Friday, March 13, 2009

Nikolas-Game: Status update!

So, how's my game going these days? That one I was programming in Python, for which I gave a link to an early version some time ago, and later a link to an early version of the map editor? (In each case accompanied with short, yet delightful, stories.

I'm glad you asked!

Matters have proceeded quite far in both cases. At the time of my previous post, the game itself had progressed to the point of including:

  • Units you could command to move, attack, or follow, which would shoot at each-other automatically
  • Sound (not music)
  • Explosions

Since then, I've:
  • Changed the way in which weapons work, so that units can reload weapons, switch weapons, and even pick up new weapons, (somewhat) intelligently responding to their circumstances
  • Added many new types of projectiles, such as instant-hit rounds (simulating things like railgun-rounds and lasers), homing missiles, and the mysterious 'swirlers'
  • Added new weapons and units to use the aforesaid projectiles - like the Super Rocket-Turret, and the Invincibot (who is only slightly invincible)
  • Added unit names (randomly generated!) and portraits
  • Switched the game to 3D (though it still displays on a 2D canvas)
  • Added terrain, including collision for both units and projectiles
  • And a number of other bug-fixes and improvements.
"So marvelous!" you cry. "Surely he cannot have so much to say for the map editor!" We'll see about that.
  • Doubled terrain resolution
  • Added automatic .gif exporting on saves (still a work in process)
  • Added noise generator
  • Added 'snow' terrain
  • Fixed a rather startlingly inefficient function
Huh. I guess you were right, hypothetical naysayer.

But still - so much accomplished? How much can possibly remain to achieve?

The world remains. Imagine - victory conditions! (Campaigns! Music!) Pathfinding algorithms! (Aeroplanes! Zeppelins!) Multicomponent units! (Tanks! APCs! Battleships!) And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Though I really need to get pathfinding done first. It's going to be tricky. (C.f. this recent post.)

In any case - thanks for all the support and offer of help! I really appreciate it; this project has been immensely satisfying for me, and it would have never gotten as far as it has without you. (With the exception of the Hon. Rebert.)

Just wait until next time; you will be stunned to death by how nifty things will have become by then. I may have even gotten terrain shadows - or - gasp - 3D rendering working!

(Also, I may at some point get this thing into an executable, so that could theoretically run on a computer which is not this one.)

(No promises.)

P.S.: Add your own requested features in the comments!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, are referring to the couple of minor bugs my find-replace-ing introduced? You seem to be overlooking the refactorings I was also responsible for.

Cavalcadeofcats said...

Nah, just thinking of bugs in general. Your find-replace thing was after this, anyway, so it's a net zero for the purposes of the post.

And I am overlooking the refactorings. Because... well... they make it easier to program, and they may make it slightly faster, but they're not very noticeable from the user-side. I appreciate them, but they aren't really a New Feature.

P.S.: You didn't make any feature requests!