Archive for the 'Cortex Command' Category
Contrary to (understandable) popular belief, we are toiling away on the next build. I’ll try to get a series of posts going, each talking about a new feature or fix already completed for the upcoming version.
Today’s featured… uh, feature is: sticky particles! Yes, now some of the spray from the concrete gun actually stick to walls and ceilings, as well as blood splashes, etc.
This enables you to reinforce tunnels and caverns you’ve dug in the bare dirt. Just spray some concrete up on the walls and it will set into much harder material to make intrusions difficult for your enemies!
Photographic evidence
Also, checking this out is mandatory: Voxelstein 3D
As some of you have undoubtedly noticed, we just revealed a completely new version of the Data Realms official website! The new design is courtesy of Michael Heald of Fully Illustrated, who quite clearly did a bang-up job!
There is still more work in store for the site in general, specifically some cleaning up of the forums and dev log - and I don’t just mean the design.. we’re going to be cracking down on flaming and general BS in the comments and threads of both places.
Also - finally - there’s a proper page for Cortex Command itself, which we will be adding more content to as well. Hopefully it will give visitors a better idea of what we’re shooting for with the game than having to decipher an incomplete demo. You can expect a “coming features” section or high level to-do list of some kind soon!
UPDATE: The new flash banner is up now too, for extra wow effect 
UPDATE2: Flash banner’s effects have been greatly improved!
We are proud to report that Cortex Command was chosen to be the inaugural game on IndieGames.com’s new Game of the Month feature! Head over to the feature page for some juicy new concept art and explanations of the game’s setting and story:
In other news: Sorry there has been a bit of a gap in updates and activity. There were a series of IRL distractions, but we are back on track and the exciting times will definitely be picking up again!
A bithead named scancode made a quick and handy tool to disable and enable which mods gets loaded at startup of the game.
Eventually we will probably add this functionality to the game itself, but this is great in the mean time. Consider donating to him if you find the tool useful!
I’m at GDC again, despite having been sick with fever etc in the beginning of the week. Getting lots of inspiration for the game and meeting many new and old friends in and out of the indie gamedev scene. It’s a great time, as you can see here.
UPDATE: Home again. Final update to the photos above has been done, so there’s more stuff at the end. Back to work tomorrow!
After most of a month of recurring fevers and aches, it turns out I’ve probably got viral meningitis. It could have been much much worse (bacterial version), but it still hasn’t been good for productivity.
However, we are working on things that should improve Cortex Command in a couple of big ways over the next several builds:
Lua scripting. We are finally starting to integrate proper scripting into the engine. At first, it will only handle game logic for scenes, so scenarios and events during missions can easily be set up in external script files and not be hardcoded. Eventually, we hope to expose AI and other actor behaviors as well, so you can literally make your own AI modes - with control all the way down to how the AI guys look, aim, and shoot.
The current data (.ini) files will still be left intact, and the script files are just to be added and referred to by the object definitions in those existing data files.
Completely new license scheme. No more asking us to reset keys when you forget to unregister before reformatting your computer. You’ll be able to do it yourself. Also, we will be offering new methods of payment, which hopefully will better accommodate folks in countries with weaker currencies and less access to credit cards.
Don’t worry, we will make sure that all current license owners will have an extremely easy time transferring their keys to the new system when we roll it out.
That’s all for now, heading back to bed.
Build 20 is out! Lots of fun explosive stuff in here: proper detonation effects for all the ships, including the rocket!
Other improvements:
- Mods (.rte folders) can now be loaded in the trial version, and little more time allowed for skirmishes too
- Sound looping bugs fixed, diggers and engines won’t sound after they are destroyed or the AI uses them etc
- Various graphical bugs with lines in the background etc on reset fixed
- TDExplosives now work properly, the flak cannon’s projectiles always detonate, for example
- Various bugs with legs not behaving properly, like the crab tucking etc
- New experimental shock absorbing legs on the rocket. Needs some more work
- Many more small improvements and tweaks
(Although you do NOT need build 19 to install this!)
We just wanted to wish all our fans and customers a very merry xmas and holiday! Thank you so much for supporting us by buying the unfinished game and enabling us to keep working on it and other projects in the future. As long as sales keep up, we should be able to continue cranking out the Data Realms goodness for you to enjoy!
A special thanks to those who have generously chosen the ‘Support Data Realms Edition’ option! Your extra votes of confidence in the final product helps a LOT, both on the money and morale fronts here. We will not forget this!
We have been working on the next build, but with the holidays going on, it’s been a bit slower than expected. Ideally we wanted to push out number 20 by now, but it’s just not done yet. We know you are eager to get more content, but half-baked cookies just don’t taste as good as something done proper, amirite?! (ok, terrible analogy)
Anyway, rest assured that you haven’t seen much yet in terms of what is in store for next year! In the mean time, enjoy the quiet days between now and new year’s…
So… out of curiosity, I googled “Cortex Command Crack” today, and tried out some of the torrents and downloads that popped up.
Then, I had to spend a good hour disinfecting my test computer with every anti-virus tool I could throw at it. Beware — there is some nasty stuff floating around, disguised as the real thing!
Don’t be this guy.
That being said, if you do find a working crack, or you manage to crack it yourself, we’d love to see it! You will be rewarded with a free license key to the game (seriously)! Remember, any crack will probably only work for one version, while the key will legitimately unlock all versions up to and including when the full campaign is done!
Ok a couple of people managed to actually send real legit cracks they had made themselves (great job!), and they collected their rewards. No more keys will be handed out, so please stop spamming us with links to “maybe this is a crack?!” websites. Thanks!