Hello everyone, seems like I'm getting to these updates every weekend.

This time around, I've added the replay support.  This allows you to 'record' a game for later playback.  This can be done with local or network games.

Now, I was originally going to make a video showcasing a WIP build of the replay support, but I found out my recording software (GameCam) doesn't work with Game Maker 7.0 and my alternative CamStudio can't record at a decent quality with a good framerate (and no, I'm not downloading fraps)...so, we are stuck with screenshots again.  Which is probably good, because I don't want to kill my bandwidth either ;P

Starting a Replay, showing a net replay:



This is showing the new in-game chat system, which is also saved in replays:

(yes, you can even chat in a local game...for comments or something ;P)

Although not shown in the screenshots, you can speed up or slow down a replay (from 4x to 1/4x speed), you can have the camera follow players by clicking on their name in the party display, or you can just free roam using the WASD keys (or whatever you assign as your directional keys).

And lastly, I've updated the Core again to make it look cooler while at the same time optimizing it.  It now runs (with just the core effect and required modules) at around 24% CPU (the original Core back in my first blog took up 40% cpu).  It also responds to music a bit better (or more correctly, 'shows' it responding to music a bit better).  This will probably be the last time I actually change the core, since I have it where I want it now, so let the screenshots fly.





At this point I have the following things on the todo list:

*Allow advancement to the next wave.
*Allow a player to select skills and update their orb.
*Create all the skills, effects, network code for sync, etc (this is major chunk)
*Create all the baddies, waves and story board (again, another large amount of work)
*Record or find all the sound effects.
*Create the options menu.

Obviously, that's really condensing the required work, but I'm glad 'create multiplayer support' and 'create replay support' are now off my list.  The engine is also pretty much complete, minus the skills and wave advancement.  My goal is by next update to have the first 2 points complete...and maybe the options menu.  I already got most of this down on paper, so it's just moving it from there to code.

Will I hit my birthday deadline?  More than likely not, but I'm going to still try and shoot for it.  If I can keep up this pace, I should easily have a fully working demo.

Bonus shots:




Until next time,
~Brandon

It's exciting to note your technical expertise is being focussed on developing game. I mean, it's just you've done so many wonderful things, but out of those, I don't recall many being games.



I love the lighting and spirals and alphas. The thought of a shooter having RPG elements sounds like a brilliant mix. Looking forward to this. =)

I like the additive blending. :P

Your previous blog didn't tell much about CORE either, so I guess it'll be a nice surprise, especially now with eye candy and multiplayer.

Pretty...

I never really announced my WIP's, which is why you don't recall many.  I'm just glad I finally got a game idea I know I can stick with.  Tri-AnTi was with me for a long time, but I finally let it go because I kept trying to put online multiplayer elements into it that the original design never had, which is why I eventually dropped that.  With the amount of work I've put into CORE, I don't plan to let this go anytime soon.

Same here.  CORE (this version of it) is a collection of many ideas I've had in the past but this time, put into the same game.  Parts of Tri-AnTi (control systems, audio engine, programming design, replay support), Radar Operations (graphical presentation/design, RTS mechanics), Elemental Legerdemain (skills, stat based setups), and the original Core (story, gameplay) are all in here.  So of all the games I've made, this one will showcase a small portion of each of my previous works.  Lets hope it all works out as it does on paper ;)

Ya know, you just reminded me that I forgot to put a spot in for credits!  I better add that to the main or options menu.  (For everyone else, you can thank Srehpog for the design of the Core in a technical respect.  If he wouldn't have pointed out blend modes to me, I would probably still be using the old Core visual design.  Once he reminded me of blend modes, I completely redesigned it from scratch to use them, along with everything else that is 'energy' or 'light' based.)

It's kinda hard to explain the game, which is why I haven't gone into huge detail about it.  Essentially, it's a defender game (where you defend the central core from an onslaught of enemies).  Mix in some RPG elements like parties, skills and stats, and you got yourself CORE.  This is why I am spending a lot of time trying to get the multiplayer right.  Because without that, the game just isn't as good (sure, there will be solo builds you can run, but you may have a tougher climb on later levels then parties of 5 would have).

Thanks.  I'm a terrible graphic artist, but a decent programmer.  So, I decided to use my programming skills to make the art for me ;).

~Brandon

JakeX approves of rediculously pretty effects in lieu of actual sprites and such.