Tech Tree's third anniversary falls between next week's column and the week after.  I don't know which I'll pick if I actually do anything.  Nothing is really planned.

Anyway... This week's post knocks down a developer log regarding interface tips.  Check it out if you have not already.  Perhaps I should link to it in the feature standards.

Saya has been handling the server that Neus/Devourer of Souls hosts his website on.  However, he is now stepping down to teach and has offered to buy Neus his own domain with a year of hosting.  It was also announced that the old forum database will be restored next week.  More recent content will be lost, but I'm happy to see the community's bug reports for Witches' Chess coming back.

Remember when I told Calus CoRPS/172.16.0.1 that I'd suggest some interface changes for his featured tactical battle, Fortay?  No?  You're forgiven.  It was months ago.  This week, I finally did it.  Calus CoRPS greeted the post with the news that he hopes to find the time to release an update soon.

Nickr5 announced and released an early version of a bot-scripting game called Automata.  The project is based on a scripting library he released in October.  It's now listed in the guild.  A download is available.

Ganing updated his BYOND RPG-inspired defense game, Seika SE.  After my comments in last week's column, the help file has been reformatted.  I'm tempted to press my luck with another rant, but the interface tips column covers part of it...  The space wasted on the title and tag-line in the top-right corner still confuses me though. ;)

Geldonyetich released a library called Easy AStar.  While other pathfinding libraries have been released on BYOND, Geldonyetich's goal has been ease of use.  It's likely to be incorporated into his game projects.  While we wait for them, we shouldn't lose track of the real news that Geldonyetich frelling released something! ;)

Acebloke is making progress on the next version of his economic/military simulation, Wargames.  Army recruitment has been limited, three new buildings have been added and the help files for buildings now display their resource costs.  The popularity system might also see some changes.  An official server could be available in a couple weeks.

EGUY posted his plans for the next version of his tile-laying game, Deus Rex.  Along with fixes and new tiles, custom tile creation could be coming.  However, nothing should be expected for another week.

In the future, I suggest that developers post progress reports on their blogs when they can.  Readers can get lost in the comments.  I skim through the blogs of every developer with a game listed in the guild so I'll catch the news.

Kasper4sale is looking for a programmer (and possibly a few artists) to help with a new tower defense game.  He's doing some of the art himself and offering money for the rest of the work.

Darkjohn66 is looking for artists to help with an isometric version of Chess.  He's doing the programming himself, but it looks like he could use some tips for handling medals and scores.

D4RK3 54B3R left this enigmatic post in the comments of last week's column:

"even after the intragalactic proliferation of sentience, the Belligerence that is so deeply ingrained into all life refuses to evolve into civilized pacifism."

I'll bite.  What's Belligerence?  Does it have anything to do with the picture posted earlier?

In a post tagged with his RTS,  Ultimate Strife, Mecha Destroyer JD stated that he will release new content within 135 days.  I seem to recall being strung along before so I'll believe it when I see it. ;)

I updated the interface and graphics of my bot-crashing, scrap-collecting game, Gears & Peers.

Meanwhile, I've been simplifying the rules in my lab of mutants, Genetic Fork.  For instance, diagonal tiles used to be removed from some movement and effect rules.  Now every neighbor is an option so there's no artificial boundary to keep track of.  It makes measuring ranges easier as well.

I've also started exercising after years of sedentary life.  Perhaps the chest pains mean I'm a bit late.

Dungeon crawlers might want to check out this review of Adventure of D from The Dice Tower.

However, this video of Squar also caught my eye. I normally have to warn those creating team-based action games that this is not the guild for them. Something like Squar looks like it might actually pull off being a hybrid. (Plus, there are modes without teams.)

Got news? Or money? I like money.