Arrr. Skirmish be upon ye!
Yes, I'm still here. And phew! does this v0.05 Roadmap look close to completion. This is the biggest version yet (they have a way of getting exponentially bigger [grin]), and I have high hopes for the public test this time around. It feels like bugs are popping up less and less, which is making the game exponentially more fun to play. I think I'm seeing a connection! [smile]
Progress has been simply wonderful since my last entry. The infamous network refactor (2nd one, actually!) is completed, and things seem to be running well so far. I hope to get a 4-man test in soon before the public test later this week just to make sure there are no dormant bugs.
More specifically, this refactor also introduces consistant game objects. Currently the only example of this are mines/claymores, which if planted at any time will be sent (and controlled) by the server to any joining members. Other examples of future game objects are flags (for CTF or HTF games), turrets, buildable walls, and even vehicles.
The major pains in this refactor was paying the price for not planning my code/game design more before coding. My code is pretty messy business at this point, and a lot of rewriting has shown me to be more cautious and foresighted about future game projects. This refactor has really cleaned things up on the network end, though, such as the server gaining control over the player's inventory and ammunition. Now it's not possible to control your local players's various attributes or weapons with a hex editor or the likes -- the server calls the shots now! [smile]
Right now I'm finishing up the Item Editor. Too long have I been hardcoding in our arsenal of test weapons. Item data is now also encrypted to (hopefully) avoid any potential hacker threats. It's not overly pretty, but darnit it's functional!
(Functionality > Cosmetics!)
So the last steps are upon us. This Item Editor, then sound effects. Getting some nice 3D sound integration into the game shouldn't be hard, and then all that's left is ironing out bugs until the public test. I can't wait to see how badly the testers are going to beat me this time! [grin]
