Good questions Mike.
TopDown3D (original project) was really at good point but than something happen.
I suppose that if the intent to recover the project is still alive, the only way to finish is to define the project targets and define a credible plan.
By credible I mean a list of tasks/options/features doable now, with current thinBasic features and not something we would like to have but to have them new development is needed in thinBasic or other modules.
After that, priority number one is: stay with the plan till finish and do not add new requests only because new ideas are nice or fun or whatever (unless very important and shared by the full team).
I will be out for a week but since now I can give my support (read time) on the original TopDown3D project for what I can do for it.
To go on with it, my ideas of the possible tasks in the plan can be:
- keep the project little in terms of size but be open for new image additions.
I mean, the final .ZIP do not must be more than 1 or 1.5 MBites otherwise it will be too big to get interest. But at the same time develop the code in such a way that it understand if new background images will be there and if yes, use them. This will allow development of 3rd party backgrounds and it will be easy to distribute and install: just drop into a specific directory- work on ships AI. I mean, associate a specific movement to every ship maybe using specific functions or use EVAL module to write math forulas inside ship file info allowing personalizations
- game stages with final monster at every stage.
It is a classic but this create a lot of interest for the player to go on. There will be the interest to see what's next.
Stages features should be defines in external files.
As you can see, for me the list is quite short but even if short it is not easy to achieve. At the same time I think those options are very important for game like that.
So far TopDown3D was a great experience. It has been a great pleasure just looking at all the hard works Ken, Mike and Petr have done. If I can do something to revamp the project, let me know but only if the idea is to continue to a very plan-committed way and have a REAL GAME instead of a very nice thinBasic script.
Sorry since now to be so brute in my post but usually I prefer to express my ideas in open and honest way.
Ciao
Eros
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