weird bugs

I hate weird bugs!
Like this:

It takes first symbol after second spaсe and draws a box with it of exact size of window starting from this symbol position.
Wut? What type of mistake I did?

Board game and tech stuf

I have unlocked an achievement!
I doubled screen drawing time.
No. I didn't speed it up! i slowed it at least twice.
So, nothing to be proud of.
-_-

Once again, some old unfinished stuff backfired now.
What, What? Time to update ToDo list!
--

my board game side 'Poker Dungeon' project runs smoothly enough.
I have finished basic prototype of game rules and now filling up game tables and cards.
As long as I finish and make basic tests, I'll make new page for it here and put it for download.

We will have some fun!

PS
0.3 version is to be posted at 02.05.15 or prior to this date!

Sleep, Swim, make Fallen and Fruits

I try to give Fallen project as much time as I can. Squeezing it whenever possible.

I can't say it is simple, because I have to sleep for at least 7 hours a day to be productive.
It is a rule, because every hour "stolen" from sleep backfires ruining hours of productive time. 

So, it is not an option. 

The same I can say about sport, it doesn't take a lot of time like sleep, but vital.

My 'official' job is time consuming too.

It eats up a lot of time, but very exciting! Damn, I love my job! I have two games and Jackpot system in current production. Couple of games at 'concept,close to  production stage'. 

I work at slot machines and casino games development. 

These games may look smaller, comparing to bigger AAA games, but I assure you, it doesn't make them primitive or simple.
There are literally thousands of games with nearly the same rules and you have to give player experience pleasuring enough to play your game! (Heh, Like anywhere else).

For example, here is a couple of screenshots of one of "my" projects (of course, it isn't mine. A team worked hard on this game.). It is already in operation, so I will not lampshade any 'super secrets' ^_^.

It is 'just' a fruit game. Fruit games are very interesting type of games. They grown up from chewing gum vending machines, if you don't know.
There is one interesting feature in fruit game: they are expected to be simple. Both gameplay and graphically, but!
Don't miss simplicity and primitiveness. Here is the trick: you have to make game simple, easy to play and 'classic' from one hand.
From other hand, you should keep your game at peek of technology (yes, fruit games are simple, but it doesn't mean they should look like games for ZX spectrum 48) add feature to make it different enough.
Have we succeed? 

Only real operation in long run can answer this question for sure.

But, I think yes.

YARRR! 

Of course it is challenging, but.. It is sheer pleasure.

Don't forget about studies. If you want to progress, you have to learn and learn.
Project management, game design, storytelling, new programming languages don't learn themselves!

AND, as I wrote few posts ago, I have small side board game project...

Ugh. you got, but this wall of text isn't an attempt to find an excuse for avoiding development of Fallen. 

NO! As I mentioned in previous post, I am implementing 0.4 features. I have about to finish inventory refactoring. I have spent 3 hours on it and 4-6 hours left. I have moved it to widget/ state machine platform of revised Fallen code. (First version of inventory eaten up more then a month!).
After this, I'll turn programmer mode OFF and start huge game design stage.
We need to expand the story of antagonists and locations from sketches to development specification for next versions.

0.3 TODO list;

I'll lampshade remaining stuff for 0.3.

Art:
New items art;
Mushroom Stalk, corpse (small, norm, big), corps of mutant (small, norm, big), stone, meat (norm, mutant), Kitchen Knife, Sharp Stick, Makeshift Hammer,
Stool, piece of wood, Capacitor, Small Spring, Coil of wire, Filament, cogwheel, Revolver Chamber, Sheet Metal, Small Steam Engine, spool of Heavy Wire,
Thermometer, Eyeglasses, fiber straps, Enhanced Jacket, handgun parts, Rifle Butt, Broken Rifle, Broken Revolver, Screwdriver, rifle barrel, pistol barrel,
machine gun barrel, leather straps, Big Revolver Stock Mounted, Small Revolver Stock Mounted, Metal Scrap, Small Wood beam, Broom, Home Radio,
Fridge, locking pliers, Hammer, monocle, Coin Holder, Microscope, Magnetic Anti Bullet vest, Electroblade, condensed milk, canned meat (snail),
paper bag of fried truffle, canned_meat (roach), sausage, bag of cookies, jar of juice, bread loaf, meatloaf, truffle (on the ground), Deep Heaven pamphlet,
History book, Book (Misc), Skeleton (from creature on the ground), Sword_Cane, iron pipe, Heating Chamber, Lens, Reinforced Leather_Armour,
Light Leather Armour, Advertisement pamphlet;

Street light;

Furniture: shelf, display;
new Inventory doll;

Creature:Human info sketch;

Creature:Necrotitan info sketch;

Additional tileset: Necromutants lair;

Character creation UI graphics;

Character: Steam Knight sketch and game figurine;

UI: steam pressure gauge (steam knight interface feature; You can see test variant of pressure gauge on screenshots below);

UI: abilities buttons.

UI: crafting buttons (construct, disassemble);

Coding:
Inventory refactoring. Add widgets to inventory.
Implement new tileset.

Game design and UI:
Inventory interface upgrade.
Character design: finalize list of Steam Knight abilities for 0.3 (SK will start with a selection of pretrained abilities for ver. 0.3; It will differ from real SK skill set, starting from 0.4)



----
I'll prepare 0.4 list today or tomorrow. So, we will see. I'll start implementing 0.4 stuff if art wouldn't be done simultaneously with remaining 0.3 coding and game design stuff. It obviously shouldn't ^_^

New borders for windows (interface upgrade)

Small upgrade for game windows. It has pretty borders, shadows and textured paperback.
Plus, GoodSir redesigned it's content.
While he is drawing new content for version 0.3 (and there are A LOT of work to do) I'll refactor inventory and prepare it for 0.4 upgrades.

Game maps for next version

I believe in procedural generation.
Combined with hand-made game features it can give virtually infinite replayability both for RPG and strategy games.
That's why, map generation algorithm was my target number one for a long-long period.
You can't imagine how many different algorithms I have tried.
From one hand I want semi-open word for our game.  (semi-open, because we don't need another world without game project).
From other hand, game should have interesting mazes and labyrinths to explore.

So! I think, that I close to my goal. Open this screenshot.
Yes, instead of blocks variability it has couple of outstanding bugs, but it combines maze to explore and enough space to add special locations (towns, lairs, crypts etc)

Who is mister Steam Knigth?

No. No. No. This creature is mana larvae. Huge insect, tainted by wild mana. They don't pose any real threat, until outnumber you or evolve to more powerful beasts.

But Who is Mr. Steam Knight?

Mighty figure in bulky shinning armour. Impenetrable fortress armored head to toe?
The reality says otherwise.
'Human mounted steam engine interface' or HUMSEN is result of series of painful surgical operations.
The reward is the possibilities for one, who was lucky enough to be selected for this honor, when he or she reaches the 'workforce' age.

Steam knights are in high demand at every factory or mushroom farm all over the workers quarters.
Every plant or factory needs person who can haul few metric tons or work as steamroller or steamhummer, literally.
They have the lowest attrition rate among all workers. Steam knight are too valuable to be lost.
That's why they are named as 'Knights' a nobility among workforce.
The few who can change their workplace without paying a "ransom" tax and of course, they are welcome all over the Frontier.
Who can fight the hordes of necromutants better then Steam Knights?

Take a role of Steam Knight and who knows, maybe "Mighty figure in bulky shinning armour. Impenetrable fortress armored head to toe" is the future of your character.