Alpha.0334 Released! news

After a grueling three weeks of debugging, optimizing, and adding new features, the alpha build v0334 of Maerchen is finally available. It includes the full source code for the game as well as the NordicFX-2D engine, the workspace files, all sprite images in both the native BMP and PhotoShop PSD formats for easy editing, and of course the game executable, so you can see what you've accomplished.

Here is the short change log, but don't be deceived by it's puny size. Many of these issues took forever to fix!

• Made tree placement random. Currently 64 trees per level.
• Added collision detection on trees and player.
• Improved character sprite animations to be more fluid, and simply work.
• Character direction updating is now instant.
• Characters now render behind trees that are in front of them, and in front of trees behind them.
• Added FPS gauge in bottom right.

If you bother to download it, you will notice that there isn't any real point to it yet. It's really just a pre-release SDK so that you guys can start learning the engine, and editing the sprites if you wish to make an RPG.

In future releases, expect enemy NPC's with AI, enterable buildings, simple quests, and a scrolling world map. Later on, probably well after Christmas, expect map, quest, and sprite editors. In the final release, expect a custom scripting language with editor.

Here is a little screenshot of the pseudo-3D emulation that allows sprites to be rendered in the order in which they would be in a 3D game, that I coded today:

Now without further ado, the download link. Enjoy, and please share with me any modifications that you make! Also, there are a number of known bugs that I'm working on, but there are probably also some I don't know about, so please also let me know if it's acting weird.