The map editor is pretty much done. I'm passing it around to get feedback on
it and to get some final ideas to put in. I managed to get some features that
other people asked about. The random resources are in. Here are some screens:
\
Here you can also see the planet editing UI. To modify a
planet, just change the number.
Just new lables and tick marks in the scenario editor.
I also helped Scott by fixing some simple 3d issues in Political Machine. As
soon as Cari gets the GalCiv2 branch up and running, I'll start hacking away at
that. Particle systems will be the first on the list.
On a different note, along with our Halo fascination, I've been playing a new
game called UFO: Aftermath
It was developed by Altar and published by Cenega. It's supposed to be like
X-Com. They plaster "X-Com" all over the box at least, but it isn't anywhere
near as engrossing as X-Com was. It borrows a lot of ideas from the old game
(character building, ufo interception, etc...), but really fails to draw me in
like the other one did. I think my biggest complaint in the game is the SCS
(Simultaneous Combat System). They claim it's a blend of real time and turn
based. It's just realtime with a pause button. The camera is also very picky and
the camera controls are probelmatic. If you're going to implement a 3d camera,
you should provide full freedom to the user. Otherwise, it feels like the camera
is on rails and you don't really get to control it. You start to perceive it as
a limit instead of a good feature. Anyways, if you long for X-Com again, you
should try it. Otherwise, I'd stay away from this title. I'll play it more just
because I remember spending the entire summer of 1992 seeing little numbers
popping up in the lower right corner 
[You'll only get that joke if you've
played X-Com].
If you long for real X-Com, the closest thing you're going to find is
Laser Squad Nemesis. It's done
by the same people who did X-Com. The only problem is that it's a PBEM thing. No
story, no AI, and you have to pay for a subscription. Bummer 
I think that the only thing that will make me happy is to make
my own turn based squad game. Anybody up for Space Hulk?
