Updated graphics!!

Seems I just can't give up the idea that I can reinvent and improve SimCity.

All the stats are calculated with the help of Link, and the map is drawn using the Majestic.
In a cool twist of fate, the partial redrawing of the Majestic maps is calculated using Link. Back when I did partial redrawing in Attack, there was a half-second delay to the redraw. When I did it in my old SimCity demo, there was still a bit of a delay. This time, it can be done while maintaining 30 FPS.

... Because of... link!? Or because this was ran in your newer engine? Really cool, and I think it's awesome you are using link. (are you using v0.2.2?)

It runs in TurboSphere, but I'm running it in 1.6 (native on Linux!). GetFileList() has some weird bugs in Linux-TurboSphere (I really don't like the unistd or stat C APIs), so I can't make a nice debug mode that works in TurboSphere yet.

Using Link, though, is definitely faster than how I did it before in the "SC" demo. And a lot easier and more scalable, to be sure.

I haven't tested my old demos on my current laptop  (that might make a difference in performance), but I think that some form of resource sorting and selecting is necessary for this kind of game.

Running at a smooth(ish) 60 FPS, even in Wine.
Just imagine how cool it will be when there are more than one variant for commercial and industrial buildings!

Nice! Reminds me of a software engineering class I took at PSU. We had to make a SimCity game as part of a team of two. We were not allowed to use Sphere, though. (We had to use a "Software Engineering" language like C# or Java, which makes sense since their IDE's have form-developers and unit testers, etc.)

Looking good!

I can see why. Bad practice and poor planning really stacks up quickly when making this kind of game. I could never have succeeded first try, a prototype is absolutely necessary!

I don't really like how SimCity 2000 used system forms for the interface (that's what I'm taking inspiration from, along with LinCity and some of the Tycoon games). Then again, I only had the Sega Saturn version until a few years ago, so I am definitely biased there.

Now with zoning and building growth! I'm not really sure how this worked behind the scenes in any of the SimCity games, so I just thought up how it works here. If the zoned land could be grown in population, goods supply, or used jobs (were it already a building), it has that out of the possible capacity of the finished building it becomes to change into a construction tile. Next time that construction tile is passed over, it has a chance (number of passes/3) to become the building. The process of construction can be sped up if the one job the construction space offers is used.

I'm remaking my space game in Sphere-SFML, leveraging some of it's new features. I introduced a JS particle system and pixel-perfect collision, which both work in vanilla Sphere, but 4 to 5 times faster in SSFML. The nebula in the background is being 'wrap-blited', which is a feature not available in vanilla Sphere. The player ship is made of custom parts, so you can build your own ship.

The game is not 640x480 but 1280x720, but the resolution is changeable in-game, as are many graphics options. I'm thinking about making the options config a game, too, so users can make their own SSFML config 'games' like we have startup games.

Shit 128kb is barely enough for a highly reduced screenshot. Jeez. I had to really shrink the game resolution and optimize the image color palette just to get it to fit. :/ Now you can't see earth and several other details anymore.

Use JPEG for high-colour images, then. It's not so bad and the file size is fairly small at around 75-80% quality.

Love the dry humour in that screenshot.

Edit:
I just realized I had discussed this here like a year ago. Wow, time flies. Did my brain just reference this from this time last year? Did my brain tell me that Feb. last year is when I worked on it and I should come back to it? Weird!!

Here is an updated screenshot from my space game (http://rpgmaker.net/games/2731/). I'm remaking it in Sphere SFML with better graphics, better physics, much better ship AI, and gameplay. I've learned a lot in game making and so I hope to make a neat little demo out of this.

I've also been primarily using it to benchmark SSFML and I'm happy to say it can't run well in Sphere 1.5, but runs with ample speed in SSFML. Plus it has a few screen effects that are impossible/impractical in Sphere 1.5 (such as wrap-around nebulas and clouds).

I will release it on both Sphere versions, but the 1.5 version will have reduced effects and things. For TurboSphere I will make a port of it, seeing what I can do with it's graphics API.

(Image: 1280x720, but the game is fully resolution independent)

That looks and sounds really freakin' sweet!

I'd be curious to know how well it will run on minisphere, seeing as Allegro 5 is hardware-accelerated.  Of course that requires a full implementation of the Sphere API.  I'm not quite there yet.

Do you use the Sphere default map engine?

Do you use the Sphere default map engine?

No, everything is drawn in it's own game loop.

Oh good, because that thing is complex as hell so I'm saving it till last.

Oh good, because that thing is complex as hell so I'm saving it till last.

There's always a script-based map engine you could borrow from...