Dodgeball: Source

Description

Dodgeball: Source utilizes Half-Life 2's Source game engine to re-create classic school yard dodgeball. The player is given the ability to pick-up, throw, catch, and block various types of balls. Along with the standard red dodgeball, the player has the chance to use special balls which include; the slime ball, the flame ball, and the bomb ball. Apart from the team deathmatch gametype, players can all choose the Competition mode which simulates 'official' dodgeball rules. In both modes, players gain experience points that can be spent on power-ups like; rapid throw, cluster balls, or increased speed.

For more detailed information and to download the mod, visit http://www.dodgeballsource.com

What I worked on

Competition mode was my biggest piece of individual work. I had to design and implement a 'jail' system that would replace the spectator mode you see in most games. Following Dodgeball rules, a player is sent to jail if they get tagged. When all the players of one team are in jail, the opposing team wins. Players can be brought out of jail if one of their teammates catches a ball. Releasing players works on a first in, first out basis. The flame ball was another idea that I implemented. Due to the small team, most features had code from both programmers by the time it was fully functional.

Skills Used/Learned

  • Utilizing a pre-existing game engine in C++
  • High-level gameplay programming
  • Using a CVS to manage source code
  • Using the Hammer level editor to test code features

Screenshots

Coming Soon

Videos

 

History

Created in 2005, Dodgeball: Source eventually led us to the IGF competition at GDC 2006. We were nominated for the Best Half-Life 2 Modification. We lost to a sci-fi based modification called Dystopia, but the experience alone was more then worth it. Here is a picture from IGF booth at GDC 2006. From left to right; me, Cory Davis, Bachar Allah, Chris (Team Dystopia), and Ken Mayfield.