Merry Christmas! 2022 Starfighter General development status: Year in Review
Hello,
I've been developing at a break neck speed, crunch with a lifestyle of burning down the house to get more development in.
We're nearing a launch of a very very very fun patch.
We'll have random encounters/leveling/items in!
That alone is very exciting and worth playing, but we have a story line that impresses everyone I tell with great awe.
They tell me this story line is better than the best sci fi movies in their prime, and I agree...
At least, the bar is very low for video game story lines in MMOS so you're gonna have a good time.
The patch after next will star phasing in multiplayer. I chose the lore of a background of infinite dimensions in order to do some awesome behind the scenes things. One of which is partial multiplayer, another is a massive amount of more enemies... The entirety of this game has been built around the core foundation of multiplayer.
Hope you have a Merry Christmas. If I wanted, I could have pushed a patch right now, but we've gone through some game dev philosophy phases. Two employees pledged to come on so I upscoped this patch. Then one demanded my attention help his task, and I actually got side tracked helping his compartmentalized task. Then the employees got flighty and didn't contribute. I did have a lady friend, just a friend partially voice track the Generic Anime Girl Master-Ninja Eschelon encounters, but that as well would be rushed as it isn't finished. I don't want to drop a rush patch on the best patch Starfighter General will see. This will be the first patch that gets you really locked in and having some fun. So I'm shifting game dev philosophy.
Personally I clock as many hours as I can every day, it's impacting my health from a stress level, which I must manage as I developed diabetes and kidney issues. This also contributes to my game dev shift, as I get older, and have so much education, experience, background, I really am mortal like all of you. I have a limited lifespan to make video games. So I should pace myself. Kidney failure would result in me making many less games than I would normally. So the game dev philosophy must change.
Instead of burning down the house to get this game out and crunching, I'm going to develop with a health focused mind set. I'm already to the point where I won't need many techs to add into the game. They're mostly all in! My goal will be to build up my house, those around me and save money to help others now instead of trying to finish my game as fast as possible. This more healthy lifestyle will be condusive to a long term development cycle. Trying to launch into space by burning up the launch pad and everything wasn't a bad plan. This one is better.
In early 2023, expect a very fun patches of encounters, story, drops, multiplayer. I'll try and add some more fun stuff every patch, as I want to data base lots of encounters in the game. Then I'll add the galaxy generated and such. I don't want to break my neck developing, but I will try and make chess moves so each patch is optimally more fun for that particular move...
Again Merry Christmas from the Video Game Monastery. Love's the way. When you get old and grey, if you achieved wisdom, you'll be talking about all the friends you met along the way, not the money, fame, or power. Love's the meaning of life. So I wish you love this Christmas Season.
We'll be chillin in space soon.
,Jim
2022 Development Recap:
Wild year!
#1: We got DOTS/ECS done! This unlocks cores like most every game before never did! 100x as many things rendered on screen. Once we get a player base, we can beat the world record of video game players in a single battle easily.
#2: I launched Rano Particulo a way of making particle effects in Unity easy.
#3: Launched Throne and Crown a Christian game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1811780/Throne_And_Crown/
#4: Had Dungeon Run Black Roost Keep ready to launch, but the IP holder was too discouraged to launch... This is the weirdest tale ever. A team of 5 spends 5 hard years making a masterpiece only to not be launched, see for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpa8C8WuiYw&t=64s
#5: Made half a million pieces of AI art and growing. Starfighter General will have millions.
#6: Added Chat.
#7: Added the Galactic News Network Ticker.
#8: Settings menu wired up.
#9: Got items in.
#10: Crew Creation in.
#11: Random Encounters in
#12: Galaxy Generation pushed forward and warp effects is awesome: https://youtu.be/96cIYun83FE?t=44
#13: 82 screen large talent tree over half way done.
#14: And so much more was done I don't even remember
TL:DR Made 2 games on the side,a major industry impacting particle effect tool, and pushed Starfighter General forward, all while having major health issues, unstable family and living conditions and so broke I could barely afford food at times. 2022 was a phenomenal success and I could not have done it without help from God. So Merry Christmas, and pray I can make 2023 a very fun year where you enjoy Starfighter General the MMORPG in full!
Thank you and God bless,
Jim