Yup. Crunch time. Lots and lots to do, so I’ll keep it short this week.
Work Done Last Week
I fleshed out the audio manager a bit further, but then had to put that on hold. Still want to get back to it, but the very basics are done, and other areas need my attention.
I improved some more gameplay visuals, adding a basic scoreboard (which will probably change again), and made various visual tweaks, trying to provide useful feedback to user actions, but in a subtle manner. I don’t want to simply add more text and graphics to the user interface, not just because it’s a clunky way to solve a problem, but also because it’s annoying and tedious (for me to implement).
I spent a big portion of the week adding support for a game idea I’ve been toying with. I had to make a few core changes to the tech, and add support in both the object and level editor. All in all, I’m pretty happy with the base system I have in. Adding new features is becoming easier. This new feature will add
Work Planned This Week
I’m adding shader support today (technically, I already added it on Monday), and I have this cool post-processing effect where I desaturate parts of the world. I’m experimenting with color, and color contrast. The more I progress in development, the more I want to play with the visuals. However, time is tight, so this will go on the back burner.
I am switching to “production” mode for the final days of the push. By this, I mean focusing on producing an improved set of levels, and focusing on polish, balance and iteration. I will still continue to add to the codebase, but no new tech. Audio support, gameplay support and a couple other areas need improvement, but I am no longer experimenting in that area. It’s pure implementation.
I’ll be reviewing my task list, to make sure I’ve got every area covered and that I am focused on the highest priorities. It’s inevitable that I’m not going to get everything I want into the demo that I hoped for, but it’s a matter of being practical and tactical. I will focus on the fun first and foremost, and then polish.
Also, given time, I’m going to do a few administrative things, such as setting up a master build, preparing a basic site for the game, some media.
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April 24th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Hi, I’ve been reading your blog for a little while but this is my first time posting… I’d just like to say that I for one am looking forward with interest to seeing some screenshots/videos of this project of yours!
Keep up the hard work…
April 24th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Thank you Chris for reading. I hope you’re enjoying the blog so far. I am also looking forward to posting some media soon. I know it’s been a long wait.