Sorry for the lack of updates. I’ve been decompressing from the holidays and honeymoon, as well as focusing on my new classes that started three weeks ago. None the less, I’ve been plodding along, mostly fixing little bugs here and there and tweaking the engine to help it perform better.

The archer has almost been completely implemented, but it’s been tricky. He’s not as straightforward as the other enemies. His character has a few added features bundled with him. He needs to fire arrows, which are controlled by a projectile class that I still need to build. He needs to be able to aim at the hero, which raises the question: do the arrows travel in a straight line, or are they influenced by gravity? Can the archer fire at odd angles, or just left or right? I’d like to have him stand toward the edges of the screen and lob them at the hero while he fights off the melee enemy classes. When the hero blocks an arrow with his magic shield, I’ve planned on having it burst into a harmless object like an apple or a tin can. So far he looks awesome, I can’t wait to wrap him up.

More on this later.

The newly implemented checkpoints now allow me to begin working on the level boss’s logic. I’ve decided to start in on the Level 1 Ogre General boss, but before I did I couldn’t help but notice that he wasn’t quite perfect.

As you can see in the image, there has been some noticeable work on his design. The previous version is on the right, the newer version is on the left. I really like the added detail on the new design. His face has obviously has been altered to make him look a little more malevolent. More highlights and undertones have been added to give him a bit more depth, and some of his proportions have been tweaked to help him look a little more anatomically comfortable. I can’t wait to start animating him.

Let me know what you think. I’ve been listening to all your comments, and have even implemented a few recommendations.

The honeymoon abroad is over, the holidays have passed, and school is back in full swing. It feels good to be home.

Thailand was a wonderful adventure! I think I experienced about as much as a tall, pigment-challenged foreigner could thanks to my wife’s incredibly hospitable family. There were ups and downs, on account of my annoying fear of flying and a wonderful stomach bug halfway into the trip. It was my first international trip in 23 years and I must say that I look forward to many more. Perhaps we’ll look at Europe or New Zealand for our next excursion.

Since we’ve returned I’d heard that the 80 GB Playstation3 console had dropped to a acceptably expensive price, so now my home has a new BlueRay DVD player and 9-Core Cell processor gaming system. I have to admit, I’m quite impressed. Somehow, my wife and I were able to find the only remaining copy of Little Big Planet within 10 miles of our house, and since then I’ve had the pleasure of listening to her energetic squeeks of joy while controlling the game’s painfully adorable Sack Boys. More on that later.

Production on Conjurer is back in full swing. I’ll be wrapping up the enemy archer character soon, and should hopefully start in on the first level boss. We’re approaching a year anniversary since production began last February. That’s a lot longer than I thought it would take, but then again I’ve never designed a game with this level of production quality. I’ll admit I’ve learned a lot. Falling down and learning from your mistakes is the best way to be a better developer, and I can definitely assert that my next project after Conjurer will be much more streamlined.

Here’s to a new year chock full of new potential.