I fixed the problems with coloration and blending, and made more progress on the editor.
Here's a screenshot of me just playing around. Until I get multiple layers re-implemented (works in the code, but not hooked to the editor yet), everything looks like junk (Blending isn't useful until you have multiple layers of tiles).
([size=2]Not final appearance of the game! Once blending is in, then everything will be much less square and much more detailed, with blending dirt on to the walls, the pavement blending with the grass, shadowing, and etc...)
The first few days of this week I spent messing around with web hosting and introducing myself to Wordpress, to get a website up for a family member. This was practice for when I get my own websites up and running.
My goal for the next 5 weeks:
Since development has dragged on for such a long time (year and a half part time, and now almost half a year full-time), I've come up with a timeline and a set of goals to spur on development, marking all the milestones I hope to hit between here and release (which is still quite a ways off).
Anyway, a week ago I gave myself the goal: By June 15th, I will walk the streets of Hahdief. Hahdief, as I've mentioned in a prior post, isn't a really important city plot-wise, but you visit it multiple times during the game (usually travelling past it to get somewhere else, or visiting it for minor plot points).
[color=#8b4513]"Hahdief[font=times new roman], the northern ruling city, is one of the first places you visit. The city itself has no real plot significance, though you return to that general area several times during the course of the game for minor plot reasons.[/font]"[/color]
('Hah' = North(ern), 'dief' = Ruler)
The goal is to get the map editor completed and finalized within 6 weeks (now 5 weeks), and to build and actually be able to walk around within that city (with collision and sound effects and music, but no NPCs or combat yet, and no going inside buildings).
It will be very sweet indeed to finally walk around inside my world, and not just a test map. I chose Hahdief as to first area to make because it's a fairly square city, shouldn't be too complex to make, and I probably have 90% or more of the art it'll need already made. Plus, being one of the first towns you encounter, it would've been in the first 4 or 5 I'd have to make anyway, but also is a fully non-nature city, and I haven't much plants and trees made yet.
I have a list of new features required by the game that I have to implement into the maps themselves, which changes the map format, so I need to get those added ASAP.
Character concept:
This is the main character (drawn by one of the artists), how he'll appear in combat. I intend to get all the character concept art properly colored by a skilled artist; initially I was thinking I was going to have to hire some over the 'net, which I may still have to do, but it was suggested to me to just have a friend do so with watercolor... initially hesitant, I recently saw some of the friend's art, and was pretty floored by the quality.
I haven't asked yet - I wont need it done for another few months, and I'm learning not to ask too far ahead of time (
*cough* my map makers have been waiting almost two years *cough*
) - but when I do ask, and if the artist accepts, then knowing the artist's weakness, I can just pay in Dr Pepper.
Just imagine the player facing one of these:
([size=2]I posted this rat as the very first journal post I ever made. A year and a half ago)
If you're interested in more character concept art and haven't already seen them, I posted some a month ago.
If all goes well, in five weeks I'll have real screenshots to post.
Now I'm off to shower, then I'll pop open a Dr Pepper ([size=2]edit: Nevermind, I'm all out
) and crack into those editor features I need to code.
