{"author_name":"Doches","cat":"LD #13 - Roads - 2008","comments":[{"author_name":"","time":"December 7, 2008 7:20 pm","epoch":1228695600,"text":"slow-paced, but it looks like it might be pretty gripping!","spam":"N"},{"author_name":"","time":"December 7, 2008 7:25 pm","epoch":1228695900,"text":"(erm…it crashes not infrequently…)","spam":"N"},{"author_name":"","time":"December 7, 2008 8:37 pm","epoch":1228700220,"text":"I’m having lots of crashes too \":(\" (Windows)","spam":"N"},{"author_name":"","time":"December 8, 2008 4:26 am","epoch":1228728360,"text":"Bugfixed and re-uploaded. I changed sound formats from mp3 to ogg during the Windows porting, and forgot to update the music loader — it was trying nobly to load files that were no longer there. Teach me to do without error handling…","spam":"N"}],"epoch":1228694820,"likes":0,"metadata":{"p_key":"74208","p_author":"Doches","p_authorkey":"562","p_urlkey":"110040","p_title":"Interstate Trucking \u2013 Final","p_cat":"LD #13 - Roads - 2008","p_event":"LD13","p_time":"1228694820","p_likes":"0","p_comments":"4","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"562","us_name":"Doches","us_username":"doches","event_start":"1228435200","event_key":"92","event_name":"LD13"},"text":"

I’m done, it’s finished. At least, it’s finished enough<\/em>. Interstate Trucking is a business simulation game, where you take the helm of a small shipping company. Buy new trucks, expand your shipping routes, and try to keep your balance in the green in face of a changing economy, fluctuating gas prices, and a younger brother who simply cannot stay married.<\/p>\n

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

Download Interstate Trucking for Windows<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This was my first time participating in Ludum Dare, and I’m quite proud to have come up with an entry. I fully expected to be one of those folks who gave up halfway through Saturday night. Next time around I will almost certainly be back!<\/p>\n

If I’d had more time I’d have improved the economy — right now nothing the player does has any effect on the world. It would be nicer if prices increased steadily in general, but decreased each time you delivered a particular good, forcing players to constantly adapt to the changing economy. Beyond that, I really wanted a second, competing shipping company, but it was simply too much to do in time. Instead, I chose to polish what I had, and I’m quite pleased with the outcome. I’m not going to win (who even likes business sims anymore?) but I do feel like Interstate Trucking is at least a decent first effort. Next time, folks. Next time.<\/p>\n

The game is written in Ruby, on Linux, using Rubygame\/SDL. The Windows exe is courtesy of the excellent tar2rubyscript and rubyscript2exe tools (I’ll package up Linux and possibly Mac builds tomorrow). I used Photoshop, The GIMP, and Inkscape for the graphics (again, such as they are) and GarageBand (along with Audacity) for the music and (single) sound effect.<\/p>\n \n

Tags: business<\/a>, final<\/a>, interstate<\/a>, trucking<\/a>, Windows<\/a><\/p>","time":"December 7th, 2008 7:07 pm","title":"Interstate Trucking \u2013 Final"}