Post by Justin on Apr 27, 2013 13:58:43 GMT -5
I did promise a progress update, I guess blogs are good, but they don’t inform of progress, and the only way you guys have to know of progress is the occasional video or screenshot, sorry about that.
I do keep a version control file, not sure any one would want to see the changes as they are made, since a public build isn’t available, but if you do, email me or comment here and I’ll send it to you, so you can see stuff being worked on in real time. Also anyone can comment, no email is required, never looked at the default settings before.
On to the update:
The major systems of the game are:
Encounter -handles interaction with all aliens
Trading – Handles bartering/buying/selling
Combat – Handles pew pew
Exploration – Handles the undiscovered country
Dynamic Universe – (this is a new system) Updates the Universe around you (more later)
Dynamic Events
Crew Management -
Upgrade Systems – Handles upgrading your ship
Auxiliary Craft System – Manage mining drones/shuttles
First Up: Encounter
Estimated progress: 75%
This system is quite near completion, I have put it conservatively at 75 because I have to spend some time bug hunting, not that I expect to find much bugs, because it’s working quite fine as is, but until I do more extensive bug checking, I don’t want to list it as complete. What is needed? The major: Content. The screenplay, I have been working on it, but it’s not near done.
Trading
Estimated progress: 85%
I mentioned in a recent blog that I never intended to code a bartering system, but once I started the trade system, it flowed naturally. Over 2000 lines of code later over two days, and it was functioning quite nicely. I usually code features, test it enough to make sure it is working and move on. This needs further checking to make sure it is fully working and also content. What can be traded, where, trade routes and more, all of those require more thought, not so much coding.
Combat
Estimated progress: 60%
I started coding the combat in early March, and it has progressed quickly when I have worked on it, but truthfully, collectively, I have not worked on it that much in terms of actual development/coding time. Combat is quite functional, but will need so much balancing, at least not as much as if you played against other players. But it needs to be not too easy, and not too frustrating, since VOD is designed similarly to starflight, early on in the game your focus will be to explore nearby, don’t venture too far out(you could if you wanted to), because your ship and its technology is very basic and you need to earn currency to upgrade it, or find technology through exploration. So while I don’t want to frustrate the player, I do not want to make it simple and easy either, this is targeted at a niche crowd who want a challenging, but rewarding experience.
Exploration
estimated progress: 75%
Almost the entire system is complete, and additionally the content has been placed throughout the game world. What is needed is more types of exploration content, this is more contingent on design, and therefore not being hindered by coding progress, as that is mostly complete.
Dynamic Universe
Estimated progress: 50%
I recently began designing and coding the dynamic nature of the universe, for now I can say that this involves handling the alien empires relation to one another. So the world exists despite of you not because of you. Alien empires who were once friends might have border disputes, they might even go to all our war, this will involve attacks on each others home worlds and space stations and fleet fights. The player would be free to choose who to help or to stay out of it and watch from the sidelines. Additionally this ties in with dynamic events, as the war/disputes increase you could receive distress calls from allies, choose to respond or not. You yourself can send distress calls and receive help.
Crew Management
Estimated progress: 70%
This system involves the hiring of Chief Officers to assign to your stations, such as Chief Engineer, Chief Tactical, Chief Navigator, Chief Operations. They will provide a functional boost to their area of expertise, when you first recruit them at the beginning of the game, they are quite green. But as time passes and you engage in certain content e.g. combat, exploration your officers gain experience and give a better boost to their area of assignment. Been having some feature creep lately which is fine for an alpha progress. Your officers can also die and they have a stress level to manage. If they reach a certain level of stress the next time you dock at a station, they could leave your ship. Additionally while in combat, if your shields and armor are gone, receiving hits to your hull can injure them. And if you have hull breaches, your oxygen level depletes, once it reaches 0, your crew begins to slowly lose health. (Got this idea from a forum poster on spacesimjunkie, will edit with his name later). These systems are not designed to frustrate you, your crew is not weak or fickle, they won’t become stressed out so easily. Your crew is designed to grow with you. They also will interact with you throughout your voyage on a personal level in addition they will give you warnings on nearby places of interest, enemies, condition of your ship: such as fuel levels, state of repairs, damage and more.
Upgrade Ship
Estimated Progress: 90%
This is quite functional, the only requirements now are some tweaks and design decisions, redesign to the interface and extensive bug checking, working with a lot of figures and logic here and a simple + in place of a – or anything similar to such an error, is a huge change.
Aux Craft System
Estimated Progress: 10%
This system allows you to obtain small space craft and mining drones to be deployed. It is at an early level of development and therefore can change significantly between now and 80%. Therefore I won’t say much on it. Right now you can deploy mining drones to planets, and retrieve them with ore.
Hope this isn’t too much of a wall of text, but it represents a comprehensive update of progress and some of what is needed. With a release looming in September I am happy with the progress. Each day I am keeping in mind a public build and working towards it. But as this project has only been in development from early February, it still is a bit early and I hope you stick with it and follow my progress.
As always thanks for reading! Please leave feed back in the comments (guests can post with no mail, your name isn’t so important as what you have to say, that is quite important) Shout me in the shout box on the forum or send me an email if you like at aussidan@hotmail.com
I do keep a version control file, not sure any one would want to see the changes as they are made, since a public build isn’t available, but if you do, email me or comment here and I’ll send it to you, so you can see stuff being worked on in real time. Also anyone can comment, no email is required, never looked at the default settings before.
On to the update:
The major systems of the game are:
Encounter -handles interaction with all aliens
Trading – Handles bartering/buying/selling
Combat – Handles pew pew
Exploration – Handles the undiscovered country
Dynamic Universe – (this is a new system) Updates the Universe around you (more later)
Dynamic Events
Crew Management -
Upgrade Systems – Handles upgrading your ship
Auxiliary Craft System – Manage mining drones/shuttles
First Up: Encounter
Estimated progress: 75%
This system is quite near completion, I have put it conservatively at 75 because I have to spend some time bug hunting, not that I expect to find much bugs, because it’s working quite fine as is, but until I do more extensive bug checking, I don’t want to list it as complete. What is needed? The major: Content. The screenplay, I have been working on it, but it’s not near done.
Trading
Estimated progress: 85%
I mentioned in a recent blog that I never intended to code a bartering system, but once I started the trade system, it flowed naturally. Over 2000 lines of code later over two days, and it was functioning quite nicely. I usually code features, test it enough to make sure it is working and move on. This needs further checking to make sure it is fully working and also content. What can be traded, where, trade routes and more, all of those require more thought, not so much coding.
Combat
Estimated progress: 60%
I started coding the combat in early March, and it has progressed quickly when I have worked on it, but truthfully, collectively, I have not worked on it that much in terms of actual development/coding time. Combat is quite functional, but will need so much balancing, at least not as much as if you played against other players. But it needs to be not too easy, and not too frustrating, since VOD is designed similarly to starflight, early on in the game your focus will be to explore nearby, don’t venture too far out(you could if you wanted to), because your ship and its technology is very basic and you need to earn currency to upgrade it, or find technology through exploration. So while I don’t want to frustrate the player, I do not want to make it simple and easy either, this is targeted at a niche crowd who want a challenging, but rewarding experience.
Exploration
estimated progress: 75%
Almost the entire system is complete, and additionally the content has been placed throughout the game world. What is needed is more types of exploration content, this is more contingent on design, and therefore not being hindered by coding progress, as that is mostly complete.
Dynamic Universe
Estimated progress: 50%
I recently began designing and coding the dynamic nature of the universe, for now I can say that this involves handling the alien empires relation to one another. So the world exists despite of you not because of you. Alien empires who were once friends might have border disputes, they might even go to all our war, this will involve attacks on each others home worlds and space stations and fleet fights. The player would be free to choose who to help or to stay out of it and watch from the sidelines. Additionally this ties in with dynamic events, as the war/disputes increase you could receive distress calls from allies, choose to respond or not. You yourself can send distress calls and receive help.
Crew Management
Estimated progress: 70%
This system involves the hiring of Chief Officers to assign to your stations, such as Chief Engineer, Chief Tactical, Chief Navigator, Chief Operations. They will provide a functional boost to their area of expertise, when you first recruit them at the beginning of the game, they are quite green. But as time passes and you engage in certain content e.g. combat, exploration your officers gain experience and give a better boost to their area of assignment. Been having some feature creep lately which is fine for an alpha progress. Your officers can also die and they have a stress level to manage. If they reach a certain level of stress the next time you dock at a station, they could leave your ship. Additionally while in combat, if your shields and armor are gone, receiving hits to your hull can injure them. And if you have hull breaches, your oxygen level depletes, once it reaches 0, your crew begins to slowly lose health. (Got this idea from a forum poster on spacesimjunkie, will edit with his name later). These systems are not designed to frustrate you, your crew is not weak or fickle, they won’t become stressed out so easily. Your crew is designed to grow with you. They also will interact with you throughout your voyage on a personal level in addition they will give you warnings on nearby places of interest, enemies, condition of your ship: such as fuel levels, state of repairs, damage and more.
Upgrade Ship
Estimated Progress: 90%
This is quite functional, the only requirements now are some tweaks and design decisions, redesign to the interface and extensive bug checking, working with a lot of figures and logic here and a simple + in place of a – or anything similar to such an error, is a huge change.
Aux Craft System
Estimated Progress: 10%
This system allows you to obtain small space craft and mining drones to be deployed. It is at an early level of development and therefore can change significantly between now and 80%. Therefore I won’t say much on it. Right now you can deploy mining drones to planets, and retrieve them with ore.
Hope this isn’t too much of a wall of text, but it represents a comprehensive update of progress and some of what is needed. With a release looming in September I am happy with the progress. Each day I am keeping in mind a public build and working towards it. But as this project has only been in development from early February, it still is a bit early and I hope you stick with it and follow my progress.
As always thanks for reading! Please leave feed back in the comments (guests can post with no mail, your name isn’t so important as what you have to say, that is quite important) Shout me in the shout box on the forum or send me an email if you like at aussidan@hotmail.com