4 1/2 Months Later....
Well , it's definately been sometime since I blogged, not that I was lazy, (well maybe a bit), but I don't really like showing updates if there's nothing to show, not that there isn't of course, now anyway, but for a little bit of time there was, anyway on with it..
So what's changed, well first a slight revamp to the editor, this was to locate all commonly used functionality in a convenient custom toolbar that used the D3D device to render as I was and sometimes still do get graphic issues when I have my windows dialogs over the D3D area. So this is a get around but is very nice coz it has nice big shiney buttons that go on and off, I like things simple
On the subject of editor functionality, I also introduced a custom data dialog editor, before I just had a listbox that allowed you to change data for an object but it was simply typing in values and no sense of context. Now I have a little cool library I found on the net that I've integrated that allows me to give data context (type, suffix, range, lists, colour pickers etc.), which makes changing the data for an object a pleasure instead a chore.
To test this I created a particle editor object which is now used throughout the game but helped me iron out loads of problems with the dialog editor.
Which brings me onto other features, well you can shoot plasma bolts, they can be rapidly shot or you can build up to a powerful plasma bolt that can destroy multiple ships with one blast (something like RType some might say..)
You and all other ships have plasma impulse and warp engine effects
And you can blow up ships too with your plasma bolts resulting in a nice explosion and appropiate shrapnel flying all over the place..
And all the creation and destruction indirects through a semi-automatic caching system , which keeps things nice and fast
Looking at some of the images you may have noticed alot of other ships on the background, these are the ships I licensed from 3DRT, lovely models, although I had to do some work to get them in but they do look fantastic, polys range from ~300 for simple fighters upto 30,000 for the high LOD of the dropships , and the normals maps really help
So , now these are all in, I can start on low level behaviours, first of all I'll be adding a simple messaging system so I can send messages to any WorldObject through a defined interface, and it's upto the derived classes to respond, or not to that message. This allows me to changes behaviours through data, say on a cutscene timeline or a state graph, as well as hardcoding.
Then primary/secondary goals, ability to try to keep to a spline as best as possible, general navigation and avoidance,group minds for formations... blah blah blah, the list just goes on and on, one step at a time...
Ultimately, I want to be able have a bunch of craft flying towards a destination, and then engage in a cool space battle with them while they try and continue to their ultimate goal, be that to attack a spacestation or descend through the planets atmosphere, but want it feel more like BattleStar Galatica and classic shootemups (RType ;-) ) rather than a game where you spend ages firing at a pixel in the distance flying through space. I want to be in the middle of a 'f**k load of trouble' when it kicks off..
So , hopefully, not another 4 months pass by before my next blog but it's hard to show all the work that sometimes has no immediate visual impact, but generally takes majority of the time. I want to have a video up on YouTube accompanying the next blog too, fingers crossed...
Marcus
