Day Zero. Overdue release.

The frequently visitor already got the message but here's a official announcement - sort of :)

Today is Day Zero - the day the Zork was predicted to be released and... it isn't. The Halloween project stole some time. But it was worth it. My contribution was small and simple but relaxing to build. Work stole a whole lot more time. Big things are happening on that front, both good and bad. It will continue to eat my time for a while. Next week I'm going to Denmark. I'll take my toolset with me now that my laptop can run it. But I suspect that the evenings and nights will be filled with work-related things.

So, the big question. When will this module be released? The answer is: As soon as possible. The release-o-meter to the left of this page will keep on ticking, reminding me of that you never should promise a release date :)

Here's two in-toolset screen shots of the animated trapdoor I've made for the Living Room in the White House and I also used it in *small spoiler* my secret laboratory in the Halloween module. It has a second placeable that is a hatch that can be placed in the roof of the room below the trapdoor. Not much to fuzz about but I'll put them in a pack and upload them to the NWVault if anyone should be interested.

So that's all for today. Now I'll fix me some lunch and then plunge into the scripting of turn-based Combat Conversations.

By the way. It started to snow yesterday night. Dark times are coming...

/Amraphael

Going into stand-by for a week now

We're going on vacation next week and I'm really looking forward to get away from my mail, cellphone and IM. The only tech-thingie I'll bring along is my Meizu, loaded with 1 600 pages of fantasy audio books. In my backpack I have Tad Williams' Shadowplay and we'll skip all the culture and other tourist stuff and just enjoy reading, sleeping, swimming and eating. The sun will not make it worse :)
(Don't tell anybody, but I'll try to hug a camel)

Oh yes, we're going to southern Eqypt and a town called El Gouna. They say it's pretty luxurious there.

See you later!
/A

Modding break!

As I wrote earlier I'll use the next three days to taking care of me and my wife. We'll take in on a nearby 1720's-mansion, relaxing, eating LOTS of good food and I'll try not to talk and think about the mod :) My wife says that it's not boring listening to my "... and I want to to that, but I can't because of the limits in this...bla. bla. scripting... bla..texture..." Often this is true, but I know that I'd think it's boring, listening to to same stuff for over six months.

I'll be back on Monday!

/A

Short update

Standing on the Sandy Beach at the Frigid River

I'm almost finished with the digging part of the game. It's kind of cool when you pick up the shovel and start to dig. The animation works nice, there's a pile of sand building up, higher and higher as you dig on. I supppose I could polish on it for days but it will do for now (I start to have too many of those "will do - for now"-things). I don't know how it works for a Gnome,Halfling or other shorties, but in my version of ZORK it's recommended to chose Human as race.

As an side task I made a scripted system for lighting wall mounted torches without placing lights and VFX by hand. You can take your open flame (torch, candles etc) and light them and they will burn a random time befor burning out. It will be very usefull for in multiplayer because of all dark places underground, the limited handheld light sources and of course - the Grue! I've seen a couple of similar scripts but they all is too complicated.


Last night was wife-free so a worked on the module until 04.00 at the morning :) so I'm sort of dizzy right now and will probably be drowling at the meetings today. Luckily it's Friday, but this weekend there will be much real life activities. I don't know about the rest of the world but in Sweden it's very dark this time of year and many of us looks forward to start lighting candles, celebrating First Sunday of Advent. Even and old atheist like myself have no excuse to not like cookies, Lucia cat's (saffron bread), ginger bread and hot mull wine. As every year we bake lots of tasty things and invite friend in an unorganized way.

/A