Skirmish Update

Much formation manipulation for the client! Can now:

1. Right click-then-drag to specify move-to-and-orient. Automatically picks between advance and defend forms.
2. Create new formations.
3. Edit the current formation live. Can change it in combat too.
4. Save the current formation into a formation slot.
5. Reduce or increase the freedom of the formation spots.

Is neat! 

Skirmish Update

• Completed Object-effects; we have terrible looking swinging sticks and projectile cylinders for arrows now. I did quite a bit more to the visual effects system than just that though. Should be able to make some neat effects in the future with it.
• We now have detailed logs in the simulator for seeing what happens, exactly. It needs some love but the first edition is useful for seeing the order of things.
• The client will now grey out unavailable actions, and I added a column in the action specification for a highlight condition. So, if some action gets a bonus when the target is stunned, we can set up a 'tar: hasstate(Stunned)' highlight condition and make it glow at the right time.

It occurs to me I've never uploaded any imagery to the blog to show what we've got. I think I'll take some snapshots sometime and demonstrate.

For now, here's a link to the simulation output sheet. Enjoy?

So much to do..

On my list for the near future:

• Object-effects (mostly done), for things like showing projectiles.
• Client-side action availability. The data is on the client side, but as of yet unused. Need to show when actions are available and not. Likewise the 'use this now' glow will use the same concept.
• More data parsing; get first commander tree abilities working.
• Make formations editable.
• Make charge/retreat work!
• Drag-swoosh formation motion.
• Show commander actions, or get them working if for some reason they aren't.
• Prep for art:
• COLLADA import for mesh-effects, character, terrain and props. This would get us some import from CityScape, which I'd like to use to build the environments.
• Integrate data in database?
• Start work on standalone client/server app for single-player game.
• "Local" server.
• "Local" accounts system without the database backing; for saving in single player.
• Log-output simulation
• Commander/squad sims.

And OH god so much more.