[asgromo]

[asgromo]

[asgromo]

[Lachesis]

Bfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

I like the buildings in the cemetary a lot, they're my very favorite part of that screenshot.

[asgromo]

PAT

- interface
  - one-line title bar
  - maximum three vertical interface panes
  - arrow-pad-only navigation
  - pane 1: persistent left-hand vertical dock-style toolbar with a button for each application
    - mail
      - two-pane mail reader
        - left pane: chronologically ordered sender and subject listing
        - right pane: mail text
    - local news and weather
      - upper 20%: static non-interactive 5-day weather forecast
      - lower 80%: two-pane news reader
        - left pane: chronologically ordered article title list
        - right pane: article text
    - conversation log (personal)
      - two-pane conversation log
        - left pane: chronologically ordered sender and first words excerpt listing
        - right pane: conversation body
          - up and down flip through one message at a time, zooming into current message to display sender mugshot
    - to-do (personal)
      - one-pane, two-window outline-form objectives sheet
        - opening to-do displays active tasks
          - yellow background color
          - right arrow pans to completed/inactive tasks
            - blue background color
            - left arrow pans back to active tasks
    - inventory (personal)
      - two-pane inventory list
        - left pane: alphabetically ordered item name listing
        - right pane: item image and description

[asgromo]

[TONES]
There was an explosion at West Tower about an hour ago, shortly after you left from what I can tell. Apparently the government is, quote, aware of an unhindered foreign terrorist threat still within city limits, end quote, who caused the explosion. They haven't posted photos or a description, though. But the news says they're letting out the robot cops.

[EXOPHASE]
Interesting. Thank you for letting me know. So, the Active Denial Systems...?

[TONES]
Yeah, that was the second piece of bad news. They've gone online. The first one is at the canal bridge north of you. Your mission hasn't changed, but sabotage will be significantly more difficult now that they're enabled.

[EXOPHASE]
It's true that this doesn't compromise the mission as contracted. You've spoken to Terryn already?

[TONES]
No, that was going to be my second call. I'm glad to know you're still on board.

[EXOPHASE]
That's not my choice to make once I'm in the field. From now on make it your first call. Don't get me wrong, though. The information is appreciated.

[TONES]
Fine, fine. One more thing, Exo. I understand you don't pack any hardware other than the earpiece, is that right? Chief of Staff Anthony Santino made the announcement live a few minutes ago. If you can find a Public Access Terminal you can see it. Ridge City is loaded with them.

[EXOPHASE]
I'll keep that in mind. Exophase out.

[asgromo]

Updated the original post.

[asgromo]

def. introducing the shittiest screenshot ever:

[asgromo]

this:

was going to be more complete but i was obligated to a "Shower Appointment" instead

[NoahSoft]

It looks REALLY good.

[asgromo]

This is where i lay out the game world:

[asgromo]

Ugh don't wanna make this town "Lyncourt" so much that i can barely fill this out

My key inspirations for Lyncourt in fiction are the prodigious background paintings in Serial Experiments Lain of power lines and transformers and stuff. It is hard to depict a modestly retrofitted future version of now in MegaZeux.

[asgromo]

I used a spreadsheet to plan this thing world, probably more trouble than it was worth, particularly when i switched from Excel to Numbers :<

[Dr Lancer-X]

I'm using Libreoffice Calc, but more for calculating tables of things so I can map how things like experience, stat gains as well as probability curves look. Calc is occasionally useful for data, though, because I can export CSV and load that into Weka and use it as training data for classifiers and stuff.

I use a pen and notepad for planning >_>

[Lachesis]

I use the Menu/Game Over boards in my MZX file and usually a file I have open in Notepad/Notepad++/SciTE

Important games like End Sky (canceled) and Tiamat (canceled) and Oizys II (planned but vaporwared because Oizys was the laughingstock of its own release thread) might even get written on paper!

[Dr Lancer-X]

Lachesis, on 05 May 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

Tiamat (canceled)

you mean stalled right?
please tell me you mean stalled

[Lachesis]

Lancer-X, on 04 May 2012 - 10:49 PM, said:

you mean stalled right?
please tell me you mean stalled

The deal is there was no way I can finish that thing by myself, which I realized belatedly after I compiled a list of BGs I'd need for the first 1/4 of the game (like 70 IIRC), not including character graphics, and I failed to recruit any suckers artists in my journal to draw them for me. I was also having trouble getting the converter looking as good as I wanted. I'd like to continue it eventually but honestly...

I've already stolen an .IT from it and considered lifting some other elements for the main project I'm focused on right now but I don't know how far I want to go through with that in case I pick Tiamat up again.

[asgromo]

I have been writing the game and planning engines and mechanics in Workflowy, a pretty decent outliner. I like outliners. A few years back when i didn't have full-time job pressure on top of crippling insecurities and failure i used RIOT (Is Not an Outliner (Tee Hee)) to compile text of all sorts and record everything anyone in the MZX community ever did. Workflowy has some traits that make it good like RIOT was, but unfortunately it's a web app and isn't very powerful and unlimited use is $5 a month. Probably going to stray away from outliners in the future because they're just, uh, kind of not very useful when you have actually complicated things to deal with! Note: I am on a train, they have wifi on trains now.

[asgromo]

Player is obstructed by three devices

What do people do for a good still water visual? Some time ago i tried randomly plotting highlighted pixels but it looked like shit, SHIT. Then, in the same vein, i tried reading about Perlin and other natural noise but that seemed like all kinds of overkill. I GUESS i could play with a short full scene animation loop, of course, but f****** me if i can make it look good.

[asgromo]

[EXOPHASE]
What else do you know? And your Mondo Head contact? What does he know?

[TONES]
I don't know about the automated defenses in that room. And your steps haven't matched the publicly available blueprints. That floor's plan is, you see, unique to the building. The Mondo Head contact is light on details.

[EXOPHASE]
OK. Thanks. That will be all. Acquiring your macguffin ASAP.

[EXOPHASE]
Terryn, come in.


(filler Terryn mugshot)
[TERRYN]
What's up, Exophase?

[EXOPHASE]
I'd appreciate hearing it from you if my C.O.-of-the-day knows nothing.

[TERRYN]
You're correct that he's mainly ignorant, and not reticent. Not to worry, Exophase. Every moment witnessed! Hold steady for now. His outfit is well-funded and we're lining you up for a full day's work on his project.

[EXOPHASE]
The Old Fellows showing an interest?

[TERRYN]
Oh, yes, they are chattering.

[EXOPHASE]
OK. What is the artifact, by the way?

[TERRYN]
We don't know. Good luck with extraction. Terryn out.

[Dr Lancer-X]

asgromo, on 08 May 2012 - 12:56 PM, said:

What do people do for a good still water visual?

Draw a water texture (a sort of scaly texture tends to work pretty well, play around) and scroll char it left and right a couple of pixels to make it 'shimmer'. If you use multiple chars for a bit of variety, make sure you've got them in a pattern and be careful with your edits so that you can still scroll it as you need to without breaking it.

[asgromo]

Kind of sad from a news coverage point of view that if we ever decide a tank with two legs is a good idea, we'll probably be past the point where it makes sense to put people inside.

[Seventh Shade]

Anything with articulated joints (dust + more moving parts = bad) that puts ground pressure on a small area (tires get stuck for the same reason which is why tanks use treads) isn't a good idea. Plus, bipeds get knocked down whereas tanks don't. It looks cool, though!

[asgromo]

Alice
aka. "Gun Bitch", "President L"
Sex: F
Age: 32
Unlicensed cybernetic augmentation suspected. Deadly risk. Do not engage. Operates "the mafia", local chapter executive. Previously under investigation in three unrelated homicides worldwide. Skilled martial artist, sharpshooter, and musician. Rated third most powerful citizen by Ridge City Business Journal, 20XX.

[Lachesis]

that portrait kinda sux : (

Sounds cool though. Keep on truckin'!

[Dr Lancer-X]

Lachesis, on 10 May 2012 - 03:22 PM, said:

that portrait kinda sux : (

here's a better one

[asgromo]

Lachesis, on 10 May 2012 - 01:22 AM, said:

that portrait kinda sux : (

Sounds cool though. Keep on truckin'!

Feel free to make a better one, shit took me like forty fribbling minutes and a reasonable amount of tuning, but only because GIMP is failing to entirely work... Not to mention all your photos are dark and blurry!

[asgromo]

I couldn't finish this goddamn plan quickly because i fret too much about how much backtracking there should be in this part

[asgromo]

ALL SHOPPING MALLS COME TO AN END

[Lachesis]

I hope there's some stores in your shopping mall, otherwise I will be sad