The Insane Software Web Page

PC Development News Archive

19/01/2003 - Well ...more bugs and a new version soon.

I have spent the morning doing some coding, making some code changes and trying to now fix up the games graphics effects so that they blend better with the background.

18/01/2003 - Track 5 is here! Version 0.44a

Today I have posted track 5 to version 0.44a. Enjoy, by far this track was not completed graphically nor were the cars control paths completed, hence they drive into walls sometimes. It still will be a challenge, just not as much as you would think :)

15/01/2003 - Well..been playing SIMCITY 4

I bought this little baby today and so my schedule on screech will be a little delayed. I should package the new version of screech now. But I will have to do that tomorrow night. Anyway...new version will have the test version of Track 5. There is no excuses now and everything is working quite well. So look out for a new version tomorrow night! :)

12/01/2003 - New version and some nice updates.

Well I have just uploaded a new version v0.43a. There will be a v0.43b later today or tomorrow with the track 5 code enabled. Just have not had the time to do it. Will do this quickly. I found a couple of really bad bugs that were responsible for crashes at the start but that has been fixed. Thank God! (i am a aethiest btw! :):)) Please check out the features page for the details of all changes or download the new version and check out the readme.txt file. Enjoy as I am now off to surf :)

11/01/2003 - TOdays a day of finishing stuff.

Its 8 in the morning. I just opened MSVC and I am about to bash out a few hours worth of code. Will post an update at the end of the day. Should have the zones working (tracks 2 and 3 at last) and I will also have the lap times up. Enough for now.

08/01/2003 - Nothing to see here..move along....

I have been working on Screech but you arent going to see any major progress for a couple of days. I am back into working on the back end of the game (ie the level editor.). I am at the moment working towards one of the last features that the game needs to get Screech into 5 track mode. Once this feature is done then I can move full speed ahead with the race completion conditions. I am also working on some other little affects and the race time code. SO you can see how you went during the race. I will also be adding in a menu for the escape key as well, so you can select quit from race and game. But also adjust stuff if it aint right :)

But this is all future stuff. But at the rate I am coding at the moment its not that far away. Once the 5 track version of the game is complete and its back to basically where it was with AMIGA version. I will be taking a break from that project and moving back to my RTS. I have found some inspiration for it now and I hope it inspire some Anime' fans :)

Enough said...later.

07/01/2003 - A new release.

Well this is another new version that has a lot more polish to it. There is no WHATS THIS SCREEN sort of thing in the game now. Each screen has a clear role and works. YOu can now select what type of controller you want to play with. Just remember that this will be enhanced as I go along. But for now...it all works ok. Please read the README.TXT for details.

06/01/2003 - Near midnight...again...

Again with another spate of coding...I just dont know what I am doing. Well I think I am coding. Anyway, I am now working on the menu systems to incorporate some control selection. This is so that the user now can select what controls they want. I will also write the users preferences to the registry so that you dont have to set your settings everytime the game starts. Anyway, you can now select either keybaord or joystick. The options menu will only get more complicated as I begin to adjust the game to be more player friendly. I apologise for the time it has taken to get this far with my conversion but its hard when work usually takes your urge to code away from you. Anyway, after I finish writing this stuff I will move onto the track completion code. So that at last, the user can see how they went. To be honest, only a little bit of code is left before its working..I did it ages ago. I just did not bother to finish it. I have also now got the urge to do the split screen stuff. I am thinking of up to 4 players in this version. This might be an interesting thing, some large engine changes. But not many of them. So hopefully when this is done the sanity level is restored. Enough for now.

05/01/2003 - Another UPDATE..OMG!

Well this is the fastest update in ages I have done. Its a quick one. I spent about 10 hours today recoding DIRECT INPUT interface functions I wrote. They are now a lot cleaner and now they pave the way for a lot of functionality that I am now to add in. The first thing is that I have added in joypad code for the game. At the moment its not too flash but its better than keyboard. Both still work so dont panic! Anyway....the debug version is included again and the output file is now more readable. Many frustrated people have mentioned this to me. Anyway...ENJOY!

31/12/2002 - Updated version of game...V0.39!

Well it is indeed long time between drinks. I thought I better let this one out of the bag just to show that I have done something. But my team is pretty short working on this game. And it basically is a Keep me from going insane thing. Working on Business apps all day just blunts your creative talent (if I have some!). I am considering moving over to the PC version of blitz basic so I can become a little advertisement for it. Since I supported that AMIGA one and it was fantastic, this one seems to be no less good. Lets face it, unless you are writing a cutting edge game. You dont need to code in C/C++. On top of that, when you are writing simple and fun games, the worst thing you could do is get bogged down in spending half your life writing the backend for your future projects. Blitz fixes that. Nothing as simple as a single call to draw a sprite!

But thats just a cop out I spose, but it does give me time to play around with C/C++. Well thats it for now. Maybe another update soon.

12/10/2002 - Its another long term comment....

Well, this is the home of the INsane software site for now. It may move again, I will actually mention that next time. For those who have never been here. I have developed a number of game for the AMIGA and PC over time. I am currently in my part time working on a PC Version of Screech. At some stage I am going to add Forum to this site just for comments. On the coding side, I have been busy with screech with some special effects, I will be uploading a new version some time soon in the future. Track 1 is the only true functioning track but you can play on the others if you want :)

If you do play the game, Please let me know what you think :)

22/05/2002 - Wow...an Update and a Release.

Yeah...its been a while...and I will try to do more updates. This update is requested by a couple of people because I have had the bad habit of uploading debug only versions that need debug only dll's. Well this should fix it. I have now a version 0.37 uploaded to the server and you can download and play to your hearts content.

I should be able to do more on the game in the very near future. I hope to get some more of the old features in. I wont be giving up. Although side projects all wise take up a different path. Hence screech suffers. Version 0.37 is here (ignore the version on the main screen!).

14/11/2001 - A release is close.

Its a few days since the last post so I will let you know what I have done. Not much. Apart from retackle the window borders problem and I have a better solution. You can play it in a window at any size you want. Please bear with me. The version that you are playing is in debug. The window that you see is the current debug incarnation. I will release a "release" version of the exe very soon as well as the debug. The wheelchair entity is getting closer to completion and I will be releasing the next version with that in it. I may also add in the final 2 tracks so you can race around them. Please keep in mind that they were never prefected and I am still working on the data editor that will allow me to complete it. Once its done I will release the specs to make your own tracks. I'll then have to dream up some way making it easy to add tracks. (release will be sunday hopefully).

Well thats it for now and I need my sleep. I'm outta here.

10/11/2001 - A release soon.

Ok well I have done some work on screech and it looks to me that I will need to add a small amount of code in to get the wheelchair guy done. When that is done then I will start work on the other little entities to enter the game. But at the moment I have been cleaning up a few things in the game to make it more stable. I wish now that I did design the game more cleanly then I have. Now all i can do is live with the sh*t design and keep working towards completion. Anyway, I will try and post something by the end of Sunday night for those who are interested. Nothing special, just a few more polished bits. Race end and times will be done in the next couple of versions as well. See the future feature list for more details.

08/11/2001 - Another Release...Minor.

There is a new version on the download page. This version has a couple of little things added. All the cars now have names and you race under the name "Speedracer". I have also fixed up the under and over passes on track 3. There are some glitches with the things that do run around the track but I will have that fixed soon enough. Also the cars dont start off on the track that well and I will fix that up soon enough.

06/11/2001 - Minor updates!

Well I have added some updates to my web page. Making an effort...forgot how much fun coding can be on my own time... Will be heading to the Melbourne cup soon! On the features page I have added some details of the next release of screech which will on the coming weekend. Some more polish :) There is a distinct lack of it at the moment and I want to make it more visually pleasing to play. Let me know how things go. My friend downloaded .35 and he gave it the thumbs up. Have a look at his site at sitebe.com.

05/11/2001 - Version 0.35 is there!

Oh yeah..well summer is coming...so I dont know how much time I will be donating to this game at the moment. There is a link to the game to download....so version .35 is there...let me know how you go. I will be doing more on track 3 so dont sweat it plus I will be adding some of the more fun features in the game such as foxes and wheelchair guys in the next version. If anyone is an artist and has some time..please drop me a line...I would love to get some more killable things in the game. Anyway..thats it for now..will update soon.

30/10/2001

Yes, this is correct..more than a year since my update and YES...I am busy with life. I have worked alot on screech and I have not even uploaded. Well I will soon. I have also found a problem with the game for those who have downloaded it..its something that I screwed up. If you have your borders for your windows anything else but 18 pixels..well it means screech wont work. Please let me know how you go. The email address is still the same.

The new version of the game has a hacky menu system just so you can have a preview of the next few tracks. I will make sure they work properly before the release. I have also upgraded my OS so now it is under XP. WIN 98 was fine but the new OS is a lot more stable. So I can say this much..the game does work under the new os.. :)

30/9/2000

ok. Well I have posted Screech Version 0.20 to the web page. This version has a shitload of fixes, improvements and new features. Mostly to do with cosmetic stuff. I will be adding more to the game in the next day or so. So there might be a version 0.21 soon. I have to write some programs if screech is to continue, especially to do with object placement in the game. Enough said. Readme file is also in this version...

24/9/2000

4 Months since the last update. Well I don't have internet access that easy to get. I have been working on screech and made some in roads, in the next day or so I will be uploading the new version of the game to the page. This one at last has a simple title screen. So the race won't begin when you start the game. Anyway, thats enough for now. Version 0.18 in the next day!

20/5/2000

The new version of Screech Version 0.16 is on the page. Please look at the readme for version details. What has been updated. It seems to be pretty stable. I compiled it using direct 7, but I do believe it should be stable on DirectX 6. Sound was not added, will have to be in the next version, skidding is still not complete and I have modified the handling of the game to be more consistent. But there is plenty of work to be done there. These is something to be run over, but it only spawns once and I have not written the spawn code yet. I have time this morning and I think I can spit it out in about 30 minutes, when I get motivated :) Overhanging objects are there as well. So enjoy and give me some feedback.

18/5/2000

Yep, update time. Been 10 days and I have done bits and pieces. For those who want it. I have added the latest version of the sprite cutter to the page. Important this is used as it has some more bug fixes. Screech also has the over hanging objects working. Looks good, this only came about as I have added a drawing order which queues all draw commands and executes them all at once. The best thing is I have basically written the most important part of the game at this stage. I will be adding a new version of screech to the page in the next few days. For now, thats it.

6/5/2000

OK. Bug killing time again. Found a simple little bug in the code for the Shapecutter again. This will be the last bug fix until I add in the sprite editing tools. That is a little way off yet. And I really am working towards a full track 1 demo in the coming month. Please email me with suggestions for the sprite editor. It should be a handy little tool for amateur programmers out there. The new version of screech is coming along nicely. Before I release a second track for screech, most of the coding will have to be close to completion. That means an entity placer. Should not take long and should be easy for me to do, then I will spit out the other 15 tracks as fast as I can. Will upload the new shapecutter tonight.

3/5/2000

YO! Well its that time to write a little of the progress of the game. Well there are a few things on the plate at the moment. Everytime I go to write something I go and get side tracked. I have been working on the graphics pipeline which actually was spread over 4 to 5 classes. Which was bad. So I am now working towards cleaning this situation up, it actually has helped doing this as now I have fixed up a couple of bad design decisions. To cut a long story short, I started out working on the jogger, for which is now 80% complete. I still have to finish the code that allows you to drag him and other objects around the track. I will be posting a demo of this sometime Friday night. It should be pretty funny to see. Simply drive over him, then race around the track at high speed. Wacthing the pieces of him fly out the back of the car, with a nice smear to boot! :) Once this is done the gfx pipe line is little more settled. The rest should be fairly easy. :)

Sound is still a little while away, but it will come. Sound is now fairly important because it makes up 30% of the atmosphere of games, sometimes more. I have the sound basically working, but I have to work on the interface to make it more graceful. Anyway, new version up on friday night or sometime saturday. Should be cooL! :)

Andrew out!

26/4/2000

Heya. Just letting you all know that I have found the time to work on Screech. Wrote 200 lines of code as well as rearranged a few things so that animation system could be added. Pretty simple system, animation frames are calcualted with in the entity code. Meaning animations can be custom coded in, seeing I am using C++, I should add in a default function so that there can be a generic animnation system as well. But only when I get the time. Anyway, the code for Jogger took around 200 lines and an hour to code. And after a few sytax errors, it worked. No logic errors etc etc. I am still amazed :) The version I have not has the jogger running around the track in his full animated glory. Looks pretty nice, now all I have to do is add the ability to add splatter to the track and add the overhanging objects. That should be done very soon, seeing that this week is a short work week.

I don't exactly when I get the time, a friend of mine, Ray Freeman was found dead yesterday. Apparently he was dead for about 4 days. He was involved in a motorbike accident. Apparently he came off his bike, hit his head and was face down in the water, drowning. I don't know the full story, but thats what i have been able to get so far, its around about what happened. So I most likely will be away for the funeral for a few days. We'll miss ya Ray.

16/4/2000

Hmmm....well this time I have uploaded something, but before you get excited. Its a bug fix for the shapecutter. I found some interesting little errors in the logic. Also, some special case bitmaps caused to not say yes to find a bitmap color. Anyway, its ALL under control at the moment. Index 0 will need to be used once again for the scanning background color. Also, the logic for the jogger has been written and I feel is in Alpha, I also have modified the drawing system generically. Works well, I should have the little guy running around the track. Whether he can be killed. If I get the time, then it will be up! :) Well I have wasted my sunday morning, time to watch the footy!

15/4/2000

OK! Well it has been 9 days since my last update. Few things have happened. I have the ole amiga set up next to me now. Meaning that transferring the old graphics and sound files across is easy. In fact sound has been moved across. I only now have to convert them to wav format from the iff format. Not too hard. I have the entity control system up now. So I can now add in them little people you would desperately like to run over. I am thinking of releasing a copy of the game soon with a few little entities to kill. I know that this was not what the next version says. But you don't have to download it. :) Will also have overhanging objects soon. Which will make the race so much more interesting visually. Well. I better get back to coding :)

6/4/2000

Errrr...well you thought I was not going to update again! :) Well you are wrong! Working on screech while I am laid up at home with the flu. Hard to work, but something is getting done. Finished the framework for the entities that run around in screech. That being the flagbearer, the Jogger, the wheelchair dude and the fox. These were original characters in screech. There will be others being added, like the Cop car, which will chase you or any other poor hapless driver around the track. Stay tuned for those anyway! :) Should have something done for your killing pleasure soon :) Should also have the menu system up! :) Check out the soon to be released features for the game.

1/4/2000

Additional...WELL...its 11.35pm and I have uploaded a version of screech. The controls are there for you to find. They aren't the direction keys BTW! :) Look at the download page for a version.

OK! ShapeCutter has been uploaded to the site. And it is a very small download..so go for it...if you are one who needs it...go ahead. Screech should also be on the web site tonight :) Andrew OUT! :)

29/3/2000

Well I have been working on Screech more. And for those wondering what has been happening, well I have to UN-Hardcode the data path so the game will work on any system. This should take about 10 minutes, but finding 10 minutes (Coding time is a lot longer 10 minutes of successful coding = 10 minutes to a week :) ) is bloody hard. I will be also posting a little program that makes life easier for those out there who spend time cutting up bitmaps for sprites. Yes, I have written a little program that scans a bitmap for images, drop me a line if you want me to mail it to you. When I get the time to update the web page more and clean up the program. Its anyones.

Previous:

Well current PC development involves to games, SCREECH and SOL-1. SCREECH is my own personal project while 4 of us are working on SOL. Screech is a game that I will be releasing new versions of as I get time. I should have a version soon that allows people to race the computer. The problem is that the utilities that I wrote for my amiga do not write in file formats compatiable with the PC so I may lose time to redeveloping the game on the PC. So bare with me, I will try and do as much as I can on the PC before writing the development tools necessary. Anyway, download the game AKA "SCREECH HARDWARE TEST" and tell me what you think.

Screech at the moment is my main focus, since the last update a long time ago, I took a break from programming, since my job at Stromlo Entertainment meant that I did not have the time for personal projects. Now that programming is not the current career path, I have been able to go back and start coding again. With a new approach. If you have a look at the new downloadable version of screech. I am sure you will see that if feels a lot crisper in its approach to working with windows.

Contact Details

Email me at : aheap@users.on.net or dwaynehicks@hotmail.com if you wish to drop me line! :)

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