Anthony posted a sweet update to his Star Controller blog today! It is none other than a MP3 of Duke Nukem himself, describing why he loves Star Control!

Check it out!

http://digg.com/pc_games/Duke_Nukem_Loves_Star_Control

This week I began my learning of SDL.  My last real C programming experience was back when I first learned it while programming mods for Quake2.  I’ve forgotten quite a bit since then

I’ve also have been spoiled by how user-friendly C# is in comparison.  I spent a whole day trying to get it so I can rotate and scale an image, getting things to compile can be confusing for a newb like me.

So right now, I’m just figuring out how to best port my code over to C++.  This feels alot like starting all over again!

Guess what… Networking is hard! Nothing really new on the UQM:XNA front this week, I have just been studying up on network programming.

I think I know enough to be able to make a basic client/server system, but without client prediction or lag compensation, it would be pretty hard to maneuver in-game. So right now I’m just working on a seperate client/server test, trying to recreate how a game like Quake3 works around lag. Here’s some of the links I’ve been reading.

http://trac.bookofhook.com/bookofhook/trac.cgi/wiki/Quake3Networking

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Lag_Compensation

http://www.flipcode.com/archives/Network_Game_Programming-Issue_07_I_bent_my_Wookie.shtml

Interesting stuff. I dont have a complete grasp on it quite yet but I’m starting to understand more.

Well, thats it for this week!

Oh yeah, the DBP contest (they are giving out free 1 year XNA trial memberships) is ending on TUESDAY. This is your last chance to sign up. Do it if you’re interested in playing the game on your 360. Personally I’m looking past the Xbox360 now and will be focusing on porting the game to SDL after I figure out this networking stuff.
https://www.dreambuildplay.com/main/default.aspx

So this week has been dedicated completely to networking. How goes the networking?

Slow!

So far:

you can connect to another person

assemble your fleet

and spawn in a ship

move it around, laggily

Initally I was hoping to get the game functional just by sending the controller inputs each frame, but its much too slow and would take alot of work to do it properly on top of that.So I dont think it is possible to get the networking fully operational by the September 23rd DBP deadline. I guess that means I can relax then! But hold on, theres a massive list of stuff to do still!

Current order of tasks:

XBOX Live multiplayer // ease the game into a networkable state

Port to SDL? // simpler install process (no .NET / C++ crap to install), ability to go multiplatform (Mac/Linux)

Non-XBOX Live online multiplayer // add internet functionality for everyone who doesn’t have a Creators Club account AND Xbox Live Gold membership (approx. 99.99999% of the internet)

Expanded online multiplayer modes // add something that will hopefully keep people playing

Expanded challenge mode capability // towards being more game level like, rather than simply a big melee battle

Story campaign mode // Hoo boy, after doing all the above, this could just be wishful thinking

O_O

Also, to be clear about the DBP deadline- I am not submitting the game to the contest since its not my game! The end of the DBP contest just means there will be no more free Creators Club memberships, leaving paying for a subscription as the only option to get the game on the xbox.

Builds have been updated again:

• UQM_XNA_Melee.rar / UQM_XNA_Melee-Xbox360.ccgame

New video! No talking, just thought I’d make a new one to accompany the screenshots.

New stuff this week includes:

• a bunch of game optimizing
• GLOW effects
• game takes less than a minute to load on Xbox
  • when I set it to a “release” build, it takes a lot longer to load, so I’m just using the “debug” build

What was the best thing about Killer Instinct? Some might say the super long combos, but for me it was the glow effects! It’s something I wanted to implement for a long time and I finally got around to it.

GLOW!

GLOOWW!!!!

Oh, so the current plan right now is to get XBOX Live multiplayer functioning. I’ve gotta hurry on that so it can be finished before the Dream Build Play contest(aka free XNA memberships) is over! If I can do that, I think it can be news worthy enough to get noticed on game sites and attract some players… Fingers crossed! And please, if you’re interested in playing this game on XBOX Live in the future, sign up for that free XNA membership today before it ends! (Sept 23rd?)