I could have probably already had a newer version of Electris out by now, had I actually been working on it. Sorry 'bout that. ;) After I got my Ogg Vorbis code working, I moved on to trying to make a 2d engine out of Direct3d. That led me to actually trying to do a little true 3d, and then dropping to DirectX 7 instead of 8, so that I could use my main video card for 3d acceleration. Then that led me to adding all the extra math for constant acceleration and rotation, and most recently, acceleration based on your direction. Confused? Don't worry. It just means I can make a cool game now.

I've actually pondered lately on whether I want to go with true 3d, or just use an overhead 2d view but still use the rotation and scaling abilities of 3d video cards. To tell you the truth, you might not even need 3d hardware to do the calculations fast enough if I make something using the latter method. Most people have faster machines than me, and even when I force DirectX to use 2d acceleration only, it still runs okay. I might even go for a fully 3d appearance, but only allow 2d movement (making action parts much simpler to play). Ever played Starfleet Command? There's you a perfect example.

I still want to make another update to Electris though. I extended the original music track, and converted it to Ogg Vorbis. All I need to do really is rip out the old WAV-based streaming music stuff, and add the Ogg code in it's place. I don't want to release a version with just a music upgrade, though. I want to flare up the top scores screen, because I don't like it. Aside from just placing it better on the screen and adding colors, it's still basically the same code I used just as a place-holder originally until I made something better. Sooner or later I'll fix all this stuff though, and release the final version of the game. I'll make it so that whenever I create new music, all you have to do is download the track and throw it in the Electris folder, and it'll take care of the rest.

I'm really excited about the new Defenders of Zentax. It's actually a game I've wanted to do for years, but just never had the right hardware or tools to do it. Everytime I've tried to make a game in the past, the platform would become obsolete. The original DOZ was a BBS door game. But since there was basically one or two BBS's left in this city, neither of which were very active, I just decided that there was too much work left to put in (mostly maps and stuff though, the engine was mostly complete), and there weren't enough people left to really care if I released a new game. Well then I got a fairly decent computer (compared to my older one), and started tinkering with VGA graphics in DOS. But by that time, everybody was using Windows. So I gave up on that idea, and pretty much took a break from programming. I tinkered here and there, and made a few utils for my own use. But never anything major. I'm slightly ahead of the obsoletion curve this time, though. I could never design a top-of-the-line fully 3d game with beautiful 32-bit color high-res graphics and 3d sound. Not with the hardware I'm using. But I have enough to make something I would consider fun, most everyone could play, and would hopefully enjoy. I haven't found a game yet that mixes the right amount of simulation/rpg/action that I want, so I'm going to do it myself. If it turns out the way I plan, I will personally think it's a kick-ass game. Considering where I'm currently at programming-wise, expect some screen shots before long.

Anyway that's enough rambling. I still want to update the site too, and put up the artwork and such. I just haven't gotten around to it. I need about 48 hours in a day. Or a whole lot of caffeine.




posted at 4:39 PM