The Final Frontier???

So the game development is slooooowly winding down. I think that I'm getting down to the last couple of crashes and bugs. Here's the readme file updates for my last two versions of the game.

Version 1.0.06 (Fri. May 14, 2010)
- Added some text feedback if a user tries to click on a menu option in the main menu, then they are told to press either R, I, or J.
- Data is now in a versioned folder system, so when a change is made the new data will be automatically updated without a user having to refresh their downloaded files.
- Fixed a problem with trigger squares not working on the bottom edges of dungeon rooms.
- Dungeon Shame's main ladder no longer dumps you in the ocean. (whoops)
- Spellcasters now have the correct maximum MANA. (it had been half of what it should have been)

Version 1.0.07 (Tues. May 18, 2010)
- Fixed problem where buying more than 50+ gems or keys would result in 99 gems or keys.
- Party will no longer move if all members are sleeping along with characters who are dead.
- Fixed bug where spellcasters were not getting xp for killing monsters with Tremor.
- Replaced any honor text with honour. (Keeping with the Lord British and Britannia theme.)
- Fixed the Open spell.
- Fixed a problem with dungeon graphics displays where ladders and fields were appearing where they shouldn't.
- Peer in gem, and casting view can no longer be performed while riding in a Balloon. You have to land first.
- Added some code to make the monsters be different on each random spawn.
- Daggers are now ranged weapons that are expended on each use.
- Monsters will now return fire when attacking with a ship's cannon.
- Monsters will attack after being hit by a ship's cannon (if they are right beside the ship).
- Combats no longer overlap when multiple monsters can attack the party at the same time.
- Monsters who died in combat from spell damage no longer get extra attacks.
- Fixed a crash that occurred for ranged monsters fighting when suffering from Jinx.
- Fixed any further possible animation crashes when monster attacks are interrupted by any sort of animation. (hopefully!!)

(whew... I think we're getting there.)

GDC was pretty cool. I saw people that I worked with six or seven years ago, and haven't talked to since then. It looks like I may have a game contract coming up pretty soon, working on a really COOL project! Nothing has been finalized yet... which would be nice to know that everything is going to work out for Jean and my summer. (EI payments stopped coming in as of this week.) But I think everything is going to work out... ya just gotta believe right?!?

My next work on Ultima... will be to turn it into a Facebook application. This way people will be able to log-in from any computer to be able to play their character. Also, I want to create multiple profiles so that you could play the game with a couple of saved characters. I think I'm getting ready to start advertising to the bigger game forums. Assuming that people don't find any BIG CRASHES in the next week or so (please keep emailing me at ultimabugs@phipsisoftware.com if you find anything people) then I will consider the project 'FINALLED'.

Also, there is one famous game critic who I happen to know. I've been waiting for the right moment to namedrop my project to him, but I don't know how he will respond. I think if the project has no serious crashes... then perhaps he might mention my game in something that would be a REAL DRAW to my site. I dunno. Jean seriously wants me to 'use my connections' but I feel like I should let my work 'speak for itself'. BTW: Speaking of getting the word out... somebody mentioned my site on a Korean internet forum. I'm now getting some serious hits from Korea and represents about a quarter of my regular hits on a daily basis. Go figure!?!

I've also had requests to put sound into the game... this is actually pretty easy to do. But I just want to make sure I've got some decent sound clips I can use in the game. I don't know if I want to go back to the 8-bit plonks and pings. People seem to want that... but I'm not convinced. I'm still of mixed minds about it. If I could find a decent library of sounds to use, then I might be more willing to 'make some noise'. ;)

Well that's it for now, I'll keep ya posted on how stuff develops over the next week or two. I've got a buddy who might be able to get me some business grant money to let me continue working on my project (on my own terms). This would be SERIOUSLY COOL!!!! I have an idea about continuing the Ultima 4 prototype to a whole new online role-playing game called mysteriously 'Project Infinity', but I haven't yet written up my complete design yet. But I should be posting something soon on my www.phipsisoftware.com website. (There is a link to this page in my Ultima game on the preloading screen... but the page is basically 'under construction' for the moment.

Cheers everyone and keep travelling,
Blair