Fri, Sep 19th 2008, 13:01
Past and Present
Fri, Sep 19th 2008, 13:01
I'd like to start by addressing a small addition right here at Wündermint.
Two new flavors (Berrymint and Chocomint) have been added for your pleasure.
Try them out and see which you like best!
In other webdev news, the Gruedorf Aggregator
has new and improved icons for dead feeds and lame updates. There's also a
brand spanking new Stats page. Be sure to check it out and tell me what you think!
Now, to the good stuff. The defense design is finally ironed out. I really like
the way it's ended up, even if it did take significantly longer than I originally
wanted to get to this point. Next week will be all about moving forward with
the implementation of the combat and related systems. Actually, that's pretty
much what every week will be until release.
Last week I mentioned the ridiculous amount of time I spent messing with slider
styles. Today, I present to you what I've settled on (with old style for comparison).
I think it looks a lot better (for not being wildly different) and there is only a
very slight performance hit. Well worth the trouble, in the end.
Old / New Slider:
That's a lot of information from quiet ol' me, but wait! There's more! I want
to take some time to touch on the "original" design a bit, and maybe even get
some feedback on it.
Disclaimer: This is an old design. The game will not work this way!
Each planet has an assigned technology. Controlling a planet allows you to
utilize that technology. The technologies come in a variety of flavors (shields,
weapons, etc). When preparing to attack, you pick the ones you want from those
that are available to you and then engage in a space shmup sequence with an
appropriately augmented ship.
The actual assault is divided into three phases: Hyperspace, Approach, and Dive.
During Hyperspace, you navigate an asteroid field without the use of your
weapons. Afterward, your ship drops out of Hyperspace and the weapons systems
are restored. You have reached the Approach. During the Approach, an assortment
of drones and fighter ships will attempt to intercept you. Successfully destroy
or avoid all of them and you will reach the planet's surface, at which point the
Dive begins.
During the Dive, an opening in the planet's surface leads you down a long, roughly
contoured tunnel, where you encounter mounted turrets and destructible barriers.
Successfully navigate your way through the tunnel without being destroyed and you
will reach the core. Destroy the core and you will assume control of the planet.
After a successful assault, you are then be able to configure the planet's
autonomous defenses. Each planet has an allotted number of defense points that
can be spent, with more effective defenses requiring more points. In effect,
every planet has a different level of defensibility, but it is up to the
player to you to find an optimal or unexpected combination of defenses. As you
maintain control of a planet, it will generate wealth for you.
So, that's a rough summary of what it was. I do still like it, for the most
part, but I think it it has too many complexities (despite its apparent simplicity)
for the pick up and play feel I want to accomplish. Next week I'll take some time
to discuss how the new model works, and maybe highlight some of the more significant
differences.
