25 Crystals

14 Apr 2006 I found that the method I was using within Flash was limited. There is a shortfall in the code that you can't dynamically access different scenes. Because of this I thought that I would do a re-write. The original code and frames needed a good clean up and the rendered images weren't matching with the frame numbers. Great time for a clean start. I started by writing everything in Actionscript code. This worked very well, except for debugging. Since this is a very visual program, it needed visual prompts to tell me what scene or part of the game I was looking at.
A third re-write that was a compromise between the two others. A fair amount of action script but an image per frame so I knew where I was. I have now finally gotten back to where I was before and have transitions working between the frames. I have also re-done the boat scenes and the boat will now bob up and down in the water.
I have now also started to add in sound. I still have a few things that I don't know how to control, but I should figure them out soon.
I wasn't happy with the scarceness of objects within the scenes, so I have now substantially increased the amount from an original 25 million polygons to new 361 million polygons. This is not the biggest scene I have ever created by a long shot, but to have it all constructed to be viewable from every direction has taken a while.
I can usually knock up an image in a few hours... this one has taken me days.
I have added some more puzzles and am nearly finished this level. I just want to add a few more puzzles. One at the ship, the tree covered island and the lighthouse.
I then need to bring all these together to make a nice fluent level.
I am unsure if the load of 2.5 meg + a few other smaller downloads is going to deter players. Time will tell.
I have also been considering doing a larger version of 640x480. This will blow the level size out by 4 times... maybe... if I get the time. I would prefer to get some more levels built.

7 Apr 2006 Have now written in quite a puzzles within the first level. Have started to add some sound and effects. Have built a basic registration form, though it can't save progress yet. Have built a second boat section to the level, though it is not yet incorporated. Have built a transition function for smooth movement from one scene to the next, though not yet incorporated.

21 Mar 2006 Started the Flash and updated the site. Flash can now move between scenes. There are 14 different scenes, rough and draft. This is within a swamp area with a ship wreck.

20 Mar 2006 Building the website. Have taken a beautiful template and am now modifying it with my artwork.