Beta nearly out, I'm knackered!

Well the title says it all. I've been working flat out for a couple of weeks now with the artist and more recently the musician to get an Easter Bonus beta ready. I'm totally knackered, work all day, work all night, work all weekend.

Finishing a game is hard, and this one has more polish than the last one so it's even harder to get ready! It should be all worth it though when it finally ships (very soon)

So keep an eye out for the beta, possibly tomorrow in Showcase. Thanks for everyone's support so far. I feel like I'm near the finish line of a marathon 8-O

new screenshot:



note the new mouse pointer Big10p!

Oh yeah, guess how long it's taken to convert Xmas Bonus into this. I've logged all my hours precisely (artist's and musician's hours are not included).

First thing I noticed. ;) Looks much better - not so Windowsie as the last one and a nice fun, chunky size. Don't you think it looks better?

As for number of hours - not a clue. You'd probably have to multiply my guess by 10, as tends to be required when estimating any programming tasks. Well done, BTW. :)

I like the little chickies.

'cmon get it over already :D

shaddup.

Stop posting on these here forums and get it over here!

As one of the musicians, I'm not commenting on that. Really, I'm not....


...*me turns around and counts an unknown number of wall scratchings*


Hey. Well done mate, Hope it's all been worth it!

it's pizza and booze now and Kung Fu, cos I can't do any more work. Tim: You'll get it tommorrow, chill :-)

Yeah thanks Cygnus, great work!

This makes me very worried that you won't get out the "Vernal Equinox Bonus" release in time. Or are you only aiming for the vaguely christianised market ?

In that case, how is the "St. Patrick's Day Bonus" version coming along ?

I suggested that next year's Xmas Bonus be called
"Festival Of Lights Bonus".

*snigger*

Winterval Bonus. :/

I'll just have to wait for the Self-Worship Bonus.

Decemberween Bonus. It gets released 55 days after Halloween Bonus.

Actually I'm planning Monday Bonus, Tuesday Bonues etc. You get the idea. Once people are used to that it's like Morning Bonus, Lunchtime Bonus. Then just plain BONUS! Or maybe bonus bonus.

If the chinese didn't pirate so much, I'd aim for a Chinese New Year Bonus, of maybe Kung Fu Bonus! What I WON'T be doing is Egypt/Atlantis/Maya Bonus of some kind yawn (well never say never ...)

OK seeing as no one has guessed yet, the conversion time has taken 123 solid hours so far (and I'm not a slow worker by any means), but the beta isn't ready yet. Another few hours to go. Then I'll no doubt have to make some more changes before it starts selling (not too many I hope). So it could be 140 hours maybe. If I put in everything I wanted, it would go over 200 easily, but there just isn't time. This is just to convert a game, let alone the time I took to originally write the engine! Let this be a warning to anyone who thinks they can write a game, AND polish it for retail quickly ... it takes ages to do it properly (if mine counts as properly :-) but you can be the judge of that when the beta arrives)

[nitpicking] Your mouse pointer shadow drops to the left, while your candle's shadow drops to the right[/nitpicking]

Looking nice, though!

I'm going to sit here and go on strike now until the beta comes out!

Ah just been there ^_^

But now I can work on a new peoject muwahahah...

Good work though matey, I know it'll be worth it for you (again!)

123 hours *falls of chair*, Sheesh that's a very long time for a conversion. Is it now in BMAX? Please say it is, please say that is why it took so long...

Aymes- I've got itchy fingers. Please say you've found some Edd Ed and Eddy type animations? :P

Estimating at 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 8 months,

I spent....1,408 hours........ converting and updating the racer last year. Ouch. and thats actually a little low because I found pleasure in working on it weekends too!

Cygnus, thats a lot of hours!

Tim: No, it's STILL Blitz Plus. That time was dealing with the graphics, music, extra code, testing, you name it. It took a long time to get it looking this cool.

@Grey, I bet you played it like hell as well... Did you count those hours?

Yes, as testing. Haven't played it that much only 4 hours testing cos I know it works well from Xmas Bonus. But there will be more testing today. Had to visit a client this morning so I'm back on the case now.

Ahhh good. I can't wait for this!

congrats GA... i know how you feel... looong hours and all... but you finally got yours done...

must feel good :)

--Mike

I haven't seen GA post in this thread. :P :P.

I won't be able to 100% relax until the beta has been out for a few days and the final version ships. Then I won't be able to relax cos I'll be watching the sales like a hawk!

Ker-ching!

Hey, where's the Easter Bunny tile? There is one, right? :)

One Eyed Jack. Yup I hope to hear that sound many many times! (at least in my own head)

Big10p: uh no, it was on my list to add as tile number 8 but we never got round to it BUT there is a flippin' massive easter bunny on the level complete screen that more than makes up for it.

xlsior: Yeah nit picking is good though. It's what turned this game into one that looks great. But I shan't be changing that for now :-) thanks anyway.

I want to see that. Is it done yet? is it done yet is it done....yet?

I've not seen it yet :(

Yeah the rabbits done.

OK, beta levels done, just gonna test. Then it's Instuctions page and Benchmark display.

*cries*

Hows it going?

I gotta go soon... very soon....

It's done, gone to the publisher. Gosh I wish I had upload higher than 256k!

Expect to see it on showcase soon. Depends if publisher is still around ...

b*gger looks like he's gone!

It looks like you took the background out of Valentine's Bonus... Change it to have eggs or something in the background and it'll be perfect.

there's more than one background, of course one of them DOES have eggs ;-)

It's OUT! Check the Showcase. Thanks Tim!