Status Update #1

I have been working hard. Recently it has been mostly on back-end framework code, so not something I can easily show off. Things like improving how the game saves all the data it generates and changing how it manages the state of the game. But I wanted to post an update on my progress.

I updated the roadmap with a general idea of what I have planned for each version (subject to change, of course). It is very tempting to get distracted working on some of the more exciting features I want, but it is important that the first version be a stable foundation I can build off of.

What’s Finished

• opengl framework - framework for drawing the game and handling touch input
• save game format - save, load, and upgrade versioned data files
• opening animation - initial game intro and loading screens
• galaxy, sector, stars, planets - generates piece by piece as you explore
• terrain generation - initial basic generation that will be enhanced in the future
• scan & travel - ability to scan stars and planets, reveal information, and travel to them

What’s Left

• beta message - disclaimer that the game is in development
• character assets - initial character and animation graphics
• terrain assets - terrain tile graphics for each of the initial planet types
• terrain interface - interface for exploring and mapping the surface of planets
• data file optimization - refactor save data to be smaller and faster
• package & release - package everything up to release as the first version

Code is close to being finished for the terrain interface and data file optimization. After which I have several missing graphical assets to draw. Then a few things to clean up and I’ll be ready to release the first version!

There won’t be a ton to do in the first version, but it’ll be the foundation I need to build the game I really want.