MekArcade Update
Posted: 22 Oct 2012, 22:05
Hi everyone,
A quick update on MekArcade. It's an exciting time as we get toward a release. Firstly, thanks to all those who have offered to help, as often happens, we are changing plans a bit, so you are going to have to be a bit patient.
We have had a stormy course over the last 3 years, as some of you who may have read in various forums. Finally we are getting close to a release, and one which will be significantly better than the demo I imagined 3 years ago. There are a few things delaying the release.
The first is to do with the organisation of the project, Quin is changing the way RE/Mekarcade repository works, in essence they will be more intertwined, and it should be much easier to develop for and to maintain the code of multiple projects.
The second major delay is we have decided to use the dynamic lighting system from Tesseract. Being outdoors Mek games are very suitable for a dynamic lighting model and destructible models should so it off nicely. I can't say how long it will take, Quin is starting the merge of the Tesserect code, but there could be a few little problems on the way.
Once this is stable we will do a special release for the Cube community, which will look like:
Red Eclipse + Player Classes + Mek/vehicle Content + Tesserect + extra NPC + health/armor power ups + different weapons
Ticketed for subsequent releases are destructibles (mapmodel you can blow up), salvage after death, multiple tags for weapons, defensive weapons and a few other things.
The first release will be very much about balancing the weapons/meks, essentially making the game work. The devil, as they say, is in the details. We will need some brave souls to help us with this, I will talk more about this later. After this is balanced and sorted I would like to do a more public release of a working and resonably polished game. It wouldn't be complete, more of a base, for taking it further. Some of the further development will be game specific, including the ticketed items that haven't been implemented. I think this part could be a lot of fun.
One specific area to development is enhancing SP mode and perhaps even adding RPG elements, though how this works out depends on what talent we can attract to the project. Quin took so much time taking out all the sauer RPG elements, and now he imight have put them back in again!
To go along with the release, the project will be opened up, starting with simple things like like a forum. Perhaps a 'MekArcade developers' subforum to RE would be a good start. We need to expand the team, both with experts and novices. I am working up some roles that the project needs filled. I want to have some fun with this. So.....
Quin clearly is the Lead Technomage, and anyone on the code team will become a Technomage. A few roles come easily to mind, The Holy Scriptor (lead script development), and a Chief Cartographer, to lead map development and manage to the unruly Cartographers (map team), and the Master of Arms to lead weapons development.
Give me a few days to think of some name for artists, testers and other roles. Perhaps there is a role for you!
A quick update on MekArcade. It's an exciting time as we get toward a release. Firstly, thanks to all those who have offered to help, as often happens, we are changing plans a bit, so you are going to have to be a bit patient.
We have had a stormy course over the last 3 years, as some of you who may have read in various forums. Finally we are getting close to a release, and one which will be significantly better than the demo I imagined 3 years ago. There are a few things delaying the release.
The first is to do with the organisation of the project, Quin is changing the way RE/Mekarcade repository works, in essence they will be more intertwined, and it should be much easier to develop for and to maintain the code of multiple projects.
The second major delay is we have decided to use the dynamic lighting system from Tesseract. Being outdoors Mek games are very suitable for a dynamic lighting model and destructible models should so it off nicely. I can't say how long it will take, Quin is starting the merge of the Tesserect code, but there could be a few little problems on the way.
Once this is stable we will do a special release for the Cube community, which will look like:
Red Eclipse + Player Classes + Mek/vehicle Content + Tesserect + extra NPC + health/armor power ups + different weapons
Ticketed for subsequent releases are destructibles (mapmodel you can blow up), salvage after death, multiple tags for weapons, defensive weapons and a few other things.
The first release will be very much about balancing the weapons/meks, essentially making the game work. The devil, as they say, is in the details. We will need some brave souls to help us with this, I will talk more about this later. After this is balanced and sorted I would like to do a more public release of a working and resonably polished game. It wouldn't be complete, more of a base, for taking it further. Some of the further development will be game specific, including the ticketed items that haven't been implemented. I think this part could be a lot of fun.
One specific area to development is enhancing SP mode and perhaps even adding RPG elements, though how this works out depends on what talent we can attract to the project. Quin took so much time taking out all the sauer RPG elements, and now he imight have put them back in again!
To go along with the release, the project will be opened up, starting with simple things like like a forum. Perhaps a 'MekArcade developers' subforum to RE would be a good start. We need to expand the team, both with experts and novices. I am working up some roles that the project needs filled. I want to have some fun with this. So.....
Quin clearly is the Lead Technomage, and anyone on the code team will become a Technomage. A few roles come easily to mind, The Holy Scriptor (lead script development), and a Chief Cartographer, to lead map development and manage to the unruly Cartographers (map team), and the Master of Arms to lead weapons development.
Give me a few days to think of some name for artists, testers and other roles. Perhaps there is a role for you!