need it.

Just a small update.
I put the game on hold for a while because I went away a little from programming to my new passion, 3D graphics but I'll try and see if I can squeeze in an hour or so today.
I completed hour 3 and got classes to work and everything.