{"author_name":"xarcos","cat":"MiniLD","comments":[],"epoch":1309167120,"likes":2,"metadata":{"p_key":"65520","p_author":"xarcos","p_authorkey":"0","p_urlkey":"101316","p_title":"Space Pirates Stole My Entry","p_cat":"MiniLD","p_event":"LD20","p_time":"1309167120","p_likes":"2","p_comments":"0","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":null,"us_name":null,"us_username":null,"event_start":"1304035200","event_key":"6","event_name":"LD20"},"text":"

I’m aware it’s not the best etiquette to not show something even if it’s unfinished, but hear me out.<\/p>\n

I planned the entry to be based on my fully-fledged game as a prequel — perhaps to introduce would-be players to the universe of SoL and as such title it SoL: Plutocracy<\/em>, where you play a dirty space pirate\/merchant\/hippy in the early years of Stardrive travel, before the war with the Stygians broke out and when Earth was still mostly a hegemonic plutocracy.\u00a0 “Yes,” I thought, “that is brilliant!\u00a0 The story meshes so well and considering the topic IS story-based, it’d be perfect.”<\/p>\n

However, after building the game itself, I realised one thing: designing something entirely around dialogue in a game mostly derived from action is kinda difficult.\u00a0 I wanted the meta-gameplay to be at least moderately fun or act as a diversion, but this would’ve taken longer than the 48 hours given.\u00a0 I quickly realised all I had was really just graphical eye candy.\u00a0 I can’t have that.<\/p>\n

Regardless, I found this thoroughly interesting and challenging to give myself such constraints, as the last time I did a timed game challenge was well over a decade ago in the ZZT\/Megazeux days (which a very select number of you might remember).<\/p>\n

But I won’t leave you with nothing.\u00a0 Here are a couple of screenshots:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The planets were textured with a Perlin noise generator that my team and I developed for SoL.\u00a0 Almost all the graphics you see was procedurally generated.<\/p>","time":"June 27th, 2011 4:32 am","title":"Space Pirates Stole My Entry"}