{"author_name":"TimBeaudet","cat":"October Challenge 2010","comments":[],"epoch":1287018900,"likes":0,"metadata":{"p_key":"69117","p_author":"TimBeaudet","p_authorkey":"1888","p_urlkey":"104920","p_title":"BlackBird\u2019s Falling Down","p_cat":"October Challenge 2010","p_event":"LD18","p_time":"1287018900","p_likes":"0","p_comments":"0","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"1888","us_name":"TimBeaudet","us_username":"timbeaudet","event_start":"1282262400","event_key":"4","event_name":"LD18"},"text":"

Progress has been a lot slower these past few days.\u00a0 Sunday I has to do a bunch of stuff in the morning, had many interruptions\u00a0 and distractions while I could have been working, and had other stuff to do that took a few hours in the evening.\u00a0 Basically no progress.\u00a0 Monday after work was pretty much the same, although a little bit of progress was made.\u00a0 I now have the game connecting to a database, and sending information to it.\u00a0 This will be used for best times, world records and that sort of tracking.\u00a0 Tuesday not much progress was made by myself, but the website can now access the database and display a table of the laptimes, sorted to boot!<\/p>\n

Today has been a slightly different story.\u00a0 Progress isn’t blazing, but I have at least added a Message Box state, which will be used to tell the player that they are not connected to the database, and therefore any laptimes performed will not be shared, or rated.\u00a0 Among many, many other uses.\u00a0 The other day I didn’t put up screen shots of the main menu, but I will now – despite the same fugly look.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>

An extremely simple main menu. (*Multiplayer may be cut!)<\/p><\/div>\n

This is likely what it will remain like for the Alpha build, although perhaps I am wrong.\u00a0 I know that over the course of development when I come to polish this screen, I plan on it looking something like the next screenshot.\u00a0 Forgive my concept art skills.\u00a0 Well actually, forgive the complete lack of any art skills!<\/p>\n

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My hopes are to have this screen animated, so it looks like the car is moving along.\u00a0 The plan would likely be just moving the trees and clouds from right to left, while adding a subtle vibration to the car, perhaps tire rotation…\u00a0 Something simple but active.\u00a0 Anyways, I’m still trying to refactor and put together some simple UI classes so I can create other screens quickly.\u00a0 Also, before I go too far I will need to stop and consider localization support for any text that gets built into the game.\u00a0 It is best to do that sort of thing early, although I am going to attempt finding “universal” symbols\/icons, and use those instead of text whenever possible.<\/p>\n

I do wish I didn’t have a day job.\u00a0 It is really holding back my potential progress, and really hurting me as far as my schedule is concerned.\u00a0 I’m hoping to release something by the end of October, but I am not overly confident it will happen.\u00a0 But here’s to hoping!<\/p>","time":"October 13th, 2010 8:15 pm","title":"BlackBird\u2019s Falling Down"}