GameBrewers: The Future
Sep 26, 2009 at 7:28:36 AM

I have an extensive list of things I want to do with GameBrewers over the next few months, finishing up 2009 and moving into '10. Of course, I can't do all of them, but I can focus on one of them at a time and knock them off the list. Here's a preview:

October: "Smiley Search"

Here we have a little game that was spawned from forum games on the GB forum. A new feature for this game that I've never done before is a global online leaderboard. So for each level you can see your time and how well you rank compared to everyone else. Cool, huh? This is a primer for Exodus Online with database programming. This game should be complete by the end of October.

November: Torch Deluxe update and "Mouse Warrior"

Torch Deluxe is sadly lacking in...playability. In short the levels are too hard. I'm considering simply increasing the time allotted for each level by 50% or something similar, but I simply want to revive the game. Maybe even throw in a leaderboard.

Mouse Warrior, on the other hand, is a community project from the Christian Developers Network. This should be done in November or early December. My position is a HUD/UI programmer, but the game is essentially a 2D platformer, so I can't see myself getting much action...however I will contribute to the game.

December-February: "Dakingru: Heroes"

Dakingru: Heroes is a RTS without the economy. Control a small squad of heroes who are NOT necessarily Dakingrus: Ttarings, robots, and humans are all thrown into the mix. Use their special abilities to defeat hordes of enemies. This game will possibly have a leaderboard too. I hope to have this game fully functional by the beginning of 2010, but the art is a completely different story and could take a couple more months. Plus I have to make a mini-site.

February and beyond: Exodus Online

Yes! Hopefully by February I will be prepared to begin work again on Exodus Online, the project of awesomeness. All it took was one good book on multiplayer game programming (yes, I actually had to spend some money *gasp*) and I now have a good knowledge of C++ networking. Using the book and the MMORPG PlaneShift as templates, I already have a basic network framework as well. Whether or not this game will begin construction in February, it is officially the next project after Dakingru: Heroes. Look for updates to the EO site leading up to the completion of Heroes.

And there's an outline for the next few months. They should be fun and I'll learn a lot, and some good games should come out of it too. One last thing: this is my locked-in timeline. No other games will be inserted into the middle of this. They will go on the end, after/within the timeframe of EO.