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Continuing the feature series.. Next up is something really powerful that will open whole new worlds of possibilities for you tinkerers and modders out there: There is now an in-game console that enables so much control of the engine that it’s almost scary.
Thanks to the Swedish geniuses at Rasterbar (recommended to us by Klei), we have managed to expose almost all of our internal classes and interfaces to the Lua environment now running in the system. This will eventually mean that some of you will literally be able to create entire new games with the Cortex Command engine by writing elaborate Lua scripts in addition to the content mods and addons you have been limited to so far.
Even if you’re not so ambitious, it’s still fun to play around in the console. Like making a guy instantly fly at 100 m/s to the right –>>
Documentation of all the commands and interfaces will eventually appear in the Data Realms Wiki, so you can easily harness this new power that has been unleashed!
Contrary to (understandable) popular belief, we are toiling away on the next build. I’ll try to get a series of posts going, each talking about a new feature or fix already completed for the upcoming version.
Today’s featured… uh, feature is: sticky particles! Yes, now some of the spray from the concrete gun actually stick to walls and ceilings, as well as blood splashes, etc.
This enables you to reinforce tunnels and caverns you’ve dug in the bare dirt. Just spray some concrete up on the walls and it will set into much harder material to make intrusions difficult for your enemies!
As some of you have undoubtedly noticed, we just revealed a completely new version of the Data Realms official website! The new design is courtesy of Michael Heald of Fully Illustrated, who quite clearly did a bang-up job!
There is still more work in store for the site in general, specifically some cleaning up of the forums and dev log – and I don’t just mean the design.. we’re going to be cracking down on flaming and general BS in the comments and threads of both places.
Also – finally – there’s a proper page for Cortex Command itself, which we will be adding more content to as well. Hopefully it will give visitors a better idea of what we’re shooting for with the game than having to decipher an incomplete demo. You can expect a “coming features” section or high level to-do list of some kind soon!
UPDATE: The new flash banner is up now too, for extra wow effect 🙂
UPDATE2: Flash banner’s effects have been greatly improved!
We are proud to report that Cortex Command was chosen to be the inaugural game on IndieGames.com‘s new Game of the Month feature! Head over to the feature page for some juicy new concept art and explanations of the game’s setting and story:
In other news: Sorry there has been a bit of a gap in updates and activity. There were a series of IRL distractions, but we are back on track and the exciting times will definitely be picking up again!
I’m at GDC again, despite having been sick with fever etc in the beginning of the week. Getting lots of inspiration for the game and meeting many new and old friends in and out of the indie gamedev scene. It’s a great time, as you can see here.
UPDATE: Home again. Final update to the photos above has been done, so there’s more stuff at the end. Back to work tomorrow!
After most of a month of recurring fevers and aches, it turns out I’ve probably got viral meningitis. It could have been much much worse (bacterial version), but it still hasn’t been good for productivity.
However, we are working on things that should improve Cortex Command in a couple of big ways over the next several builds:
Lua scripting. We are finally starting to integrate proper scripting into the engine. At first, it will only handle game logic for scenes, so scenarios and events during missions can easily be set up in external script files and not be hardcoded. Eventually, we hope to expose AI and other actor behaviors as well, so you can literally make your own AI modes – with control all the way down to how the AI guys look, aim, and shoot.
The current data (.ini) files will still be left intact, and the script files are just to be added and referred to by the object definitions in those existing data files.
Completely new license scheme. No more asking us to reset keys when you forget to unregister before reformatting your computer. You’ll be able to do it yourself. Also, we will be offering new methods of payment, which hopefully will better accommodate folks in countries with weaker currencies and less access to credit cards.
Don’t worry, we will make sure that all current license owners will have an extremely easy time transferring their keys to the new system when we roll it out.
That’s all for now, heading back to bed.
Build 20 is out! Lots of fun explosive stuff in here: proper detonation effects for all the ships, including the rocket!
Other improvements:
- Mods (.rte folders) can now be loaded in the trial version, and little more time allowed for skirmishes too
- Sound looping bugs fixed, diggers and engines won’t sound after they are destroyed or the AI uses them etc
- Various graphical bugs with lines in the background etc on reset fixed
- TDExplosives now work properly, the flak cannon’s projectiles always detonate, for example
- Various bugs with legs not behaving properly, like the crab tucking etc
- New experimental shock absorbing legs on the rocket. Needs some more work 🙂
- Many more small improvements and tweaks
(Although you do NOT need build 19 to install this!)
