OK guys. Things have been a little slow over the past week due to yet another death in the family. My Father’s cousin passed away very suddenly last Thursday morning, and at a young age. Both me and my younger Sister were very close to him so you can imagine how badly this has hit me. Despite how bad my current circumstances are, I have to accept things and continue with my life. As Harvey Dent said in The Dark Knight, “The night is always darkest before the dawn”. Lets hope this is the case for me.

On a lighter note, I’ve already begun work on the new mini adventure.  Obviously the bulk of my spare time is going into Anaksha Dark Angel, but I’m also finding scraps of time to put into the mini adventure.

I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the last mini-adventure mainly due to its technical simplicity. The puzzles were way too easy.  I’ve re-coded the engine and the new version is a hell of a lot better!  Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s in there:

• Slightly bigger screen
• Large scrolling maps
• Better collision detection (the last one was full of bugs)
• Better dialogue rendering and clarity
• A save game system
• Unlimited Inventory
• Certain objects can now be combined to make new things
• Points system (just like the lovable old Sierra AGI games!)
• A longer more compelling storyline
• Tougher puzzles, challenges and additional sub-games
• Sound effects and music
• A few more mini-cutscenes (not too many though - only at key points!)
• 100% keyboard controlled

Most of the stuff above has already been coded and done, and is looking good.

The basic premise for the story was partially inspired by some of the posts on the forum made last year (thanks guys!). Anaksha has decided to take a holiday to unwind from all the killing, etc, when things start to go horribly wrong. I won’t give away any more but this project has taken up my late evenings and it’s turning out to be a lot of fun.

If I get a chance, I’ll post a tiny demo sometime for you all to try out.  It’ll be good to get some feedback.

OK guys, I thought I’d throw you a little cookie here by showing off a sample image from one of the cutscenes in Dark Angel which you can check out at my Deviant Art page.

http://arif-rocks.deviantart.com/#/d2w5e3m

In this scene she is at her estate , gazing out of a window whilst lost in deep thought. I loved her reflection in the window so much I decided not to illustrate any of the objects outside or the shine on the glass as it would distract the eye from her reflected image. I also love the distant expression on her face. Almost feels like she’s miles away.

This is just one of many hundreds of images I have which make up the vast cutscenes in Dark Angel.

If you have a deviant art account then feel free to drop a comment (or just say something here if you like)

Anyway, I hope you like it.

Hey guys! Nothing new or major to report. Work on Anaksha 2 continues as usual. Just keep an eye on the bars to the left to see how well things are going.

OK things are pretty much back to normal now.  I bought a new computer and had it built for me by a friend.  Things are a lot smoother and faster now and my workflow is a little less frustrating.

I’ve just realised something.  This is the third computer I’m going through during Anaksha 2’s development. I’m really wearing them down (not to mention my tendons!), but this new one should last quite a long time due to the high-level components.

For all you geeks out there, my new specs include an Intel Core i7 3.2Ghz 960 CPU with an NVidia GeForce GTX 265 graphics card.  I think there’s 6Gb of Triple Channel DDR3 RAM and lots of other high-end parts which I’ve forgot.  The whole system weighs a tonne and cost a STUPIDLY HIGH amount of money (close enough to the price of a car!) but I don’t care - life is so much easier now that things load within a few seconds instead me waiting ages for an app to load.

Full steam ahead!

Hold on guys… I’ve got computer problems. This damn thing is only 18 months old but I think it’s on its last legs.  I’ve just bought a load of new computer parts and will have a new one built by Saturday.

Will keep you posted…

jack-goldwyn

A lot of people are probably wondering who Jack Goldwyn is and why I’m giving him just as much attention as Anaksha.  Well I’ll try and explain it without giving away too much about him.  As you probably already guessed, Jack is a private cop.  He used to work for the police many years ago but he’s now self-employed as a private investigator.

He’s not the most sociable character in the world and tends to keep himself to himself.

He is very popular with the ladies who despite hating him at first, somehow seem to be magically hypnotised by his “blatant and forward” personality. He’s also stronger than he looks (don’t pick a fight with him!), and unlike most crime-noir heroes who are broke and living in a dank office, Jack is actually doing well financially and is clean shaven and looks after himself.

As the story unfolds, we find out that Jack has a lot of personal issues and “inner demons” to deal with.  For one he has a burning hatred for Anaksha who has apparently killed someone very close to him.  Although he doesn’t know who she is (or even what gender she is!) he is determined to find her and will stop at nothing to destroy her, despite all the odds being stacked against him.

So is he a good guy? A bad guy? Perhaps an anti-hero like Anaksha? Who is this mysterious chain-smoker with the black suit and bright red tie? As I say I don’t want to give too much away about Jack.  You’ll have a blast learning all about him when you play the game.

Regarding the game’s progress, things are moving pretty quickly now!  If you keep an eye on the bars to the left, you’ll notice progress every 24-48 hours.  I just hope I can keep it up despite all the migraines I suffer.

Anyway thats all for now.

Hey guys! Things are progressing slowly but very well.

I just wanted to get your opinions on an idea I’ve been kicking around in my head.  I was thinking of possibly releasing a new Anaksha Mini Adventure to keep you guys occupied while I continue developing Dark Angel.

Check out this forum post and feel free to leave your responses and suggestions on the message board.

http://www.anaksha.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=400

I know everyone’s been waiting a long time for this, so I’ve decided to start slowly leaking information about the new game over time.

If you came here through the main website, then chances are you’ve already seen the Anaksha 2 poster.  If not, go to www.anaksha.com and check it out.  I’ll be updating it over time by slowly adding screenshots, more copy, etc.

A new video games expo known as “Platform” has been launched in the UK and will be taking place towards the end of March.  From what I hear, it’s a large event with a lot of people attending.  It’s being organised by the World Trade Centre (Hull and Humber) and is being held in the Hull Truck Theatre. The organisers recently contacted me asking if I’d come give a talk on character development, and perhaps even unveil some info on Anaksha 2.

I’ve agreed to do the talk. As for unveiling something, if I can knock out a quick demo in time then I might bring that along and let people test it out.  It would be a good way to get feedback.  If I can’t, then I promise to at least show off some character designs and screenshots during my talk.

For those of you who are based in the UK and want to attend the event, go to www.platform2010.co.uk and sign up via the contact page (it’s free and open to individual members of the public as well as companies).  And if you are serious about coming then I’d sign up quickly because I’ve been told spaces are limited and they’re filling up fast.

OK I know I haven’t updated the blog in a while, but don’t worry - I’m still alive. :)  The project’s going well and things are progressing nicely.  I’m trying my best to get it done for April, but if I can’t then it’s no big problem as I’ll just release it around June or July.

I’ll only be updating the blog if I have something important to say.  If not, just assume I’m working away and keep an eye on those bars to the left <—-