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[Schrompf]

You have to write about how you did the clouds. They look so fluffy.

No pressure, though

[nova++]

Moving pictures! Demonstrating the hyperdrive, interstellar and interplanetary. Still not entirely happy with the timing of the FX, and the HUD gets a bit confused still, but it's getting closer.

[nkm]

Looks great! Timing is good IMO.

[vdapps]

Moving pictures! Demonstrating the hyperdrive, interstellar and interplanetary. Still not entirely happy with the timing of the FX, and the HUD gets a bit confused still, but it's getting closer.

Now that's yummy!

[amasinton]

So much good progress here!

Those clouds - I want a game just about exploring clouds.  Maybe not a game so much as an end-of-the-day alternative-to-alcohol de-stresser!

The self-leveling mechanism in itself could be a game.  When I taught students how to manually level total stations, there was always one in each class who though that the "Chase a bubble level around a tripod until it's centered" game was super-fun.

"Here's a chair."  Expresses so much with so little.  Visual poetry.

Finally, that ending shot backwards, with the engines going into hyperspace - the lighting - just excellent.  Loved it.

Keep up the steady, good work!

[nova++]

So much good progress here!

Those clouds - I want a game just about exploring clouds.  Maybe not a game so much as an end-of-the-day alternative-to-alcohol de-stresser!

The self-leveling mechanism in itself could be a game.  When I taught students how to manually level total stations, there was always one in each class who though that the "Chase a bubble level around a tripod until it's centered" game was super-fun.

"Here's a chair."  Expresses so much with so little.  Visual poetry.

Finally, that ending shot backwards, with the engines going into hyperspace - the lighting - just excellent.  Loved it.

Keep up the steady, good work!

I appreciate it a lot... I dunno how long it's gonna be until the next update. just kinda hitting the wall again

There is so incredibly much left to do, but I think I should work on other things for a while...

[diegzumillo]

I appreciate it a lot... I dunno how long it's gonna be until the next update. just kinda hitting the wall again

There is so incredibly much left to do, but I think I should work on other things for a while...

I know how intimidating it can be to tackle such a large project. I find that organization is the best proceed when we feel overwhelmed, since knowing what to do immediately allows us to unload all the stuff that's further down the road. But I think you're doing great! Little by little.

Maybe some time on another project might do you well though. I just spent a week away from Apple and it was so great I am considering switching to this second project for another month, and keep switching between the two projects indefinitely.

[nova++]

I think somewhere I just want to deal with 1 coordinate system for a while, instead of 4...

[diegzumillo]

I think somewhere I just want to deal with 1 coordinate system for a while, instead of 4...

How about one coordinate system and only two dimensions? Make a quick platformer! To motivate you a little, make it in the same universe as this game. A prequel. The life of a janitor on a space station, dreaming of one day flying his own spaceship.

It would be funny if you actually switched to a simpler 2D project for a while, since I am going in the opposite direction; I am working on a 3d flight sim with two coordinate systems to get my mind off a 2d platformer. We can high five mid-way.

[Ishi]

Just found and read through this thread, and I'm loving it! Lots of pretty stuff going on all around.

I'll limit myself to one annoying question, do you have plans for multi-star systems and the lighting challenges that come with that?

[nova++]

Dont really know what to do with myself.

Some switch has flipped in my head and anything related to game dev just feels extremely difficult, now. But that's also the only real feasible path I have forward in life.

I mean... in the 20 days of downtime so far, I've learned a lot of python, web development, networking, SQL, all sorts of random, objectively-speaking useful things to know. But I still feel like I should be working on game things, which then goes back into the sudden raise in baseline difficulty for everything.

I don't really have anything to offer right now. Don't feel good being quiet, though...

Just found and read through this thread, and I'm loving it! Lots of pretty stuff going on all around.

I'll limit myself to one annoying question, do you have plans for multi-star systems and the lighting challenges that come with that?

That's... another thing on my list of things I'm dreading working out

[Ishi]

Just be kind to yourself and give yourself time to figure it out or get through the slump! I don't think anyone here is going to be impatient and demand news and progress updates. It sounds like you're being productive in other non-game-dev areas which is no bad thing, you never know when new skills may come in useful.

[oahda]

I get this too. Usually I try to take it as a sign to take a break and do something else for a while until it comes back to me. Hope you figure out what's best for you.

Hyperdrive looks and sounds amazing anyhow, very impactful! Not a bad note to take a bit of a break on. The occasional vacation can't be a bad thing in between working over such long stretches of time.

You deserve some time off!

[vdapps]

I agree with said above. Take a break, no rush. TIG should be just most relaxed platform in the world.

[nova++]

I guess I should be taking my own game's advice.

A goal of this project has always been something to help the player feel okay taking things slowly, unwinding, something to serve as a break in its own right. Feels like that's an important thing to do.

But I definitely have been disobeying myself in other places... this was always supposed to be "project B" for whatever else I was working on, something else I'd add to whenever something else was slowing a bit. But I kinda didn't end up doing things that way...

That's relevant, I suppose, because I'm just thinking I might start giving some love to another idea of mine sometime relatively soon. We'll see.

[mrmicjam]

I mean... in the 20 days of downtime so far, I've learned a lot of python, web development, networking, SQL, all sorts of random, objectively-speaking useful things to know. But I still feel like I should be working on game things, which then goes back into the sudden raise in baseline difficulty for everything.

I've been following this thread because I like the idea, but yeah I'm a Python back-end engineer too, and we're hiring for some more remote devs.  Search "Routable" in linkedin if you're looking for jerbs.  Ycombinator startup with stock options, 4 year runway, yadda yadda..

[nova++]

I'm still here. Still working some on other things, but also thinking about this.

When I do get back to it, I think I want to prioritize working toward getting one of the few somewhat "directional" mechanics in the game implemented - artificial structures, and some manner of investigation/data recovery from those that you visit.

Nothing too fancy. These structures can have terminals connected to a planet or system wide computer network. These terminals have long since lost their connection with the galactic hypernet, but they still retain snippets of data that can be interpreted. The Grand Galactic Survey Council has encountered some remnants of the civilization that used to live in this galaxy before, enough to allow your ship's computers to translate what data you find into a crude approximation of the original text (how convenient)

My current thinking is this would be non-linear, and it would effectively give a random section of data from a fixed logical subject in the game. Each subject would have some amount of text in it talking about a particular topic, expanding on the backstory a little bit more. It could be as little as a few lines, or as much as several paragraphs and a complete conversation. Over time you could complete various subjects as you scan enough terminals to fill in as many blanks as possible.

It's nothing complicated, but it does help fill one of the voids I've been worrying about. Even a simple, technically-endless goal for the player is still a goal.

As usual with everything in this project, its easier said than done... it would require the procedural elements of those structures naturally, but also accompanying mechanics like the ability to leave the ship and walk around on foot, which is probably a few weeks unto itself.

We'll see I guess. Not today.

Maybe I'll make another thread for the other project at some point, but I dunno when is the appropriate time. I wish this place was a little more active like it used to be... nothing crazy, but I see the tumbleweeds bouncing by sometimes.

[amasinton]

My current thinking is this would be non-linear, and it would effectively give a random section of data from a fixed logical subject in the game. Each subject would have some amount of text in it talking about a particular topic, expanding on the backstory a little bit more. It could be as little as a few lines, or as much as several paragraphs and a complete conversation. Over time you could complete various subjects as you scan enough terminals to fill in as many blanks as possible.

Good to see you back here!

I like this idea, a lot.  Seems great in small doses, sprinkled throughout the galaxy, like seasoning.  Just enough to provide the occasional moment of intrigue or something to kind of chase a little bit.

I was listening to the Designer Notes podcast interview with Jon Ingold (of Inkle).  In the second part of that interview, he mentions that Heaven's Vault was designed not as an elaborate tree with many branches of narrative, but as a bucket of possibilities.  I think that sort of approach would be ideal here, too.

Also, would you necessarily have to have on-foot traversal of the planet to discover these texts?  Could you have an automated system - a drone system, or rover, or something, that you send out and there is a chance it will find these (but you don't have to do a lot of work showing that discovery process on-screen)?

[nova++]

Also, would you necessarily have to have on-foot traversal of the planet to discover these texts?  Could you have an automated system - a drone system, or rover, or something, that you send out and there is a chance it will find these (but you don't have to do a lot of work showing that discovery process on-screen)?

I guess I could do something like that, but on-foot feels more... well, personal. I would like to have some sort of camera drone at some point. Maybe there can be a launch tube in the engineering section, and you can replicate a camera drone or a mini-rover and launch it out of the roof. And I guess they could interact with terminals in some way too.

[nova++]

Unexpected update: I suddenly felt the itch and did a few mild background improvements and fixes... completely non-visual things, naturally. My current main project (thread pending...) has taught me a lot about some basic core Unity stuff that I somehow managed to leapfrog over before, and I want to work toward bringing some of that back over here.

But like I said... totally non-visual, so... not really anything to show yet... again...