Weird Alien Frogs – A Frog Generator (news and stuff…)

It’s been a while since my last update, and so much stuff has gotten done.
For one, Tetrageddon Games made an appearance on Boing Boing’s Offworld,
Cult of Mac has a nice little article about the project,
and Leigh Alexander mentioned Monkey Fortunetell in her [really cool] article on digital divination: The divine witches of cyberspace…

It’s so amazing. It feels like an unbelievable amount of hard work is coming to fruition… with that I mean people are playing the games, enjoying the games, talking about the games, which is all I can ask for… making thing that make people happy.
So…

This Tuesday I launched a frog generator.

You can play it here: http://frogs.alienmelon.com/
Or download the PC/MAC apps from GameJolt: HERE

The idea came about after the question: how would I look as a frog? How would any of us look as frogs? What is our frogself? It’s a sincere line of inquiry.

(title screen of the resulting generator)

I’m very proud of the results. The thing honestly is random, maybe you can call it procedural, but I cut every corner possible to get the thing done as fast as possible.
At first I wanted a frog to be calculated based on the name you entered — taking into account the letters, placement of letters, and length. There would be a body type associated with certain combinations of letters, random color types, features (eyes/mouth)… Math-y things… originally I wanted to restrict the frog you get to be “your frog”, no other frogs, but as the thing started to develop, and I was laughing heartily at all the frogs it was generating, I didn’t want to restrict people to a certain frog. I wanted them to enjoy hitting refresh as much as I did to see all the funky crazy frog faces.
So, in the end, it does still do Math-y things (basic functionality like placement, sizing, coloring, and some drawing), but not as “restrictive” as I was originally planning.
The name you enter is frogified™. If it’s a long name (more than four letters) it will remove the first four letters of your name and replace it with "Frog", "Froglet", "Toad", "Frog", "Tadpole", "Amphibian"… It also takes your last and middle name and makes it all fancy (like royalty) with “of the pond of”… It’s cute.

Example code (to give you an idea)… for those that are interested in frogification™…

var str_name:String;
var str_aka:String;
var arr_fullname:Array;

//frog arrays
var arr_frogvariant:Array = new Array("Frog", "Froglet", "Toad", "Frog", "Tadpole", "Amphibian");
var arr_frogplaces:Array = new Array("pond", "lake", "swamp", "marsh", "woods", "underbrush", "creek", "tree", "canopy", "forest", "woods", "waters", "stream", "brook");
var arr_title:Array = new Array("duke","marquis","earl","viscount","baron","baronet","knight","lord");
var arr_akafrogs:Array = new Array ("Abs", "Agnus", "Al-gea", "Amphibulus", "Scrubby", "Crusty", "Bouncer", "Bouncy", "Blinky", "Booboo the Bloatoad", "Bobo", "Booboo", "Bob", "Boo", "Boogy", "Bubba", "Bubble", "Buds", "Buddy", "Buggy", "Bumpy", "Chicky", "Chops", "Chubby", "Fats", "Fatso", "Chubber", "Flubber", "Chubbs", "Chunk", "Chunky", "Chunko", "Copper", "Conan", "Cool Frog", "Croaker", "Croaks", "Croaky", "Crunchy", "Cups", "Curmet", "Kermits", "Darty", "Dars", "Doc", "Dots", "Frogzilla", "Peppers", "Ducky", "Ducks", "Dumbell", "Dumpy", "Dumby", "Edgar", "Mimi", "Fatso", "Fatty", "Fatter Frog", "Fattest", "Fattest Frog", "Fatty Arbuckles", "Fearless Froglet", "Fergie", "Fibby", "Fiddles", "Fillmore", "Filbert", "Ferdinand", "Figaro", "Flibbit", "Flips", "Floatie", "Flubbers", "Francis", "Freaky Frog", "Freaky", "Froggens", "Froggins", "Froglestew", "Freckle", "Fugie", "Glossy", "Gobble", "Gobbles", "Gomez", "Gooey", "Gordon", "Gorf", "Gorf", "Gordito", "Greenie", "Gregan", "Grinner", "Grog", "Guacamole", "Guacky", "Gub-gub", "Gumball", "Gus", "Gus Gus", "Hecktor", "Gerby", "Herby", "Hippyfrog", "Hopkins", "Hopper", "Hoppy", "Hoppity", "Hoppity-Hop", "Hop-Hop", "Hopps-alot", "Hopson", "Hopston", "Hot Frog", "Hot-Toad", "Hugo-a-go-go", "Hugo", "Ichabod", "Iggy", "Ivan", "Jabba", "Jabba the Jumpy", "Jumpy", "Jeremiah", "Jimmy da toad", "Joey", "Jorg", "Yurg", "Jumpiter", "Kermit", "Kermit Klein", "Ketchup", "Kilroy", "Kirby", "King Kirby", "Klack", "Kokomo", "Krebbit", "Kroppy", "Leaper", "Leapy", "Leafy", "Legs", "Leroy", "Little Guy", "Leggy", "Louie", "Lumpy", "Lumps", "Man-o Frog", "Marina", "Mark McGwire", "Max", "Maxter", "Mermin", "Merms", "Germs", "Mr.Croak", "Mr. Frog", "Mr. Fribble", "Mr. Skinny", "Mr. Mouth", "Mister Mac", "Mr. Red Bottom", "Mr. Moco", "Mog", "Moe Moe", "Munky", "Murdock", "Nanotoad", "Noodles", "Nozy", "Frogy-Wan", "Patches", "Peabody", "Peanut", "Peeps", "Squeeks", "Pekkle", "Pickles", "Pickle", "Floyd", "Pip", "Phyto-P", "Plop", "Plopps", "Po", "Poegy", "Pogo", "Pookee", "Crackers", "Popcorn", "Prince Soggy Bottom", "Puddles", "Pug Pug", "Punkins", "Pudgetta", "Quigley", "Quiggle", "Quibbit", "Quigleys", "Quiggles", "Giggles", "Quiglly", "Raisin", "Ruperts", "Crumbs", "Shamrockfrog", "Sir Croaks alot", "Skippy", "Skippydippy", "Skittles", "Slappy", "Slims", "Slimmy", "Slinky", "Slippy", "Slick", "Slub", "Sluggs", "Sluggo", "Soupy", "Smeaglet", "Smiles", "Smiley", "Springer", "Sprocket", "Sprog", "Sproing", "Spud", "Spuds", "Squiggly", "Squirt", "Sticky", "Stinky", "Stomper", "Stone Cold", "Stoney", "Stubby", "Stumper", "Stud", "Studs", "Squishy", "Squeeky", "Squirmy", "Squirms", "Tater", "Tomato", "Taters", "Tamoto", "El Tamoto", "Tapioca", "Tiggle", "Tiggles", "Tibbir", "Ribbits", "Tommy the Toad", "Tricky", "Tubby", "Tubs", "Tuffy", "Twiggles", "Watermelonbaby", "Webby", "Webs", "Wet Willy", "Wembley", "Wiggles", "Giggles", "Winky", "Wiggletins", "Whopper", "Xorcon", "Yggorf", "Zenon", "Zippity", "Zippy", "Zips", "Zookey", "Zucchini");
//get starting values
str_name = "Nathalie Leah Lawhead"; //NEEDS TO BE SET TO TEXT FIELD
str_aka = arr_akafrogs[Math.ceil(Math.random()*arr_akafrogs.length)-1];
arr_fullname = (str_name).split(" ");
//clear
str_name = "";
//start
for(var i:Number=0; i<arr_fullname.length; ++i){
	if(arr_fullname[i].length>4){
		arr_fullname[i] = "Frog"+(arr_fullname[i].slice(4,arr_fullname[i].length));
	}else if(Math.random()*100>50){
		var randTitle:String = arr_frogvariant[Math.ceil(Math.random()*arr_frogvariant.length)-1]+arr_title[Math.ceil(Math.random()*arr_title.length)-1];
		arr_fullname[i] = randTitle+" of "+arr_fullname[i]+"frog";
	}
	if((i==arr_fullname.length-1 && Math.random()*100>50) && arr_fullname.length>1){
		arr_fullname[i] = "of the "+ arr_frogplaces[Math.ceil(Math.random()*arr_frogplaces.length)-1] +" of "+arr_fullname[i];
	}
	//set to this
	str_name+=" "+arr_fullname[i];
}

SUPER simple, but effective.
Maybe in another version I can get much fancier, but I love this little thing.

A final touch I added later, and I so love how it turned out, is the movement and mouth. I thought it would be cute if some frogs “sing”. They make these weird alien noises. The sound part is NOT generated (although I wanted it to be), because I wanted it to get done. Maybe in a later version I can explore really generating frog-voices, but I like how it is now. It’s cute and does exactly what I want.

There’s also ambiance associated with the random backgrounds. There are three backgrounds (space, river, mountains), and this gives the frogs a cute pretty cartoon-y backdrop.

Every frog also has a little (randomly compiled) character description, telling you about the type of frog you are (personality).

Finally, you can save the generated frog as a picture.

What are you waiting for? Go try it!! Download it here!!!

Funny thing about Weird Alien Frog’s is that I was working super hard/late so that I can join into the FEMICOM Game Jam #1 but now that it’s done I’m totally beat. Coffee isn’t even working. It’s such an awesome theme but I can’t come up with ideas for it… other than weird frog ideas.

I think I’ve been slowly developing a frog obsession. After making FROGGY (It’s Hungry) I think frogs are the coolest, most awesome thing that ever evolved. Ever. Don’t argue.
FROGGY was posted on GameJolt as a featured game. It got tons of Let’s Plays, and friendly comments. I was deeply touched that people liked it so much.
As a little thank you, I made FROGGY Back Stage Q & A (Talk To A Frog) – You can also play it on GameJolt here.

FROGGY can sit down for an interview. You may ask him the tough questions.

Ok… so cute story.
Pretty much everytime someone sees FROGGY they ask/wonder if it’s Frog Fractions 2. I’m not too sure if jokingly, or not. I’ve been enjoying the ensuing conspiracies (seeing people discuss it on forums online).
To finally put a nail in that coffin I made a website (here) plainly enlightening the public of FROGGY (It’s Hungry)’s true nature. The game is much more devious than probably being Frog Fractions 2.

The plot thickened when Jim Crawford retweeted it.

Obviously the fight for the truth is an uphill battle, but there is an ally that agrees.

I decided, from this point forward, for every frog game I make I will include a little one-line disclaimer explaining that it is not Frog Fractions 2. Someday they will believe me.

Ok, then! Some other little projects that I finished since the last update…

Misfortune Cookie http://misfortune.alienmelon.com/

Misfortune Cookie is exactly as the title suggests. The misfortunes are based on late 80’s obviously 90’s action movies… So assuming you’re an action hero, the fortune will be accurate.
Otherwise, hope that destiny doesn’t decide you’re going to be the unlikely hero who will save the day, and you can go about your average daily business.

What’s My Superhero Pet-Name (And Destiny) http://petname.alienmelon.com/

I thought it would be funny to do something that spits out silly superhero names. Like the superheroes no one ever talks about because their name is “buttermunchkins the impaler” or something like that. I don’t know… this is probably the sort of thing that’s only funny to me.
Names are put together randomly, as well as a somewhat randomly compiled sentence about your destiny (superhero story).

I’ve been very into making generators this year. Somehow I got bit by the bug and I think “generator!” for everything. Like “oh, small talk is so hard.”, then “I’ll make a generator for that!”… The obsession is slowly evolving into generating pictures now, so the frog generator is the first of that.

Still working on the Steam version of Tetrageddon Games. I’m making new content for it, and it’s going really well. Hope to have more to show soon.
Here’s a screenshot of what I’m doing: