I started this game several years ago. It got interrupted by several things, such as work, moving, getting licensed, finishing another game started previously, moving again, new job, moving again ... You get the picture.
So it's down to the music. I could still refine the UI experience a hundred more times, but I think I just need to get this project done while the time (and winter) is here. And nothing but the music stands in my way. Too bad my piano's 4,000 miles away. Where are you, Live? Actually, I've already started to to take samples and clips from inudge and assemble them in Live with some midi instruments and effects. So far, so good.
I was inspired by a game on Kongregate called Bubbletanks 2. I found it to be very simple, fun, and full of potential, but it fell short and remained a dumbed game. However, it's still one of my favorites on the gaming site.
So I set off early this spring to experiment with some cell evolution simulations in Flash. This evolved into a little demo, which developed into a small addiction that I needed to complete by the 1st of August. A week ago today, on the 30th of July, I posted the results of this project here. Hexcelle (short for hexagon cell evolution) is an online 2d flash shooter / builder.
In a week's time, I've been surprised that the game was so well received. As of this writing, it's been played over 35,000 times and even gets a decent rating despite all the lurking bugs. I am more than satisfied.
Looking ahead, I now focus on two exams: the first is the Fundamentals of Engineering, which I'll take in October. This is an "easy" exam that most engineering students take in college. However, I -- with a relatively untechnical background in architecture -- am at a disadvantage. I get to spend the next several weeks reviewing calculus, limits, electronics, physics, chemistry, and who-knows-what-else. The second exam will be in April, and that shall be for licensure as a Structural Engineer in Illinois. I plan to take a review course for that one over the winter.
And that's a quick update on me. Lollapalooza is this weekend - should be awesome.
And here's a crazy video someone took of Hexcelle's gameplay:
A bit of actionscript to interpolate a point at location 0<=i<=1 along a bezier curve defined by an array of control points, cPoints, of Points (from the flash.geom package):
function getBezierPoint(cPoints:Array, i:Number):Point { if (cPoints.length > 2) { var subCPoints:Array = new Array(); for (var j:Number = 0; j < cPoints.length - 1; j++) { subCPoints.push(Point.interpolate(cPoints[j], cPoints[j+1], 1-i)); } return getBezierPoint(subCPoints, i); } else { return Point.interpolate(cPoints[0], cPoints[1], 1-i); } }
Flash probably has this sort of function built in, but oh well, it's done =)
