ID:117443
 
Keywords: progress
Sunday, smunday, "weekend" is close enough.

Despite the fact my best computer monitor stopped working on Thursday (fortunately I kept a spare CRT around), I did manage to return to work on my project this week. I mostly restored all the old functionality I had prior to this revamp of how the universe is organized. So the game is now back up to 100% of where it was.


Now, for the hard part: actually turning it into a playable game. As I've said before, it's not that I don't know how to create a playable game, I've played tens of thousands of computer games in my life, I know the drill. However, I'm not here to just make any old game, I'm here to make, "My Own Net Dream," and I'm a very fussy gamer indeed. A lot of the part where my body just shuts down and says, "No! No more of this!" is because of extended grappling with writer's block, but it seems to me the right thing to do is just start adding stuff knowing I can take it out later.

So what is, "My Own Net Dream?" Like most people blustering for answers as to specifically why they like their favorite games, this has been a journey of self-discovery. However, what I currently look to be coding is this: a platform of an open-ended 4X/RPG/Squad-based-tactical-combat (ala X-COM-alike) hybrid with space exploration elements (ala Starflight/Star Control 2), dynamic generated content (ala Roguelikes), and completely player-mutable content (ala Minecraft). I've kept coming back to this idea along enough that it's probably going to persist.

Yeah, little wonder this has been taking me awhile. Although I can really blame falling off the development wagon for about 75% of the time delay involved. I look forward to having a cool platform to add a bunch of cool stuff to as soon as I get the game into a playable state.

I'm anticipating a bit of a disruption when Deus Ex 3 releases on Monday, because everything I hear about the game suggests these developers have done a good job of following in the original Deus Ex's footsteps, and that game is on many reviewer's lists as, "Best PC Game Of All Time."
Suffice to say, you're not the only one dissatisfied about my lack of progress, and the inner critic beats the shit out of me enough as it is.

Still, it is good to get an occasional third party going, "Dude, WTF is wrong with you?" So I appreciate the honest feedback.