Compared to the previous day, yesterday was brilliant; I managed to create new 'door' system for the game in 90 minutes, about as fast as possible. Now doors are simply blocks which are swapped when opened. I'm sure this is how it worked in Hilt II, and it certainly simplifies things. I've also fixed lots of graphic problems, little things due to the look of certain objects. I spent a few hours yesterday editing all of the 30 or so maps to set them in line with the new block format.
I'm gradually getting tired of this project, after 6 or 7 weeks of non-stop work, certainly no more than a 90 minute respite in that time. I can't waste too much of my life on it, yet, I am pleased with the game. The new graphics system is now in and appears to work. Andrew's highlighting of the old, flawed, graphics system, and certainly his idea of shatterable windows, have really improved the game in ways that wouldn't have been done without his help. Here is a look:
Any blocks are now wholly shown or not, rather than shown in faces and fragments. The visible parts, like the walls, are effectively hollow tubes, which is necessary for efficiency (no point in showing internal walls) and also neatness, as these would show dotted lines on the joins otherwise. It is this that's taken me all week and needed the creating of the 400-or-so new graphics.
It was a far bridge; and it looks like I will not now make the deadline for a public demo, so Taskforce will not be part of the Steam Summer Games Festival. Even if I rushed through a public demo today (I really need a week of testing it before such folly) it would probably not be approved by the Steam team in time. The Fest might also disrupt the launch of the game so I might put that back until July.
Today I've created some new windows which can't be shot through, just in case I need them, and made windows flagged as 'indestructible' in the maps refuse to shatter. I've tested a few levels, created the new Teuton Arcanum logo for the soldier's backpacks and tweaked many settings - I made the armour thinner for units too as units can be hard to kill. The thing about this is that the computer soldiers and yours are identical, as are the weapons and damage system, so if they are easier to kill, so are you. The only difference perhaps is then the relative strength of your troops vs. the other enemies in the game, but it will take less shots to kill soldiers now... so that might pace up the game a little.
I wanted to get fire to spread down and up stairs too but it wouldn't work as expected... it seems to spread too far. It's easy to toy with things here. I could spread smoke in upper floors, for example, but I'm hesitant to start tweaking things now... 16 years since the game first appeared.
Today is the first quiet-ish day in about 10 days during which I've not left the house and barely left this room. Last Wednesday and Friday in particular were about 14 hours long with only 30 minutes snatched here an there. My enthusiasm is boundless but I need some sort of rest now. I barely slept last night and had strange nightmares about being distant and alienated by friends and family when I did.
The Steam Festival deadline forced me to push hard, but I can't make that, so now I'll need to impose a new deadline to stop myself working on this forever. On we push.
One day, I will feel like an artist again rather than a computer slave.
