2022/06/10

Montgolfier: Finally a Foundation

About one month in, and there's finally a rough foundation to a game. The mechanics and physics of the environment and ballon feel correct (although difficult at times), there's a map from which to plan a journey, and the islands from the previous update are sprinkled with some biomass and, most importantly, resources to be collected into a cargo area then used when needed. Here's a collage of in-game screenshots.

Much has transpired since the last update:

• Started a map path planning feature

• Sun and moon with phases

• Animation of resource collection and use

• Revamped some balloon graphics and shape

• Gold and diamonds deposits for credits (pickup and immediately use for credits for now)

• Added two varieties of bushes, these are just decoration

• Added pine trees, less fuel but same weight as oak

• Credits being tracked

• Added several new resources: coal, gold, diamonds, loot, repair kits

• Improved performance (2m tris to 100k) - Unity is terrible at outlining sprites

• Improved day/night lighting

• Spawn in the center most island

• Map system with winds, markers for unexplored, visible where previously landed

• Resource collection and cargo use (trees with mass and fuel)

• Observer pattern refactoring

• Added a velocity gauge, showing linear and angular components, likely damage

• "Hard to read the wind" in the fog

• Cargo class structures"

• Initial cargo and resource assets and structure

• Refactor input with "new" system

• Tree generation

"Marketing" is not fun. I started posting, and making update media, and I've learned that this takes a lot of time. Although it takes time away from making progress on the game, it gives me some time to think about ideas, and to take a break from Unity.