 |
 |
Updates |
|
 |
|
2008 |
|
| 15 June 2008 | For some reason, there has been a sudden surge of people asking me for the source code to Phoenix Final. To make things a bit easier for everyone, I've just put the source code up directly on the software page. The Unity project isn't included, I'm afraid, but I hope that the code will be helpful on its own.
The other question which comes up a lot is "are you still working on Phoenix Final / Yoink / whatever", to which the answer is always "yes, but it might take quite a while to finish, so don't hold your breath". Just so you know. I want to finish all of my games properly at some point, but progress can be pretty slow. Still working on the new blog-based site mentioned in my previous entry. I swear this will actually happen. I SWEAR. A lot. |
|
|
2007 |
|
| 20 September 2007 | So, I changed my internet account from cable to ADSL with the same ISP, and they deleted the hell out of my web space and mailboxes to let me know how much they care. Consequently, most of my game downloads were offline for a few days. I've fixed all the links on the games page now. Please drop me a line if anything else turns out to be broken.
I have a new blog-based site design in the pipeline. The idea is that I'll be able to post quick updates on my games and new sketches without having to mess around with editing HTML and uploading files. With a bit of luck, it'll help me to bring the site back to life a bit. Hopefully this'll be done in a few weeks' time. |
| 7 April 2007 | My links were beginning to smell, so I updated them. |
| 5 February 2007 | 'A few weeks' is over, and the preview version of Phoenix Final is now available to download! This is still not the finished game. Hopefully that won't take more than another, uh, year or so.
I will fix up the screenshots to look like the current version of the game shortly.... |
|
|
2006 |
|
| 30 March 2006 (again) | I improved last night's hastily added information on Phoenix Final by adding a screenshot gallery.
On reflection, I think I'll spend some more time finishing the core gameplay before making a playable release. However, I don't expect the delay to be more than a few weeks (which is mere seconds according to my sense of time). |
| 30 March 2006 | I have been living on the moon for the last fourteen months, and I haven't been able to find an ethernet cable long enough to phone home. Until now!
I'm updating now primarily because my new game has been featured on the Unity what's new page. I've been developing this in relative secrecy for some time, but I reasoned that it would be a good idea to make it public if visitors are going to be looking for it. The game isn't quite ready for public release yet, but I expect I'll have something to show in a few days. For now, you'll just have to look at this screenshot! I also have a big backlog of artwork to put up. So much to do.... |
|
|
2005 |
|
| 30 January 2005 | Thanks to Radical Vision offering a year's free web hosting as a prize for uDevGames 2004, Nether has a new home! This means that the domain name www.nether.org.uk can now be used for all linkage to this site. I plan to make some changes soon to make best use of this new service, so watch this space!
I've also put up both the CodeWarrior and Xcode versions of the Rescue source code, since I now have enough space to do this. For those who are interested, I'm still working on Rescue. The new collision detection system (based upon ODE) is coming along very nicely! Did I mention that Rescue was a winner in uDevGames 2004? Hooray! Never did change the name, did I...? One last thing: I have made it impossible to hotlink to images on this site. Please read this for more information. |
|
|
2004 |
|
| 4 December 2004 | I've remade the source code for Rescue as an Xcode project to make it more accessible. |
| 24 November 2004 | The source code for Rescue is now available. |
| 11 November 2004 | I've just uploaded Rescue 1.0.0d9, which features nicer graphics and several tweaks to make the gameplay easier for beginners and harder for experts. There's also an illustrated manual which should help people who can't figure out which building they're supposed to land on! |
| 6 November 2004 | The contest version of Rescue 1.0.0d8 has finally been released, now with timed levels and the music Mikko and myself have been hiding away for ages.... Enjoy, and don't hesitate to give feedback! |
| 2 November 2004 | Rescue 1.0.0d7 has been released. I wonder what happened to the previous versions.... This new version actually resembles a game. Please try it out and tell me what you think! |
| 7 October 2004 | With the aid of fellow programmers from iDevGames, I realised that there was a fairly easy way of making Rescue somewhat faster (about 30% on my Mac). Since it was running quite slowly on some older machines, I thought it would be useful to put out a new version (1.0.0d3) with just the improved speed. |
| 4 October 2004 | Version 1.0.0d2 of Rescue has just been released. You can now fly the ship from within the cockpit, and the asteroid belt is endlessly large instead of restricted to a small area. Please give it a go and tell me what you think! |
| 12 September 2004 | As promised, I finally have some new artwork up in the gallery! Please take a look, and don't forget to mock me for having a poor grasp of anatomy and perspective.
There's actually still quite a bit of stuff still stuck in my gallery to-do list... I'll see if I can get it added in the next few weeks. |
| 31 August 2004 | Something new! I have entered this year's uDevGames contest with my new game, Rescue (I swear I will change that name to something less stupid than Yoink). Although it's in the earliest stages of development, I think it's looking rather interesting already. Take a look and tell me what you think.
By the way, before anyone asks: I'm not dropping Yoink or Super Phoenix; they're both still under development and will be finished eventually. However, I think it's healthy for my brain to work on new ideas occasionally. I'm making very good progress on this new game and I'm learning new skills which will enable me to make my other games much better (or at least easier to make). Another bit of news: I recently finished the level editor for Yoink. It isn't fit for human consumption at the moment, but it's good enough for me to get started on the task of adding ten or so extra levels to the game. Watch this space! I also have a backlog of artwork to put up. Soon, soon.... |
| 13 March 2004 | I'm on a roll. Or maybe I'm just incompetent. Anyway, AlphaPicture Plugin 1.0.3 has been released, doubling the speed of GIF loading and almost halving memory consumption. |
| 12 March 2004 | Wow! Two updates in a row!
I've just fixed some stupidity-related bugs in AlphaPicture Plugin 1.0.2, making it possible to load transparent GIFs correctly. |
| 11 March 2004 | I've just released my AlphaPicture Plugin 1.0.1 for the benefit of REALbasic users who would like to be able to load the alpha channel from their image files.
Nothing else new for this update, but I have a backlog of pictures for the gallery which I'll try to finish and upload in the next week or so. If you're wondering where I am with Yoink, I'm busy working on the level editor so I can make better scenery. Progress is good, but it's taking quite a long time because it's rather complex. The next release probably won't appear very soon, but rest assured that when it does, it'll be a good one! |
|
|
2003 |
|
| 28 December 2003 | The source code for Yoink 1.0.0 d6 is now available! Note that this is only useful for programmers - if you're looking for a new version, you'll have to wait a bit longer....
Feedback about my source code would be appreciated! |
| 12 December 2003 | No new material at present, but now uDevGames 2003 has concluded I have put up information about Yoink's success on my software page. I also added several new entries to the links page and pruned some old ones. |
| 11 November 2003 | Yoink 1.0.0 d6 is now up. Due to technical difficulties, iDevGames is presently down and it's not possible to vote, but normal service should resume in a few days. Please keep an eye on the iDevGames temporary page for further information.
Hmm... I haven't uploaded any new drawings for a long time. Feel free to give me a kick if you feel deprived. Inspiring suggestions would also be useful! |
| 2 November 2003 | Yoink 1.0.0 d5 is now available. The voting period for the uDevGames 2003 competition starts on 5 November, so don't forget to try out the new games and vote for them! Finally I can sleep... zzzzz. |
| 29 October 2003 | Yoink 1.0.0 d4 has just been uploaded. Can't talk right now, gotta rush.... |
| 16 September 2003 | Nether has finally moved to a new home. If you didn't catch the warning on the home page, please make sure that if you bookmark my site that you use this address:
If I ever need to move again, this address will continue to work. Incidentally, if you see anything which isn't working on the new site, please tell me! The most important new feature is a preview version of my entry in the uDevGames 2003 contest, Yoink! If you've got a Mac, please give it a try and tell me what you think. I also added a couple of things to the links page. |
| 19 May 2003 | It's a good job I don't draw comics or write computer games for a living. I'd have starved by now! A new release of Super Phoenix is available, and I've added some more pictures to the gallery once again. As ever, I'm keen to hear opinions or suggestions about my work! |
| 8 February 2003 | As you may have already realised, my use of the expression 'soon-ish' in the previous post was actually a euphemism for 'in about four months, if you're lucky'.
Anyway, Super Phoenix 1.0.0 d11 is now available, fixing many bugs and improving performance. I'll be able to add new features much more easily from now on, so it should start to develop much more quickly. I've also put up some new pictures in the gallery. |
|
|
2002 |
|
| 6 October 2002 | After a long period of braindeadness, I'm finally beginning to stir back to life. There are four new pictures in the gallery (some of which show male characters for a change!). I still have some other nearly-finished stuff to put up, but it'll have to wait for the next update, soon-ish. |
| 23 June 2002 | New stuff in the gallery, as well as a bugfix update for Super Phoenix. |
| 19 May 2002 | Super Phoenix 1.0.0 d9 is now available for download. Please take a look and tell me what you think! Sadly, no gallery update this time - I've been too busy helping a friend with his final year university project. |
| 30 April 2002 | I now have a domain for this site: www.nether.org.uk! If you'd like to bookmark my site, please use the new domain name instead of www.nether.dircon.co.uk/home. Thanks!
Many thanks to all those who have visited since the release of Super Phoenix in the last update! I've had some very positive and useful feedback, and I now feel much more motivated! So, what's changed? Take a look at the gallery. As well as some new pictures, I've added a little bit of explanatory text to each of the sections. Not that anyone was asking, but I thought it might give a taste of what I'm talking about in the character descriptions! I had hoped to have a new version of Super Phoenix ready, but it's not quite ready for release. Expect it after the weekend (hopefully!). |
| 1 April 2002 | Finally, a release of Super Phoenix 1.0.0 d8 is available for general viewing (the main difference being that I'm actually telling people where to find it). Once again, there's also some new things in the gallery. |
| 29 January 2002 | A new preview version of my game, Super Phoenix 1.0.0 d7, is now available. There's also more stuff to look at in the gallery. |
|
|
2001 |
|
| 10 December 2001 | In an attempt to get some traffic through here, I've decided to dabble with LinkExchange banner ads. Hopefully this won't turn out to be too much of a farce. I've never really liked banners, but I have occasionally been known to click banners for other comic sites, so there might be some mileage in it!
I also have a new picture up in the gallery, and it's a pretty good one if I say so myself! |
| 12 November 2001 | There are a couple of new images in the gallery. More stuff is in the pipeline, including a new look for the home page and a first proper public release of my game Super Phoenix. |
| 1 November 2001 | Three new images have been added to the gallery.
I also removed the rollovers for the gallery thumbnails to reduce the page loading time. |
| Added some more images to the gallery. | |
| 9 September 2001 | This was supposed to be a quick fix update, but while fumbling with Adobe GoLive I managed to delete all the text from every page of my site(!) and had to get them back from the server. Sheesh. Anyway, I've fixed some problems with some of the images and added style sheet support. Please let me know if there are any new problems! |
| The long standing temporary site has finally been replaced by one that has been properly designed (more or less), and a whole load of new stuff has been uploaded. There are still a couple of little tweaks to be done, though, so I apologise for any weirdness you might experience in the meantime! |