DirectX/C++/CX: MOD a C++ app using XML and do it quickly!

  • Article

Check out Fall Fury, this app is awesome and really works, although my brain did when I first tried to use it.  You SLIDE the buttons not click them.

Ok, enough about my dorkage, what do you think about my dorkage?

“Modding” Fall Fury XMLand making people think you are brilliant!

First download the Fall Fury app from Coding 4 Fun

https://fallfury.codeplex.com/ make sure to download the PDF file: https://media.ch9.ms/coding4fun/fallfury/FallFury.pdf

Unzip the file and open the Visual Studio file using Visual Studio 2012, if you are a student get the no cost (Lawyers like it when I use no cost instead of the term FREE) from your school’s MSDNAA or DreamSpark Premium.  IF you do not have access to DreamSpark Premium, then you can use your school’s email at the site: https://www.dreamspark.com site.

Now in the PDF file see page 50 for Creating Levels, you need to read the other pages as well, but in this case you read this section to find out how to mod the game.

Modding the “Pick Level” display

Once you have downloaded and unzipped the file you will be able to play this fun game.  Now I will let into a poorly kept secret: this was all done by a student intern, the documentation and software.  Totally awesome job.

Ok, now how to modify the game, which can be called “Modding” a game in an interview. 

Find the folder in Visual Studio called “Levels”  these are the files that you can use to change the various levels of the game. 

To make your first modes, find the “Core.XML” file, it should look like this:

image

Now modify the XML code to look like the following, just cut and paste the following over the existing code.  This will change the initial “button” text.

<tiers>
  <tier name="Spooky eyes">
    <level name="spells, spells..." file="Space\stars_and_moons.xml"/>
    <level name="Trolls away" file="Space\lightyears_away.xml"/>
    <level name="lost ring" file="Space\lost_planet.xml"/>
  </tier>
  <tier name="Boil, Boil, Toil and trouble">
    <level name="Trouble moves" file="GoGoTeddy\mind.xml"></level>
    <level name="caldron" file="GoGoTeddy\full_pilot.xml"></level>
    <level name="spellious" file="GoGoTeddy\the_beginning.xml"></level>
    <level name="boils &amp; toils" file="GoGoTeddy\chasing_monsters.xml"></level>
  </tier>
  <tier name="Scary Garden">
    <level name="Orc stalking" file="Garden\bean_stalking.xml"/>
    <level name="thorn apart" file="Garden\thorn_apart.xml"/>
    <level name="bean &amp; button" file="Garden\bean_and_beyond.xml"/>
  </tier>
< /tiers>

image

Conclusion

You have now modified a game using the XML code.  You did not have to change the C++ code or stand on your head.

To get into doing game mods, play the Fall Fury game from start to finish, then write a short story on what the game should do.  Find the appropriate art, work through the XML files and then build your game.  Once it is working (only change the XML and PNG files) you should have a nice looking game.

Using your Windows Deverloper account, which you can get through your DreamSpark Account.

This is a good looking game, make sure to give it a snappy title to get the downloads, tweet your work out to your twitter pals and facebook it to get your 100 downloads.

This should take about four hours to get everything together and to put the game in the store.  If will look good, do something like:

  • Witches versus zombies
  • Zombies versus Angels
  • Princess versus Zombies
  • Zombies versus Zombies versus Zombies
  • Game of Thrones versus Game of Thrones (just kidding about that one)
  • Kurt Vonnegut versus Kilgore Trout (inside joke, bing it, but might have issues with copyright so this is offered as an idea only)
  • Chuck Norris versus zombies