Completely rebuilt the object inspection framework to draw item descriptions and names from a CSV file, rather than being hardcoded into macros. The actual in-game behaviour when inspecting objects has been changed as well: previously, simply hovering over the object would immediately display the text in the lower letterbox, which would dynamically adjust its height to accommodate the length of the text.
However, this approach inherently limited the amount of text that could be displayed by the height of the letterbox itself, which also meant that more text had to be squeezed in by reducing the font size. This made legibility difficult for longer passages.
Objects now display a prompt when hovered over (ie “Examine box”), and now require the item to be clicked on in order to open up a popup box which fills the screen. This allows for a lot more text to be displayed at once with a larger and more legible typeface, as well as being a lot more accommodating to paragraph breaks. I think this approach is a lot better, and it also forces people to move through and look at the environment more slowly and conscientiously. I might repurpose the old system for something else, maybe have it display special messages specifically when hovering over Avery herself. We’ll see.
I’ve also changed the primary font to Monofonto, from Fixedsys. It’s a lot more visually appealing and easy-to-read for general usage. However, I have changed the way that fonts are loaded so that switching between them should be fairly effortless, and will likely be built into a menu option somewhere down the line. Combined with the aforementioned change to the observation prompts, this opens up the possibility of adopting accessibility-specific typefaces like OpenDyslexic.
More productive this weekend. Implemented a “dynamic” sky. There’s a special sunset one for the introduction section, and another generic one for the rest of the game. I’ll probably end up creating at least one more.
I’ve also made some significant revisions (I would consider them improvements) upon the opening section. It features a much more extensive onboarding section via the CPBE interface, which helps the player get acquainted with the texture of the game. I’ve also, per the excellent suggestion of my producer, moved the game’s start to take place at sunset, rather than early morning. It puts a lot more natural incentive upon the player to get back to the outpost in an expedient manner, by sensibly limiting the player’s interactions and movements to the amount of visible daylight.
At this rate of progress, I might actually be able to get this month’s work done on time!
I’ve been trying to work on the tutorial. Something’s just been crushing me. Constantly filling my head with garbage signals. Haven’t been able to work on anything that requires any degree of conscious thought in days. Probably longer than that, to be honest. I got one more week to catch up on what feels like an entire month’s worth of wasted time. My emotions have become an active annoyance. This constant, ambient buzz. Like a psychic mosquito. Makes it impossible to focus on anything to begin with, let alone stay focused. I wish I could reach inside my skull and tear out the infected lobes. Inflamed with confusion and petty longing. Conspiring against my better nature.
It’s been a strange week. I didn’t realise so much time had passed since my last entry. My sense of time has been completely thrown off. It feels like I’ve spent more time this past week asleep or on the edge of exhaustion than actually awake and conscious of my actions. I can barely manage the energy to sit upright at my desk, let alone to work, or even just recount the day’s progress (or lack thereof). I’ve fallen behind schedule. These next several days until the end of the month are gonna be hell, I think. I can probably get things done on time if I work on an accelerated pace, but it’s gonna take me out for at least the entire first week of next month. Maybe it’s a price worth paying. I don’t know. It’s all catching up to me at once, it feels like. The consequences of how I’ve been living these past few years. All at once.
Made a lot of progress these past few days. Too much to really properly account for, but broadly, I’ve made a few new interfaces, recorded the first transmission as well as the general baseline frequencies, and started work on the new area, both visually and in terms of the soundscape. By the end of this weekend, I’d like to get the sensors completely implemented with proper audio.
Feeling a bit more clear-headed today. The past few nights, I’ve been troubled by a series of intensely vivid and melancholic dreams, whose sobering effects linger long past the hour of waking. They’re the kinds of dreams which I suspect, were I still capable of crying, might move me to the verge of tears should I reflect too intensely upon their meaning or nature.
Ironically, it seems to be precisely this effect which has managed to finally shake me out of the stupour which has seized my progress this past week (and probably longer, upon reflection). I’ve been making progress, slowly but surely, on the visual assets for the new sensor types. With my head more or less completely voided of the dark noise which previously wrought havoc upon my attention, I feel I’ve gained a much clearer insight into what I’m trying to do with this project at this current moment, and how to go about doing it. I think tomorrow’s meeting will be productive.
Minor progress today. Started working on the sprites for the small variant of the microphone. I’m not sure if I’m going to include the larger variant, but for now it remains an option. I’ve come to realise that I may not actually need as many variants of sensors in terms of the breadth of diversity; but rather, I may benefit more from building a few (perhaps three, maybe even four base models) and then iterating upon them with variations based on things like damage levels. I’ll discuss it with production this week. I’d like to have all the spritework done by the end of tomorrow so I begin implementing later.
Plans for the weekend ended up completely falling through, due to factors both within and outside of my control. (Although, admittedly, mostly the former.) I have a creeping suspicion that my life has taken a turn for the worse, although the most troubling part is that I don’t think I’m all too concerned about it on a moment-to-moment basis. Outside of work, it feels like things are starting to slip away from me, one by one. Like the world’s getting smaller and smaller by the day.
Finally managed to get something done. Started working on the field antenna. I think I’m going to add in the ability to upgrade its effectiveness with the attenuator. Fortunately the additional sprite-work necessary for that is very easy to accommodate. I won’t be able to have the functionality implemented by tomorrow, but maybe by the end of the weekend, with a placeholder for the tuning signal.
To no one’s surprise, perhaps, I got nothing done today, either. I fell asleep almost immediately after writing yesterday’s post and experienced a series of deeply troubling and troubled dreams, before awaking nearly eighteen hours later in a stupour. I don’t really have much to say for myself, other than that I hope tomorrow will go a bit better.
New month. Had session today. I don’t feel like I’m getting as much out of them as I was before, although I’m not sure why. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem in the long run, but it’s definitely something I would like to address moving forward. I just don’t know how yet.
I was supposed to get started today on the new task list but I didn’t do anything. Going to have to get that sorted out tomorrow. I just need to get something done, to build up the initial momentum. Need to correct my sleep schedule too.
