Networking fun

It’s been far too long since the last entry. I spent December working on the scripting system, which is coming together but I think there’s a lot more work to be done before I can even begin to use it in any form. Some new books have arrived, mostly rendering related, that have been a great source of information. The hardest thing to balance is the technology side of things. I’m trying to get as close to June 30, 2001, without going beyond it. Some wonderful references exist in books written either just after, or sometimes years later, that are period-correct. The ECS is a good example of this. It’s taking heavy inspiration from something that Scott Bilas had presented during GDC 2002 but would have existed at the time of Dungeon Siege’s early development cycle.

Tangent aside, I’ve been assembling a network test which I’m aiming to be a 16-player top-down shooter. This is like a whole other game that I don’t have the time to develop further right now. The intent is to make something that can be used to develop features rather than as a solid game to play. I’ll try and make it as fun as I can, in any case. There’s not much to look at, just two teams who can shoot at each other and deplete health. No scoring, respawning, environment, or any kind of goal-based gameplay exists in its current form. There are still reliability concerns and collision detection and response to handle.

Recently, it’s been slightly harder to define a roadmap for the next stab at the teaser demo. I have UI, sound, and visual direction concerns. Not being a naturally artistic or creative person is hindering progress somewhat, but progress I must.