Memorial Day, BBQ, and Melons

A happy long weekend to everyone!
Hopefully it's filled with Good Drink, good BBQ and Good Melons!

This weekend the Shack keeper is busy working on U.F.F. once again, and The "Level 8" build is complete!
"Level 9" is a GO! We are down to the final 2 . Level 9 is the #1 enforcer of our (final boss) alien mistress. I don't have a finalized name for this enforcer, as of yet, but I have been calling here, Chu-pa.

In between the weekly grind, tending to the lawn here at the shack, and currently potty training my little shack keeper, It's hard to find time during the day to work. So there have been some late nights working on the game the past few days.

Here's this weeks taste of U.F.F.:

"Here we have guy hanging out by a pool in "level 8" where I hope to place a cool item or two"

As many are always surprised to learn. Life in the shack isn't all sweating away, back breaking work, tending to the melons, in the unforgiving sun.  Living at the Shack does have its perks.
Such as working with our Melon Girl on this fine "Memorial Day Weekend", She was happy enough to pose for us sporting her U.S.A. Bikini top and bottoms:

Melon Girl U.S.A. Post Card Pin-up

Have a Great weekend,

Cheers,

The Shack Keeper

U.F.F. "Level 7" Complete

It's Saturday: 83 degrees and the sun out!!! gotta love it!

The Shack Keeper has spent this day lock away in the shack. Only taking a moment or two to peek out from time to time, catch a breath of fresh air, and smell the melons.

The Level 7 build is complete! Which means we are down to the "final 3". 10 stages in all. each level has become bigger and slightly more complex, as all games should. I realized this is one of the reasons that completing each build is taking a bit longer at this point. The final stage may require me to ditch or at least change many of the usable tiles and pre-made element I have made for the game and used up until this point. (while creating items as needed) The final stage will definitely be the most time consuming build.


Here's this weeks taste of U.F.F.:

"U.F.F. LEVEL 7 DUNGEON"

Off Topic: Lately I have been playing past episodes of things I have already seen (anime n' such) in the background (as opposed to music and head phones) while i work on the game. How disappointed was I when I took time out to watch the 2 oav's of, "Attack on Titan"? Very! (the second release more than the 1st) If your a fan watch them but you have been warned. BRING ON SEASON 2!!!!

• That and the new season of, "The Walking Dead" this coming October, makes life Happy.

Have a great one!

Cheers,
The Shack Keeper

Artist Block! At the Shack....

Happy Late Night on this Saturday!!

With any luck your night is filled with fun and friends or how ever you enjoy to spend a night where you don't need to drag yourself out of bed at a ridiculously early hour.

I am extremely happy to report That Level 6 is built and complete! Although I am behind scheduale and should have been working on level 7 or ideally 8 today, it was not for lack of not trying. This is the first time I hit a wall in building/creating the levels in the game. It could happen at any time and the Shack  Keeper is not immune to the dreaded artist block. (i.e. writers block for artists)

I started out having constructed the previous levels with a very clear view of what I wanted, and although I had an idea for this level it wasn't nearly as sharp. To date level 6 trumped them all in how much time I have spent going back to scratch on special items and props. 3 days (on and off remember I am a Dad and have a full time day job) and about 6 variations later it's done! So what do we have in the end? A very solid level that is worthy of being this level? Absolutely. Would I rather be writing that it's a masterpiece worthy of the time put in? Yes. but I don't believe that to be the case. Hitting the wall was bound to happen and I am glad it took this long to get here, but I am even more happy to be past it!

With that said this week I leave you with a look at something I played around with in between fighting my artist block. "Melon Girl" decided to drop by the shack and pose for a banner that might be used for the company profile page for the Melon shack on DLsite.com. Once our first game U.F.F. is complete.  here's what we have:

Cheers,
and enjoy your night,
The Shack Keeper

U.F.F. Progress Update: Levels 4 + 5 Completed!

Afternoon Everyone,

I have just returned to the Shack, on this rainy Friday afternoon. It's may be wet and cold out but "The Melon Shack" is warm and cozy.

Time for the Progress Update: The game (U.F.F.)  is back on track! Levels 4 and 5 have been designed and built along with new special bits and pieces as per the norm. This weekends goal will be to do the same for levels 6 and 7.

For this weeks taste of U.F.F. we have Guy standing in the "Panic Room" for Level 5:

"Level 5 Panic Room"

 The panic room was going to be a completely separate room. The building and progression of the game has turned it into more of a safe save location just before bosses, it just makes more sense, there's no need to drag things out by jumping rooms unnecessarily.

U.F.F. Side notes:  

        I originally intended the game to be a bit more of a traditional single player RPG with towns and multiple NPC interaction. But with the building and progression of levels this has changed too. For times sake and the games sake-putting quality over quantity, it's has become a bit more of a linear story dungeon RPG. There won't be extra side story arcs, world maps or towns. This came about quite naturally, to form what I believe the game needs to be, as opposed to trying to turn it into something else that's grander in scale, just for the sake of doing so. But as for extras: There will be a money system, multiple items, gear and weapons when it comes to leveling up the main character, as well as, a slew of common to and uncommon enemies (And some enemies specifically designed for each level). I am also still very pleased to have decided on the addition of a 1 secret Boss a little over a month ago.

(as always currently completed levels mean designed and built in RPGMVXAce, all levels once done must be programmed along with the assortment of other jobs, battle system, common enemy designs, weapon/item design and integration, music, etc, etc, etc..... Tend to those the Melons one at a time and before you know it the field will be ready to harvest!!!)

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

The Shack Keeper