Swordfight

Swordfight Mk II

ramseynasser — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:03:09 -0400

The new controllers used at Come Out and Play make use of the same timer circuit, but remove the stock Atari PCB to make room a larger speaker and a more sensitive trigger button.

Here’s how to build a Swordfight Mk II Controller:

Follow steps 1-3 from the original Mk I controller instructions, building the circuit described. Note that the timer you use CANNOT be the low-power TLC555 chip you find at RadioShack. It cannot handle the current and will cook itself eventually. Use the regular 555 timer RadioShack provides.
Buy this super loud 9v buzzer and use a screwdriver and mallet to carefully liberate its internal components (the buzzer and its driving circuit), which makes it easier to fit into the controller.
Buy this sensitive lever switch (this one may work too). Its sensitivity can be adjusted by filing the Atari button down, which we’ll get to later on
Solder the red and black wires to where SPKR is on the schematic (red to pin 3 of the timer, black to pin 1)
Wire lever switch’s Normally Open circuit (NO as opposed to NC) to where SWATARI is on the schematic (NO to pin 2 of the timer, GND to pin 1)
Remove the PCs from the controller
Glue the circuit you built near the wire port and run the 9v battery clippers out through the port
Glue the piezo driver circuit to the wall of the controller in the corner to the left of the wire port (diagonally across from where the button will be). Make sure it’s low enough so the lid can fit! It has a really big capacitor!
Glue the piezo buzzer to the floor of the corner upwards from the driver circuit (diagonally across from the wire port)
This is where it gets tricky. You have to glue the lever switch under where the button will fall, but your placement has to be spot on for it to work well. There is a plastic support column at that spot you should glue the switch to. You want the high end of the lever facing the wall. Tape it in place, close the lid without the button installed, and look through the button hole to see how centered the switch is. Move the switch around so that its pins fall between the plastic ridges on the floor of the controller to keep it as low as possible. Try pressing it through the hole with the lid closed to make sure it can still click, and isn’t getting stuck. Once you have it, glue it in place.
File the button down so that it can fit. You want to file the button down diagonally to fit the profile of the lever switch. DO THIS SLOWLY, taking time to install the button and see if it fits, if the button clicks, and how sensitive it is. The sensitivity of the game is determined by the placement of the lever switch and the shape you file the atari button into.
Close the lid. You may have to break some plastic tabs or support structures with pliers at this point or earlier to make things fit. Thats’s ok. As long as the main screw columns are in place you should be fine.
???
Profit

That’s it! The button installation is more involved now, but it makes for a much better game. Totally worth it in our opinion. We’ll be building more controllers for the laboratory party and we plan on filming the process. It makes more sense when you can see it infront of you.

Good luck!

Swordfight is going to be at the STRANDED V: LABORATORY party...

ramseynasser — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 11:20:06 -0400

Swordfight is going to be at the STRANDED V: LABORATORY party presented by Winkel & Balktick on September 1st! Come down and play Swordfight! It should be crazy fun!

Swordfight at Come Out And Play

ramseynasser — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 16:43:17 -0400

For the next iteration of Swordfight, we wanted to controllers...

ramseynasser — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:11:00 -0400

For the next iteration of Swordfight, we wanted to controllers to make a lot more noise. We’re swapping out the tame piezo speakers we used before for bicycle warning horns. They are CRAZY loud. If there ever was a chance that someone didn’t notice you playing Swordfight, these horns will shatter it.

Pictures show the original packaged device and its liberated components. It includes a 556 timer chip, probably generating a square wave, and a transformer to step up voltage from the 9V battery to whatever the buzzer needs. The trigger button is s standard tac button you might use on a breadboard.

GEE Magazine!

ramseynasser — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:18:27 -0400

GEE Magazine!

Destructoid noticed us!

ramseynasser — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:56:22 -0400

Destructoid noticed us!:

In other words, it’s a game about touching heads. Yes, those heads.

…

(Thanks for the tip, John! Hee hee, “tip”!)

Proposed Swordfight slogan: Here’s a tip, use your head.

sirmoechrist: swordfightgame: How do you make Swordfight? … SUMMER PROJECT If you build...

ramseynasser — Wed, 02 May 2012 08:47:16 -0400

sirmoechrist:

swordfightgame:

How do you make Swordfight?

…

SUMMER PROJECT

If you build some controllers, we’d love to see them!

Nathan Fouts's Gamasutra Blog: Swordfight is Good Art

ramseynasser — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:28:35 -0400

Nathan Fouts's Gamasutra Blog: Swordfight is Good Art:

The experience here is only possible because of a game. Photos or videos don’t do it justice. No amount of reading about it (don’t quit reading! :) or watching conveys the full experience, it must be played. Interaction being the defining distinction of games.

Great article, Nathan, thanks! If you’re ever in the New York area, let us know and we’ll play!

"opponents's"

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:08:02 -0400

Ah, fixed! Thanks, clearly we make games, not grammars!

Photos Jasmine Chin took of the play test. Thanks, Jasmine!

ramseynasser — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:50:44 -0400

Photos Jasmine Chin took of the play test. Thanks, Jasmine!

Interview on indiegames.com!

ramseynasser — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:42:23 -0400

Interview on indiegames.com!:

Bieg, left, cackles madly

Perfect caption for that picture

Write up on Lazygamer!

ramseynasser — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:19:45 -0400

Write up on Lazygamer!:

I’ve busy trying to convince Geoff to join in, but he thinks that I’m being unfair by using a N64 controller on my rig.

I call it the Trident.

We would love to see an N64 variant. Tridentfight, anyone?

Aaahh! The Escapist!

ramseynasser — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:24:36 -0400

Aaahh! The Escapist!:

The unstated objective, of course, seems to be to make things as embarrassing as possible for pretty much anyone involved, including passersby watching the phallus duels, me for writing this article, and you for reading it.

Covered on Random Encounter! Our part is at 2:32. Thanks,...

ramseynasser — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:16:35 -0400

Covered on Random Encounter! Our part is at 2:32. Thanks, Anthony!

Write up on Gameranx!

ramseynasser — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:20:00 -0400

Write up on Gameranx!

Write up on Kotaku!

ramseynasser — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:21:00 -0400

Write up on Kotaku!:

A circuit board hidden within registers “hits”. Photographs of people playing registers “lulz”.

Yup, that’s about it.

Write up on indiegames.com!

ramseynasser — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:18:56 -0400

Write up on indiegames.com!

How do you make Swordfight? Buy two original Atari controllers....

ramseynasser — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:36:00 -0400

How do you make Swordfight?

Buy two original Atari controllers. Get them online.
Buy two adjustable strap on harnesses. We got ours at DV8 in Manhattan, super nice people!
Build this circuit into a small protoboard. The duration of the beep is controlled by the values of C and R. This configuration beeps for about seven seconds.
Solder a piezo buzzer to SPKR. It must be the kind that makes a tone when given a steady voltage, not a square wave.
Solder the Atari controller’s button wires (orange and black) to SWATARI
Cram it all into the controller
Glue it all down
Do it one more time, find a friend, and have fun!

Photo

ramseynasser — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:54:36 -0400

Photo

ramseynasser — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:27:24 -0400