A frenetic day today. I decided that Future Pool could benefit from a lot of the gameplay updates that went into Future Snooker and have added a few new features.
First was to change the gameplay so that the bat starts in the place where the cue-ball ended up, as in Future Snooker. Players still take shots in turns, there is no break building, but this feature adds a lot more strategy to the game, as it's possible to limit your opponent's options. As in Future Snooker, not 'potting' any ball will make the bat free (able to move). Also, as in Future Snooker, all of these changes are optional, so you can play with movement all of the time, just as in the classic game.
One new option is a random bat option, so that each turn, the bat begins at a random location and can't be moved, adding a chance element to the game for the first time.
I've also added simple tutorials when playing. These are more useful in Future Snooker which has more complex rules, but do help explain why the bat can't or can move when needed. I've also removed some of the unused options, like visiting the game website, from both games, and updated the translations. Future Pool works in English, French and German. Future Snooker in English and French.
The game is much better now, on par with Future Snooker. These two games are among my best now. I've also prepared the Steam stores for each game and started work on the promotional videos. Future Snooker will be released first in mid-November.
I've also created the events and basic promotional work for the next Fall in Green performance at Congleton Library.
I've been working solidly with barely a break today for 10 hours, which is energising but at the limit of my regular sanity. A new Rode M2 mic arrived and I hurriedly defaced it with a scratch mark, eager to differentiate it from Deb's identical model. I hate this, the imperfection fills me with anguish. Why did I rush to mark it in this way?! I could have used any number of less permanent ways to mark it! I want to throw this £70 thing of beauty away and buy another with no scratch.
Also, a new gig bag for the Behringer Amp has arrived and it's even smaller than the already too small other one! Online size measurements never seem to be accurate. I feel I'm throwing money away on useless imperfect items. I now have two bags that don't fit, and must ultimately order a third, always in hope that it will be the right size.
