I've heard from a few that they're disappointed in my lack of updates but the simple fact is I'm a man of many means and many obligations. Unfortunately I'm eating a lot of them right now, including my book as well. Many work obligations and some personal family stuff have come up. So for the time being this blog is on standby likely for another week until things get caught up.
Once we get back I have a bevy of things I need to do such as:
Review the new EAI weapons pack for Game-Guru
Review the changes in Game-Guru
Update my own project for Game-Guru and release it
Continue my book writing.
Thanks for your patience and see you soon!
Monday, August 27, 2018
Monday, August 6, 2018
This Week in Game-Guru - 8/6/2018
Official Game-Guru News:
Things are really making a lot of progress.
Each week I'd write up my little report and think "well, that was easy". I'd hunt down the 1-2 lines of detail about what is going on, put up some stuff from the store and cover the bases.
Then TGC went to github and we never came back.
There have been a whirlwind of changes done over the past year and honestly if you HAD Game-Guru at one point and dismissed it, we're now safely at a point where I can say you should give it another look over. Literally EVERYTHING is different.
We have dynamic lighting (up to 38 simultaneously, up from 3!).
We have functional PBR.
We have memory issues fixed.
We have modifiable projectiles.
We have quality of life fixes, like needing to press shift-f1/2/3/4 to go to the lightmapper.
We have better weapons systems code.
Almost every single DLC pack has been overhauled.
Seriously, it's a lot to take in. I highly recommend you give it another go, if you have the time.
Full details on the update can be found here: https://www.thegamecreators.com/post/gameguru-launches-monster-update
The big takeaway here is this isn't the first major update in the past year. It's more like the third. Seriously. There's been a lot of changes and appear to be more in store.
What's New In The Store
Recently there was a new kit released, specifically a weapons package.There's very few times when I have to list something as a 'must buy' but you're insane if you don't pick up this kit. This ultra-high quality kit is as good as I've seen for Game-Guru and really amplifies your options for game-making. Some minor changes to the textures and you'll have more than enough to change the game to your liking. Even if you don't, these are superb weapons. Check out the demo reel here:
So yeah, that's pretty much the first 'must buy' thing I've seen in a while and frankly I'm not surprised. I've long maintained that EAI (Errant AI) is the best artist in the Game-Guru community. This new pack sort of underscores that point.
Not that other artists aren't any good - it's just if you are looking for the absolute best of the best in terms of item/set quality items - he has no real equal (especially since his only real competition has moved on).
Speaking of must buys, there are some other really great items this week on the store.
Notably we have another top shelf artist (BSP) who created some fantastic PBR trees. If you absolutely must have the best looking trees possible, accept no substitutes!
We've also got a great city pack from Lafette (whose work has been growing leaps and bounds lately) and a very non-ninja oriented set of NPC turtles. While I can't imagine Gtox is going to see a lot of demand for the turtles, I have no doubt they will be of the same high quality as most of his creatures are.
Random Acts of Creativity
I want you all to know that what follows here is.. unusual for me. I go out of my way to not ever be derisive or condescending but seriously, this can't be helped.
In literally one of the most baffling things I've ever seen, there's something for sale on the TGC store that.. I don't know what it is.
Seriously.
It's called 'Data Bafticomputer'. It's by a 'Drstewart8klar' though if you google around you'll find he goes by drstewart2klar, 4klar, etc etc.. there's a million aliases. You also find two books on smashwords.com which are of .. questionable english usage. I mean I found a read-along on youtube and I literally lost all understanding of what the hell was going on. My inner Gordon Ramsey is standing around asking "What the $@%! is this pile of *** ****?"
So yeah. I think this qualifies, probably, as an act of creativity. I guess. I mean it's got some pretty fantastic ms paint art... it's marked as 'adult content' but there's nothing even indicating why or what this is... and yeah. I mean this is a train wreck spaghetti-plate disaster. It's worth looking at, if only as a cautionary tale as to how not to release a game.
So in a more meaningful set of reviews - Bugsy appears that he's done with Direct Action 2! Looks great. His minimalist "high speed low drag" approach to game design is worth taking a peek at - he is a ruthlessly efficient developer and while it's not for everyone it has some serious purpose behind it. Moreover the cutscene work is pretty impressive, considering the limitations of the engine.
Youtube video of his work can be found here (Don't want to bog down the page with more than one video, sorry!)
Another super interesting one (to me, at least) is Bod (you know, the super prolific free-stuff guy) is making a game and model pack. It's a different style but honestly I'm ok with that - I like seeing the variety in people's artistic visions. This medieval style game has promise. As it is refined it should really clean up well.
 |
| A very Bod-style game, interesting to see it all put together! |
Tutorials and Third Party Programs
With a lot of third party programs being integrated into the core build due to it being accessible via Github, we have a lot of potential loss for this particular section. There was a great article a few weeks back that if you map over Game-Guru's development, it takes a very similar tract.
https://medium.com/@eigenbom/how-to-take-7-years-to-ship-a-beta-4fcfc2428d88
Of course, that's all mute now because we're seeing real progress now that the engine's been opened up.
In My Own Works
<REDACTED>
There's a lot going on right now. Keep your eyes peeled for an old project I never released to make the light of day. Some interesting code, for sure. A while ago I uncovered/developed a really impressive algorithm for creating certain randomization within Lua.
I think it's about time I showcase them! Also, as an aside my complete time day and weather kit, along with all skies package is on sale at 14.95 this week!
Monday, July 23, 2018
This Week in Game-Guru - 07/23/2018
In an effort to keep things brief but functional here at the blog I'm going to rattle through some of the newest offerings as quickly as I can here.
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.
And also there was a teaser info drop on the forthcoming update:
"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!
Still, tthe improved atmospherics are really great and making this move towards a reasonably capable shooter game.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
Monday, July 16, 2018
This Week in Game-Guru - 7/16/2018
I'll be the first to admit I've been overwhelmed by life and a bit burned out on Game-Guru. This has coupled to a sort of fallout with doing this blog, which I will have to start making some changes to to make it more functional from my standpoint. At least, in the near term.
I will try dropping the 'whats new in the store' as this section alone takes inordinate amounts of time for this blog.
https://www.thegamecreators.com/post/gameguru-mega-pack-1-dlc-updated-3
Game-Guru continues their march forward with Github-powered updates. It's producing a lot more over this last year than it's done in the last 4 or so, so it's a lot to keep up with. The latest batch of updates resolved the following:
"Back in the main product, we continue to improve existing features as much as adding new ones, specifically an improvement to the depth buffer which controls the fidelity of visuals when viewing objects at a distance. In the previous update, some camera distance settings could lower the resolution of the depth buffer causing z-artifacts, which has now been solved by a higher quality depth map.
We'll continue to upgrade more entities to PBR assets in the background, and in the meantime, if you want to get your hands on the GameGuru Mega Pack 1 DLC, it's currently on promotion right now:"
However in addition to materials updates for existing 'mega packs' and the addition of a new construction pack, there's also engine-based updates which are pretty regular now. I wish they'd produce patch notes, however, to help make my job curating it a bit easier as there's simply too much to follow at any given time.
Regardless, it's still coming along nicely.
There's also this gem: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219846
With Preben adding some very big updates to the lighting system. I've also heard that others are adding 'panther AI' to the game engine as well.
More seriously though this is the most stand-out item of the last few weeks - pasquill's shipping containers set. Very well priced, very high quality.
For four dollars, you can't beat that.
Also - I've updated the pricing on my own store items, significantly reducing MANY of the cost of packs as they stand. Some are down 15-75% in cost. Check out the packs here today!
https://www.tgcstore.net/artist/190502/packs
Notably I found this awesome addition: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219812
A free gun, by Bugsy! Really awesome stuff.
Ok so.. yeah. This one I'll circle back to. There's literally too much to go over and I've already spent hours aggregating a lot of this information.
Some new games have been released. It's nice to see DK productions re-working Hunted: A Step too far along with some hush hush stuff I was given some early teasers on.
Bugsy's been especially active lately, with a lot of testing and updates: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219234?page=2
Check out that skyline!
A cartoony western by Slaur3n - https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/217684
Ehhhhh. Don't make me talk about this. I'm obviously lagging on this. But mostly I need to get off my ass and start working on work-related things for Game-Guru.
I will try dropping the 'whats new in the store' as this section alone takes inordinate amounts of time for this blog.
Game-Guru Official News:
https://www.thegamecreators.com/post/gameguru-mega-pack-1-dlc-updated-3
Game-Guru continues their march forward with Github-powered updates. It's producing a lot more over this last year than it's done in the last 4 or so, so it's a lot to keep up with. The latest batch of updates resolved the following:
"Back in the main product, we continue to improve existing features as much as adding new ones, specifically an improvement to the depth buffer which controls the fidelity of visuals when viewing objects at a distance. In the previous update, some camera distance settings could lower the resolution of the depth buffer causing z-artifacts, which has now been solved by a higher quality depth map.
We'll continue to upgrade more entities to PBR assets in the background, and in the meantime, if you want to get your hands on the GameGuru Mega Pack 1 DLC, it's currently on promotion right now:"
However in addition to materials updates for existing 'mega packs' and the addition of a new construction pack, there's also engine-based updates which are pretty regular now. I wish they'd produce patch notes, however, to help make my job curating it a bit easier as there's simply too much to follow at any given time.
Regardless, it's still coming along nicely.
There's also this gem: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219846
With Preben adding some very big updates to the lighting system. I've also heard that others are adding 'panther AI' to the game engine as well.
What's new in the store:
Check it for yourself this week :PMore seriously though this is the most stand-out item of the last few weeks - pasquill's shipping containers set. Very well priced, very high quality.
Also - I've updated the pricing on my own store items, significantly reducing MANY of the cost of packs as they stand. Some are down 15-75% in cost. Check out the packs here today!
https://www.tgcstore.net/artist/190502/packs
FREE STUFF
Notably I found this awesome addition: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219812
A free gun, by Bugsy! Really awesome stuff.
THIRD PARTY PROGRAMS
Ok so.. yeah. This one I'll circle back to. There's literally too much to go over and I've already spent hours aggregating a lot of this information.
RANDOM ACTS OF CREATIVITY
Some new games have been released. It's nice to see DK productions re-working Hunted: A Step too far along with some hush hush stuff I was given some early teasers on.
Bugsy's been especially active lately, with a lot of testing and updates: https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/219234?page=2
Check out that skyline!
A cartoony western by Slaur3n - https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/217684
IN MY OWN WORKS
Ehhhhh. Don't make me talk about this. I'm obviously lagging on this. But mostly I need to get off my ass and start working on work-related things for Game-Guru.
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