I got the most recent OH YEAH takes from Julian. Here is my mix that I will be using for the lobby music. It ends with an OOH Yeah vocal – hangs, and then loops and I like it a lot. I would like to thank Julian and Kristen for their important work (on VR Smoking -haha). And I will build Kristen a used book store, in the game because I’m not that handy, to memorialize her vocal contributions.

In other news I have completed 4 more ashtrays to bring the count to 18. Then I embarked on save and load features of the game. And I working on the resets, so that the player can start a new game. Some of the programming is an ass pain. But, need to do it. I have been rewarding myself with Rocket League playtime as a reward -lol.

Oh – I completed a method to for me to place secret items into levels (via the editor) where when found they explode with confetti. Then they “lock in” and wait for you to complete the level and then expose your prize. And then the item adds to your inventory. Seem’s to work well, but I’m sure it will need a tweak or two.

Next stage is to add more hazards and puzzle thing helpers. Oh, I have been organizing the levels into a better, more organized format. And I have been combining textures to bring down the draw count considerably. Its running at 115 fps in VR now. But I would like to get the draw count under 100 – (Its 220 now, but it was over 1K)… It’s time consuming, but kinda fun in an OCD way to increase performance.

Now that I made the initial levels of the game, the art-style in the start area was not working for me. I mean, it was temporary. So, I made a new lobby.

In this lobby, I added a lot of detail (hopefully not too much). Now the tutorial runs on a little old TV instead of a pull down screen. I have included a screenshot from the editor so you can see the entire room. I hope it can make the player make inferences about the character. Whatever, that would mean to them.

The start lobby includes all of the things that the original had…just more eye candy. The trophy case of ashtrays is now on the players left and I made it bigger. But then the ashtrays didn’t fill it. So I had to make 4 more. Now there are 16 ashtrays. I’ll make more…always need more -lol.

The last couple of couple weeks I have been working on the level environments. I keep adding more and more. It’s like a OCD thing. There are now 8 levels / jobs. I was going to launch with 5…and then add a new level each month. But maybe start with 8, and then add more? Hmm.

This ties into music. Composer, Julian Crowhurst is working on all of the music. That’s great because, now, all of the original music will be from one person. He sent me demo of the intro track and it’s great.

I was looking at an older message from him and saw that he had suggested, as a level, a gas station. Well, I just had to make one and now I have outdoor levels. Watch out!

Julian’s Garage will also feature fireworks so that you can send them into the sky in VR.

Then I was looking thru my old notes and saw a few good ideas. A dark level where you need a flashlight stood out. So, I made a dark mine I call Sunshine Mining Co, where you have a head mounted lamp to light your way. And I have a new starting level, full of boxes and signs and stuff, that I call the basement.

Below is the original July 2019 Idea. It has changed a bit now in order to actually make it work…and better.

You are smoking at work. You have 30 seconds to get rid of cigarette or YOU’RE FIRED.

Basically – you are the kind of person who just has to have a smoke…even while at work…and your jobs happen to be at super dangerous and explosive places. After your 12 days (puzzles) of work – you get a new job offer that takes you to a new environment and new dangers. Examples: Fireworks Factory (Boom), Toy Factory (Glue, Paint and Fur), Landscape(Gas, Fertilizer, Propane), Rocket Science Lab…etc. You will get Cig upgrades – like an e-cig that can be affected by magnets and gives of a burst of electricity if it touches the wrong thing. Each “day” gives you a new obstacle. One hand throws the cig and the other will need to push buttons or pull levers to control the environment.

Around the office – you will notice that things change from day to day and throwing your cig into something (like an open container) – may get you a bonus/secret (another track for that) like, new cigarette pack, vape juice, dip, a new smoke ring to blow at the beginning of levels, new ashtrays, etc….

You will also find documents and be inducted into the S3 – the secret smokers society… that’s who’s getting you the new jobs…your kinda like a dumb smoking spy -lol

So I killed the back story for now. But I hope to put things in the environment that tells a “story”.

So, I’m at a family dinner with the in-laws when my brother-in-law starts talking about a toy basketball hoop in his apartment and how his friends always throw balls and other things through it. YADAYADA

Light Bulb – I’m always coming up with game ideas BTW.  At that moment I was on Reddit and posting a game idea for the public about a little psycho-wanna be dentist kid that steals teeth.  – Trust me, it makes sense.

Then I just started writing a another post for a game I called Secret Smoke Break.  I upload the idea…(I will include the exact wording in another post). SO… I tell my wife about the idea. Usually I get the eye-roll.  But, she says…TAKE THAT POST DOWN RIGHT NOW AND MAKE THAT GAME. Holy Poop.

That was July 2019.  This pic is from 2 weeks later.

OK – Plane Jane Website.  Fancy website = too much time away from making games.

I started my latest project, Smoke Break, in July 2019 and, I think its going well.  I will be posting screenshots of progress and going back into my saved archive and posting some of the old stuff so that I can memorialize some of the progress.

Right now I am working on the throwing mechanics.  This is good news. I have an actual plan with an end goal now.

Most of the assets are in intact and I am creating a few more.  I probably need to stop and just make it work. I just discovered that probuilder helps me make some quick models.  When the hell did I get that? Didn’t even know I had it. I was using Blender before, but it’svery quirky, so the less time in Blender the better.  But I like hacking crap together.

I have a look and feel to the game that I like and this was just supposed to be a little game…But now it looks to be better and bigger than planned.  Gotta make some more levels …. Now I want to make it compatible with Vive, Oculus, Windows MR, Gear VR, Daydream and maybe even be able to play a mobile version.  Holy Cow.

I plan to post here weekly and some of the posts will be technical and bitchy, but I want to be able to retrace my actions if needed… So this is my blog to me.  It may be a little loose and unrefined… oh well.