Hey, folks! Let's cut right to the chase this time, shall we?
I haven't been doing much on Xen lately. I'm waiting to see if CC is going to address the Xort issue plaguing Interloper. I'd much prefer to get that sorted out before I commit to anything Xen-wise, since being able to use Xorts and Xontrollers with their built-in mind control functions would be much more convenient. We'll see where that goes, I guess.
We've started focusing on the Earthbound chapters instead, aiming to refine and build upon some of the earlier chapters in particular. I'd like to think my ability as a mapper has developed significantly since then, as has our design philosophy and ability.
Here's a bunch of screenshots of Unforeseen Consequences and Office Complex so far. Bear in mind that nothing in these screenshots is final yet - this is all subject to change.
I don't have an ETA for any of this yet, though I will say that I think it's shaping up quite well so far. Ideally, I'd also like to get back to Xen soon - though I'm hesitant to commit to anything until I know what's going on with the Xort crash.
I'm also still interested in looking into creating a standalone installer for BMSC. The way I've set up BM to allow for easy modification of stock maps (by extracting the maps_dir.vpk archive and disabling it in gameinfo.txt) works fine for me, but it's messy and disorganized - really not an ideal setup for end users who just want to play the game seamlessly.
As said, I'm not sure when the first of the updated Earthbound chapters will be ready for release. Ideally, sometime before the end of the year - but, well, I can't promise anything.
Stay tuned!
Is there a list of the design choices changed/reverted in this mod?
Also the “various bugs and oversights”.