The past few weeks have probably been the most productive since the project began but enough with needlessness.
The weather engine has been hugely improved, added in lots of little formulas to change the frequency, volume and panning of all the effects. Also added an overlay colour effect that changes its colour and transparency depending on how strong each weather effect is. Rain being blue, snow being white, lava red etc.
^ That's with pasting the trails in the background to see their motion during wind changes and not how it looks ingame and it turns out pasting an object resets the scale too. Grr.
Probably the most important part was sketching out the whole game in a flow chart. As far as levels go we're just at the half way point, but that doesn't mean another 2 and a half years since the engine, testing, soundtrack and everything else took up most of the time. But the good thing about this is the clear end in sight and how we're going to get there.
And another thing that me and Pineapple keep talking about is a demo. Only we're not entirely sure how to go about doing it, like do we use the first few areas or the entire first chapter? Or make a separate free game or what? It's not a focus at the moment though. The rest of the game is!
Yea, I'd just like to do something different for them. Plus the way I keep updating the engine a demo would barely represent the finished product. There will be a free demo or freeware version but I think it will be a while off.
The demo could be the entire first chapter. It all depends on how much you want to show the potential player. Ideally, demos give potential players a feel of the game and should leave them wanting more. At the same time, a demo shouldn't be able to replace the full game in the way of entertainment value.
Crackdown had a great demo. For one hour, you got to romp around the first island with increased exp gain, and do it in co-op. It let you see some of the game world and get a feel for how you'll navigate it, let you see how fluidly you could play with friends online, and let you see what's waiting for you at the end of the game.
Adam Phant, haha but seriously, v good point! The whole demo issue is very hard for a game this size and i cannot even pretend to think i could fit my opinions in this post.... so i won't!
Looking bloody fly though Dr. James, and i just noticed how many favourites this has (58?!?!) - that tells me oodles about how many people feel the same way about me with this gaming mammoth!!
The idea I currently like most is to create a new area that is much more compressed than the main game, with a totally independent plot but with a reward at the end that can be transferred to the main game. With some kind of tech demo introduction thrown in for good measure.
But that's on the backburner for now. The current priority is to finish off the first continent (just another 7 or so areas) and marking the end of chapter 2.
yeah thats my fave idea too. the entire first chapter as a demo would be a little large .... larger than most full games in fact! Comment edited by MrPineapple on 5/12/2009
The idea I currently like most is to create a new area that is much more compressed than the main game, with a totally independent plot but with a reward at the end that can be transferred to the main game. With some kind of tech demo introduction thrown in for good measure.
Why don't you make this demo area be the prologue to the offical game that they have to play through before chapter 1? Something to set up the whole plot. A reward that carries over is also great incentive IMO, even if it's a pill that gives you slightly increased base stats (for example).
Advertisement
Dr. James MD 
and it turns out pasting an object resets the scale too. Grr.
Which is a good thing for weather ^^,
(hd
Favourite