Weekly update

I have had some progress lately with the game core of Computers for Sale. I have also started to program the Lego NXT Robot, with Java, using Lejos. And soon I am getting a phidget + a phidget with a LCD screen. So my first task there is to create a menu (with navigation), on the LCD. And I have also got more help from my brother on my projects, so the progress will be faster.

Not much work done lately

I have been very busy with school. I have also been very busy setting up a small LAN 10-20 people. All students live on the school, and some wanted a computer room to play games on, competive and cooperative. There I have also created a local FTP server for the students to download files on. Thus making the broadband connection more accessible for they who want to play games online, and the ping lowers. I have also added a mac filtring with my router, so just some people will have access to the network, and the file server. They who weren't there today to replan the whole room. Will not gain access, and they then can't play with other, or exploit the bandwith to download warez. The broadband is only 7Mbit, so with 100 students downloading warez simultaneously, will make online gaming impossible, therfore I have encrypted the network.

By doing all this work, I actually haven't got any time to programm anything. The game core for Computers for Sale is just about 7% finished. And I will continue with Java, since my developing machine now got Ubuntu 8.04 instead of Windows Vista.

I am also planning to add monthly updates here on my blog, even if I have done nothing.

I also have a web server I am going to configure, and programm a small PHP site, for easy browsing on the FTP server, with categorizing and a simple search function.

HTC Tattoo

I just goto a new smartphone; a HTC Tattoo.
So I am maybe going to develop software / games for that.

Major computer crash

I came home from vacation and booted my computer, got a message that no system disk was inserted. Ok I tought, maybe the cables was loose, no they werent. So my HDD was broken, so was my backup disk, so I have lost all of my projects.

UPDATE: Computers for Sale - Change of language

I have decided to go with Java instead of the C#, thus making it more platform friendly, so it will work with both MAC, Linux/Unix and Windows, and just require Java installed. And then I will maybe port it to MicroJava with some help from my brother.

VERSION UPDATE: BBCode editor

New features:
- More easy selection of color
- Added [font] support with easy selection of font
- Easier to add BBCode via the toolbar



BBCode Editor Release 3

VERSION UPDATE: BBCode editor

I have not added any icons yet, I need to get the permission from the icon creator first, so I can use them in my program.
I have added a toolbar, and a save/load function:

BBCode Editor Release 2

UPDATE: BBCode editor

I am currenlty updating it to support more BBCodes and with a load/save feature, I hope the next version will be finished in the end of the week. In the next version, the new features will be:
- Save/Load feature
- [font] support
- more..

Half Life 2: Thief (WT)

I am announcing a puzzle based project, a mod for Half Life 2, the working title is Half Life 2: Thief. In this mod the player is given an assignment, whether it is to steal something or just scout ahead for his companions.

Sandbox 2 Learning Project

I have recently bought Crysis for my developing computer. I bought it just to use Sandbox 2. So to get started I have chosen to do a small project; A power struggle map, where the objective for the one team is to protect a small base high up in the mountains, the players can travel up/down the river with boat, travel in the forest by foot, or just take a terrain vehicle, and drive up the narrow road on the hillside of the mountain.

A BBCode editor

Download

UPDATE: Computers for Sale

I have decided to scratch that 3D idea, it is just going to take an awful a lot of work. I have started the redesign, so here is two WIP screenshots:

Back to the drawing board

I am planning the whole game from scratch, thinking about using Esenthel Engine to make the game, in 3D. The models will be simple. I am keeping the description so far (at the bottom of this page). I am aiming the game to be more puzzle based: You need to complete several puzzles to build a computer. And then you can sell it, earn money, buy upgrades etc. The puzzles will be harder as more advanced your computer will be.

UPDATE 5: Computers for Sale - LV

After playing the current version now, I have encountered something. The gameplay is way to repetative, so I am redesigning the gameplay to support dialog, with bad / good sort of influence.

With bad influence you can get the criminals (or other) to build a computer for them, or with good influence you can build computers for, ex: The police.

UPDATE: Computers for Sale

I have decided to drop the implented database system in .NET Framework 3.5. Instead I have chosen to use MySQL instead, then it will be easier to port it to Java and other languages. This will be in all versions of Computers for Sale.
I have also decided to drop the editor for now, and just focus on the game design and the game programming.

Bloggurat

I have pinged my blog on Bloggurat, a norwegian blog pinging website. I have also registered my location there.

UPDATE 4: Computers for Sale - LV

I have created a class which can load .NET DLLs dynamically, so soon I will release a version which supports plugins with .NET DLLs. Then a programmer can extend the missions, edit the missions, and the same with the mission computers.

UPDATE 3: Computers for Sale - LV

New version:
v0.1.2.4
Change log:
- More tweaking of the code
- Fixed a mayor bug, where the user could not earn any many after completing a mission.

UPDATE 2: Computers for Sale - LV

New version:
v0.1.2.3
Change log:
- Added 2 new missions
- More tweaking of the code
- Reprogrammed some parts to get it more object orientated.

UPDATE: Computers for Sale - LV

I have a new version ready.

Change log:
- Added 6 new missions
- Some tweak in the code to get it more optimized

Download:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=e23a41265295aeb667cd7f7bd65f7eefe04e75f6e8ebb871

Secret project revealed

The project is related to my main project, Computers for Sale (working title), this project is called Computers for Sale - Light Version. This version of my main project only features the first part of your computer building career, mainly the freelance part where you build computers for yor friends and family members etc.

Screenshot:



I also got a download, but the game is not finished yet. So far this version only got 3 missions and few hardware components.

Download link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=e23a41265295aeb667cd7f7bd65f7eefe04e75f6e8ebb871

Lego Mindstorms NXT robot

With Robotics Developer Studio, I can programme the robot in my favorite language C#.

So far I am learning the theory of just building and planning a building project. My main goal is to make a robot which shoots either paintball bullets or softgun bullets.

Secret Project

I have a small secret project I will announce in the up cominh weeks.
Unlike Computers for Sale this project will not feature an editor.
The goal of this project is to make a small lightweight game which uses under 10MB of system memory and take up under 2MB hard drive space.

Progress report of the Hardware Creator

I managed to get the DropDownList into a DataGridView to work, I just needed to use a DataGridViewComboBoxColumn for that. And the progress is advancing rapedly, so far the progress to the alpha version is:

• Socket (Done)
  
• CPU (Done)
  
• Motherboard
• RAM
• Video Card
• Sound Card
• PSU

Progress report of the Hardware Creator

I am struggling to get a dropdownlistbox in to the DataGridView I am using, but I will find it out as soon as I am more awake than now. The hole Hardware Creator has been redesigned to a more cleaner and more simpler design. As soon as I got these implented I will release an alpha version were you can design your own computer :), this will be only in text and nothing graphical:

• Socket
• CPU
• Motherboard
• RAM
• Video Card
• Sound Card
• PSU

I think I will be done with this in the beginning of August (I know I am slow, but I also got more to do than just programming).

Progress report of the Hardware Creator

You can see the past progress here (stopped updating there):

http://z10.invisionfree.com/pqgames/index.php?showtopic=453

http://z10.invisionfree.com/pqgames/index.php?showtopic=389

So for now on I am going to use this blog for the updates.

The code for the Hardware Creator is coming along fine. I have started to add support for the "Database Connection.dll"(self made) into the editor it self.