Additionally, this engine seems unable to load animations from any file formats but SMD and md2 - the former is the one format it seems Blender can't export to, and the latter is prohibitively inefficient. What's more, the engine seems unable to handle some aspect of my animations - I suspect bone weights - and slows down immensely - 30 frames per second loss for a 4000-polygon model. (My 20000 polygon city model, by comparison, only costs ~5 frames per second)
Both these issues will need to be resolved before I hit release; I remain hopeful in both cases.
In more positive news, work on CO's interface and engine proceeds apace. The trade and repair windows are in working order; remaining to be done are the upgrade window, the diplomacy window, and the location transferral system. My overall goal is to complete the engine, in its entirety, by the end of this year. Then there'll be another year or so to add story and content, and...
I wrote up a simple design sheet for a sort of "cooperative minorly-multiplayer survival adventure RPG" (what a mouthful) that I wish some company would decide to make. The document follows (Beware of casual writing!):
"Green": Design Document
* Procedurally-generated world
* Minorly multiplayer - only 2 to 16 (undecided) players per game
* Casual - players don't need to spend much time at a time on the game. Players can be on alone or together - but with seven players a server, there will normally be at least one other player on.
* Task-based - aside from the starting 2-3 hour spurt, players will spend their time in the game dealing with and recuperating from challenging "world events." Things like floods (save your belongings by moving them to higher ground; don't be washed away), illness (one or more players unable to function and must be tended), or the introduction of new elements to the game world (rampaging rhinoceri!)
* Taskbar notifications? Perhaps the game should indicate to the player when a disaster is occurring...
* Very long advance trees allow for hours of "vanilla" gameplay time - gathering materials, including entirely new ones as they appear; creating tools (with a minigame?); exploring the world (including new areas as they form), building houses, repairing things, etc.
* Social interactions (Illness and times of stress should form interpersonal bonds quite well - or cause negative situations); and the dynamic of surviving as a group in an increasingly hostile world.
* Dynamic, changing world. Time passes whether you're in the game or not; and there's always a very real sense of danger and impending loss. This is supplemented by the fact that you can actually lose in the game, causing you to have to restart from scratch...
* Personal characters that change with time. Customize hair, eyes, and body, then watch as you change over time - eat too much, and you'll be able to survive a famine etc. - but you'll get fat and slow. Too little, and you'll go gaunt. Exercise, and you'll be able to run longer distances... etc.
Story: You and a number of other people suddenly find yourselves transported from the modern world to a fresh, pristine paradise. At first, the land around you is completely flat and empty, but as you watch (in the introduction), plants spring up around you and you are suddenly in a lush terrain. That's it. Into the game you go...
Your stomach reminds you that you need food. Looking around, you find that none of the plants nearby are familiar to you - but none nearby are poisonous, so you may eat them. Having filled your stomach, you search for water. Then it's time to set up camp - the game walks you through creating basic structures.
Finally, you are given a list of tasks to perform - things like searching for more food for later days, exploring the area, building new and better huts, etc.
A blinking taskbar icon reminds you of your character's status when you're not on - your character will stay around the camp, eating and drinking as need be - unless he's ill, in which case he can't do much of anything and the other players must take care of him. (bring food and water to his hut, protect him)
If a player is inactive for too long (say, a week), the other players can hold a vote to replace him - at which time a "jump in" opportunity becomes available for multiplayer players... if all the players are inactive for too long, the game ends due to group starvation...
There is a certain element of trust involved in gameplay. Players have a chance to kill other players - it is even possible for groups of players to split up into factions and conduct miniature wars with spears, bows, and clubs. Of course, such possibilities are quite unlikely - but if there is a major conflict...
Game themes: Competition and cooperation. Game length: Lengthy. Maybe a week, maybe a month.
Specials: Hidden themes in the world. Ancient ruins with no explanation; strange artifacts... there should be a rich backstory present that can't be uncovered in a single playthrough.
...The ruins and artifacts are the leavings of an alien civilization - strange palaces and devices may be uncovered which have either positive or negative effects on the players... if you choose to delve deeper, you can uncover ancient ruins in an alien language... which can be translated to reveal the backstory of the game.
