A TEXT-BASED CRIME SIMULATIONBY NEBULA VAULT
13/10/2020
13/10/2020
XXXXIX
WOLF
Hey everyone, so bad news. We've hit a few delays after deciding to split v0.1.9 and v0.2.0 again (as you may recall Nerd planned to merge these two together, combining deliveries and leadership roles).
So in the upcoming build we have deliveries, not leadership roles. The main reason for this are the AI behavior rules I put together for Nerd last week. There's basically too much to do to make the feature the best it can be in a timely fashion. So we're splitting the build back into two again, and you'll get leadership roles and AI behaviors in v0.2.0. Because we have to split them again, it's taking a little more time than planned to separate the code before dropping it onto our Internal Testers.
WOLF
Hey everyone, so bad news. We've hit a few delays after deciding to split v0.1.9 and v0.2.0 again (as you may recall Nerd planned to merge these two together, combining deliveries and leadership roles).
So in the upcoming build we have deliveries, not leadership roles. The main reason for this are the AI behavior rules I put together for Nerd last week. There's basically too much to do to make the feature the best it can be in a timely fashion. So we're splitting the build back into two again, and you'll get leadership roles and AI behaviors in v0.2.0. Because we have to split them again, it's taking a little more time than planned to separate the code before dropping it onto our Internal Testers.
04/10/2020
04/10/2020
XXXXVIII
WOLF
Hey everyone, I know I've been fairly quiet the past month. I was preparing for university with COVID throwing everything into chaos and then navigating my first week of classes and study. I wrote up some new AI rules for 2.0 per Nerd's request. Originally, we were going to do a separate build that focused on AI later in the 2.x cycle but I know he's very much set on raising the standard at the start of 2.x.
I feel it's worth mentioning that everything is finished for 2.0 except these new AI behaviors. A new save system, deliveries and leadership roles are all implemented. Thankfully there weren't pages of rules for AI behavior at this stage so I know Nerd's hoping for a quick turn-around on their implementation.
WOLF
Hey everyone, I know I've been fairly quiet the past month. I was preparing for university with COVID throwing everything into chaos and then navigating my first week of classes and study. I wrote up some new AI rules for 2.0 per Nerd's request. Originally, we were going to do a separate build that focused on AI later in the 2.x cycle but I know he's very much set on raising the standard at the start of 2.x.
I feel it's worth mentioning that everything is finished for 2.0 except these new AI behaviors. A new save system, deliveries and leadership roles are all implemented. Thankfully there weren't pages of rules for AI behavior at this stage so I know Nerd's hoping for a quick turn-around on their implementation.
13/09/2020
13/09/2020
XXXXVII
NERDRAGE
With recent significant changes accumulated, 1.9.0 was merged into 0.2.0. These are the last big rewrites to the engine for some time, and as they are finished, we are finally shifting focus to adding game functionality.
NERDRAGE
With recent significant changes accumulated, 1.9.0 was merged into 0.2.0. These are the last big rewrites to the engine for some time, and as they are finished, we are finally shifting focus to adding game functionality.
07/09/2020
07/09/2020
XXXXVI
NERDRAGE
I'm back from my break and our development is back on track. My exploration of the save system is over for now, you won't need to restart the game every patch from now on (unless specifically warned about). This rework has many side effects like the ability to spawn gangs on different turns and during the game, which will be useful fairly soon down the road, so I feel that this delay of 0.2 was justified.
NERDRAGE
I'm back from my break and our development is back on track. My exploration of the save system is over for now, you won't need to restart the game every patch from now on (unless specifically warned about). This rework has many side effects like the ability to spawn gangs on different turns and during the game, which will be useful fairly soon down the road, so I feel that this delay of 0.2 was justified.
30/08/2020
30/08/2020
XXXXV
WOLF
Hello everyone, today is the 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of U$E's development!!!
I want to give a special thank you to Anon E Moose for his work on the 1st prototype. Anon I want you to know that your faith in myself & my vision but more importantly your tenacity & determination to work towards bringing that to life mean a great deal to me, genuinely more than I can express in words. All I can offer you in return is my humble gratitude & sincerest well wishes for all your future endeavors.
Looking forward, I'm beyond excited about the future of our little game. Nerdrage has several weeks of holiday starting tomorrow & he plans to invest a significant portion of that time into the next 2 builds I'm told, which is very positive to hear. As someone who's traveled much of the world, as a hitchhiker no less, I can tell you it's hard to find someone willing to not only follow you to a far off destination but to make it their own calling in turn. That sense of shared destiny if I may be so prosaic, is a rare gift to find in the universe & I'm grateful for the serendipity in such a collision of fates.
Looking back on the past year, I would call it an exercise in patience & prudence on my part. Whilst I've been designing the game for almost 2 years, as you all know we've encountered many challenging delays over the 1st year. The fact that Nerd & I are still here & I would argue more committed than ever - is a testament I feel, to the team we have forged. Equally of importance to me is the friendship over our shared passion for the project, a gift I have been fortunate to find.
Last but not least, I know for a fact that I would never have found the confidence to commit my heart & mind to this undertaking without the warm support of our small community. To each of you that's been a part of this journey I simply say thank you. Thank you for your enthusiasm, thank you for your persistence & most of all thank you for your belief in what we are trying to create.
WOLF
Hello everyone, today is the 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of U$E's development!!!
I want to give a special thank you to Anon E Moose for his work on the 1st prototype. Anon I want you to know that your faith in myself & my vision but more importantly your tenacity & determination to work towards bringing that to life mean a great deal to me, genuinely more than I can express in words. All I can offer you in return is my humble gratitude & sincerest well wishes for all your future endeavors.
Looking forward, I'm beyond excited about the future of our little game. Nerdrage has several weeks of holiday starting tomorrow & he plans to invest a significant portion of that time into the next 2 builds I'm told, which is very positive to hear. As someone who's traveled much of the world, as a hitchhiker no less, I can tell you it's hard to find someone willing to not only follow you to a far off destination but to make it their own calling in turn. That sense of shared destiny if I may be so prosaic, is a rare gift to find in the universe & I'm grateful for the serendipity in such a collision of fates.
Looking back on the past year, I would call it an exercise in patience & prudence on my part. Whilst I've been designing the game for almost 2 years, as you all know we've encountered many challenging delays over the 1st year. The fact that Nerd & I are still here & I would argue more committed than ever - is a testament I feel, to the team we have forged. Equally of importance to me is the friendship over our shared passion for the project, a gift I have been fortunate to find.
Last but not least, I know for a fact that I would never have found the confidence to commit my heart & mind to this undertaking without the warm support of our small community. To each of you that's been a part of this journey I simply say thank you. Thank you for your enthusiasm, thank you for your persistence & most of all thank you for your belief in what we are trying to create.
23/08/2020
23/08/2020
XXXXIV
NERDRAGE
I've delayed 0.1.9 to make some adjustments to the save system. During the internal testing (thank you, our testers, awesome job) it became clear that they should have a higher priority. As much as it irritates everyone to still roll out patches rather slowly, I keep futureproofing the engine, as 0.1.x seems to be the appropriate spot to do it.
NERDRAGE
I've delayed 0.1.9 to make some adjustments to the save system. During the internal testing (thank you, our testers, awesome job) it became clear that they should have a higher priority. As much as it irritates everyone to still roll out patches rather slowly, I keep futureproofing the engine, as 0.1.x seems to be the appropriate spot to do it.
16/08/2020
16/08/2020
XXXXIII
WOLF
There's not too much to report on my end this week. I've been busy with enrolling in university and some of the preparations that have come with that. However I have been expanding v0.2.2's GDD to include Price Localization at borough and city levels and designing a new Financials screen for 2.1's Wage build with better breakdowns of income and cost. As of this week I'm going to put quite a bit of time into some AI documentation to accompany these future build designs to help provide Nerd with a clearer roadmap on the choices to make with that area of development.
Meanwhile v0.1.9 is almost ready for internal testing. There are still some bugs to be fixed in AI before that can happen but we're very close. We are expecting a longer internal testing session with our testing community than usual as we'd like to make some additional changes during that time.
WOLF
There's not too much to report on my end this week. I've been busy with enrolling in university and some of the preparations that have come with that. However I have been expanding v0.2.2's GDD to include Price Localization at borough and city levels and designing a new Financials screen for 2.1's Wage build with better breakdowns of income and cost. As of this week I'm going to put quite a bit of time into some AI documentation to accompany these future build designs to help provide Nerd with a clearer roadmap on the choices to make with that area of development.
Meanwhile v0.1.9 is almost ready for internal testing. There are still some bugs to be fixed in AI before that can happen but we're very close. We are expecting a longer internal testing session with our testing community than usual as we'd like to make some additional changes during that time.
09/08/2020
09/08/2020
XXXXII
NERDRAGE
v0.1.9 is coming soon.
It brings deliveries—not a huge mechanic on its own—but this is the last missing piece from our early prototype plan. In a sense, it's an end of an era for the project; and it's been a long road full of unexpected hardships first for Wolf and then for myself.
Our custom engine will see great many changes in 0.2.x, and many of the preparations started in 0.1.8 are finalized this patch.
NERDRAGE
v0.1.9 is coming soon.
It brings deliveries—not a huge mechanic on its own—but this is the last missing piece from our early prototype plan. In a sense, it's an end of an era for the project; and it's been a long road full of unexpected hardships first for Wolf and then for myself.
Our custom engine will see great many changes in 0.2.x, and many of the preparations started in 0.1.8 are finalized this patch.
02/08/2020
02/08/2020
XXXXI
WOLF
BUILD v0.1.8.200802 HAS BEEN RELEASED!
Happy New Build Day everyone, today we're finally releasing v0.1.8 to the public. It introduces the concept of turf wars to the game's mechanics where you fight AI gangs for neighborhood corners and the potential customers that come with them across New York City. Along with this main focus we have lots of smaller complementary features, as well as some much needed love for the game's memory allocation and a facelift with more colour for the UI.
It's been a long build cycle and I'm personally incredibly grateful for all the support we've gotten from our community and beyond. But more importantly, I'm blown away by the passion, dedication and sheer hard-work Nerd has given this project after everything he's endured this year so far. I can't wait to see where we go from here as his health returns day by day.
We've already reviewed my designs for v0.1.9 and we begin the new build cycle on Monday. This will introduce the mechanics of deliveries between suppliers and your gang, allowing you to create mule-trains. It's a nice small build so it'll be a great change after the challenges of 1.8. Remember this is only our 4th ever build so despite it being early days, I hope you'll try out the new features and let us know what you think.
WOLF
BUILD v0.1.8.200802 HAS BEEN RELEASED!
Happy New Build Day everyone, today we're finally releasing v0.1.8 to the public. It introduces the concept of turf wars to the game's mechanics where you fight AI gangs for neighborhood corners and the potential customers that come with them across New York City. Along with this main focus we have lots of smaller complementary features, as well as some much needed love for the game's memory allocation and a facelift with more colour for the UI.
It's been a long build cycle and I'm personally incredibly grateful for all the support we've gotten from our community and beyond. But more importantly, I'm blown away by the passion, dedication and sheer hard-work Nerd has given this project after everything he's endured this year so far. I can't wait to see where we go from here as his health returns day by day.
We've already reviewed my designs for v0.1.9 and we begin the new build cycle on Monday. This will introduce the mechanics of deliveries between suppliers and your gang, allowing you to create mule-trains. It's a nice small build so it'll be a great change after the challenges of 1.8. Remember this is only our 4th ever build so despite it being early days, I hope you'll try out the new features and let us know what you think.
26/07/2020
26/07/2020
XXXX
WOLF
Just me again this week, with just cause however. Nerdrage is getting some much needed sleep as he's been bugfixing all weekend right up till the last second. We've now released v0.1.8 into our internal testing group and we'll be polishing the build from here on out. It'll be in testing for at least one week so the rest of you will have a little longer to wait.
This is a HUGE milestone for us after the past four months of major medical difficulties Nerd's had to endure and we're both incredibly proud of the work we're going to be showing you. Thankfully you can expect our build cycles to be much shorter once we've released this build. I think I might have gotten a few grey hairs over this rocky spring from worrying, so I know I'm going to sleep peacefully tonight like Nerd. Thanks everyone, as always.
WOLF
Just me again this week, with just cause however. Nerdrage is getting some much needed sleep as he's been bugfixing all weekend right up till the last second. We've now released v0.1.8 into our internal testing group and we'll be polishing the build from here on out. It'll be in testing for at least one week so the rest of you will have a little longer to wait.
This is a HUGE milestone for us after the past four months of major medical difficulties Nerd's had to endure and we're both incredibly proud of the work we're going to be showing you. Thankfully you can expect our build cycles to be much shorter once we've released this build. I think I might have gotten a few grey hairs over this rocky spring from worrying, so I know I'm going to sleep peacefully tonight like Nerd. Thanks everyone, as always.
19/07/2020
19/07/2020
XXXIX
WOLF
It's been a great week on the team. I've been designing a mini-game system so that players can play 'street craps' as the first gambling game in the Quantum Leap overhaul. It'll arrive in Batch 4 most likely. Nerd and I had fun playing with the mechanics using pen and paper and it's an enjoyable little experience (especially when side-betting is involved given how it changes the game).
We've also been scoping out the design and development of what we're calling Quantum Leap's TOKEN system. This is basically how dialogue and action function. It draws inspiration from the likes of NEO Scavenger, Disco Elysium and a host of classic text-adventure games all while still feeling like something quite unique; it's something I extremely excited about designing for Batch 3 (despite the daunting challenge it represents).
Lastly, we are officially going into internal testing with our small community of volunteers this week, we won't be rolling that announcement back like last time, I promise. As I write this Nerd's finishing off the preliminary development testing before we release it to them.
WOLF
It's been a great week on the team. I've been designing a mini-game system so that players can play 'street craps' as the first gambling game in the Quantum Leap overhaul. It'll arrive in Batch 4 most likely. Nerd and I had fun playing with the mechanics using pen and paper and it's an enjoyable little experience (especially when side-betting is involved given how it changes the game).
We've also been scoping out the design and development of what we're calling Quantum Leap's TOKEN system. This is basically how dialogue and action function. It draws inspiration from the likes of NEO Scavenger, Disco Elysium and a host of classic text-adventure games all while still feeling like something quite unique; it's something I extremely excited about designing for Batch 3 (despite the daunting challenge it represents).
Lastly, we are officially going into internal testing with our small community of volunteers this week, we won't be rolling that announcement back like last time, I promise. As I write this Nerd's finishing off the preliminary development testing before we release it to them.
12/07/2020
12/07/2020
XXXVIII
NERDRAGE
No more changes to the plan (to drive Wolf mad), just implementation marching forward.
Just to sum up what's coming on top of the original 0.1.8 features: new new memory management, new save system, fairer sales simulation, less random AI, countless little tweaks. It only took me rewriting most of the code and Wolf losing his faith in me and humanity.
NERDRAGE
No more changes to the plan (to drive Wolf mad), just implementation marching forward.
Just to sum up what's coming on top of the original 0.1.8 features: new new memory management, new save system, fairer sales simulation, less random AI, countless little tweaks. It only took me rewriting most of the code and Wolf losing his faith in me and humanity.
05/07/2020
05/07/2020
XXXVII
WOLF
This week I've been planning out some ideas for the fear and reputation mechanics in Batch 4. I've also been continuing to flesh out Batch 3's injury system and some more of the poker mini-game mechanics. I've also done a little design restructuring for v0.2.4's Independent Drug Dealer mechanics to make it a smoother user experience as we roll out our first version of the protocol UI which will become a critical piece of the game's infrastructure eventually when we introduce role ticketing (v0.2.9).
Nerd and I have also had a few meetings this week concerning the administrative side of things and we've discussed some ideas about what we'd like to do with Valve's Steam platform and the array of tools it comes with, once we release there (post Batch 3). Since Nerd's return home a huge amount of work has gone into the architecture of the game's code in preparation of the changes to come. I can't tell you how excited I am for you all to begin getting a taste of that once we're finally ready to release v0.1.8's turf war system.
NERDRAGE
The new entity approach is already paying off as it allowed me to simplify several parts of the code. Discussing turn order issues with Wolf made me realize that randomness generation could use some extension. I'm also extending in-game debugging tools to save time for myself and our testers.
WOLF
This week I've been planning out some ideas for the fear and reputation mechanics in Batch 4. I've also been continuing to flesh out Batch 3's injury system and some more of the poker mini-game mechanics. I've also done a little design restructuring for v0.2.4's Independent Drug Dealer mechanics to make it a smoother user experience as we roll out our first version of the protocol UI which will become a critical piece of the game's infrastructure eventually when we introduce role ticketing (v0.2.9).
Nerd and I have also had a few meetings this week concerning the administrative side of things and we've discussed some ideas about what we'd like to do with Valve's Steam platform and the array of tools it comes with, once we release there (post Batch 3). Since Nerd's return home a huge amount of work has gone into the architecture of the game's code in preparation of the changes to come. I can't tell you how excited I am for you all to begin getting a taste of that once we're finally ready to release v0.1.8's turf war system.
NERDRAGE
The new entity approach is already paying off as it allowed me to simplify several parts of the code. Discussing turn order issues with Wolf made me realize that randomness generation could use some extension. I'm also extending in-game debugging tools to save time for myself and our testers.
28/06/2020
28/06/2020
XXXVI
NERDRAGE
Introduction of the entity system (which is not a pure entity system, it's a hybrid, but I call it as such as I suspect that it's the direction we'll go as the number of moving parts keeps growing) is coming to its end, then it's some UI rewiring and testing if anything was broken in transition. It takes a bit longer as to avoid burnout I've taken a little break this week.
WOLF
I've spent the week dabbling in several systems: weather, injuries and game speed. It's been another light week for me with the project (the gift of being more than a year ahead with the design timetable). I've also been mulling over how we could implement and develop a basic syntax system as part of Batch 3's Quantum Leap project. I've also been thinking again about what direction we should take with graphics post-Batch 3. I'm about halfway through the conceptual process of that batch, and it's just a case of mapping those ideas out as designs now (as I am with injuries).
Movement (v3.8) is one of the things I'm still not settled on, with regards to which direction it should take, though I have a fairly clear concept on how vehicular movement will work. Today I'm working on a little texas hold-em poker system for the game, which will be quite interesting as it will use character-based skill (v3.1) to help (or hinder) your poker game strategy hopefully in tandem with the players own skill (if they are actively playing).
NERDRAGE
Introduction of the entity system (which is not a pure entity system, it's a hybrid, but I call it as such as I suspect that it's the direction we'll go as the number of moving parts keeps growing) is coming to its end, then it's some UI rewiring and testing if anything was broken in transition. It takes a bit longer as to avoid burnout I've taken a little break this week.
WOLF
I've spent the week dabbling in several systems: weather, injuries and game speed. It's been another light week for me with the project (the gift of being more than a year ahead with the design timetable). I've also been mulling over how we could implement and develop a basic syntax system as part of Batch 3's Quantum Leap project. I've also been thinking again about what direction we should take with graphics post-Batch 3. I'm about halfway through the conceptual process of that batch, and it's just a case of mapping those ideas out as designs now (as I am with injuries).
Movement (v3.8) is one of the things I'm still not settled on, with regards to which direction it should take, though I have a fairly clear concept on how vehicular movement will work. Today I'm working on a little texas hold-em poker system for the game, which will be quite interesting as it will use character-based skill (v3.1) to help (or hinder) your poker game strategy hopefully in tandem with the players own skill (if they are actively playing).
21/06/2020
21/06/2020
XXXV
NERDRAGE
I've delayed internal testing to rework some code parts which disappointed me during my own debugging. As a result simulation and AI code will no longer have order biases that became obvious with updated data layouts. Internal changes in this patch are vastly greater than it was originally planned, so some extra time has to be spent.
WOLF
Not too much to report on my end this week but I have been working on the Quantum Leap injury system further. I've scoped out Flesh and Bones now, so including Organs from last week I am halfway. I've got to research and layout Muscles as well as Circulatory and Nervous Systems to fully scope the design parameters then I can get to work on the injury mechanics.
It might all sound like overkill, but these are largely hidden mechanics that will manifest interesting injury results. It's also my drafting method. I tend to design something as complex as possible and then simplify it to achieve the same results with less development required (not always but sometimes). I'm also continuing my design of Batch 2 Stash House mechanics.
NERDRAGE
I've delayed internal testing to rework some code parts which disappointed me during my own debugging. As a result simulation and AI code will no longer have order biases that became obvious with updated data layouts. Internal changes in this patch are vastly greater than it was originally planned, so some extra time has to be spent.
WOLF
Not too much to report on my end this week but I have been working on the Quantum Leap injury system further. I've scoped out Flesh and Bones now, so including Organs from last week I am halfway. I've got to research and layout Muscles as well as Circulatory and Nervous Systems to fully scope the design parameters then I can get to work on the injury mechanics.
It might all sound like overkill, but these are largely hidden mechanics that will manifest interesting injury results. It's also my drafting method. I tend to design something as complex as possible and then simplify it to achieve the same results with less development required (not always but sometimes). I'm also continuing my design of Batch 2 Stash House mechanics.
14/06/2020
14/06/2020
XXXIV
NERDRAGE
After a brief detour for optimization to allow for testing of longer and bigger games 0.1.8 is upon us, the internal testing starts this week. Thanks to Wolf's intense planning, coding has become less exploratory and more focused, as I can see a few needed features ahead. With combat implemented, you can ultimately win or lose the game now (although it may take quite a bit of time), so a couple bits of AI were thrown in too.
WOLF
I've been working on stash house mechanics some more this week, it introduces the first of what I hope will be many production mechanics in the future. I've also begun work on batch 3's design, starting with the Quantum Leap injury system which has turned out better than I could have hoped. It's going to allow for an intuitively deep wound system which ultimately presents itself quite simplisticly, arguably much like many of the mechanics already making their way into the game. I've also mapped out the batch 3 design and development path we'll be taking.
NERDRAGE
After a brief detour for optimization to allow for testing of longer and bigger games 0.1.8 is upon us, the internal testing starts this week. Thanks to Wolf's intense planning, coding has become less exploratory and more focused, as I can see a few needed features ahead. With combat implemented, you can ultimately win or lose the game now (although it may take quite a bit of time), so a couple bits of AI were thrown in too.
WOLF
I've been working on stash house mechanics some more this week, it introduces the first of what I hope will be many production mechanics in the future. I've also begun work on batch 3's design, starting with the Quantum Leap injury system which has turned out better than I could have hoped. It's going to allow for an intuitively deep wound system which ultimately presents itself quite simplisticly, arguably much like many of the mechanics already making their way into the game. I've also mapped out the batch 3 design and development path we'll be taking.
07/06/2020
07/06/2020
XXXIII
NERDRAGE
Just confirming that 0.1.8 is about to be tested internally and will be coming soon™.
WOLF
This week I've completed asset architecture designs for the next few builds; I designed a new build focusing on gang wages as well as introducing debt (which will premiere as build v0.2.2) and I've begun designing a build that focuses on stash house raids by police and other gangs (slated for build v0.2.6).
I'm starting to approach the end of the Batch 2 design phase and once I've completed v0.2.9's design (which introduces role ticketing - thus removing much of the game's micromanagement tedium) I'll move onto Batch 3. Batch 3 will herald a monumental change in the game's design and development due to the QUANTUM LEAP project which transitions U$E from a turn-based strategy game into a RTS & RPG hybrid simulation.
I've begun mapping out the design and development path of the prototype in Batch 3 and I expect most of the builds to focus on this new direction, which is fundamentally central to U$E's future design goals.
NERDRAGE
Just confirming that 0.1.8 is about to be tested internally and will be coming soon™.
WOLF
This week I've completed asset architecture designs for the next few builds; I designed a new build focusing on gang wages as well as introducing debt (which will premiere as build v0.2.2) and I've begun designing a build that focuses on stash house raids by police and other gangs (slated for build v0.2.6).
I'm starting to approach the end of the Batch 2 design phase and once I've completed v0.2.9's design (which introduces role ticketing - thus removing much of the game's micromanagement tedium) I'll move onto Batch 3. Batch 3 will herald a monumental change in the game's design and development due to the QUANTUM LEAP project which transitions U$E from a turn-based strategy game into a RTS & RPG hybrid simulation.
I've begun mapping out the design and development path of the prototype in Batch 3 and I expect most of the builds to focus on this new direction, which is fundamentally central to U$E's future design goals.
31/05/2020
31/05/2020
XXXII
WOLF
It's that time of the week again, hey everyone. I've spent the past week reviewing design documentation for the next four upcoming builds, and beginning asset architecture design for v0.1.9 which will introduce a delivery system to the game featuring mules. I'm also currently conceptualising our future UI design to be fleshed out once we move over to our own renderer for the code.
NERDRAGE
The coding of 0.1.8 is well under way, as my health situation looks stable, and my productivity is coming back. Since we had a big break anyway, I've added a few small refactoring tasks in preparation for the upcoming features. Nothing can stop this project, not even the new plague. Choo-choo!
WOLF
It's that time of the week again, hey everyone. I've spent the past week reviewing design documentation for the next four upcoming builds, and beginning asset architecture design for v0.1.9 which will introduce a delivery system to the game featuring mules. I'm also currently conceptualising our future UI design to be fleshed out once we move over to our own renderer for the code.
NERDRAGE
The coding of 0.1.8 is well under way, as my health situation looks stable, and my productivity is coming back. Since we had a big break anyway, I've added a few small refactoring tasks in preparation for the upcoming features. Nothing can stop this project, not even the new plague. Choo-choo!
24/05/2020
24/05/2020
XXXI
NERDRAGE
I'm back once again! Third time's the charm, right? The work on 0.1.8 has already resumed, but due to limitation to how long I can stay seated it's not enough for an update despite my burning desire. I had plenty of time to think about things, just need to express them in code now. [In slick soulless corporate voice] “Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
NERDRAGE
I'm back once again! Third time's the charm, right? The work on 0.1.8 has already resumed, but due to limitation to how long I can stay seated it's not enough for an update despite my burning desire. I had plenty of time to think about things, just need to express them in code now. [In slick soulless corporate voice] “Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
17/05/2020
17/05/2020
XXX
WOLF
It looks like we'll be getting Nerd back next week as he is being released from hospital tomorrow. He's already feeling much better which is fantastic news and the doctors say he is responding well to the blood clot medication. Beyond this I have nothing to report this week as I took some time off to work on my manuscript. But I'll be back to work next week with more designing, hopefully Nerd will join me for a report too by then. Thanks for your faith and support everyone, it means the world.
WOLF
It looks like we'll be getting Nerd back next week as he is being released from hospital tomorrow. He's already feeling much better which is fantastic news and the doctors say he is responding well to the blood clot medication. Beyond this I have nothing to report this week as I took some time off to work on my manuscript. But I'll be back to work next week with more designing, hopefully Nerd will join me for a report too by then. Thanks for your faith and support everyone, it means the world.
10/05/2020
10/05/2020
XXIX
WOLF
I've had a fairly light week here after the intense work I put into map research and designing the past few weeks. I've researched and catalogued data for the various US states concerning weather variables which I'm planning to use 2-fold. Primarily it'll affect seasonal economics, for example less addictive drugs will see lower sale numbers in freezing weather, and the opposite in hot weather. That's a very basic example mind you.
All of this data will also be used when we transfer to the QUANTUM LEAP system (codename for our RPG system once much of the strategy-simulation mechanics are complete). For example descriptions of the weather and the myriad of ways that'll affect the game. It's a fun passive system I'm just starting to explore designing, now that I have the data to play with.
In Nerdrage news, he was released from hospital after a 2 week quarantine having contracted COVID-19 whilst recovering from his leg infection. I still have contact with him but he is back in hospital again with a blood clot in the previously infected leg and is facing multiple surgeries. It's obviously an incredibly painful and worrying time for him and I hope you'll all join me in wishing him a swift recovery and good health.
WOLF
I've had a fairly light week here after the intense work I put into map research and designing the past few weeks. I've researched and catalogued data for the various US states concerning weather variables which I'm planning to use 2-fold. Primarily it'll affect seasonal economics, for example less addictive drugs will see lower sale numbers in freezing weather, and the opposite in hot weather. That's a very basic example mind you.
All of this data will also be used when we transfer to the QUANTUM LEAP system (codename for our RPG system once much of the strategy-simulation mechanics are complete). For example descriptions of the weather and the myriad of ways that'll affect the game. It's a fun passive system I'm just starting to explore designing, now that I have the data to play with.
In Nerdrage news, he was released from hospital after a 2 week quarantine having contracted COVID-19 whilst recovering from his leg infection. I still have contact with him but he is back in hospital again with a blood clot in the previously infected leg and is facing multiple surgeries. It's obviously an incredibly painful and worrying time for him and I hope you'll all join me in wishing him a swift recovery and good health.
03/05/2020
03/05/2020
XXVIII
WOLF
Another Nerd-less week here at U$E, he seems to have left his computer on unlike last time, so I'm pretty confident he's been placed in isolated quarantine as he warned me he might, a week and a half ago when he was leaving to meet his doctor and find out. He expected that to last 2-3 weeks so we're at the half-way point, I hope.
On my end I've been expanding mapping capabilities and recently found a dataset source that would allow me to cover the macro and micro locations of the USA and much of the world's macro. I have access to the free macro datasets (15,000 locations) and they are releasing micro datasets in a few months (I spoke with the developers of the data packets) hopefully some micro datasets will make it into the free version as well. Hopefully raising funding in the future will allow us to immediately plug and play a MUCH larger dataset (4.3 million macro locations) in the future.
Anyway, now that I don't have to spend months/years of my life aggregating all of this data I can get back to work on feature mechanics this week.
WOLF
Another Nerd-less week here at U$E, he seems to have left his computer on unlike last time, so I'm pretty confident he's been placed in isolated quarantine as he warned me he might, a week and a half ago when he was leaving to meet his doctor and find out. He expected that to last 2-3 weeks so we're at the half-way point, I hope.
On my end I've been expanding mapping capabilities and recently found a dataset source that would allow me to cover the macro and micro locations of the USA and much of the world's macro. I have access to the free macro datasets (15,000 locations) and they are releasing micro datasets in a few months (I spoke with the developers of the data packets) hopefully some micro datasets will make it into the free version as well. Hopefully raising funding in the future will allow us to immediately plug and play a MUCH larger dataset (4.3 million macro locations) in the future.
Anyway, now that I don't have to spend months/years of my life aggregating all of this data I can get back to work on feature mechanics this week.
26/04/2020
26/04/2020
XXVII
WOLF
Another turbulent week for development I'm afraid. Nerdrage was informed by the hospital that there was a case of COVID-19 on his ward. The last I heard from him on Wednesday, he was about to find out if he was going to be placed in isolation for 2-3 weeks. So it's looking like that is the case. These are the difficult times we live in sadly. Otherwise, he seemed to be in good spirits and slowly recovering from his infection and wounds.
On my end, I've been map making like it's the end of the world :P
I've compiled a map of the USA, New York state, I've designed a basic county backup map system, and a more complex coordinates based system which in theory has worked out beautifully. It'll still be a massive 4-5 month data collection project (roughly 300,000 pieces of data) but I'm having fun and that's all that matters. I intend to stop after completing New York State, and I'll collect the rest down the road. Completing the NY State map sets us up for state wide gameplay in the future. I've finished 10 map datasets out of 62 thus far.
WOLF
Another turbulent week for development I'm afraid. Nerdrage was informed by the hospital that there was a case of COVID-19 on his ward. The last I heard from him on Wednesday, he was about to find out if he was going to be placed in isolation for 2-3 weeks. So it's looking like that is the case. These are the difficult times we live in sadly. Otherwise, he seemed to be in good spirits and slowly recovering from his infection and wounds.
On my end, I've been map making like it's the end of the world :P
I've compiled a map of the USA, New York state, I've designed a basic county backup map system, and a more complex coordinates based system which in theory has worked out beautifully. It'll still be a massive 4-5 month data collection project (roughly 300,000 pieces of data) but I'm having fun and that's all that matters. I intend to stop after completing New York State, and I'll collect the rest down the road. Completing the NY State map sets us up for state wide gameplay in the future. I've finished 10 map datasets out of 62 thus far.
19/04/2020
19/04/2020
XXVI
NERDRAGE
First of all, I apologize for my abrupt disappearance. It was unfair to Wolf and to you people. What I've mistaken for a cold turned out to be a very serious infection that forced an urgent operation and hospitalization. I was woefully unprepared to for such an occasion, as my luck has kept me out of hospitals so far.
But worry not, I'm back home and 0.1.8 is back on track. That said my ability to spend time in front of the PC is still restricted, and consequently so is my productivity with the project. Hopefully I can gradually compensate for this setback as my abilities are restored. For the moment the roadmap is unchanged, just delayed. Combat is coming, pew-pew.
NERDRAGE
First of all, I apologize for my abrupt disappearance. It was unfair to Wolf and to you people. What I've mistaken for a cold turned out to be a very serious infection that forced an urgent operation and hospitalization. I was woefully unprepared to for such an occasion, as my luck has kept me out of hospitals so far.
But worry not, I'm back home and 0.1.8 is back on track. That said my ability to spend time in front of the PC is still restricted, and consequently so is my productivity with the project. Hopefully I can gradually compensate for this setback as my abilities are restored. For the moment the roadmap is unchanged, just delayed. Combat is coming, pew-pew.
12/04/2020
12/04/2020
XXV
WOLF
It's been 3 weeks now since Nerdrage got sick and disappeared. I'm still hoping he's okay but I am starting to consider how we could proceed without him if we had to. The news isn't good. After v1.5 Nerd stopped updating the GitHub repository, backing up offline I can only assume. It was actually something I planned to bring up with him right after 1.7's release except he vanished the day after (the irony is not lost on me).
As C++ applications cannot be decompiled into source code (it'd be like trying to make a cow out of hamburger meat), any continuation in the future without Nerdrage would require development returning to v1.5 territory. Which would be incredibly disheartening.
WOLF
It's been 3 weeks now since Nerdrage got sick and disappeared. I'm still hoping he's okay but I am starting to consider how we could proceed without him if we had to. The news isn't good. After v1.5 Nerd stopped updating the GitHub repository, backing up offline I can only assume. It was actually something I planned to bring up with him right after 1.7's release except he vanished the day after (the irony is not lost on me).
As C++ applications cannot be decompiled into source code (it'd be like trying to make a cow out of hamburger meat), any continuation in the future without Nerdrage would require development returning to v1.5 territory. Which would be incredibly disheartening.
05/04/2020
05/04/2020
XXIV
WOLF
It has now been 14 days since I last heard from Vyacheslav aka Nerdrage. It's hard not to draw certain conclusions in situations such as this, especially given what the world is going through and whatever is happening in his life, he is in my prayers.
Obviously my concern is for his health and safety at this point and not the game's future. Meanwhile I hope you're all staying safe and well with your loved ones and I will continue to do my best in keeping a vigil on these weekly reports until I hear from Nerd again.
WOLF
It has now been 14 days since I last heard from Vyacheslav aka Nerdrage. It's hard not to draw certain conclusions in situations such as this, especially given what the world is going through and whatever is happening in his life, he is in my prayers.
Obviously my concern is for his health and safety at this point and not the game's future. Meanwhile I hope you're all staying safe and well with your loved ones and I will continue to do my best in keeping a vigil on these weekly reports until I hear from Nerd again.
29/03/2020
29/03/2020
XXIII
WOLF
Sadly there will only be a brief update this week. As Nerdrage reported last week he'd been recovering from a bad fever, however when last we spoke he said it had returned (and yet he still pushed through to bugfix our release right up until the last moment).
Since last Sunday he's been offline. I can't speculate on his condition or if it has any relation to the current global situation. Our community has been praying that he makes a full recovery and I know he'll be grateful for all those messages of support. See you next Sunday.
WOLF
Sadly there will only be a brief update this week. As Nerdrage reported last week he'd been recovering from a bad fever, however when last we spoke he said it had returned (and yet he still pushed through to bugfix our release right up until the last moment).
Since last Sunday he's been offline. I can't speculate on his condition or if it has any relation to the current global situation. Our community has been praying that he makes a full recovery and I know he'll be grateful for all those messages of support. See you next Sunday.
22/03/2020
22/03/2020
BUILD v0.1.7.200322 HAS BEEN RELEASED!
XXII
WOLF
Our newest build features a new city neighborhood map systems along with an overlay to show gang presences. Our next build will focus on introducing turf war combat and guns to the game. Meanwhile I'm currently designing a new corner heat system that will act as a concequence mechanic for violence in a neighborhood.
Basically when someone gets caught selling drugs on a corner or someone is killed the heat raises (on a 5 star system) and then has a random cooldown period (based on neighborhood rating) till heat returns to no stars. Putting people back on corners has more chance of them being arrested based on the star rating at the time.
Now my plan is to tie this into the neighborhood rating system, thereby affecting a) the heat obtained and b) the heat cooldown. For example a 1 star neighborhood is basically a slum so murders raise heat but not as much as in say a 5 star neighborhood where they are expected to be less common.
NERDRAGE
0.1.7 is finally here! One small step for gameplay, one giant leap for visualization, or however that saying goes. Sadly my cold is back and in case it's the undead plague, I'll try to turn while coding so that I'll hopefully keep going for a while.
16/03/2020
16/03/2020
XXI
WOLF
Not much to report on my end this belated end of week report, as I'm trying not to get too far ahead of the code with my designs and I've already got a year's head start on Nerdrage's code. But I do want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe year. We've entered uncertain times and many of us may end up facing hardships in this journey we take together as this species we call humanity. Nerdrage and I intend to continue with the game no matter what comes and we hope you'll be able to enjoy it with us along the way.
NERDRAGE
0.1.7 turned out to be a bumpy one. New concepts for cities, zones, map filters, etc. all on top of a new custom memory allocation system is a lot to debug. These things were feverishly implemented last week. And when I say feverishly I mean I had a fever. So memory corruption was not so much in the game engine as in my head, a few things had to be rolled back and reimplemented. This extended release cycle has also allowed me to steal a few janitorial code tasks originally planned for 0.1.8.
WOLF
Not much to report on my end this belated end of week report, as I'm trying not to get too far ahead of the code with my designs and I've already got a year's head start on Nerdrage's code. But I do want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe year. We've entered uncertain times and many of us may end up facing hardships in this journey we take together as this species we call humanity. Nerdrage and I intend to continue with the game no matter what comes and we hope you'll be able to enjoy it with us along the way.
NERDRAGE
0.1.7 turned out to be a bumpy one. New concepts for cities, zones, map filters, etc. all on top of a new custom memory allocation system is a lot to debug. These things were feverishly implemented last week. And when I say feverishly I mean I had a fever. So memory corruption was not so much in the game engine as in my head, a few things had to be rolled back and reimplemented. This extended release cycle has also allowed me to steal a few janitorial code tasks originally planned for 0.1.8.
08/03/2020
08/03/2020
XX
WOLF
This week I completed the design framework for a new gangster nickname generator. Now when I say this what I am referring to are the more urban gangster nicknames found amongst ethnic minority gangs in the USA as opposed to gangs that consist of Italians etc. where they've got names like 'Mickey the Knife' etc. This generator reflects the more rapper-esque nickname convention and it has been incredibly challenging to figure out the components of. I was actually lost for a while before Nerd stepped in with some great ideas.
Now we have a designed generator that can randomly produce over 6000 names (hopefully this can be significantly expanded over time to provide even more randomness).
We've also said goodbye to Anon E Moose this week. He was critical to the development of the prototype for this game and helped me get started with v0.1.5 and I'm eternally grateful to him for his help and persistence. Thank you Anon.
NERDRAGE
Due to unforeseen distractions on my end, 0.1.7 is taking a bit longer than expected. It should not however take more than this extra week, hopefully the earlier pace will be regained shortly. The list of features will stay the same and the roadmap is unchanged.
WOLF
This week I completed the design framework for a new gangster nickname generator. Now when I say this what I am referring to are the more urban gangster nicknames found amongst ethnic minority gangs in the USA as opposed to gangs that consist of Italians etc. where they've got names like 'Mickey the Knife' etc. This generator reflects the more rapper-esque nickname convention and it has been incredibly challenging to figure out the components of. I was actually lost for a while before Nerd stepped in with some great ideas.
Now we have a designed generator that can randomly produce over 6000 names (hopefully this can be significantly expanded over time to provide even more randomness).
We've also said goodbye to Anon E Moose this week. He was critical to the development of the prototype for this game and helped me get started with v0.1.5 and I'm eternally grateful to him for his help and persistence. Thank you Anon.
NERDRAGE
Due to unforeseen distractions on my end, 0.1.7 is taking a bit longer than expected. It should not however take more than this extra week, hopefully the earlier pace will be regained shortly. The list of features will stay the same and the roadmap is unchanged.
01/03/2020
01/03/2020
XIX
WOLF
We've got some interesting map designs coming with this build, we've also split Queens Borough into 2 display areas (Upper and Lower Queens) and whilst these are fictious seperations they won't affect the function of the borough which will remain as one (this is purely to better serve map functionality).
I've been doing quite a bit of research into how to generate gangster nicknames (which might be the hardest challenge I've ever given myself for this game) as well as continuing my research in how to generate gang names (a little less challenging, but not by much if I want them to feel original).
We've also said goodbye to Micycle. When I first began to rebuild the team after the first build, I didn't know if we were going to find the right partners to make this work the way I needed it to. That ultimately led me to bringing on both Micycle and Nerdrage. But Nerdrage has turned out to be our proverbial Atlas, holding the world (in this case, code) on his shoulders. With that in mind it was agreed between all of us that it was best to let him carry on solo for the forseeable future in the game's development.
NERDRAGE
The upcoming patch 0.1.7 is well on its way and should start internal testing this week. While its focus is on maps, it also brings more infrastructure for procedural generation (randomized neighborhoods) and initial memory optimization (more gangs).
WOLF
We've got some interesting map designs coming with this build, we've also split Queens Borough into 2 display areas (Upper and Lower Queens) and whilst these are fictious seperations they won't affect the function of the borough which will remain as one (this is purely to better serve map functionality).
I've been doing quite a bit of research into how to generate gangster nicknames (which might be the hardest challenge I've ever given myself for this game) as well as continuing my research in how to generate gang names (a little less challenging, but not by much if I want them to feel original).
We've also said goodbye to Micycle. When I first began to rebuild the team after the first build, I didn't know if we were going to find the right partners to make this work the way I needed it to. That ultimately led me to bringing on both Micycle and Nerdrage. But Nerdrage has turned out to be our proverbial Atlas, holding the world (in this case, code) on his shoulders. With that in mind it was agreed between all of us that it was best to let him carry on solo for the forseeable future in the game's development.
NERDRAGE
The upcoming patch 0.1.7 is well on its way and should start internal testing this week. While its focus is on maps, it also brings more infrastructure for procedural generation (randomized neighborhoods) and initial memory optimization (more gangs).
23/02/2020
23/02/2020
BUILD v0.1.6.200221 HAS BEEN RELEASED!
XVIII
WOLF
It's been a quieter week than usual on the design end of things. I've rebuilt v0.1.7's GDD based on several new design parameters we've implemented. I'm currently working on a gang name generator given there will be hundreds of AI gangs in the game in the near future. One of the ways in which I'm doing this is by collating the name of every street categorized by borough in NYC. I won't be able to collate them by neighborhood, but this is a great start so far. An added benefit later down the road will be rpg driving, with street names built into the mechanic's narrative.
v0.1.6 completed a successful cycle of internal testing (a big thank you to all our testers), and we were able to patch a few issues quickly. One we've not solved yet appears to be the test map going black on dual monitors. But we will eventually be moving to our own renderer rather than console emulation and this will allow us to work on solving issues like this with more ease.
v0.1.7 has already entered development and with our new protocol of focusing on 1 major design feature each build, rapid progress has been made (we split the original 1.7 into 1.7 and 1.8, the first covering maps (city, borough, neighborhood) and the second covering combat). Neighborhood maps will be more abstract than borough and city maps, with random generation based on certain rules as more features are added to it. For now it merely displays corner locations.
NERDRAGE
The initial UI implementation is complete! It will be much faster and less error-prone to add new menus with rich functionality from now on. The changes are too numerous to list, it was a complete rewrite from ground up.
We are now using the full extent of the console emulator's pseudo-graphics output: colors, drawing characters, font and window controls. Localization, color themes and custom keybinds are now supported by the program architecture, and the appropriate front-end for them is being devised. One last thing, those with big resolutions may find the NumPad + button useful.
16/02/2020
16/02/2020
XVII
WOLF
A fairly conceptual week for me. the GDD for v0.1.7 is complete and is just awaiting me to finalize the asset list which I'll be finishing shortly. Elsewhere I've begun designing an 'incidental narrative map framework'. I've also been doing quite a bit of research into the economics of wages in gang culture which I hope to implement over the next few builds. I've completed a 2nd draft redesign of the robbery system which makes each borough more dynamic in it's results. I'm also working on a 2nd draft of the burglary system, as well as building loot lists for the incidental maps when we finally get around to those.
NERDRAGE
The UI rework is nearing its completion. We have localizable text, adjustable keybinds, dynamically resized tables, etc. Slicker menus, tighter controls and more colors are starting to shape up as well.
Internal testing will start in the upcoming week and I can't wait to use all the new toys in 1.7 and beyond. I have confidence that this build is a worthy backend investment that will hasten upcoming releases.
WOLF
A fairly conceptual week for me. the GDD for v0.1.7 is complete and is just awaiting me to finalize the asset list which I'll be finishing shortly. Elsewhere I've begun designing an 'incidental narrative map framework'. I've also been doing quite a bit of research into the economics of wages in gang culture which I hope to implement over the next few builds. I've completed a 2nd draft redesign of the robbery system which makes each borough more dynamic in it's results. I'm also working on a 2nd draft of the burglary system, as well as building loot lists for the incidental maps when we finally get around to those.
NERDRAGE
The UI rework is nearing its completion. We have localizable text, adjustable keybinds, dynamically resized tables, etc. Slicker menus, tighter controls and more colors are starting to shape up as well.
Internal testing will start in the upcoming week and I can't wait to use all the new toys in 1.7 and beyond. I have confidence that this build is a worthy backend investment that will hasten upcoming releases.
10/02/2020
10/02/2020
XVI
WOLF
Hello everyone. We're bringing you another (albeit belated) weekly roundup from the team:
As many of you know I've finally completed the borough map designs and even stitched together an entire NYC map which we've now calculated that we can use in the game from v0.1.7. along with all the maps (save The Bronx borough map which we'll be testing in v0.1.6). What's going to very exciting about a NYC map is that it will allow players to see the economic struggles between gangs, and 'gang-wars' on a top-tier level, whilst still allowing players to focus on more specific areas.
Meanwhile 1.6 is moving at a rapid pace. Our top priority this build has been to continue cleaning up the code from the first build. We've stripped out all game-text (which was all hard-coded) and built string lists for reimplementation. This will allow for localization later which the others go into a little. For those unfamiliar with the term localization is the process of allowing the game to be displayed in multiple languages. For now we're only planning to offer Portuguese-Brazilian, but if other translators step forward then we'll be able to offer those too.
I've also been working on horse-race betting for implementation at some point (no planned release slot yet). And I know that several people keep hoping for Linux and Mac OS X ports. These are important to us but there's still a lot we are trying to do first, so I ask for your continued patience and faith because they WILL happen.
NERDRAGE
As we've heard a few voices asking about localization, it was decided to move its support up in the implementation priority list. Our asset pipeline was adjusted to accommodate that change.
The focus of the upcoming patch is upgrades to both the output and the input systems to support maps and longer lists that are coming right after. The groundwork that happens at the moment aims not only to make localization possible, but to prepare us to the eventual upgrade to tile graphics.
MICYCLE
We've been working hard on improvements to the game and user experience! Among other things, we've been making back-end changes in preparation for eventually supporting other languages. We've cataloged all the text in the game and formatted it for the program to read. Eventually we hope to translate all the text to other languages to bring the game to more people.
WOLF
Hello everyone. We're bringing you another (albeit belated) weekly roundup from the team:
As many of you know I've finally completed the borough map designs and even stitched together an entire NYC map which we've now calculated that we can use in the game from v0.1.7. along with all the maps (save The Bronx borough map which we'll be testing in v0.1.6). What's going to very exciting about a NYC map is that it will allow players to see the economic struggles between gangs, and 'gang-wars' on a top-tier level, whilst still allowing players to focus on more specific areas.
Meanwhile 1.6 is moving at a rapid pace. Our top priority this build has been to continue cleaning up the code from the first build. We've stripped out all game-text (which was all hard-coded) and built string lists for reimplementation. This will allow for localization later which the others go into a little. For those unfamiliar with the term localization is the process of allowing the game to be displayed in multiple languages. For now we're only planning to offer Portuguese-Brazilian, but if other translators step forward then we'll be able to offer those too.
I've also been working on horse-race betting for implementation at some point (no planned release slot yet). And I know that several people keep hoping for Linux and Mac OS X ports. These are important to us but there's still a lot we are trying to do first, so I ask for your continued patience and faith because they WILL happen.
NERDRAGE
As we've heard a few voices asking about localization, it was decided to move its support up in the implementation priority list. Our asset pipeline was adjusted to accommodate that change.
The focus of the upcoming patch is upgrades to both the output and the input systems to support maps and longer lists that are coming right after. The groundwork that happens at the moment aims not only to make localization possible, but to prepare us to the eventual upgrade to tile graphics.
MICYCLE
We've been working hard on improvements to the game and user experience! Among other things, we've been making back-end changes in preparation for eventually supporting other languages. We've cataloged all the text in the game and formatted it for the program to read. Eventually we hope to translate all the text to other languages to bring the game to more people.
01/02/2020
01/02/2020
BUILD v00.00.01.5 HAS BEEN RELEASED!
XV
WOLF
Ladies & Gentlemen, It has been a LONG three months since our last release. But today we have released v00.00.01.5 for your pleasure. Firstly I want to stress not to expect too much as a player experience. There are some enjoyable small additions but the main feature is the save mechanic as promised. In fact this build only took our team here two weeks to compile.
For two and a half months before that Anon doggedly worked as hard as he could on the project through titanic changes. A new lead developer that had us begin converting the game from VisualBasic to C++ only to leave the project a week in, another new Lead Dev who never even started before quitting.
Over twenty interviews until at last we found our partners in crime (that's right, I said it) Nerdrage and Micycle. These powerhouses have been working tirelessly for the last two weeks to rebuild the game and improve it immeasurably on the back-end ahead of v02's development cycle which begins on Monday. You can expect much faster build releases from here on out. And I hope you enjoy our infant game's latest build.
NERDRAGE
While the build should be feature complete for the 00.00.01 goals, don't expect great performance or a small footprint. There are certainly bugs, as we've cut internal testing short to end the release drought as soon as possible. As we flesh out the gameplay, optimizations and UI improvements will follow.
MICYCLE
Really excited to be working on this release! Moving forward we’re making a lot of changes to the back end. Mostly optimizations that will make it easier to add features and make changes in the future. We’ve got lots of great things planned and we want to make it easy to share them with you all!