- Initial user settings and hardware detection / configuration.
- Overhead menu for options and mission loading.
- Progress bar scene load (game will appear to hang when in fact it's still loading data).
- Manual cockpit view panning and seat adjustment (offset).
- Crew model adjustments.
- Advanced flight model update.
- Landing gear dynamics.
- Exotic rockets warheads.
- Stores jet.
- All human crew speech (recordings), will substitute with text messages for now.
I skipped a ton of small changes, things like missing command key assignments which can be done quickly in a a couple of passes.
The tools for the databases I fell down on, I gave them to someone to fix but they didn't do it, that's my responsibility for not pushing as hard as I should have.
The timing is good since starting this Monday I now have a longer working day. Working to crunch favours my personal work style; Just-in-time panicking. There's a ton of things I'd love to improve but for now it's just good enough and there will be time to perfect these things later.
There's some obscure avionics logic bugs that are hard to track down, modal lockouts relating to weapons mostly, if I had to do it again I'd use bit fields instead of nested IFs.
one thing you forgot to add to your list....
ReplyDeletethe color of that new supercar.
This is exciting to see flex! I thought it would be another 6 months at least. I think you'll be happy with having outside testers (hopefully they'll all understand the task you face)... who knows, one of them could give you an idea or turn your thinking in a new direction for something.
Gonna be fun!... we get a new sim and you get a maserati.
Already crossed off a couple of things this afternoon. Some new features only take a few hours if you can rely on existing functions. It's not like I have to read and understand someone else's code :/
ReplyDeleteHard part is raising the quality level that's good enough for a general release. But I've got a new found focus after sitting down and working through what's needed. There's no more pure-research to do (with maybe exception of the GITS update system which I find at first glance baffling).
What's going to take the longest is the road and navigrid for visible world unit movement. The map is hand built and doesn't come from a database, maps will need a tool process them to generate this. My prototype has hand placed nodes and doesn't need to deal with obstacles. I've got that job to look forward to after the firing range is released. That and fixing all the lovely issues you people are going to find :/
As for the rockets, the different warhead yields is a single parameter. I don't know how to deal with the ILUs or sub-munitions graphically.
I would add that the strategy for Combat-Helo is to build it like an onion. In layers. Each layer being playable but adding more over time.
ReplyDeleteEventually we'll have one giant unwieldy onion. Onions, onions, onions to you Mr Enderby (with apologies to Anthony Burgess).
Still working on the first layer.
I just realised Minecraft uses this approach too, I feel so stupid sometimes, never struck me until now.
Well, welcome back:)
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to see that finally something is happening.
I can only wish good luck and do not give up:)
After what you wrote i like much more onions (only not Chinese!)
One question is in my mind:
ReplyDeleteHow many copies of the Weapon Range you need to sold for making further development or (and I really hope that is the case) is the next "layer" already funded and you do it whatever happen? You know, many people will probably not buy the initial stage (excluding me, of course) because they want to see that campaign.
Well that's a good question.
ReplyDeleteNot completing the campaign is out of the question as it's the meat and potatoes. It's also difficult to answer as there are publisher considerations. It might be a good time to start having some talks with interested parties about this. Personally the whole target range is really to grease the wheels before version 1.0 but we'll have to see how it turns out. Lots of parts are coming together quickly and it's difficult to see how they will all mash-up.
It might be a total disaster that needs another 3 months of polishing or it might be good enough to move onto the main attraction and do the polishing there.
We're not planning a big campaign for the firing range, just keeping it quiet for now. It's peoples chance to support the project and get something in return. Also we get feedback about performance etc.
Having said all that I now realise I should say much at all until I've had talks with 'da team'. So pretend I didn't say anything ok?