HCGE 3DS: Difference between revisions

Headcannon Game Engine
Headcannon Game Engine
General
Author	Simon Thomley (Stealth)
Type	Game Engine
Version	2014
License	Mixed
Last Updated	2014/12/08
Links
	Download
	Website

Latest revision as of 09:00, 9 November 2024

HCGE, also known as Headcannon Game Engine, is a multiplatform game engine that can be used to create retro-style 2D games. Supported platforms include Windows, Linux, MacOSX, PSP (CFW), Wii (Homebrew Channel), GP2XWiz, GCWZero, and 3DS (Homebrew Launcher).

The PC Windows, Linux, and MacOSX versions serve not only as the engine with which to run the games, but also the SDK with which they can be created and modified. The built-in editors can be entered during gameplay and used to test live modifications or just modify and save for permanent changes, and they, as well as a few other useful tools, can be accessed from the main menu.

The 3DS version is an experimental build which allows you to play the existing games on 3DS, or get a jump-start on developing a homebrew 3DS game, regardless of whether you own one or can access The Homebrew Launcher. If you make a game with HCGE, you can choose either build to distribute it with as stand-alone (3DSX).

HCGE is developed by Simon Thomley, who was later brought on to Sega to work on multiple Sonic the Hedgehog projects, including Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 on Android/iOS, as well as Sonic Mania.

Installation

Download contains 2 versions of HCGE and game examples:

HCGE3ds.rar - HCGE for 3DS with Sound.
HCGE3ds-NoSound.rar - HCGE for 3DS without Sound.
template.rar - HCGE General Game Template (game example).
sonic.rar - Sonic the Hedgehog Example Game (game example).
mmtt.rar - Mega Man: Triple Threat (game example).
mettrix.rar - Sonic the Hedgehog: Project Mettrix (game example).
Franklin-LD28-3DS - Fantastic Franklin, a puzzle-platformer built with HCGE (standalone game example).

Most current games are not distributed stand-alone. To install a game, unrar their contents into the same folder in which you placed HCGE.3dsx. Both the game folder and the contents of the gdf folder are necessary, so if prompted to overwrite the gdf folder, choose to allow. And the gdf file for the game you're installing will be placed into it along with any others.

If copying games to your 3DS using FTPony, please double-check that all sub-folders were copied correctly; it seems to omit some of them sometimes on mass-copies. If HCGE exits immediately, this might be why. Opening Error.txt in the HCGE folder can help you figure out what's missing.

User guide

An overview of development features with links into relevant portions of the documentation can be found on the official page. Also of interest is the Getting Started document, which serves as an entrypoint to the documentation.

Because the documentation serves as a complete reference manual rather than any sort of tutorial, actual tutorials for individual aspects of usage will be prepared as time permits. Aside from open example projects, there will also be more step-by-step explanations, such as the introduction videos below.

How to use

In-game, tap the touch-screen to return to the main menu. In the main menu, tap the touch-screen to exit HCGE.

HCGE General Game Template

This is one of the two open game examples for HCGE (HCGE documentation).
It is a very basic General Game Template, contains only enough script and data to start up as a game and display something on-screen.
This template can be used as a basis upon which to build a brand new game basically from scratch.

Sonic Example Game

The second open game example is a well-featured fanmade Sonic the Hedgehog game (Project page).
All scripts and data are provided unprotected and can be modified or used to build either a new Sonic the Hedgehog fan game or something entirely different.
Various portions of this game serve as examples of many of the features of HCGE, and the game itself is pretty much "complete".
It contains a title screen, a character and level select menu, completable levels with items, enemies, and even bosses.
In addition there are a Bonus Stage and Special Stages with randomly-generated layouts.
In fact, there are enough opportunities provided in the Gemstone Garden level to enter the Special Stage for a skilled player to obtain 7 Chaos Emeralds, and thus, Super Sonic.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Project Mettrix

This is a work in progress HCGE game project (Project page).
Sonic the Hedgehog example described above is based on scripts that were originally created for this game.

Mega Man: Triple Threat

Also in-progress is the game Mega Man: Triple Threat featuring playable Mega Man, Proto Man, and Bass (Project page).
Made in the SNES Mega Man 7 style with new levels and Robot Masters.
An open Mega Man example will eventually be created using some of the basic scripts and data that were used to make this game.

Fantastic Franklin

A brand new IP Fantastic Franklin, where the inspiration came from the Ludum Dare event in December 2013 (Project page).
This game is a puzzle-platformer in which you play as the titular character Franklin who has to dig, climb, push, and carry his way through each level to guide a giant egg safely to the exit.
As the game was developed in 72 hours, it is somewhat buggy and content is currently minimal, but it does contain one fully playable and completable level.
This build also serves as an example of the fact that a completed and standalone HCGE game can be distributed and made to run without first having to enter the main menu interface.

Screenshots

Media

HCGE (formerly E02) Game Creation - Introduction (Stealth)

HCGE (formerly E02) New Interface and Game Template (Stealth)

New HCGE Sonic the Hedgehog Example Game (Stealth)

HCGE (formerly E02) Is Not Sonic - More Games (Stealth)

Megaman: Triple Threat - Zaiaku Man Stage Megaman Gameplay (Stealth)

[3DS] HCGE - HeadCannon for 3DS (DarkFlare)

Compatibility

Requires a 3DS/New3DS capable of running Homebrew Launcher.

Known issues

Sound sort of crackles. There is no clear information regarding creating a streaming buffer, and since it mixes sound in software, this is probably the result of the method that is being used - attempt to fill enough audio for 1/60th of a second and play on each frame. The CSND_LOOP_ENABLE setting doesn't seem to work, not sure if there's a way to determine the playback position of a channel.

Some areas of some games are a bit slow. Since the 3DS is slower than most platforms that HCGE runs on, this is bound to happen when a level or other parts of gameplay become more complex, however, one major issue is that the sound is currently being rendered in the main thread along with the rest of the game. The assumsion is that, barring other optimizations, running the sound in a separate thread should have comparable performance to the faster "Without Sound" build.

Exiting seems to frequently cause the Homebrew Launcher to act as if there's no SD card when you return to it.

The downloads and updates system from other net-supporting platforms is missing (don't have enough information to successfully use sockets on 3DS).

External links

Official website - http://www.headcannon.com
Author's Tumblr - https://hcstealth.tumblr.com
Author's Youtube - http://ocstealth.youtube.com
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/HCStealth
GBAtemp - https://gbatemp.net/threads/hcge-multiplatform-game-engine-sonic-mega-man.375559

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox 3DS Homebrews
-| title = Headcannon Game Engine
+|title=Headcannon Game Engine
-| image = HCGE---Headcannon-Game-Engine.jpeg|250px
+|image=Hcge2.png
-| type = Game engine
+|description=Multi plateforms 2D Game engine creator and player ported to 3DS.
-| version=unknown
+|author=Simon Thomley (Stealth)
-| lastupdated = 2014/12/08
+|lastupdated=2014/12/08
-| license = Mixed
+|type=Game Engine
-| author = HCStealth
+|version=2014
-| website = https://gbatemp.net/threads/hcge-multiplatform-game-engine-sonic-mega-man.375559/
+|license=Mixed
-| download = https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrew/Headcannon-Game-Engine.rar
+|download=https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrews/hcge3ds.7z?k33p0fil35
-| source =
+|website=http://www.headcannon.com
 }}
-<youtube>W5xaMnin-Z4</youtube>
+HCGE, also known as Headcannon Game Engine, is a multiplatform game engine that can be used to create retro-style 2D games. Supported platforms include Windows, Linux, MacOSX, PSP (CFW), Wii (Homebrew Channel), GP2XWiz, GCWZero, and 3DS (Homebrew Launcher).
-==Headcannon Game Engine==
-'''[http://www.headcannon.com/HCGE Headcannon Game Engine]''' provides editing utilities and a script system that help Windows, Linux, and MacOSX users develop 2D games of various types for those and several other platforms, even without access to all supported platforms. Also, there are already a few games to play. Check the sections below for more information, links, images, and videos.
-==Introduction:==
-Hi!
+The PC Windows, Linux, and MacOSX versions serve not only as the engine with which to run the games, but also the SDK with which they can be created and modified. The built-in editors can be entered during gameplay and used to test live modifications or just modify and save for permanent changes, and they, as well as a few other useful tools, can be accessed from the main menu.
-I've just finished a reasonable build of my HCGE Multiplatform Game Engine for 3DS Homebrew Launcher and thought I'd share it. It isn't exactly a formal release since I still want to improve it before it becomes &quot;official&quot;, but in its current state, it should still be useful and fun. You can play the existing games on 3DS, or get a jump-start on developing a homebrew 3DS game regardless of whether you own one or can access The Homebrew Launcher<br />
+The 3DS version is an experimental build which allows you to play the existing games on 3DS, or get a jump-start on developing a homebrew 3DS game, regardless of whether you own one or can access The Homebrew Launcher. If you make a game with HCGE, you can choose either build to distribute it with as stand-alone (3DSX).
-<br />
-If you take the time to read about it and check it out, thank you very much, and have fun!<br />
-<br />
-'''There are two versions available:'''
-* <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.headcannon.com/HCGE/Builds/HCGE3ds.rar With Sound]'''</span>
+HCGE is developed by Simon Thomley, who was later brought on to Sega to work on multiple Sonic the Hedgehog projects, including [http://www.headcannon.com/Games/Sonic1 Sonic 1] and [http://www.headcannon.com/Games/Sonic2 Sonic 2] on Android/iOS, as well as [https://www.sega.com/games/sonicmania Sonic Mania].
-* <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.headcannon.com/HCGE/Builds/HCGE3ds%20-%20NoSound.rar Without Sound]'''</span>
-If you make a game with HCGE, you can choose either build to distribute it with as stand-alone
+==Installation==
+Download contains 2 versions of HCGE and game examples:
+* HCGE3ds.rar - HCGE for 3DS with Sound.
+* HCGE3ds-NoSound.rar - HCGE for 3DS without Sound.
+* template.rar - HCGE General Game Template (game example).
+* sonic.rar - Sonic the Hedgehog Example Game (game example).
+* mmtt.rar - Mega Man: Triple Threat (game example).
+* mettrix.rar - Sonic the Hedgehog: Project Mettrix (game example).
+* Franklin-LD28-3DS - Fantastic Franklin, a puzzle-platformer built with HCGE (standalone game example).
-Many current games are not distributed stand-alone. To install a game, download from the links provided in the later sections and unrar their contents into the same folder in which you placed &quot;HCGE.3dsx&quot;. Both the game folder and the contents of the &quot;gdf&quot; folder are necessary, so if prompted to &quot;overwrite the gdf folder&quot;, choose to allow, and the gdf file for the game you're installing will be placed into it along with any others
+Most current games are not distributed stand-alone. To install a game, unrar their contents into the same folder in which you placed HCGE.3dsx. Both the game folder and the contents of the gdf folder are necessary, so if prompted to overwrite the gdf folder, choose to allow. And the gdf file for the game you're installing will be placed into it along with any others.
-If copying games to your 3DS using FTPony, please double-check that all sub-folders were copied correctly; it seems to omit some of them sometimes on mass-copies. If HCGE exits immediately, this might be why. Opening &quot;Error.txt&quot; in the HCGE folder can help you figure out what's missing
+If copying games to your 3DS using FTPony, please double-check that all sub-folders were copied correctly; it seems to omit some of them sometimes on mass-copies. If HCGE exits immediately, this might be why. Opening Error.txt in the HCGE folder can help you figure out what's missing.
-In-game, tap the touch-screen to return to the main menu. In the main menu, tap the touch-screen to exit HCGE
+==User guide==
+An overview of development features with links into relevant portions of the documentation can be found on the [http://www.headcannon.com/HCGE official page]. Also of interest is the [http://www.headcannon.com/HCGE/Docs/Getting%20Started.html Getting Started document], which serves as an entrypoint to the documentation.
-===If you've downloaded any of these games before:===
+Because the documentation serves as a complete reference manual rather than any sort of tutorial, actual tutorials for individual aspects of usage will be prepared as time permits. Aside from open example projects, there will also be more step-by-step explanations, such as the [[Headcannon_Game_Engine_3DS#Media|introduction videos below]].
-You <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''''will'''''</span> need to re-download them for 3DS support. All games and HCGE build packages have been updated for this, and the updated packages are necessary to run the updated games on any other platform. They aren't flagged as updates for the update system, though, because there are no other significant changes - this is only for 3DS support. You will, however, receive the updated versions if you use any other platform build's internal download system, and games downloaded using that method from this point on can be used with the 3DS build (by copying the game folders and GDF folder to the HCGE folder on your 3DS in the same manner that you'd copy the manually-downloaded files)
+===How to use===
+In-game, tap the touch-screen to return to the main menu. In the main menu, tap the touch-screen to exit HCGE.
-===There are a few known issues specific to the 3DS build:===
+===HCGE General Game Template===
+* This is one of the two open game examples for HCGE ([http://www.headcannon.com/HCGE/#Templates HCGE documentation]).
+* It is a very basic General Game Template, contains only enough script and data to start up as a game and display something on-screen.
+* This template can be used as a basis upon which to build a brand new game basically from scratch.
-* Sound sort of crackles. I haven't seen any clear information regarding creating a streaming buffer, and since I mix sound in software, this is probably the result of the method I use - attempt to fill enough audio for 1/60th of a second and play on each frame. The CSND_LOOP_ENABLE setting doesn't seem to work, and I don't know if there's a way to determine the playback position of a channel
+===Sonic Example Game===
+* The second open game example is a well-featured fanmade Sonic the Hedgehog game ([http://www.headcannon.com/hchc/SonicExample Project page]).
+* All scripts and data are provided unprotected and can be modified or used to build either a new Sonic the Hedgehog fan game or something entirely different.
+* Various portions of this game serve as examples of many of the features of HCGE, and the game itself is pretty much "complete".
+* It contains a title screen, a character and level select menu, completable levels with items, enemies, and even bosses.
+* In addition there are a Bonus Stage and Special Stages with randomly-generated layouts.
+* In fact, there are enough opportunities provided in the Gemstone Garden level to enter the Special Stage for a skilled player to obtain 7 Chaos Emeralds, and thus, Super Sonic.
-* Some areas of some games are a bit slow. Since the 3DS is slower than most platforms that HCGE runs on, this is bound to happen when a level or other parts of gameplay become more complex, however, one major issue is that the sound is currently being rendered in the main thread along with the rest of the game. I assume that, barring other optimizations, running the sound in a separate thread should have comparable performance to the faster &quot;Without Sound&quot; build, but, I don't yet know how to create a separate thread for it
+===Sonic the Hedgehog: Project Mettrix===
+* This is a work in progress HCGE game project ([http://www.headcannon.com/hchc/Mettrix Project page]).
+* Sonic the Hedgehog example described above is based on scripts that were originally created for this game.
-* For me, exiting seems to frequently cause the Homebrew Launcher to act as if there's no SD card when you return to it. I have no idea why
+===Mega Man: Triple Threat===
+* Also in-progress is the game Mega Man: Triple Threat featuring playable Mega Man, Proto Man, and Bass ([http://www.headcannon.com/hchc/MMTT Project page]).
+* Made in the SNES Mega Man 7 style with new levels and Robot Masters.
+* An open Mega Man example will eventually be created using some of the basic scripts and data that were used to make this game.
-* The downloads and updates system from other net-supporting platforms is missing. The method uses sockets, and I don't seem to have enough information to successfully use sockets on 3DS
+===Fantastic Franklin===
+* A brand new IP Fantastic Franklin, where the inspiration came from the [http://www.ludumdare.com Ludum Dare] event in December 2013 ([http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-28/?action=preview&uid=7139 Project page]).
+* This game is a puzzle-platformer in which you play as the titular character Franklin who has to dig, climb, push, and carry his way through each level to guide a giant egg safely to the exit.
+* As the game was developed in 72 hours, it is somewhat buggy and content is currently minimal, but it does contain one fully playable and completable level.
+* This build also serves as an example of the fact that a completed and standalone HCGE game can be distributed and made to run without first having to enter the main menu interface.
-If anyone can provide any information regarding any of this, I'd very much appreciate it
+==Screenshots==
+https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrews/hcge3.png
+https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrews/hcge5.png
-==If you've never heard of HCGE before, here's what it's about:==
+https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrews/hcge4.png
+https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrews/hcge6.png
-HCGE is a multiplatform game engine that can be used to create retro-style 2D games. Supported platforms include Windows, Linux, MacOSX, PSP(CFW), Wii(Homebrew Channel), GP2XWiz, GCWZero, and now, 3DS(Homebrew Launcher)
-The PC Windows, Linux, and MacOSX versions serve not only as the engine with which to run the games, but also the SDK with which they can be created and modified. The built-in editors can be entered during gameplay and used to test live modifications or just modify and save for permanent changes, and they, as well as a few other useful tools, can be accessed from the main menu
-An overview of development features with links into relevant portions of the documentation can be found on the <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.headcannon.com/HCGE official home page]'''</span>. Also of interest is the <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.headcannon.com/HCGE/Docs/Getting%20Started.html Getting Started document]'''</span>, which serves as an entrypoint to the documentation
-Because the documentation serves as a complete reference manual rather than any sort of tutorial, actual tutorials for individual aspects of usage will be prepared as time permits. Aside from open example projects, there will also be more step-by-step explanations, such as the current introduction video:
+==Media==
+'''HCGE (formerly E02) Game Creation - Introduction''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKrUQhn8KRo Stealth]) <br>
 <youtube>jKrUQhn8KRo</youtube>
-'''The following options are also available to receive support and assistance:'''
+'''HCGE (formerly E02) New Interface and Game Template''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2KlMIWiZmk Stealth]) <br>
-* <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.headcannon.com/Forum/ The official Headcannon forum]'''</span>
-* <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.headcannon.com/IRC/ The official Headcannon IRC channel]'''</span>
-Please feel free to visit either of these for discussion or help, or even to help others once you've become more acquainted with HCGE. I will provide support through both channels as time permits
-Three such discussions are already in-progress, and contain a ton of information written in a more narrative manner:
-* <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''http://www.headcannon.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=114'''</span>
-* <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''http://www.headcannon.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=119'''</span>
-* <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''http://www.headcannon.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=122'''</span>
-'''As for existing game examples:'''
-Currently, there are two open game examples for HCGE. The first is the very basic [http://www.headcannon.com/HCGE/#Templates <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''General Game Template'''</span>], which contains only enough script and data to start up as a game and display something on-screen. This template can be used as a basis upon which to build a brand new game basically from scratch
 <youtube>i2KlMIWiZmk</youtube>
-The second open game example is a well-featured [http://www.headcannon.com/hchc/SonicExample <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''Sonic the Hedgehog game'''</span>]. All scripts and data are provided unprotected and can be modified or used to build either a new Sonic the Hedgehog fan game or something entirely different. Various portions of this game serve as examples of many of the features of HCGE, and the game itself is pretty much &quot;complete&quot;, as it contains a title screen, a character and level select menu, completable levels with items, enemies, and even bosses, as well as a Bonus Stage, and Special Stages with randomly-generated layouts. In Fact, there are enough opportunities provided in the Gemstone Garden level to enter the Special Stage for a skilled player to obtain 7 Chaos Emeralds, and thus, Super Sonic
+'''New HCGE Sonic the Hedgehog Example Game''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVD1aQH6ZCg Stealth]) <br>
 <youtube>UVD1aQH6ZCg</youtube>
-Other open examples, both generalized and based on existing IPs, are in the works, including those demonstrated in this video:
+'''HCGE (formerly E02) Is Not Sonic - More Games''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs7J1wFxNzY Stealth]) <br>
 <youtube>qs7J1wFxNzY</youtube>
-==Other in-progress game projects are also available:==
+'''Megaman: Triple Threat - Zaiaku Man Stage Megaman Gameplay''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqLNBgBHrWA Stealth]) <br>
+<youtube>lqLNBgBHrWA</youtube>
-The open Sonic the Hedgehog example described above is based on scripts that were originally created for the game &quot;<span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.headcannon.com/hchc/Mettrix/ Sonic the Hedgehog: Project Mettrix]'''</span>&quot;, which I currently don't have a dedicated video for
+'''[3DS] HCGE - HeadCannon for 3DS''' ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5xaMnin-Z4 DarkFlare]) <br>
+<youtube>W5xaMnin-Z4</youtube>
-https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrew/blz-example.gif
+==Compatibility==
+Requires a 3DS/New3DS capable of running Homebrew Launcher.
-Also in-progress is the game &quot;<span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.headcannon.com/hchc/MMTT/ Mega Man: Triple Threat]'''</span>&quot;, featuring playable Mega Man, Proto Man, and Bass, made in the SNES Mega Man 7 style with new levels and Robot Masters. An open Mega Man example will eventually be created using some of the basic scripts and data that were used to make this game
+==Known issues==
+* Sound sort of crackles. There is no clear information regarding creating a streaming buffer, and since it mixes sound in software, this is probably the result of the method that is being used - attempt to fill enough audio for 1/60th of a second and play on each frame. The CSND_LOOP_ENABLE setting doesn't seem to work, not sure if there's a way to determine the playback position of a channel.
-<youtube>lqLNBgBHrWA</youtube>
-And finally, we are developing a brand new IP thanks to some inspiration from the December 2013 <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.ludumdare.com/ Ludum Dare]'''</span> event: <span style="text-decoration: underline">'''[http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-28/?action=preview&uid=7139 Fantastic Franklin]'''</span>. This game is a puzzle-platformer in which you play as the titular character Franklin who has to dig, climb, push, and carry his way through each level to guide a giant egg safely to the exit
+* Some areas of some games are a bit slow. Since the 3DS is slower than most platforms that HCGE runs on, this is bound to happen when a level or other parts of gameplay become more complex, however, one major issue is that the sound is currently being rendered in the main thread along with the rest of the game. The assumsion is that, barring other optimizations, running the sound in a separate thread should have comparable performance to the faster "Without Sound" build.
-As the game was developed in 72 hours, it is somewhat buggy and content is currently minimal, but it does contain one fully playable and completable level sandwiched between a title screen and a closing screen. This will eventually become a full-sized, commercially-available game with many more levels, gimmicks, and enemies, as well as some tweaked mechanics and graphics, music, and other essentials
+* Exiting seems to frequently cause the Homebrew Launcher to act as if there's no SD card when you return to it.
-'''Because there is not yet a formal release, you'll need to download the newly-created 3DS build from <span style="text-decoration: underline">[https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrew/Franklin-LD28-3DS.rar this link]</span>'''. This build also serves as an example of the fact that a completed and standalone HCGE game can be distributed and made to run without first having to enter the main menu interface
+* The downloads and updates system from other net-supporting platforms is missing (don't have enough information to successfully use sockets on 3DS).
-https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrew/7139-shot0.png
+==External links==
-https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrew/7139-shot1.png
+* Official website - http://www.headcannon.com
-https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrew/7139-shot2.png
+* Author's Tumblr - https://hcstealth.tumblr.com
-https://dlhb.gamebrew.org/3dshomebrew/7139-shot3.png
+* Author's Youtube - http://ocstealth.youtube.com
+* Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/HCStealth
+* GBAtemp - https://gbatemp.net/threads/hcge-multiplatform-game-engine-sonic-mega-man.375559