How are things going? news - The Beat

Time, limited time at that is how I'll start this one. The holiday seasons can be nasty for productivity - and it was. I've been back it lately and have been bouncing all over the place.

The things I've been working on lately have been more boring as compared to just adding new features on top of new features. I've went back over and smashed a lot of game breaking bugs in regards to players interacting with suspects (silly things, such as evidence items not destroying and players being able to collect evidence over and over for easy points, or having a difficult time releasing a detainee).

I've gotten the mechanics a lot more sound, in regards to how situations are handling.

The dispatch system for locating people is entirely done, with simple voice acting it will seem really fluid in regards to how call outs work in respond to random robbery calls;

The player now has access to a footmap (there is no GPS or waypoint to this thing, its simply, a simple map) you can use this in conjunction with the dispatch calls to figure out where YOU ARE, and where the crime MIGHT BE to start your police investigation to the call. Perhaps you'll find a victim thats flagging you down, perhaps you'll even catch the guy fleeing the scene.

With that said I've put vehicles on the back-burner. They will now yield to code and lights, coming to a stop, but there are a few visual bugs I've yet to get around to (they will most likely remain for awhile) - I'd rather fixate on the walking AI, have them more complex, and build on that.

So whats next? Sounds like all bad news right? WRONG.

Along with AI now being given a name, DOB, sex, race, if they have a drivers licenses or a regular ID, if they have warrants or not - I'll soon be adding the Police Database, the computers already in the car, so the next two features will be adding a fully functional police computer (able to display your position on GPS, and roughly label the location of calls with a marker - like real), and the ability to show up on scene, detain, and investigate the situation before making a call on how to handle it (by using your computer you'll be able to obtain a background check on most people). Once all these things are tied in and the player is able to conduct himself more like a police rather then a wild goose hunt - the more complex AI behaviors will start to get put in, such as having a victim ID the person, or linking more solid evidence to the person (perhaps you find a weapon or drugs on the individual that also robbed someone.).

So in short, I'll be starting closed testing soon - because I'm getting to the point that I've got more features and situations then I've got time to test. This doesn't mean that a alpha is right around the corner, I don't even consider the software in a alpha like state yet, and there isn't much to do, but guys - all of the foundation for the building is start to get in place.

I'll try to do a video update soon showing the new dispatch system, the added items for the player, the improved interactions with suspects and victims, and the police computer usage also.

Later.
FinKone.