Alot of people have been asking, "hows blockland retail going, whats new blah blah blah" and have been too lazy to check the devlog page, for all of you that didn't know.... here is Badspot's blockland retail and FAQ.....
This is a list of changes in development. These changes do NOT apply to the current version.
Newest changes are at the top.
* Created fxBrickBatcher- buffers brick geometry and renders it all at once using vertex arrays. - performance boost
* Added per-object back face culling for fxBricks instead of per-polygon - performance boost
* Created fxBrick class - Renders bricks of any size using quads instead of .dts models. - performance boost
* Fixed bug with Fullscreen video checkbox
* Integrated anisotropy fix listed here
* High-res shadows turned on for screenshots.
* Hud no longer displayed in screenshots
* Fixed image retraction while mounted.
* Fixed aim correction on new spray can effect.
* Improved spray can effect.
* Upgraded to version 1.3 of the Torque Engine.
* Added access to panorama screenshot function that was already in the engine. Doesn't work very well though.
* Screenshot number is now saved from session to session.
* Added block destruction effect.
* Added Horses. (model by Jack Monohan)
* Tweaked lighting. Fixed block discoloration.
* Changed minimum view distance modifier from 0.5 to 0.1.
* Stopped players from picking up more than one of the same item.
* New map: Slate. Its an 8x8 grid of baseplates floating in space with a neat skybox.
* Fixed bug that caused chain brick destruction to sometimes take a really long time.
* Added bricks: 1x16, 1x4x3Panel, 1x1x5, 1x2x5, 2x2x5girder, flowers
* Player "score" is now the number of blocks they have placed.
* Added console commands: changeMap(); announce(); kickID(); banID();
* Can't put build through terrain or interiors anymore.
* Fixed bug in hammer code that occasionally destroyed entire buildings. (maybe)
* Added console echo when a player attempts to gain admin access.
* Added console echo when a banned player attempts to join.
* Changed version number.
* Improved lamp on Bedroom.
* Fixed window missalignment on Bedroom.
* Added filters to server browser. (dedicated, nopassword, maxping, and mincpu)
* Added map name to server browser.
* Added dedicated/listen column to server browser.
* Added sorting by category to server browser.
* Added total server/player count to server browser.
* Made player list (F2) bigger.
* Players cannot place a brick more than 40 or so units away from their avatar.
* Added RandomBrickColor server pref. Set to "1" makes new bricks a random color instead of gray.
* Added MaxBricksPerSecond server pref. Limits the number of bricks that a player can place in one second. This should defeat lag-inducing build scripts.
* Added BrickLimit server pref. Limits the total number of bricks that can be placed.
* Helmet visor no longer tints your vision in first person.
* Minifig accessories are now part of the player model instead of seperate mounted objects. This improves efficiency and avoids some strange visual effects.
* Improved avatar custimization. There are now a huge number of options.
* Added 1 second respawn delay to stop Self Delete spam.
* Added a 6th inventory slot.
* Added HammerDelayTime server pref. New players must wait at least this number of seconds before they can use the hammer.
* Hammer and spray can are now accessed by the Q and E keys. They are given to players when they spawn and do not take up inventory slots.
FAQ
Q: Who created this game?
A:
I(badspot) created this game by myself using the Torque Engine.
I used Visual Studio 6 for C++ editing and compiling.
I used EditPlus to edit the script files.
Q: Are you going to be selling this game?
A:
Yes. If all goes well, once the game is finished, it will be published through Garage Games. Garage Games uses an online distribution system where you pay via credit card, check, or money order and download the game directly. The system is really quite flexible and you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Q: I donated and now you're going to sell the game? Did you steal my money!?
A:
No. I have recieved $58 in donations which was very encouraging, but the web hosting for this site alone has cost me $215. So I'm not exactly making a profit.
Q: Will there be anymore updates to the free version?
A:
Not for a while. When the retail version is complete there will be a demo of some kind, but I'm not even going to worry about that right now.
Q: Will you be able to mod the retail version?
A:
Yes.
Q: How much will the retail version cost? Will there be a monthly fee?
A:
The game will be priced similarly to other garage games titles. There will be no monthly fee- just pay once and play forever like a normal game.
Q: Will there be a Mac or Linux port?
A:
The final version will be available on Mac and Linux.
And Badspot, any word on release dates or anything of that nature?
