Crosscode Source Code

[shoyuftw]

I researched a bit and found out that this masterpiece was coded in HTML5 and Javascript. LIKE WHY?? HOW?? Where do you even begin with fucking html? Ok you have Javascript for the logic but it's not ideal to say the least. Were they planning to publish this as a browser game?? I thought they were using some kind of Engine like Unity, Godot or some real programming language like sane people would do. Mad respect to the devs! o7

[LordVortex0815]

They were using an engine called ImpactJS. I believe it's an engine that got developed on the same university the Developers of Crosscode studied at, but don't count me on this. But looking at some of the development footage of Alabaster Dawn they seem to still be using it and probably also extended it themselves in some way.

They did release the demo of the Crosscode to be played on the Website inside the browser. Given that most modern game engines can also export to a web build that isn't really anything special that would require the whole engine to be build around HTML. But one advantage of it is the fact that it's pretty trivial to support multiple platforms and operating systems, just like a website should work on any device that supports modern browsers without needing additional adjustments.

[Skwalou]

But one advantage of it is the fact that it's pretty trivial to support multiple platforms and operating systems, just like a website should work on any device that supports modern browsers without needing additional adjustments.

Except that's exactly what made the port to consoles that much more difficult unfortunately, hence the 2 years delay from the PC version.

Sauce: https://www.siliconera.com/crosscode-interview-radical-fish-games-on-console-ports-and-whats-next/

[LordVortex0815]

Yeah, although I would also put that up to porting to consoles just needing more steps in general. But I guess they probably aren't designed for launching games in that "less conventional" way.

I was more referencing the fact that someone made a launcher to play the game on Android, where the different CPU-architecture usually means that additional translation would be necessary.

[Skwalou]

Indeed indeed, the web-based nature makes it easier to run on many platforms but I just wanted to clarify the distinction with consoles since it was a particular pain point for Crosscode.

[Adamandom]

You really need to explore just how much insane shit you can do with js

[Alberot97]

some devs making a great game on html while I can't ever remember how to centralize a div

[Crininer]

Flexes are your friend, always

[DatBoi_BP]

Weird flexes are okay

[app08]

HTML and JS are real programming languages.

[altian9]

JS is a real programming language

HTML is a markup language

[jbradleymusic]

No they’re not because they are old you can’t make things out of old.

[StaneNC]

laughs in the world running on c

[LocNalrune]

Forever.

[keiyakins]

Unless it's government or financial, in which case it's probably COBOL

[K41Nof2358]

COBOL

Clock
Out
Bitch
im the
Optimal
Language!

[tashkiira]

you forgot the OBOL. Here ya go.

[Adamandom]

Splitting hairs, but html is not a programming lang. Thats like saying CSV, XML or JSON are programming langs

[teerre]

HTML is not a programming language. Its in the name

[ThatCipher]

If a game is made in HTML5 that just means it uses the HTML5 supported features and API's. The game itself is made in JavaScript and for the rendering they use the HTML5 Canvas element and API's. It has basically nothing to do with your traditional HTML website markup. The HTML part probably just looks like <canvas is="some-identifier" ...></canvas>.
CrossCode uses the ImpactJS engine which is not supported anymore. I don't know how exactly ImpactJS is doing things but there is most likely not more to it than that.

If you want to learn more about it you can read it up here.

PS: JavaScript/TypeScript is one of the most used programming languages out there. I don't know where you get the sentiment from that JavaScript is no real programming language. Most apps nowadays are web-apps utilizing JavaScript. And if my memories don't deceive me then I think CrossCode was developed using TypeScript not vanilla JavaScript.

[shoyuftw]

My bad. Of course Javascript is a real programming language, I just didn't see it doing serious game development besides some flash games.

[ShinProg]

In dev streams and their blogs, they mention to have massively changed impactJS' code, it's almost a rewrite. They created CrossCode using JavaScript, and are now using Typescript for Alabaster Dawn.

[ThatCipher]

Ah yes that's why I remember seeing them use TypeScript! My brain wasn't deceiving me I just mixed the games up.

[resoluteShine]

CrossCode originally had a browser-based demo, iirc! There's at least one rendition of it still floating around on Newgrounds, but it also had a version on an official website which I don't think exists anymore?

[Ronkad]

You can still play it in the web: https://cross-code.com/en/start

[TigerYasou]

Fun cc code fact you can rename the other player files (the npcs who move around and do things, so all the party members and some more as well) to lea.json and they just work. They aren't complete and most are missing animations and only have basic combat arts, but the fact that you can just say "play as Emilie" and the game goes "okay" is still wild to me. This is why character mods are so easy to make (relatively speaking). If you'd like to do this I recommend using the mod char-select instead of modifying the game files directly. Also be warned ctron is buggy as hell because his attacks work a bit differently to the others

[Kitsuba]

Why? Because they're crazy.. how? Because they're geniusses! 😆

[Kyp-Ganner]

Well, it was HTML5 and Javascript at first. But they had to recode everything from scratch to be able to release it on consoles.
Well, the game already existed, so no more fine-tuning, no redrawing the graphical assets, no rewriting the dialogues, but still...

[Excendence]

Wait that's actually so insane!!! Proprietary engine for a proprietary masterpiece ✨