20th Blog!

Which means Jason and I have put at least 30 work days into Wanderlust this month (between the two of us)!

As for Chapter 2:
* Monsters are coded
* Overworld Map is coded
* A new award is coded (finished this overnight)
* A few more surprises are coded (can't say what)

I still need to code a couple more items, but then I can actually get going on populating the chapter rooms with objects and coding the necessary cinematics. We're very close now, with a possible release this upcoming weekend (if school doesn't throw a few curveballs at me)!

Hang in there, guys!

Some nice touches...

We're getting started on Chapter 2 now. First step, add life to Wanderlust.

I added (with Jason's help) some new clouds into the game's outside rooms, to help give some much needed depth to the presentation. Along with these clouds, I added birds.

The birds will sometimes land on spots in the map, and fly off if you get too close!

Here's a preview of what's to come...

Heres a video showing the birds and cloud system in action. Please note, the jumps in the video is due to me cutting the blank parts of the video, enjoy:

Monsters!

Last night I finished coding the monsters needed for Chapter 2, though they will need a bit more testing to iron out the bugs.

Now I can get started coding the chapter spawns and cinemas. Should be done sometime later this week (since I start school tomorrow). Woot! Hang in there!

Chapter 3 Ahoy!

So today I finished all the art needed for Chapter 3, which took a lot less time than I expected. I tried my best to make the game unique, adding unique touches to certain areas in the chapter. I think I can speak for the team, when I say that you guys will be surprised what we have coming in the near future!

It sure is a blast fighting the new baddies that Matt has been working his butt off to get in the game, and only 1 more remains before we can finalize Chapter 2.

Also, there are around 30 maps so far in the game, and that number will greatly increase with further Chapters.

Until next time!

Rushing to beat School!

I start school next monday, so Jason and I are both hard at work trying to get Chapter 2 done.

I finished coding all (but one) of the monsters, and fixed a variety of bugs in the process. I should be able to start setting up the cinematics and debugging the chapter this weekend (for a release next week).

Jason continues to work on Chapter 3, while providing me with some art bits for Chapter 2 whenever I need something extra. He has nearly completed all the maps for Chapter 3, and then he'll have to draw up a monster (or two) for it.

We've got quite a few surprises in store for everyone. If you think you saw everything there was to the game in Chapter 1, you are sorely mistaken. In fact, Chapter 1 will be quite different than you remember... =P

Well...

I finished coding the boss tonight. Jason and I had a blast testing him out; he's a lot of fun (and a fun challenge)!

Now I need to start coding the new monsters for chapter 2, and then it's just setting up the cinematics and spawns, and we're done!

I Smell A Wabbit!

So the majority of the day was spent finishing the new town in Chapter 3; it is a small village on the side of a lake. Chapter 3 will be a pretty interesting and intense chapter, and the good news is, I am over half way done with it!

Also, beside the work on Chapter 3, I have created some wildlife animals to fill the woods and plains, to help give the world some 'life'! As well as give the world some life, Matt and I have discussed some new ideas for some visual effects in the game to give it a unique/stylized feel, that we will hopefully be implementing soon.

Enjoy!

Weee Ohhh Weee Ohhh Weee

Well, Jason is hard at work finishing Chapter 3 and showing me up in the process.

Today I fixed up a couple minor bugs with the Overworld Map system and began coding the boss for Chapter 2. We played against him, tonight, but he was pretty buggy (yet playable, as I wrote). Good times.

Time for sleep.

A World To Explore

So today we got the last main feature of the engine. the World Map, completed. Ah, it feels good to have this engine in the bag and on the roll! So with this complete, we are moving on to finishing the chapters up!

As Matt was working with all of that, I was helping him test and working on more maps for Chapter 3.

So without further a due, here goes a video of it (note, some graphic elements are being added as we speak but this is how it will be played):

Heres an updated shot of the added graphical features on the map:

Still workin' it!

I got a majority of the functionality of the World Map done tonight, working offline. Players enter the map through a teleporter, then selects his or her destination and hits enter (player walks to the destination and then warps into that map). It's pretty nifty.

Here's a sneak peek at the opening tutorial cinema in Chapter 2.

Maps, Maps, and more Maps!

So today I spent several hours creating maps for Chapter 3, as well as redoing the mountain texture like I previously stated I would. What a pain that was, but I think it looks better and more detailed now, by far, so it was time well spent!

So in the end, while Matt is coding in Chapter 2, I will be creating/finishing up Chapter 3. All in all, I'd say Chapter 3 is 30% completed ART wise.

Here goes a quick picture of the new rock texture, before and after:

BEFORE:



AFTER:

Cheers!~

Several New Faces

So today I spent most of the productive time testing Chapter 1 and the beginning part of Chapter 2 with Matt, debugging, fixing art bugs, fixing game bugs, etc etc. We have the map changing now, and introduce the first town into the game, Westhaven. When I wasn't bug fixing or testing, I was planning out the maps for Chapter 3 and creating several new faces for random people around the world.

At the moment, Matt is having a cow trying to get the world map feature working correctly, but we shall prevail!

Stay tuned!

An Explosive Victory!

So Matt just got done working on the new explosion effects for the upcoming chapter/characters, and I must say, he deserves mad props. I was a bit rough on him and picky with it, but he came out victorious, kicking my ass in the process.

Kick ass job Matt:
(Note: Sorry for the lag of the video, the video recording program slowed down my computer quite a bit!)

Two Chapters down, Three to go!

So... I finished Chapter 1 today, and since I had finished the Prologue late last year, that makes 2 chapters done (out of 5 for our official demo)! Exciting!

I had some difficulties with the chapter-end cinema for Chapter 1, after Jason requested that I add an additional cinematic event to it... but I was able to figure it out and finalize the chapter.

I also created a nifty explosion effect, for use with our next character class.

Chapter 2, you're next! =)

Making progress...

Well, I stayed up pretty late trying to finish up Chapter 1. I've just got to put some minor touches on the two new cinematics, but other than that (and some internal testing, of course) Chapter 1 is finally complete!

Chapter 2 should be fun! I'm not looking forward to coding the boss character, but he probably won't be too tough. Lots of surprises in store, for everyone!

Goodnight, all.

I <3 Fajitas

So I spent most of my morning/evening finishing up the boss for Chapter 3, and boy is he epic. But the good news is, I finished him faster than I had originally expected. What does that mean exactly? Well, he was the biggest obstacle in the demo to create, art wise, which means I should be able to fly through the map making process a lot faster.

I am wanting to go back and edit some mountain/rock tiles because I am unhappy with the way they turned out. If any of you are curious, I posted a picture awhile back showing a small section of them:

Unfortunately for me, rocks are one of the more pain in the ass tiles to create, but I will manage, even if it costs me some hair!

As an added note, I start school tomorrow, which I am not looking forward to, but this shouldn't delay production because Matt still has enough content to work with.

So until next time!

Back in the saddle, again!

Well, finally we're getting back into the swing of developing the game! Truthfully, we were both really busy with school for the better part of the last semester, but afterwards I was concentrating on family matters and another game project. Now that the bulk of my work is finished on my second project, I'm able to get back on Wanderlust.

Today, I worked on one of two cinematics that will be added into Chapter 1 (to prepare players for the additional Chapter 2 once it's completed). We're not planning on releasing Chapter 1 after I finish it, however... we're going to finish Chapter 2 first.

Jason has already got a head start on Chapter 3, so I have some serious catching-up to do!

Before School Begins!

So school starts for me in two days, so I am trying to get some stuff done. Seeing as how Chapter 2 is finished (map wise and sprite wise), I have decided to work on some other miscellaneous sprites that will be needed in the near future. I manage to get some number sprites for the map change that will display the needed players to warp to another map. Also, I have been concepting a creation for "fun" *wink wink*, so don't expect anything from it hehe! Also please note, Matt will be posting/editing these with his added works to update you on the coding side of things.

Here goes a little something I was "just" messing with, but of course I have to leave it secret:

EDIT: Matt is a party pooper and made me remove it so it wouldn't ruin the surprise, sorry guys haha!

What deadly things could this creature hold, or am I just merely teasing you guys with my boredom!? Only time will tell muahahahaha!

The Blogging Begins!

Hello fellow Wanderlusties and curious folk alike, I have decided to create a development blog to help keep you guys better informed on the development progress Wanderlust is making. It will be slow at times, but Matt and I can only manage to work on Wanderlust in our spare time; small bits and pieces, here and there. Wanderlust is our idea of how an Action Adventure Online 'RPG' should be made, and if any developers for Nintendo DS or Xbox Live happen to stumble onto this, please feel free to hit Matt or I up. So please visit www.wanderlustgame.com to help development of the game by bug testing and just having a good ol' time!

To get this started, yesterday I finished making all of the maps for Chapter 2, as well as some minor NPCs, finished a squishy jello-like creature, and add explosive touches to the game. Matt is working at coding/finishing needed cutscenes to help bring the story and world of Wanderlust to life. As always, we discuss ways we can create certain aspects of the game, while keeping it fresh and new. The engine is nearing the final stages, and by the release of Chapter 4 it should be done (engine wise), then it is all up to us coding cutscenes and making maps/creatures to fill the engine to the brim! I will/should have more updates in the coming hours/days/weeks/months/years to float your boats, that is if I can remember to update this damned thing!

On a final note, I would like to make note that I will try to update this every time we make new development, as well as include some sort of picture, so with that I will throw in a picture that has already been posted on our forums of the reintroduction of the slime:

Deadly and fierce, slimes will come in all sorts of colors, each with their own mysterious goo. Be wary though, for these seemingly weak creatures will leave a sour aftertaste!

Until next time fellow viewers!