Official Game Guru News
On 7/18 a public preview release was unleashed which had a significant amount of updates to it in prep for one of the largest mainstream releases to date. This public preview version features a host of fixes as well as a major lighting overhaul (thank god, bout time!) .
Further details/specifics can be found here:
https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219880
Also there was an announcement that the sci-fi pack got some extra goodies for it.
"In other GameGuru news, we are almost ready to release the next big update, featuring a massive list of additions and changes. The last announcement for the Public Preview build revealed many of these new items, but we have added more to the list since - such as the new ability to append animation data to models and, perhaps even better, add hundreds of dynamic lights into your game scenes. "
Now we're talking!
Third party tools and tutorials
Looks like we have some really great tutorials on the way on using third party utilities to make Game-Guru assets!Random Acts of Creativity
Guns of solo is coming along nicely though I think it needs a good bit more work finishing up visuals and refining textures. The basic textures provide a good starting point but I'd personally touch them up in an editor to ensure they really look the part.
Next we have an interesting update by Tarkus on his vaunted 'Savior' series, with the most recent 'Savior v3'.
It appears he's begun experimenting with various shaders to give a cartoon or smudgy effect to his graphics. This is a good technique for working with the often disparate textures and models we end up with as GG developers but can't be relied on to completely resolve any inconsistencies. Overall his use of clutter is a little much but it's looking good and I'm hopeful he'll complete the project. It so far looks better than most of the stuff out there and I really think he's on the right track with development - most importantly (he is sticking with the development!). This is an often overlooked but crucial part of gamedev that people who are dabbling in game-making often miss - STICK with your projects over years if you want to be able to release anything - but don't be afraid to call it done if it's not perfect so you can move on to your next learning experience/game.
Lastly we see some updates by the Cogwork Chronicles which has added a night zone. This particular change really modifies the dynamic of the quirky but impressive steampunk game and honestly I like the direction it's going.
Personally I think the lighting needs a touch more work to really hammer home the feel but overall it's looking fantastic.
What's new in the Store
Corrosion's back at it with his 'Super Enhanced AI'. I'm... not sure. I mean what he describes sounds like a solid overhaul in the description (from one AI dev to another), but without seeing any ACTUAL video or comparison directly it makes it virtually impossible to actually tell from a buyer's point of view. So Caveat Emptor, friends.I also wanted to mention that I've lowered the prices on ALL of my products going forward. They've been up there for quite some time and I feel it's about time to reflect that as the progress made by others in the community have brought up the overall quality of products on the store. I've brought DOWN my prices to reflect that. So enjoy!
Free Stuff
Sadly the free stuff area has really dwindled down in terms of models/etc. But there's still some stuff out there. Personally I'm not a fan of taking everyone else's cast offs as they learn, but you can still nab some free stuff if you are in dire need. JPH Games has put out a few items for download here:https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219734#msg2603156
Though not to a standard I'd personally use in my projects, it could still find a home so definitely take a look.
More importantly though over on the Lua scripting area, we have several major updated pieces of code that are definitely worth grabbing:
Amenmoses updated Dvader's body code: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219891
Amenmoses (a few weeks ago, I missed it) released a text based sprite library. Really solid stuff, as usual! https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219811
In My Own Works
While the constant updating of Game-Guru has been fantastic from a developer standpoint, it's been HELL from a writer's standpoint. I have entire sections that have to be rewritten, thrown out, or updated. It's been a nightmare in that respect and I'm looking forward to when people are resting on their laurels for a bit so I can catch a moment to breathe. I'll get there though. I just need to wait until a major release and then unload all the writing I can on the book.
