So I have released the nimble-ide demo today. The project took a complete 5 months to create, and I have packaged and release the demo in a week. The official nimble home page is http://www.nimble-ide.com. If you are a fan of the late great Visual Basic, and you are interested in being a programmer please check it out. You will need a PowerBASIC compiler to build your apps.
Now that nimble-ide is released, its back to the gaming.. Stay tuned for more gaming videos and how-to help for Explorations..
So its been nearly 5 months since my last post, and anyone who has followed my progress knows, that when its quiet at the Explorations camp, there’s usually some serious coding happening. And while this update isn’t entirely “game related” it has a direct effect on the development of Explorations..
And without further ado.. “Visual PowerBASIC IDE v1.0″ (not the official title.)
Introducing “Visual PowerBASIC(?!?!)”
It’s Amazing what you can create when you have a library of solid routines to get the job done. A 1 man effort, over 4-5 months has created a cross-platform IDE for PowerBASIC. And make no mistakes about it, this thing is what Visual BASIC *should* have been.
Who’s Framing Who?
This IDE was created to fill the gap left with the extinction of VB6, and slow (somewhat pathetic) adoption of .NET for any real development. *not a flame, I use .NET professionally.*
Migrate your “legacy” code easily!
The runtime used in Explorations was designed to migrate the project away from VB6 & dependency on Microsoft technology. In doing so, I felt it pertinent to create a User Interface for developing new applications powered by the cross-platform runtime.
PowerBASIC = Powerful Development
PowerBASIC offers support for OpenGL, SQLLite (SQL Tools), .DLL creation, and Architect-Level software development. This video shows my runtime implementation of Data-Bound objects with simple CSV files. Rapid Application Development is Back!
What’s in a name?
My Final Thoughts.. This video highlights a few of the short-comings of this project, in the hope to gain your support. This project needs an official title so please feel free to register to my forums and share your thoughts!
If you think developing a cross-platform IDE in 5 months was fast, imagine how rapidly apps can be developed with this baby! I hope you feel my absence was time-well spent!
So I released the Dynamic Movement demo today. This little demo will give you guys a hands on example on how sprite animations are controlled. I hope this demo will give you a clear example of how sprites are managed..
I have released the Advanced Features Demo today. It’s packed with many of the features previously discussed in this blog. Feel free to download it today!
I have partnered up with the guys at Truebones to improve animation sequences Explorations/InstaRender can support. This partnership has yielded two great new utilities! BVH Converter, and the BVH Snoop application. You can find these tools on the Utilities page.
So it’s been a few weeks since I have posted an update, and this one comes with three videos and a full package update. I spent the majority of my time creating the graphics for this update, and putting the editor to the test.
This demo was designed to show how Explorations handle dynamic sprite animations, vehicles, and to pose a simple question. Are you a “ride or die” fan of Explorations v9?
Below are also two brief “behind the scenes” videos of how all of the pieces are triggered and fit together. The amazing part about this demonstration, is that I only type 6 lines of script code!
Well, my birthday is coming up and I wanted to drop two cool videos of some more A.I. scripting. This first video is a recap, and full demo of the complete Mining Script. This sample will remove the gold after it is completely mine from the map. Once all the gold has been removed the NPC will return to the camp and wait for further instructions.
I’m proud to share the newest addition to the A.I. script library. This demo shows how sprites can be used to build Guard Towers. I took a day to create the animations for this demo, and I’m really proud at how this demo turned out. Once one Tower is created the NPC will search for other Towers not yet complete. If any Towers are in the process of being built, he will join the effort. I hope you enjoy this sample, and tell your friends about this project.
Happy New Year! Today I am releasing Explorations v9.7.. This release includes a few fixes that I discovered while creating my next video teaser. The Advanced Features demo is nearly complete, and as I post this I am very pleased with how the editor is running, and how easily I am able to post these demos.
This teaser is the much awaited Mining Camp Sample. I have provided a group of three miners, gold and a small camp demonstrating how easily mining A.I. can be created in Explorations. I have packaged all resources, and the script in the Library section. (MiningSample.zip)
You will want to download the latest package to make sure you have the latest Playback.EXE / Driver.EXE fixes.
With Xmas just around the corner, I figured I would drop two new videos demonstrating how easily it is to control groups of sprites within Explorations. If you have read any of the forums, or checked out the Library section, you would notice the newly added Formation scripts. This video shows the highlights within the Advanced Features Demo.
I wanted to demonstrate how to control groups of sprites with the use of some of the Library API script. Please forgive me for the poor audio, I’m still working out the settings on Capture Wizard. I hope these videos inspire you to tell your friends about this project.
The core of Explorations is databases and mathematics, and the next Advanced Features Demo is designed to provide examples of how powerful API’s can be created to support a variety of game styles.
We are in production mode here at Explorations HQ and it’s all about sprite control! Matt Cross is working on R&D for Android development and as 2012 comes to a close, I see great potential on the horizon.
I hope you enjoy this eye-candy, and Happy Holidays!
I took the time to open up the Forum section of the site. All registered users have access to post requests, comments, or just words of encouragement to the hard-working, under-appreciated developer of Explorations RPG. Kind words are wonderful, but ordering is preferred. After all, Ev9 (BASIC) is only $25 until 2013!
Eye candy video of the BASIC Features QA Library.
I am well on my way to crafting the Advanced Features Game Demo… But while you wait for that juicy tid-bit of gaming fun, please check out the BASIC Features demo.
These demos stand as testimony to a solid game/engine design. The script files were made to help users learn how to create powerful effects within their games. All coding, scripting, and graphics were created by me. So just imagine what you could create with a little time and determination.
“RPG Makers Come & Go,
But Explorations is Forever!”
Today marks the official release of Explorations v9.6. I don’t expect any major releases this year, so I can concentrate on the “known” issues within eMotions & the game player. Explorations v9.6 release should prove to be very stable on both Windows 7, and Linux.
Be sure to check out the “BASIC Features Sample Game”. The download is an interactive sample which demonstrates many of the game script functions. Each function/special effect is hosted and explained “in game” by the PC character. Simply:
1. Start Explorations.
2. Load the “BASIC Features DEMO” Library.
3. When the map is loaded, simply Press PLAY.
The InstaRender Server is back up and running, and the site migration is nearly complete. I hope to make 2013, the year of Explorations Android!
I hope these videos inspire you to tell your friends about this project.
