Chicken Jockey being developed in Flash

[Fiz]

Hey everyone!

Some of you know me, and some of you don't, but for those of you who don't know me, I'm the guy who likes to make really long posts in the Debate Club and the Homework Help section...I'm also known as Fiz. :)

Skye and I have been good buddies for many years now, and although we haven't hung out in a while, we've been e-mailing back and forth about a game currently being created by me in Flash. The game is called "Chicken Jockey", and it was initially developed a quite a few years ago in QuickBasic. Back then, Skye helped me add some functionality and finishing touches on the game which went on to be very well accepted in the QBasic gaming community, despite its very simple graphics. Since then, a sequel was created, and now I am pleased to announce that Chicken Jockey is coming to Flash. In my opinion, this game was meant to be made in Flash.

Chicken Jockey is a game much like horse racing, except with chickens. You bet on chicken races and cockfights to win money. That money can go towards the purchase of your own chickens, which you can then take care of, feed, train, and enter into events to win more money. The chickens are very complex little creatures that need to be well treated in order to succeed.

The game is currently under development, and I've included a couple of screenshots below. While under development, I will put together a small website for updates and such, but in the meantime, I just thought I'd bring it to everyone's attention. As progress continues, I will be making it more public.

EDIT: I changed the map screen a little bit to make it look less strange. Its still not perfect, but its better than before, I think. I changed the barn and the store to make it look like I invisioned it. :) Its supposed to be a bird's eye view from an angle, looking down.

http://www3.telus.net/fizzy/mapscreen.png

http://www3.telus.net/fizzy/racescreen.png

Feel free to ask any questions, and I will do my best in answering them. As of now the game is still in the early stages of development, but the planning has been completed and progress is very steady. More info will come when available.

[bobmasedo]

Hehe, reminds me of Mutant Chicken Racing

[Freddy]

cool idea.

how will the chickens race? will the winner be random? are there ways to increase chances of winning?

[Fiz]

The chickens will race on a track, shown in the above screenshot. The races will be based on certain attributes that each chicken has.

The results will not be random. Every chicken has 7 attributes that govern its overall skill, as well as personality traits. Using a few formulae, a chicken's performance in each race and cockfight will be determined. Therefore, depending on how a chicken develops (positively or negatively) throughout its career, its results will be different every time.

There are definitely ways to increase a chicken's chances of winning. Any chicken you own will be your responsibility to feed, train, and care for. The better you do this, and the more resources you put in, the better your chicken will become over time. Make sure your chicken is happy and healthy, and you will see results.

Any questions that I harvest from here will be added to a FAQ when the game is released.

[VENGEANCE]

You need to do A LOT of work on the perspective. It looks like some kind of abstract art at the moment.

[Fiz]

You need to do A LOT of work on the perspective. It looks like some kind of abstract art at the moment.

Well, I guess that all depends on your perspective... :lol: But seriously...

Can you be a bit more specific? I'm assuming you mean the the buttons that make up the buildings on the map screen, but that's just my guess...of course, nothing is final yet, and suggestions are always welcome. :)

[eatmorchikin6464]

He's talking about the first picture. The road is going upwards, the houses are all in different perspectives. In short, the art blows, no offense or anything. I also find it funny how you made the chickens. I dont think you made them, you just took someone elses, .jpg and put it on your flash. I can tell that by how pixelly it is. If you made a java version, where is it?

[skye]

Those chickens are actually taken from Chicken Jockey 2 for QB. (Fiz tells me he is working on fixing the grainy appearance ;) )

Can't wait 'til this comes out - I remember how addictive the first one was :D

[arkhan]

dont change that perspective..fells like a really abstract place..I dont know..fells orininal...

those chickens...Im not so sure but I have seen them somewhere else..I think lots of peopls stole that chicken and used in several places(sites, games, and so on..)

[eatmorchikin6464]

Well, I managed to find a few sites with tips and reviews, but no where that I could play it.

[Fiz]

dont change that perspective..fells like a really abstract place..I dont know..fells orininal...

those chickens...Im not so sure but I have seen them somewhere else..I think lots of peopls stole that chicken and used in several places(sites, games, and so on..)

Seriously? I drew those chickens a few years ago with a Qbasic sprite tool... :lol: Hook me up with some links if you know where they're being used. That's hilarious.

As for the previous games, you have to download them. If you have XP, you may have some problems with the sound, but otherwise it should run fine.

Here's are a couple of links to where you can get them:

Chicken Jockey 2's official site:

http://www.geocities.com/fizzy_79/cj2.html

The Original Chicken Jockey:

http://www.geocities.com/fizzy_79/fizzygames.html

Its at the bottom of the page. I made these pages years ago before I had any experience with html or web design...lol...

As for the new version in the works, nothing is finalized as of yet...those screenshots are very early in development...I've only been working on it for a couple of weeks now. I am in no way a graphic artist, so my focus will be on gameplay. So if the art work blows, let it blow proudly... ;)

[unicycler]

I am running XP and Chicken Jockey 2 doesn't work at all for me, I haven't tried the original Chicken Jockey though.

[Bodadem]

Sounds like a BLASTTTTTTTTTTT. I mean...Blast.

[Fiz]

I am running XP and Chicken Jockey 2 doesn't work at all for me, I haven't tried the original Chicken Jockey though.

This is one of the main reasons why I wanted to bring it to Flash. Qbasic just isn't compatible with WinXP because its not even a Windows based program. Its a hit and miss with XP. The original Chicken Jockey was never compiled to an .EXE, so you have to have QBasic to play it. I wouldn't bother with it.

[Leperkawn]

*Loads up DOSBox*

Whoo CJ2 is fun.

[Bodadem]

I don't suppose either of those game are Mac compatible? (I didn't bother DL'ing, based on the assumption..

[Jshaw71]

I am suddenly rememinded of chocobo racing minigame in FF7 :-) that was fun, woot :-)

[Fiz]

I don't suppose either of those game are Mac compatible? (I didn't bother DL'ing, based on the assumption..

I tried CJ2 on a Mac recently and it didn't work because the installer is Windows based. Yet another reason to port to Flash...lol...don't worry, the Flash version will have everything the Quickbasic version had, and more.

[Bodadem]

I anxiously await the flash version so i can see this game.

[VENGEANCE]

You need to do A LOT of work on the perspective. It looks like some kind of abstract art at the moment.

Well, I guess that all depends on your perspective... :lol: But seriously...

Can you be a bit more specific? I'm assuming you mean the the buttons that make up the buildings on the map screen, but that's just my guess...of course, nothing is final yet, and suggestions are always welcome. :)

The road in the first screenshot is the main problem: It looks like the cars are going up a VERY steep slope. Also, you ought to skem the chickens in the second screenshot a bit. The barn looks strange, too.

[Leperkawn]

I think it kinda looks original. All these games with good perspective. Why not have a abstract one?

[Fiz]

Thanks for the insight Vengeance. I'll see what I can do!

Before it goes beta, I'll obviously be patching things up to make it look more professional. Right now my only concern is gameplay, which is the most difficult part to do in this game, since it has so much depth. The graphics are easily replaceable, which is why I love Flash. Just grab the code from your movie clips/buttons, redraw, and paste again.

Anyways, back to work with me!

[Fiz]

Here are a couple of more screenshots for you guys. These two are of the player's chicken coop. The coop will be interactive, so you can pick up your chickens and drop them onto exercise equipment that you can buy for them to increase their skills.

The first shot shows three chickens. The mouse is hovered over one of them displaying their stats at the bottom. (You can't see the pointer because I just took a snap of the screen) The second shot shows two of those chickens working out. One of them is running on the treadmill and the other is sparring with a standing punching bag. The food bin is in the middle of the coop.

http://www3.telus.net/fizzy/coops1.JPG

http://www3.telus.net/fizzy/coops2.JPG

[The Brown Cow]

That's awesome. I look forward to this. :D

[Leperkawn]

It's like harvest moon.

Hopefully the overworld movement will be better than CJ2.

[Fiz]

Not to worry, its all mouse driven.

[Fiz]

Progress was extremely good today. Here's another screenie for you guys. The store where you buy food and equipment has been completed.

http://www3.telus.net/fizzy/store.JPG

Sorry about the screenshot quality. Its a little blurry in some areas, and the words "Your Total Purchase:" are completely blurry. :)

EDIT: Moved the feed labels to the right so they are paired properly with their feed boxes.

[The Brown Cow]

Hmmm... I'd group the "20 Units", "40 Units" and "60 Units" buttons together with some kind of label that identifies them as chicken feed. They're kinda unclear right now.

[arkhan]

"hi..I want 20 units of treadmill plz..."

[Fiz]

Actually, those aren't buttons, they're just labels for the boxes on the shelf, which are the buttons.

Good point though, I'll move them to the other side so that they're on the shelf. :)

....Fixed.

[DarkReality]

"hi..I want 20 units of treadmill plz..."

El Oh El.

But some people honestly are that stupid, believe it or not. At least I'm sure people like that exist.

[Fiz]

Which is why it is a must to cater your design towards everyone. :)

[theryman]

i downloaded CJ2 a long time ago. I cant wait for this one. It looks much cooler. I like the coop thingie.

[Freddy]

just a quick question.

how does 'evilness' effect the outcome of a race?

Every other attribute has his share of importance in the race, but 'evilness'?

What will your chicken try to kill the other ones?

[The Brown Cow]

just a quick question.

how does 'evilness' effect the outcome of a race?

Every other attribute has his share of importance in the race, but 'evilness'?

What will your chicken try to kill the other ones?

Maybe like chao racing in Sonic Adventure... They'll try to push each other off the track?

[theryman]

It might affect the chicken fights in the game ( being evil)

I think thats what it did in the first two.

U could take a cheap shot below the belt?

[Fiz]

Yep, its an attribute that helps in cockfights, which have yet to be developed in this version. :)

[MercuryLime]

Whoa, I didn't see this topic. Looks pretty awesome.

[Fiz]

The website is now live.

http://www.chickenjockey.co.nr/

[Leperkawn]

Cool. I'm looking foward to it.

[Fiz]

Just added a little teaser for you guys in my signature. Its a mini-game that lets you play as many races as you like. There's no money involved, and you can't see the overall rating of the chickens, but they follow the same rules as the chickens in the actual game. Every time you play a race, the chickens' attributes get randomized. See how good you guys can do by guessing at random. :)

This 'interactive teaser', as I like to call it, is also available in the 'Play' section of the website. Enjoy!

[Swas]

nice lil teaser, so will you race against chickens from rivals or will it be random ones with random attributes ... im gonna download the other two now,

[DarkReality]

Dude... a multiplayer option would be so cool. So incredibly cool. Hint Hint :-D

[Fiz]

No randomness, my friend...pure simulation. There will be other computer controlled jockeys that follow the same rules as you do, buying their own chickens and entering them into races. To be successful, you have to scout the other chickens and see who the contenders are and how they are progressing. There is a lot of strategy involved. Every chicken will have its own attributes and personality that change depending on how well they're doing. On the surface, this game looks pretty straighforward, but there's a lot going on behind the scenes.

As for the multiplayer option... :) I've always wanted to implement something of the sort, but I've never had the resources. I won't make any promises for multiplayer, but I do have plans to put together a league where you can sign up and enter your own chickens into races and tournaments that will run bi-weekly or so. Not real-time multiplayer, but close to it. More info on this when I have it.

[edmarriner]

maybe you could put up a league were just before you leave the game you sent in your score. the person who wins at the end of the week get to play the with game some added extras. e.g.starts off with more money or somethink along those lines .
by doing this you not only are the weekly winner but you have got "cheat mode " game too ! this would make the game a bit more interesting.

[Fiz]

The problem with that is the fact that the game doesn't have a score, per se...you make cash on bets and your own chickens' earnings, but you are constantly using that cash for upgrades, food, and more chickens. So someone may have $1000 and and no chickens, while someone else may have $50, 5 chickens, upgrades, lots of food, and $300 in the bank. It gets quite complicated.

The league setup will likely be that there will be events set up during each week, and people can place bets on them, like a single races, cockfighting event, or tournament, or they can enter their own chickens from their saved games to win more cash if their chicken wins the event.

That's all I'm saying right now. This is a second priority over getting the game complete for single player (and possibly two player competitive) mode. I will concentrate on a league after the game is released. Thanks for your suggestion!

Oh, and as for downloading the previous versions, feel free, but because they were created on DOS compilers, I am trying to phase them out. ;) In fact, the first Chicken Jockey can only be played inside the Qbasic environment. Its not an .exe file.

[The Brown Cow]

As for the multiplayer option... :) I've always wanted to implement something of the sort, but I've never had the resources.

Maybe I can team up with you for the next one, once I get some stuff done. :D

[Fiz]

:lol:

Yeah, my main priority right now is getting the game released. Once I see whether its popular amongst the masses, then I'll take the next step.

Since I have lots of time on my hands, progress is very steady, and I'm accomplishing a lot every day. Today was a bunch of little things that needed to get done. Tomorrow I'm moving on to the last two major sections, and then I need to work on more little things. Hopefully it won't be long now until the game goes beta.

[denacioust]

The game sounds good, good luck with that

[Bodadem]

With that mini-game it's basically just guessing.....

[Leperkawn]

For the minigame. I'm guessing you'll be able to see your chicken's stats beforehand in the game.

Just guessing though =P

[Fiz]

That's correct. The minigame is just guess-work. The actual game runs heavily on statistics and attributes. If you know who the contenders are, you'll more than likely do well.

When you are betting on the races and cockfights, you will see each chicken's overall rating. If you want to see their individual stats, you can view them before or after events. The chickens will all change dynamically depending on how well they are treated and how well they are doing. They also age and will die of old age...so don't get too attached to one particular chicken. ;) Or at least make sure it breeds to pass on its genes. For example, if you breed two chickens that both have big appetites, their chick will also likely have a big appetite (that's not a good thing!). Its a complete simulation in that regard.

Let it be known that the races are not scripted. Each chicken's performance is handled on the fly, frame by frame, using a series of formulae (which use the appropriate attributes, mixed with each chicken's personality) to determine their movement down the track or in a cockfight. Its so complex that I can even play it and not know what to expect. :)

[Swas]

sounds complicated yet great :D good luck with it cant wait to see it

[Jonanin]

Good idea! im gonna make a little mini game like that! *loads up flash* :D

[Fiz]

Hey, hey...that's my brainchild in my sig! :lol:

Well guys, I'd say I'm about 70% done now. One more major section to complete, then I have to finish up with some little things here and there. If I decide to add a couple of more features, it may take a tad bit longer, but I'll keep you all updated.

[Fiz]

Hey all,

Check out the website for a small update. :) I just added a few more screenshots from the last two major sections of the game that are now pretty much complete.

I'm now moving on to the remaining smaller aspects of the game, but equally important ones. As it stands now, the game is completely playable, except for some features I still want to add. Once these features are close to complete, I will set a release date.

[Leperkawn]

So, you need any testers?


Hmm?

[c00lryguy]

yes, hmm?

I'm willing and I find bugs on almost any game I play

[Freddy]

I'll find bugs even when I dont want to.

I'm sure I can help in that department if its needed.

[arkhan]

im not proud of it..but usually bugs bump into me..I have this..thing...I keep trying to do things I shouldnt..j4f!!
but I dont think I want to beta test it..too much to do with my own stuff..

[Fiz]

There's still plenty of small things that I need to implement that could pontentially go buggy. ;) Right now, myself and my sister are testing it, and whatever bugs we've come across I've been able to fix. When I need beta testers, which should be very soon, I'll be sure to advertise! Thanks guys for your interest!

[Fiz]

For those of you who thought that the map screen looked too abstract, I changed it a bit to make it look a little less...abstract. :) Its still not perfect, but what can you do. Hehe...the view is supposed to be a bird's eye view from an angle. The road isn't an uphill, its just a regular road, like you're looking down from above. The barn is supposed to be farther away than anything else.

If it still looks funny to you, then I guess you'll have to use your imagination. :lol: You can see the updated screenshot on the first page of this topic.

[bobmasedo]

you could make different arenas, the last being the road which is risky cause the chickens could get run over, or not

[arkhan]

I still think it looks cool..perspective isnt very good yet, but I said I like it...

I see what the problem is..you made the road and every house in a diferent point of view..diferent angling and stuff, so the ground couldnt be as plain as it is..and things dont fit, so it looks kinda weird..

[Freddy]

hey remember the first chicken jonkey 2. for QB. well Im playing it(might as well practice) and I want to know what the cell hpone does.

if its worth buying or not.

[Fiz]

When you buy a cell phone, you'll get a call from your coop if you run out of food for your chickens. Its worth buying if you have a few chickens and you don't want them to go hungry if you forget to fill up their food.

The phone was supposed to have more features, but I never got around to implementing them.

[edmarriner]

will it be out by christmas or not you know yet

[Fiz]

That depends on how many features I want to add. I'd like to give you guys more features to play with, but that would entail having a later release date. If you really want me to give you an estimate, although I don't want to put my foot in my mouth, I would say that I expect to have it released by Christmas, assuming I have no problems from here on in. Development has been really smooth, so I'm hoping for the best.

Thanks for your interest. :) I'll be sure to keep updating you guys. Right now I'm in the middle of developing the remaining features of the game, so the updates will be small in number, since these are little things that I'm developing.

[Freddy]

well I wont buy it now. I have one chicken. but she was pretty useless.
I ended up selling it.

I'll just bet some more till I have enough for a decent chicken.

[Fiz]

Hey guys!

Long time no post in this topic from me. :)

Just an update for you all. I've finished quite a few little things, and one major part, which is breeding, complete with little tiny baby chicks.

There are just a few more things I need to take care of before I can call it a beta. I just thought I'd post to let you know I'm still chugging away. ;)

[Nexus]

I honour you for your perseverance.

Keep at it. :wink:

[MercuryLime]

I can't find the screenshot of the intro screen any more. :?

[Fiz]

Intro screen?

[Fiz]

Beta testing will begin soon. If you want to sign up, you can do so at:

http://www.chickenjockey.co.nr/

I will be selecting people of different age groups, locations, and system specs from the registrations that come in.

[Freddy]

w00t!
already signed up.

the QB version is tough. I hope I'll have better luck with this one.

[edmarriner]

i was looking around your site (jouing up to the beta testing) when i found a other site called appearances http://www3.telus.net/fizzy/appearances/ whats all that about ???

btw: the games looking great so far , keep up the brill work !!!

[Fiz]

Oh, that's just a simple template for my friend's mom. She sells the products on that page to salons and I just made her a mockup website. I'm designing a simple page for her to use in her business. :) I just put it there so she could see it. :lol:

Thanks for the kudos on the game, btw!

[Jonanin]

I submitted my form.

Your game will be great! I can't wait!

[Fiz]

Good to hear, and thanks!

For all those who signed up for beta testing, I will be making an announcement within the next day or two and sending e-mails out. Stay tuned!

[Fiz]

Sign-ups for beta testing has now ended, and testing itself will commence within the next couple of days. Those who signed up have been contacted via e-mail for further instructions. Thanks everyone!

[MercuryLime]

All this secrecy makes me wonder if beta-testing is the only thing these agents will be doing... :wink:

[Fiz]

:lol: Why, what do you think is really going on? ;)

[MercuryLime]

...Maybe your smuggling drugs into the country by injecting them into chickens. Of course, this means the chickens wll become abnormally powerful, and to make sure they don't find out how to escape, your "Beta Testers" will have a bit of sentry duty as well.

[Freddy]

now thats an imagination!
and gives me an idea for a plot for a game.
now I just need the design.

[Fiz]

Oh...hm...I, er...*runs away*

[MercuryLime]

Aha, I knew it! :wink: *puts on sheriff unifrom, rides away into sunset on a horse while shouting "Justice!"*

[Jonanin]

Pffff. You? A Sherrif? *laughs*

[MercuryLime]

One of the many few, yes.

*points to legal version of flash mx educational*

[Bodadem]

*points to pirated version of Flash MX 2004*

[Jonanin]

Hahaha. Ok, lets stay on topic.

[eatmorchikin6464]

*Points To The Following!*

Arg version of Flash MX 2004
Arg version of Swift 3D 4
Arg version of 3Ds Max 6
Arg serial for BF:Vietnam
Arg version of Animation Shop 2(Havent used for a while)
Arg version of PSP8
Arg version of Dreamweave whatever version