StaudSoft's Synthetic World

Feb 9, 2015

Tweet: GUI for the CPU

April 23, 2018

Implementation: Made the GUI for the CPU where you can add source code

Implementation: Started to work on LCD‘s and keyboards

Tweet: Plugging in the compiler

April 20, 2018

To make it more clear what I do I will add to every tweet: Planning, Implementation, Debugging.

Planning means that I am creating a plan how to implement something.

Implementation means that I create the actual code.

Debugging means that I test the code and try to find the errors. Usually this takes the longest.

Implementation: Connected now the compiler to the CPU modul. The next step is now to add a window in which the player can enter the code and then let it compile.

Planning: I thought of a new way to store trees and also buildings, so that they can be displayed in the background landscape.

Tweet: Your own CPU...

April 18, 2018

Wrote all the code for the new tree system. Will test it in the next days!

Today I also worked on the CPU modul. When placed in the landscape it can execute programs and so control lamps, doors, ...

Tweet: Going back to regular tweets.

April 17, 2018

Ok, I had the plan to make one big post per month, but that did not work out. Everytime I wanted to create an article I decided it is a better idea to code. So I will continue with my regular tweets.

I did a lot of stuff in the last months. The design for a new game description language is finished. I hope that I can code faster with it once it is implemented!

Here are some screenshot of the new voxel background landscape. In the last version the creation of one segment took 10s. Now it takes 0,1s!





And voila the new dungeons are finished. Only the zombie is a little bit too peaceful (he does not want to attack the player).




I changed the internal data structure of the game engine in order to be abled to create much larger landscapes. I need to debug this intensively before I can make a new release (or else it could destroy your save games).

The AI research papers are driving me crazy ...

February 13, 2018

AI

I told you that we plan to use AI algorithms from the AI research. But this is not so easy as I thought as I have the impression that every AI papers describes the same thing with different word. In some of these papers they even call normal variables „functions“. And structures („struct“ in C) are called „atoms“ and their declarations „predicates“. In other papers the same thing is called „literals“ or „assertions“. Why are they do this?

Nevertheless I implemented a new language to control the AI. And I already have an idea how the AI will be abled to plan in the world and so create cities.

3D Models

I create over 100 new 3D models. Especially for streets (signs, traffic lights, ..), stores, interiors. And of course for traps and doors!



And I even made waste containers!

High Resolution Textures

For the models are increased the texture resolution to 1024x1024.

Physic Engine

We completely replaced the physic joint system with a new one. Will allow support for better doors, cars and trains.

Caves

Mostly finished, but I still need to tune it. There are too much cave entrances on the top of the landscape!

Placement of entities will be the next step:



Mod Support

Instead of using Java for mods we are working on a visual programming language (but of course you will still be abled to use Java)!

• We again resolved lots of bugs in the mod system.
  
• Debuging tools are added.
  
• Debug preview of entities
  

We already made some examples plugins (drop-down door, moveable block and traps). Videos will follow.



Railways

Railways are implemented. The train for the railways is the next step!



Dungeongenerator

The new room generator for the dungeons is successfully integrated. It is working correctly. Will be in the next release.

Bugs corrected

• Instabilies: We resolved a hard to find bug in the world generation which was the cause for instabilies.
  
• Clipping errors on flat surfaces: When placing voxel blocks, there were lot‘s of clipping errors. They are gone now.
  

When does the next release come?

I wanted to make a new release, but I do not find a bug in the world generation system. When this bug is found I will upload a new version.

Tweet: New Cave Rooms

December 30, 2017

So here are the new cave rooms in action! The rooms aren't hand crafted, instead they were made by a generator.

Tweet: Dynamic Rail Generator

December 27, 2017

Originally I made 3D models for the rails. But as the rails need to be abled to adapt to the ground dynamically this was not flexible enough. Today I made a dynamic rail generator.

Tweet: Merry Christmas

December 24, 2017

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Be nice to each other!

Tweet: First minecart

December 23, 2017

First experiment of the new minecart system. Still better than the old one, where the minecart derailed all the time!

Relocation

December 22, 2017

Perhaps you noticed that it was a little bit quite in the last months. The reason for this was that we did a relocation of the company. We are now based in Ulm instead of Ravensburg (both cities are in germany)

Research Project

The game is now my research project at the University of Ulm. The topic of my PhD thesis will be the improvement of the AI for the game.

Upcoming Stuff

A lot of things are in development which will be in the upcoming releases:

• We already improved the experimental caves. Currently we are working on the growing of mushrooms and others plants in the caves.
  
• New dungeon room generator: Till now the rooms in the dungeons were mostly made by hand or they were very simple. We created a new algorithm which creates randomly and good looking rooms. I am also very excited to play the game when this is finished, because then I do not know how the dungeons look like.
  
• Railways and Minecart: After several non working approaches regarding railways we now found a solution. Currently we are working on the railway switch. The models for the railways are also finished
  
• Buildings for the cities: We already made a collection of houses for the cities. They will be used by the city generation algorithm.
  
• Roads: Part of this is also implemented
  
• Better LOD: In the future we plan to use several new level of detail mechanisms in order to increase the realisms and the world generation speed. For example the railways and the streets will be visible several kilometers. Same will be with buildings.
  
• And a lot of currently secret AI stuff :-)
  
• Rain bug corrected
  
• Snow in the cold regions
  

So, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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