would you be willing to license/sell your older aerodynamics physics from v2?
Yes and no! We should talk. Email me at martijn@ramjetanvil.com.
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How far in advance do you prefer to plan?
I'm still awful at scoping work in actual units of time. Giving up on a schedule beyond, say, a week, has lowered my stress levels considerably! Given that this is my first big project, I'll only know how long this game will take when I'm done making it. ;)
I do keep extensive documentation of any and all things I want to put into the game. These documents are like a living thing, constantly changing. Some items drift to the top, and some vanish towards the bottom. It took me a *long* time to figure out what I actually wanted to make (e.g. not a dubstep-powered competition bro-fest racing game, but what then?), but now that I do I have a loose idea of the order in which I want to tackle things.
Right now I know that I need to get V3 done and out there to get the ball rolling again. With that in mind I spend my time mostly on finishing and improving what is already there, instead of trying massive new features. There's still a lot of different areas being worked on at the same time, so I still want to modularize my work more.
After that I need to tackle the biggest unknown in the design: multiplayer. I have a bunch of technical questions to answer, and until I know the answers the scope of the project is unclear.
Learning how to manage the scope of bigger software projects is proving paramount to scheduling. For a long time I didn't really have stable/experimental versions, making it impossible to create a new release because so many things were broken/half-done. With a solid understanding of version control software it becomes much easier to split work on unique features into separate branches. This leaves me free to experiment with large breaking changes, while also working on fixes that can be immediately released.
I do think I'm getting better at this. Certainly, having regular development cycles would help keep the pace up and the community happy. After V3 is out I'll trying a 50/50 split between working on bite-sized changes and long term features.
I do keep extensive documentation of any and all things I want to put into the game. These documents are like a living thing, constantly changing. Some items drift to the top, and some vanish towards the bottom. It took me a *long* time to figure out what I actually wanted to make (e.g. not a dubstep-powered competition bro-fest racing game, but what then?), but now that I do I have a loose idea of the order in which I want to tackle things.
Right now I know that I need to get V3 done and out there to get the ball rolling again. With that in mind I spend my time mostly on finishing and improving what is already there, instead of trying massive new features. There's still a lot of different areas being worked on at the same time, so I still want to modularize my work more.
After that I need to tackle the biggest unknown in the design: multiplayer. I have a bunch of technical questions to answer, and until I know the answers the scope of the project is unclear.
Learning how to manage the scope of bigger software projects is proving paramount to scheduling. For a long time I didn't really have stable/experimental versions, making it impossible to create a new release because so many things were broken/half-done. With a solid understanding of version control software it becomes much easier to split work on unique features into separate branches. This leaves me free to experiment with large breaking changes, while also working on fixes that can be immediately released.
I do think I'm getting better at this. Certainly, having regular development cycles would help keep the pace up and the community happy. After V3 is out I'll trying a 50/50 split between working on bite-sized changes and long term features.
Hey Martjin will your game feature any music?
It certainly will! I'm in touch with a lot of musical folk, and know a thing or two about making music myself as well. Michael Manning (who did work on the Aurora Wager) and I have been brainstorming about both the sound design and the music, and we're pretty excited.
We want to tie music strongly to elements of the game world. Bits and pieces of ambient tones drifting on the wind as you fly by and such.
Basically, think Proteus, not dubstep. :)
We want to tie music strongly to elements of the game world. Bits and pieces of ambient tones drifting on the wind as you fly by and such.
Basically, think Proteus, not dubstep. :)
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Can we use keyboard to play Volo?
Not right now, but keep an eye on twitter.com/voloairsport or volo-airsport.com for the new version which does allow keyboard and mouse. :)
if you were starting to develop volo today from scratch would you start with Unity or UE4? and why would you pick either or?
It's hard to say! UE4 is certainly more attractive financially these days, at least when your expected profits are not that high. If I had not experience with either I might be tempted to go with UE4.
But I have lots of Unity experience, and would definitely go with that again. No engine is perfect, and I definitely have had (and still have) my gripes with Unity, but it has some advantages of UE4. I really, really like the C#/Mono setup, and would consider scripting in C++ a serious step down in productivity. And before someone mentions BluePrint: I really do prefer a written language over a visual coding metaphor. I find that visual scripting, beyond opening a door with a trigger, quickly becomes spaghetti.
That said, Unity can learn a metric tonne from Epic's recent move. The price competition is very welcome, the move to semi-open-source is a huge boon for both users of the engine and its developers, and some features (like terrain, shader editing) are ahead of Unity.
Ultimately, either would do the job, and are probably quicker than making my own engine. But I know most of Unity inside-out now, and UE4 wouldn't really make my job much easier. :)
But I have lots of Unity experience, and would definitely go with that again. No engine is perfect, and I definitely have had (and still have) my gripes with Unity, but it has some advantages of UE4. I really, really like the C#/Mono setup, and would consider scripting in C++ a serious step down in productivity. And before someone mentions BluePrint: I really do prefer a written language over a visual coding metaphor. I find that visual scripting, beyond opening a door with a trigger, quickly becomes spaghetti.
That said, Unity can learn a metric tonne from Epic's recent move. The price competition is very welcome, the move to semi-open-source is a huge boon for both users of the engine and its developers, and some features (like terrain, shader editing) are ahead of Unity.
Ultimately, either would do the job, and are probably quicker than making my own engine. But I know most of Unity inside-out now, and UE4 wouldn't really make my job much easier. :)
Do you still have the list of people who have pre-ordered or is our money just gone?
First, thank you so much for supporting the game! Your contribution (and those of others) make it a little easier to spend time working on the game. :)
I still have a list of names and emails of everyone who has ever donated money for the game. I save them in a special inbox folder, which I back up regularly, and they're still logged in my paypal account.
Here's some financial stats for the game: So far, 76 people have donated. The average donation is slightly north of $15, netting me a grand total of $1250. So yes, I regret to inform you your money is gone. I have groceries to pay for and all that. I'm not trying to complain, mind you, I'm pointing out that this is hardly a take-the-money-and-run situation.
The terms still stand, by the way! When the game takes off your donation counts as a purchase, and you'll have access to any and all future versions of the game at no extra charge.
I still have a list of names and emails of everyone who has ever donated money for the game. I save them in a special inbox folder, which I back up regularly, and they're still logged in my paypal account.
Here's some financial stats for the game: So far, 76 people have donated. The average donation is slightly north of $15, netting me a grand total of $1250. So yes, I regret to inform you your money is gone. I have groceries to pay for and all that. I'm not trying to complain, mind you, I'm pointing out that this is hardly a take-the-money-and-run situation.
The terms still stand, by the way! When the game takes off your donation counts as a purchase, and you'll have access to any and all future versions of the game at no extra charge.
Not a question but an opinion. I think you need to release V3, re-build a fan base, and use Reddit to grow the game's popularity. A blessing from Reddit can be a wonderful thing.
I cannot disagree with you there, I think so too! :)
It's not as easy as pressing a button though, but I'm giving it my best shot.
It's not as easy as pressing a button though, but I'm giving it my best shot.
How close is "close"? A month? Six months? A year?
I understand your frustration, I really do! I feel it too. It's not like I'm sitting here going "Hah hah! I'll never release anything for you guys!" I want the game out there at least as much as you do. :)
Anyone with more than cursory experience in making games will recommend you to not make your "procedurally generated MMO with player driven economies and image-based lighting and thought-powered spell system magnum opus" as your first game. Because obviously it's too hard. But I'm doing it anyway, because I'm an utter fool.
The issue quite simply is that I have never done anything of this kind before, and am thus terrible at making estimates. Things I expect to take one week really take 3 weeks, and only then I figure out how to *really* do it right, so it takes another 3 weeks to complete.
The game is not at the point where updates are 'trivial' bug fixes or minor feature additions that sort of 'write themselves'. I still need to get the core right, and that takes about ten missteps for each step in the right direction.
Anyone with more than cursory experience in making games will recommend you to not make your "procedurally generated MMO with player driven economies and image-based lighting and thought-powered spell system magnum opus" as your first game. Because obviously it's too hard. But I'm doing it anyway, because I'm an utter fool.
The issue quite simply is that I have never done anything of this kind before, and am thus terrible at making estimates. Things I expect to take one week really take 3 weeks, and only then I figure out how to *really* do it right, so it takes another 3 weeks to complete.
The game is not at the point where updates are 'trivial' bug fixes or minor feature additions that sort of 'write themselves'. I still need to get the core right, and that takes about ten missteps for each step in the right direction.
Why not release small updates every 3-4 months like Kerbal Space Program does?
The answer is multi-faceted.
A. V2 was a prototype, and ill-suited to scaling up to a full game. It took me a long time to learn how to make games bigger than this prototype, and we're only really getting started now. B. Volo has not exactly rendered me rich yet. I cannot afford spending months and months working on it full-time yet.
But yes, regular releases are a Good Thing, and from V3 onwards we can start doing this. :)
A. V2 was a prototype, and ill-suited to scaling up to a full game. It took me a long time to learn how to make games bigger than this prototype, and we're only really getting started now. B. Volo has not exactly rendered me rich yet. I cannot afford spending months and months working on it full-time yet.
But yes, regular releases are a Good Thing, and from V3 onwards we can start doing this. :)
How did you learn what you know about C# and game programming in general? Did you teach yourself or go to school for it? Also, has any more work been done on the Aurora Wager?
High school and college let me dabble in programming in small doses. A bit of action script here, a bit of java there, and even a little C++. I studied music technology though, so the emphasis on software development was really low. By far the most of my knowledge comes from starting my own projects and figuring things out on the go. If you're still in school, chances are you have all the time in the world to do fun projects in your spare time!
Also, school is overrated. It can help you, sure, but you have to do the actual study and practice yourself. :)
Also, school is overrated. It can help you, sure, but you have to do the actual study and practice yourself. :)
I think the question everyone is wondering...when approximately can we expect the next version release?
I must refrain from committing to release dates until I've gotten good at releasing at a regular pace. The next release finally feels pretty damn tangible, though! Check out this post to read what we've been up to lately: http://volo-airsport.com/2014/04/site-maintenance-dev-notes/
so if the game is about flight in general does that mean it will have planes and stuff too?
I really want to expand to different kinds of flying, yeah! First wingsuits though, because I can only really do one thing at a time. More, and I quickly get lost.
The dream is to have a large playground in which multiple people can fly simultaneously, in any way they want. The interactions between them would be so interesting!
The dream is to have a large playground in which multiple people can fly simultaneously, in any way they want. The interactions between them would be so interesting!
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How are you modelling the aerodynamics in the game?
The character is a physically simulated ragdoll, and your input directly controls the joints/muscles that link the individual limbs together. I do relatively simple aerodynamics for each individual part of the body and suit. It's roughly based on the mathematical functions you can find on this wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_(force); the one under "Methods to determine lift on an airfoil", for example.
Of course, there's a lot of extra work in actually getting this to work in a game engine, but the basics are simple. Like John Carmack has sometimes said: game programming just requires a really solid understanding of highschool math. I wish I payed more attention back then! ;)
Of course, there's a lot of extra work in actually getting this to work in a game engine, but the basics are simple. Like John Carmack has sometimes said: game programming just requires a really solid understanding of highschool math. I wish I payed more attention back then! ;)
Have you seen this wingsuit video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GASFa7rkLtM
I have, yeah! Jokke Sommer is one of my favorite wingsuit athletes. I like these videos more than his new stuff on epic.tv though. More flying and less fluff!
Interested in licensing or selling your source? Follow up - If not, would you be interested in bringing on a partner/small investor that can carry their own weight? :)
It depends! I've licensed parts of my code before, and investment could be discussed. Mail me at martijn@ramjetanvil.com for specifics.
What song is stuck in your head?
Nothing at the moment, but last summer there was quite a bit of Lone - Airglow Fires stuck there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KcOZ2qHz5g
Will there be other terrains in Volo V3?
Yes, the old terrain is completely gone. (I don't even have it on my hard drive anymore!)
Are you going to stick with Unity or switch to Unreal Engine?
I'm looking at UE4, but I doubt I'll make the switch for Volo Airsport. There's a long list of pro's and cons for either engine, and right now it seems like a 'grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side' situation. I can make the game in both, and both would occasionally put their own flavor of roadblocks in my way. Ultimately, I have a game to make, and switching engines now would take a while.
Nice to see you´re still working on VOLO. it was rather quiet last months. are you planning local MP / splitscreen flying?
Certainly! I have the required code (input handling, audio) done, and supporting split screen is a helluvalot easier than online networking code.
Why am I asking _you_ a question?
You know full well.
Where does the name Volo come from?
It's the Latin verb for flying, "I Fly". It's kinda corny, but it does embody the fact that I want the game to be about flight in general, rather than only wingsuit base jumping. Plus, the name Pilot Wings was already taken. :)
Have you made any plans for how to grow the game's popularity?
Yes! But all the marketing plans first require a new version to be out, really. Talking to journalists, going to major events, or approaching Let's Players on Youtube without anything new out wouldn't really work.
Apart from that kind of marketing, our online stuff needs an overhaul. We've got plans for a proper website, with a bunch of community tools (like a forum! I know, very fancy). The game itself will also see some changes that should help the game grow fast: integrated community tools, and extensive modding.
Apart from that kind of marketing, our online stuff needs an overhaul. We've got plans for a proper website, with a bunch of community tools (like a forum! I know, very fancy). The game itself will also see some changes that should help the game grow fast: integrated community tools, and extensive modding.
Do you work alone or do you have a partner / team?
Currently I'm working with my good friend @fversnel. He helps me out with some of the programming. Also looking for other members!
Was the version 3 ever build ?
It's still being built. It has grown quite a bit in scope.
Why didn't you call it YOLO Airsport?
I thought reminding people of their mortality would be a poor marketing strategy, especially since I'm not selling life insurance.
Why am I asking myself a question?
I don't know, maybe I am just lonely.