I lost the source code from the final versions of Grid Assault and Thrust Xtreme.

It happened last week. After re-installing the Windows OS on my hobby machine, I also had to physically move the PC to the bedroom we’ve been redecorating these past few days. This bedroom is now my new hobby room, containing my stereo set, guitars and personal administration.

Because of the OS reinstall, my source code was temporarly saved onto a USB drive. While moving the hardware to the new room the disk fell from my hands, down the stairs onto the tiled floor. Smashed to bits…Now I hear you cry: “dude, where is your backup?” While I have some CD’s laying around containing source code from the past, the last version is not on there. I thought it  was on there, but it isn’t.

Luckily, my laptop contained the latest versions of Trapped! and all its media files. It also contains some pre 1.1 versions of Thrust Xtreme. Grid Assault source code is however not on there. So all is not lost but the final version is, which is a shame. I wanted to add the new scrolling technique I created for Trapped! to it to make it scroll smoother, but that I am afraid will not happen now.

While there is no impact on the development of Trapped! I feel sad that the source for the games and nice editors is gone. I will plough through the pre-final versions of the code to see what’s final and what is not but man, was I depressed these last few days.

On top of that, my son had to go to the hospital to get surgery. These last few days have been taxing but we made it. There have been nice developments around here as well though. I recently bought a bare bones PS3 to start viewing blu-ray movies on my 106cm plasma, and boy, is that awesome to watch. I got Hellboy and Blade Runner last weekend and they’re an absolute pleasure to look at. Here’s hoping for a quick Lord of the Rings blu-ray release.

I got a mail from TripleT recently, talking about reviews he has posted on this website. There is a review for Thrust Deluxe, and one for Thrust Xtreme. The reviews are in Czech, so I don’t understand a word of it, but the review scores are positive!

RetroGamer #39

I got alerted to this post (thanks TCK!) about the new Retro Gamer magazine. As this magazine is not available here in the Netherlands, I once again ask if someone out there can scan the review of Thrust Xtreme for me or someone can buy the mag for me and send it over to me (all expenses paid of course!)

I do understand that the game got a pretty good review, so I’m excited to read all about it!

It seems that Thrust Xtreme has been added to the cover disc if this month’s PC Zone, and that there is a little writeup about it in the magazine as well. As this mag is from the UK and not sold where I live, can someone out there with a scanner send me a grab of the review? That would be cool, and I would be very grateful.

Independent Gaming: Top 10 Shooter Remakes 2006

Hey that’s cool. Thrust Xtreme is included in this list of 2006 shooter remakes on Independent Gaming. It’s nice to be included in a list full of quality remakes! Let’s hope my next game will be included in such a list as well, but not in a remake list ofcourse

Hi! Just a quick post to inform you that I have updated the Thrust Xtreme archive as a ‘lil Xmas gift to you. I’ve added the game editors so get cracking! You can download the game from the My PC Games page.

Make sure to send me your new worlds so I can offer them here to download for everyone!

I hope everyone has a great christmas and new year.

Well, the reactions for the final game have been xtremely positive. I’ve received comments via this blog (thanks all) and via email and it’s good to know a lot of people out there are playing and enjoying the game. It’s good to know that a classic game play idea never goes out of style. Some minor bugs have been reported and I will release 1.1 as a bugfix update in a few days when I find time to take a look at the issues.

I haven’t been in front of my PC for the last couple of days. At this moment I’m working (yes I’m at work here, shhhhhh) on the preparations of a large Novel Netware > Windows 2003 Server and Groupwise > Exchange 2003 migration. This has kept me from updating this blog and working on my new game prototype. The migration is straight-forward but there are a lot of details to go through.

I intend to document the development of the new game here from day one. I have started this blog when TX had been in development for some time, but this time you can follow it from the prototyping stage to the final build. I’m pretty enthusiastic about the game idea, I’m just afraid that I’ll find out during prototyping that the idea won’t be any fun. Now that would suck.

We’ll see how it all develops this weekend…

Get the game from the ‘My PC Games’ page. Thanks to all who supported me!

OK, after some discussions with the friendly remake scene I’ve decided to halt the development of the game. I’m finishing up the last details of the Classic and Deluxe levels and leave it at that. I have two additional levels already done which I will put in there as finishing touch and for those who have supported me… There will be no rotating or final secret world or editors in the game though. The game will be uploaded and released as freeware in a few hours time. [update: it's here]

This might seem like I’m giving in to the recent comments made about selling a full game with editors included. Not really. I can live with comments from people whom I have never talked to. No hard feelings but I think I’ve seen enough of the friendly remake scene on the internet.

Information about my new original game will be posted here very soon… The design is done and a testbed will be coded asap.

Oh dear. I just created a rather simple rotating world, and it is just too hard and confusing. I have to define some ground rules before I go on designing more of them… Having a visual indicator of some sort to show what the gravity angle is or something might be an option, or a simplification of the tunnels and switches… Right now, it’s too frustrating. But that’s what you get when you try to do something new. I just have to refine the basics and see what is working and what is fun or not… Back to the drawing board…

So today I completed the gamepad configuration screens. You can now assign every action to every analog stick, dpad or button on your pad. It’s really cool! I tested it on a Xbox360 pad, Game Cube pad and an old Gravis pad I had lying around. It seems to work just great and the menus can be navigated by the configured pad as well, so you can now lay back in your comfy chair and never get up to the keyboard again (unless you have to enter your name in the top 5 of course)

Speaking of the hi-scores: You can now use lower and upper cast characters. It didn’t turn out to be a big change in the code but it sometimes amazes me that while Blitz Max can make some things so easy, it can make another thing so hard. Like translating char codes, or checking game pad options. But I made it, check out the screenie below to see how it looks:

I also fixed some minor things, like holding the thrust button in between levels is now possible, and fuel consumption is toned down. I also upped the minimum fuel amount to 1000. So if you die with less than 1000 units fuel, it will be re-filled to 2000 units. This makes the game a lot easier. So much that I in fact scrapped the inclusion of a difficulty setting.

The game pad option is nice to have but I just cannot play it like that. I’ve tried a few games but I keep crashing and turning so I gave up. I’m happy I took time to create the pad configurator though because I can now add it into my new game, he he. That game will be to frantic to play without a pad I think. Recently I scribbled down some ideas I had while I was out running around the country side (I’m finally below the 80 kilos in weight now,whee) I took a few beers to celebrate that.

Well, it looks like the little problems and ideas that came about since the last version have been dealt with, so I can start designing the last levels and implementing the final enemies. I still have a few to add but it shouldn’t be too difficult as the engine is near-to-final now and all the kinks have been removed from the system… Steady as she goes!