New Facebook Fan Page

Due to popular demand, I've created a Facebook fan page for Worldcrafter to help players communicate with each other and also a place where questions can be posted.  If you've got a question or suggestion for Worldcrafter, don't hesitate to ask it.

Take a look and join here!

I Cannae Implement the Laws of Physics - Not!!

A long time ago I read a review of Sensible Soccer on the Amiga, where legendary game reviewer Stuart Campbell stated that it was "attention to detail" that made the difference between good games and brilliant games.  It was something like that anyway, but it was about 20 years ago so forgive if I'm wrong.  It's always stuck with me when creating games, even if I haven't had the time to actually implement these little bits of "attention to detail".

One thing that certainly does elevate good games to great games (not that I would be bodacious (dude) enough to say my games were in anyway great - that's for other people to say) is implementing physics.  So that's what I've gone and bloody-well done!

In the latest version of Worldcrafter, there are two new features: gravity when jumping, and sliding when on ice.  They might seem small and insignificant, but remember, it's attention to detail that counts!

Worldcrafter Gameplay Video

Here's a gameplay video of Worldcrafter that I created. Sorry the picture is a bit blurry; the phone I used to record it couldn't quite focus properly.

Good Reviews!

I've got no way of thanking the people who've left a good review for me, apart from through the medium of this blog. It's always gratifying to know the people actually enjoy playing the apps and games I've created, and these people seem to be having a great time with Worldcrafter:-

So a big thank-you to Thomas and James!

Worldcrafter Update

Phew, it's been a while but I finally got round to updating Worldcrafter.  There are a few changes including new animals and a new way of eating, but by far the most important is the new ability to save maps and then share the files with other people. 

Map files are saved onto the SD card in the 'Worldcrafter' directory.  If you've created any interesting worlds, please pass them on!

My sprites and other animals

There's been a bit of gap with updates to Worldcrafter since I've been working on an Android client for Stellar Forces, which is being released imminently.  I've been creating a few new creatures though, like cows and chickens; the chickens will probably lay eggs, and the cows might do something with milk if I can work out some kind of gameplay into the process.

Worldcrafter 0.8 Released!

The mini-crafting guide

Worldcrafter 0.8 has been released with the following new features-

* Lots of new crafting options
* New blocks: furnace, clay, glass, bricks, cobwebs, wool, bones, bread, bed
* Sheep & Pigs
* New game mode: Farming
* In survival mode, you can only see baddies that your avatar can see
* Mini crafting guide
* Mobs are saved with the save-game
* Guide accessible from inside the game

Worldcrafter: Farming

Part of the big update coming soon to Worldcrafter includes a new game mode: Farming.  Now, as well as being able to grow crops, you can now farm pigs & sheep.  It's turning into Farmville!  Except you can get wool from the sheep and use it to make a bed.  And you get some nice lamp chops if you kill them.

Worldcrafter 0.7 Released

Get off my laaaaand!

Worldcrafter 0.7 has been released with the following improvements:-

* Skeletons
* More "helper arrows" on screen.
* Can now walk "through" trees and jump on branches
* More trees
* Can grow wheat
* Now player throws seeds to plant them
* Can return to the same map when killed
* Slowed down the sun & moon
* New block: Girder

Keeping track of thousands of objects

The image above is a cross-section of the randomly-generated map in Worldcrafter.  You can see tunnels, dungeons (some with floors of lava, mwah ha ha!) a lake and a lava river running along the bottom.  Other purple specks are things like monster generators, tangleweed and maybe even a chest of treasure.  It's pretty big, and yet the program has to keep track of a lot of the map blocks since they need processing to check if they should do anything, e.g. if they are water or lava, then flood.

The way the software does this is to have 3 lists of game "objects":-

1) Objects that need processing every game tick, e.g. a zombie.
2) Objects that don't need processing straight away but every few seconds at least, e.g. water blocks.
3) Objects that don't need processing until the player can see them.

So the first group of objects get processed every game tick, since it wouldn't do to have a zombie just stand there while the player throws rocks at it's head (although that might be realistic).  One or two objects from the second list are processed every tick since updates aren't as urgent.  And of the third massive list, one to two objects are checked every game tick to see if they are in range.  If they are, they are moved to the second list.

Easy peasy!  Look out for the new Worldcrafter update towards the end of the week.

Worldcrafter 0.6 Released

Version 0.6 of Worldcrafter has been released with the following new features:-

* Wiki guide is now included in the app
* Adventure Mode, with line-of-sight and an objective!
* Acorns only grow in light
* New block type - Slime
* On-screen arrow icons for left/right - as requested by Manny333

Worldcrafter: Killer Wasps

Take two wasps into the shower?

Zombies are not the only enemy the player must contend with in Worldcrafter.  Killer Wasps also make an appearance, and since they are a bit smaller, the player must be a bit more accurate with their rock-lobbing.

Also in this screenshot you can see a pool of slime, and a small globule that has spurted out and is making its way towards the player.  Urgh!

Worldcrafter 0.5 Released

Mind the lava!

Version 0.5 of Worldcrafter, the Minecraft alternative for Android, has been released with the following new features:-

* The player's inventory is now saved with the map
* Improved world creation
* Darkness when going underground
* Zombies can destroy walls
* More animated blocks
* Killer wasps
* New block type: Sand
* Moved icons to give more visibility
* Health bar
* Random items in chests

Hitchhiker's Guide to Worldcrafter

Since there are quite a few block types and gameplay "elements" in Worldcrafter, the player needs some kind of reference for everything, and this is exactly what the Worldcrafter Guide is for.  It's just like a 'wiki' that runs in your Android phone, and has links to all the block types, monsters and gameplay elements in the game.  And it's completely free!

Worldcrafter: Version 0.4 Released

Version 0.4 has just been released!  Here is a rundown of the latest major new features:-

* Apples grow on trees
* New blocks - Admantium, iron ore, flint
* Shows current selected block type
* If construction mode, the player has access to all blocks
* Now collect items by clicking on them
* Zombies can drop flint
* Player can start fires

The latest version of Worldcrafter is available here.

Worldcrafter: I am the God of Hell Fire

..And I Bring You Fire!  Dum dum duuuum duum...

Here's a screenshot* of one of the new blocks, fire**.  It can be created by dropping a piece of iron ore** and throwing*** a piece of flint at it.

* I've discovered how to take screenshots now without having to run the slow-as-a-crawl emulator.  DDMS has the option in it.  Get ready for some much better screenshots coming soon.  Although this one isn't bad, as it shows a tree growing from an acorn as well as a fire.

** Note that this is feature is in version 0.4, which will probably be out on Monday 26th October due to the rigorous testing regime we have here.

** I've decided that one of the way the players can 'craft' (to use the Minecraft terminology) is to place one kind of block and throw another kind at it.  If they are "compatible" (like iron ore and flint are) something will happen, like a fire will be created.  'But how will a player know what blocks are compatible?' I hear you ask.  That's what I created the mini-wiki for, which I'll write about on Monday probably.

Worldcrafter: Dungeons

Looking for dungeons, and the treasures that they hold, will probably be a big part of Worldcrafter.  Here you can see a dungeon that the player has found, and they are currently stood on top of a treasure chest ready to open it.  However, the blue/black chequered block next to it is a rumbling zombie generator, so our hero better get a move on before one appears!

Also in this screenshot you can see the new "ID" icon, which will help the player identify blocks.  If they click on it and then click on a block, the type of block will be identified.

Worldcrafter: Name Change Required

As I suspected, I've definitely got to change the name of this game.  I can't even find it myself on Android Market, since the search results are swamped with a million World of Warcraft apps thanks to Google trying to be clever and assuming you were searching for WoW.

Suggestions for a new name are welcome.Please let me know at the Worldcrafter forums.

Worldcrafter: Released

The first version has just been released!  Feedback is welcome as to which features players want next.

One of the semi-annoying things about Google is that if you do a search for "Worldcrafter", you'll have to wade through approximately a million results for "Worldcraft", whichis a bit more popular (at the moment).  Maybe I might have to rename it for the first full release.

There are a few new features that have been added recently:-
* Zombie generators in the dungeons
* The player's health slowly goes down
* There are snow-capped mountains further on if the player explores.

Worldcrafter: Here be Zombies

Any game worth its salt must have the current "enemy du jour" in it, which these days seems to be Zombies.

Here you can see one of the little blighters trying to creep up on our hero. What can he do to save himself? At the moment he can either run, or mine some rocks and throw them at it. But more may be waiting round the corner. They normally only come out at night, but thanks to my new and patented "debug mode", I can conjur them up whenever I want. What's that you say? "Prior art"???