Dry Spell!

Spoiler: The blob dies

Sorry about the Dry spell in postings, Mr. Interwebz, but I've been pretty busy with midterms and the like.  As is, I still have a math midterm tomorrow which I have yet to fully study for, and potentailly a reading quiz.  Yikes!

Famous Last Words "Yikes!"

So, what's new on the game?  Unfortunately since my last major breakthrough, nothing is new.  I've been studying and trying to write a paper all weekend.  I'm not happy about that, but David and I have outlined at least a plan for the coming week of work (which hopefully we can get to) which involves re-working the Garbage Collection system (Turns out, calling the Garbage Collector wastes a lot of processing power...) which I'll explain in a bit, and then FINALLY I get to just work on art/gameplay programming which as fun as it sounds can actually be kind of tedious only because I know what I want it to do I just wish it would do it already.

To be fair, not all gameplay programming is tedious, I actually enjoy the most of it but like writing a book, starting a piece of art or an animation the hardest part is always getting started.  Once I get the momentum up, this puppy will (hopefully) start flying.  I'm praying that the motivation comes soon!

There's a difference between Coercion and Motivation, please keep that in mind

 So anyway, the Garbage Collection system that I had begged and pleaded with David to work on.. it sucks up processing power, esp. on mobile devices like we are aiming for.  Solution?  Instead of destroying bullets, when a bullet is "spent" and has achieved it's purpose put the bullet in a "dead" list of bullets that aren't displayed or updated, and then when a new bullet has to be fired, if their are members in the "dead" list they are re-activated and recycled, preventing us from creating any more memory that is necessary.  FRICKIN SWEET YO.  I should have probably thought of that earlier, but oh well, I can't expect myself to be a genius.  Or even competent.

As my C++ teacher said today in class "If you understand this, that's great you are more intelligent than me.  But, I'm more intelligent than you."  So I guess I can chalk this up to be a learning experience?

Learning Experience: Don't piss off the man with Shrink-o-vision

So, hopefully  by tomorrow I'll be done with midterms, and have some time to devote to Gameplay programming!  ...hopefully.  That, and I have to write a friggin' paper.  Why must school get in the way so much? It's terribly inconvenient!

Of course, I'm the one who just went to the southside to bake cookies with my InterVarsity group... haha.  Sue me, but at least I'm trying to live life.  I'm doing so-so on that aspect so far, some things I still need to get on.. but that's outside the scope of this blog.
Boom, programming reference.
Live long and prosper internet denziens,
-Kev