It has been slow but coming along — it is PROGRESS.
Hell Breaks Loose is being redone in Inform7. The basics are being laid-out and designs are being implemented. I can run it hosted from a server in a browser window, or so I’m told. I’ll be testing this (and testing various options) with a side project I’ve been working on. Speaking of that side project…
The super-secret project I’ve been working on is a modification of an existing Inform7 project. I’m doing it to teach myself more about Inform7. I’ve made contact with the author of the original work, and I’m trying to work out a way I can show off my skills and creativity without compromising his efforts and all the work he’s done. (He’s done a lot of good work making a fun game, and I want to show proper respect.)
I like Twine, and I may use it for for future Interactive Fiction projects… but it won’t work for what I want to do right now. It is easy to learn and easy to get good results quickly, so you can focus on the writing aspects.
THE Game — Game of Slaves is going to have to be done in Java, Flash, or VisualBasic. Python and PHP are still possibilities, but they’ve slipped down the scale into the not-very-feasible realm. (VisualBasic isn’t very likely because it’s not very portable (WinXP/Vista/Win7 only). They just don’t have the horsepower I want. …at least not with my current skill-levels. (I admit, it’s very likely to be my own failing.)
I’m polishing my second chapter of Guest of Acteon – Len for posting this week/end. (It’s another story from the world that brought you Slaves of Acteon. See my other blog for more info about it!)
Oh, and I finished Dishonored. I was able to see three distinct endings. I know there are more, but I can only do so much in a week, along with all my other tasks, fun, and responsibilities. *grin*
Thanks for your ongoing patience!
— Cam
I fell behind on my intended update schedule (trying for a minimum of one per week).
With that in mind, I have been working on a number things… remember when I said I wanted to focus on one thing and get it done? Yep? Well, no. It didn’t quite work out that way.
Here’s a list of things I’ve been up to for the last… um… few weeks.
- Hell Breaks Loose — has run into a bit of a major technical snag, and there may not be a way around it. I figured out how to fix the obstacle of dynamic map connections, which are not supported. However, I am running into a URL-length limitation of TWINE and various browsers. (Every time you make a selection, the pages add a few characters to the URL as an easy way to track your path. But browsers have a limit, and after so many moves… BLECH!)
- Guests of Acteon — I posted the first chapter to my fiction blog, and it seems to be positively received… in that it’s getting a fair number of hits, and no one is bothering to complain or critique. In the realm of the Internet, silence means I’m either doing alright or failing in such an embarrassing way that no one wants to be associated with me. Being an optimist, I’m taking it as “doing alright”.
- Guests of Acteon — (semi-continued) …oh, and I have a few more chapters fleshed out. They’re just waiting on being polished. (A few places seem to drag on longer than expected.) Next posting to come as soon as polishing has progressed enough.
- Dishonored — Playing the game, and really enjoying it so far. (I am STEALTHY!)
- *Kinda-Secret Project* — I’m working on an existing game, and revising it. It hasn’t been updated in a year, but it hasn’t been abandoned. The author posted the source, to inspire others and I’ve been hacking it to have features that I felt were missing. I’m not going to post any specifics on it until I get approval from the author… who has no idea what I’m up to.
- *Super-Secret Project* — I’ve been asked to go over some code for a game idea which may go into development. On the plus-side, it feeds into my gaming needs.
So, yeah… I keep busy. (Since I do have a full-time sweetie and a full-time job, free time is never free.)
– Cam-Cam
I made good on my word: I posted a work of fiction.
The first chapter of “Guest of Acteon – Len” has been posted to my writing blog.
I could have used a “more” tag to keep the initial viewing length shorter, but since it’s a first post I figured it would be fine as-is. When it starts to get followers, then I’ll start trimming for content… well on first read.
Hell Breaks Loose took a backseat to my (primary employment) workload, this week. I will see about getting something posted “soon”. (Which means ‘whenever I get to it’.)
…and there ya go.
— Cam
Today: A quick update, followed by more about me and my process-thinking.
“Hell Breaks Loose” is coming together! The first release will be beta, so readers here will be able to become my beta-testers. It will be utilitarian and unrefined. Mostly, a lot of cut and paste. I’ve started adding features so there will be some-few options for tactical choices, but a lot of what happens will be out of the hands of the player. I rely heavily upon random number generation behind the scenes.
Also, I am polishing my work on the first chapter from my Acteon fiction that I am going to post. (Yes, really.) This piece was written… a couple of years ago, I think. (After I post it, I’ll check the dates.)
About me… One of my primary positive personal character traits is that I like starting new projects. Getting inspired and building something is so empowering and uplifting. However, one of my flaws is in dealing with the follow-through. That’s actually one of the reasons I started this blog and paid for the domain name… I want to finish some things!
I figured if I expose myself (however slightly), and give myself some impetus, I might actually work some things to completion. …and that is the tricky word, right there: “completion”. Read more…
Hey, all…
Am I still held to my previous obligation if I was down sick for a few days? 😉
Seriously, I had to stop working on things for a few days because I fell sick with the crud that’s going around. (Stagnant air + major flu/cold = nervous public health officials. Seriously. Oh, and that stagnant air just happened to be FREEZING!)
I did get the chance to read a few articles/blog posts relating to how some programmers work, which I found to be quite enlightening.
One, in particular, “Why Programmers Work At Night” was of great interest because it made so much sense. …and here I thought I was just a night-owl. (…well, I am, but…) It turns out there’s actually good reason for my programming productivity during night hours, compared to day hours.
On the coding-front of HBL, I have been cutting down on the placeholders and making with reasonable text, which I prefer. It’s not hot or sexy but it gets the job done. 🙂
I’m also looking over my fiction so I can pick out which one to post… Just in case.
– Cam
I’m still addressing one of the logic issues with Hell Breaks Loose which came about because I don’t like the idea of being forced into a given path. I jury-rigged an exit-path option, but it was getting too convoluted. I guess the player will just have to use the back-button on their browser. 🙂
Sometimes, simpler is better. Who knew?
So I’m working through the spaghetti-code and undoing all the crazy exit-path code, while trying not to tamper with anything else I’ve shoehorned into place. 😉 Still, LOTS of placeholder text, even though I’m trying to write it out… I have been getting three or four lines into a scene, then dropping in my placeholder markers and moving on to the next.
I’m also looking into ways to make for fewer entries while still keeping lots of flexibility and options. It’s quite the challenge, and I’m having a lot of fun with it.
I did finish Far Cry 3, with most of the Achievements, too… so that’s out of the way. Now, maybe I will be able to stay focused on Game of Slaves and Hell Breaks Loose.
At my current rate of progress, I expect to have something semi-playable posted by the end of the week.
…and by that, I mean “the end of THIS week”.
…and if I miss the deadline, then I will post a chapter of fiction… as a form of penance.
— Cam
When I post to this blog, I get a confirmation screen. On that page, I get a simple quote on the topic of “writing”. Today’s quote strikes me as being so true. (It also gives me more insight into the mind of an author I really respect. …among many.)
The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes. Agatha Christie
It’s hard for me to agree more. I wash dishes by hand, forgoing the dishwasher, because of the “Zen time” I get. There are few non-brain activities that let me make as much progress in my writing and programming.
…and that’s that.
— C
…but I’m still breathing, and so are my game projects.
STATUS:
- Progress through Farcry 3 is progressing nicely. (A holiday gift to myself: blowing people to smithereens.)
- “Hell Breaks Loose” is nearly ready to show WIP (work in progress). I’m putting placeholders where I haven’t had a chance to do actual writing… which is is to say everywhere. 🙂
- “Game of Slaves” game is on hold while I wrap up some of my concept work in HBL (above).
- “Game of Slaves” fiction is slow due to factors above… notably my excellent progress through Farcry 3.
- I’m going to create another blog for my fiction work. I look forward to posting my Acteon side-stories over there. (In truth, I’m scared as hell they won’t be worthy… but I’m going to do it anyway. So there.)
And that should bring you up to date. …mostly.
— C
So it’s early Christmas morning, and I’m enjoying my days off from work. I’ve spend a good portion working on my games. That’s right, games. I now have several projects I’m working on.
I am soon going to post “Hell Breaks Loose”. (If there’s another InterFic project with that name, let me know!)
I have seen several attempts with HTML-based interactive fiction, but I’ve never been pleased with it until I saw a project done in Twine… and I was more than just a little impressed. It makes one HTML file and does all kinds of fun magic. Since it is one file, after the first page loads, all the links are high-speed with almost no load-time noticeable.
Twine is intended to do Choose Your Adventure-style works, but I think it may be possible to make a game with it. I’m finding out.
If it works, I’ll post the in-progress work. …but I must say that describing 50 scenes (even short ones) can be frustratingly boring.
– C
* = I don’t use ‘happy holidays’ as a “PC” way to greet people during this season. I use it because I know how many different holidays there are, in rapid succession. (I celebrate more than one, so I keep things generalized.) So, there ya go. 😉
After several weeks (see my other posts) of serious thought, I came to realize that my primary goal is a wee bit ambitious for my web-app programming skills. (Anyone else surprised?) So, taking this into consideration…
I am pleased to say that I will be working on a side-project to sharpen my skills. (In addition to a few pieces of fiction that are helping me focus on material AND game design.)
This new project is going to have a lot less detail than I want in Game of Slaves, but will give me the umph to see (and show) results from my work and studies.
Keep watching this space for…
Hell Breaks Loose
Thank you,
Cami
Game of Slaves 