A Little More Progress

Hey guys,

   Very short update today, as I only got an hour before work to do anything! I've modified the file layout a bit. Instead of all menu layouts being saved in a single file, I've saved them each in their own file, so they will run much faster now. Cuts down on the lag when you press a menu button!

More to come!
-Dan

Back With a few Updates!

Hey guys,

   It's been quit a while since my last update, but I've resumed work, and I have a few updates for you! (No pictures, unfortunately.) This will be a short post, and I'll be sure to include pictures in my next update!

New Features:

• Shop appearance has been updated slightly. It's easier to read and a bit less messy.
• Shops now run on a database, rather than being created individually. This means that it will be easier to find different kinds of stores around the world. Instead of each shop having particular items, there will be things like "Potion Shop" which sells certain potions. Some places will still have custom shops, but this way it will be easier to find things you need quickly.
• Inventory Sorting has been implemented. Now, each time you reload your inventory screen, Equipped Items are moved to the top of the list, everything else second, and Empty Slots are moved to the end
• The Enemy System has been updated! Clicking on enemies will run through an equation to calculate damage. This will soon be based on what weapons you have equipped. The enemy's health appears beside his name, and is decremented by your attack. Once the enemy is dead, you can no longer attack him.

   Also, something else of note, I might be adding two more people to my coding team! If that ends up going anywhere, I'll be sure to make a post about it.

That's all for now, but I'm back on the job! I'll post again soon, hopefully.
-Dan

Life...

Hey guys,

   So, as I'm sure you've noticed, I haven't updated in a while. Life has been getting in the way quite a bit lately. With new work assignments and other big things going on in my life, including a move, I've been unable to put in any real time on this project. Fortunately, I will be able to start working on it again in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks,
-Dan

Paving the way!

Hey guys,

    Sorry it's been so long since my last real update! But I'm here today with good news and bad news. The Good news is that I've been hard at work updating QFang quite a bit! The Bad news is that there are almost no visible changes.

    I've spent the last few days working on optimizing my code. Previously, the game sent a total of Six messages per frame (and the game runs at about 60 Frames per Second, meaning about 360 messages per second) to update the player's location, height, appearance, rotation, etc. As of now, I've limited that to Two, meaning that rather than each client sending over 360 messages per second back and forth to the server, it now sends about 120. So, in essence, the game is running approximately 3x Faster than previous! Soon, I will modify the game to send just one message per frame, which will make the game run 6x Faster than previous, but that can wait.

    I've long anticipated working on the enemy system in the game, but I felt it was necessary to get this speed boost before starting so I didn't end up trying to fix a laggy game. Instead, I now have a game that is ready to take on an extra FPS drain. I won't go into the details, but with all of the entities in the game so far, I've cut the messages being sent to the server each frame down in total from about 3,840 to approximately 1,000.

    Oh yeah... and I've added in the game's first enemy:

All he does as of now is sit there. When you click on him, the game will tell you that you clicked on an enemy. Soon, clicking on him will start a combat situation, and he will free roam.

That's all I've got for now. Thanks for reading!

Dan

Back from Hiatus!

Hello all,

    I'm finally home and getting back to work! New Hampshire was lovely, and I had a wonderful time with Sarah! I even got to see a moose close-up!

    I started work today on Enemies and an Equip Weapon system. I also, as you all know, have the framework set up for the Trading System, so that's on the workbench as well, but it's not a priority! I'm also working on coming up with some Basic Items for the release.\

  TO DONATORS THAT PURCHASED AN ITEM:

      Please make a forum account and respond to my "Bought an Item?" thread! This is the only way to redeem your purchase!

    Also, for those of you interested in DONATION INCENTIVES, I've added a new one. Sort of a combo of the first and second. I've also lowered the price of the higher-end ones!

    So, regular-length story short, I'm back, so expect more updates!

Thanks!

Dan

Pre-ALPHA 3.0 has Arrived!

Hey guys!

    The moment you've all been waiting for, or at least the moment I've been waiting for, is finally here after several days of intensive coding! I'm finally ready to announce Pre-ALPHA 3. I decided that for the new version, instead of bombarding you with pictures like I usually do, that I'd make a short video instead. So I'm going to go ahead and talk about a few of the new changes, and then I welcome you all to view my video below!

    First of all, my bug list has been completed. I've taken care of every documented game bug to date! And yes, that includes the "Back to Game" button in the main menu. The Back to Game button is now functional! Speaking of the main menu, I've also added textures for the main menu buttons finally!

    Moving on to game play, I've completely reworked the HUD (Heads Up Display), and changed the inventory a bit. The inventory now displays all four player stats, as well as item modifiers for those stats, which have been fully integrated! It also displays the amount of in-game currency you have! I introduced a currency system called "Fangs". I'm not sure if that name will be temporary yet, but for now, I like it! I've also created an item type that can hurt the player, such as poison. I'm not sure what this will lead to in the future, but I created it with the intent of it becoming a weapon. You will also notice in the inventory screen that there is a "Drop Item" button now. The purpose of this is so you can delete items from your inventory. You'll also notice that the "Unequip" and "Use" buttons are now the same. It switches between one and the other depending on what item is selected!

    I've also added a new quest type called "Courier". Essentially, the point is to bring an item from person A to person B. The item is designated a "Quest Item", which means it cannot be used, worn, or dropped. Another addition to quests you may see are quest rewards! You can now get Fangs (money), EXP, or Items as prizes from quests!

    But why do you need money, you may ask? Well, I've also created a shop system. Some NPCs now own shops. You can talk to them to view their shop and buy anything they may be offering.

    Aside from all these big changes, I've also gone through and begun optimizing my code. One large fix was discovered by the lovely Sarah, regarding my HP system. So many thanks to her! The game is running more smoothly, reliably, and interactively as ever. (Is that a proper use of "interactively"? Probably not.)

    Before I release you to see the new game play video, for those of you interested, I have come up with a whole new set of Donation Incentives, so...

Check the Donation Box for a list of new Donation Incentives!

    I'm getting very close to needing cash to hire professionals to help me with models and pictures!

Thanks for all your support guys! Sorry for the wall of text! Enjoy the video:

(I recommend watching in 720p or 1080p!)

- Dan

Some New Items

Hey guys!

    Still not quite ready to post detailed things yet, but I figured I'd post some of the new items I've been working with! Unsure if these will appear in the release, but they're here for the moment!

(This first one's just a new image!)

A few little hints at some of my unannounced updates! Enjoy!

- Dan