Finally, here’s a new screenshot of Wasabi Defense! It took a while because there were quite a few difficulties that took some time to solve. Anyway, here it is:

wasabi_defense_03_small.png

First of all, I got started on the status bar. This was a real pain in the ass, because the text objects had to adjust to different screen resolutions. The coordinate system in TGB’s GUI builder is entirely different from the in-game system, and to make matters worse the GUI doesn’t automatically resize for different resolutions. It has taken me a few days to figure everything out. I’ll probably write a tutorial about it when I’m sure everything works as it should.
Second, I created the main weapon of the game: the Hovergun weapon system! It consist of a central engine pod with weapon pods attached to the sides. Right now, there’s only a plasma cannon pod, and it’s not really attached but floating near it. I should draw some sort of connector to put them together. I created the graphics for it with POV-Ray and Moray, even though I originally intended to use Blender. The reason I did this is because Blender is difficult and confusing as hell, and right now I simply don’t want to waste any more time on it.
The base object in the middle of the screen is the launchpad for the Hovergun. Problem was, I couldn’t make a bunker-like object with doors that slide open and then the fighter craft takes off, because that would simply be too big and I would run out of space for the other objects that make up the base. Because of that, the launch of the fighter will look more like some teleport-effect. A green spray of light will shoot out of the launchpad and in that, the fighter will morph into existence.
Next step is making the cannon shoot. One thing you won’t see in this game are laser beams that shoot through the sky like spears. This is one thing that bothers me in every single scifi movie that has laser cannons. Laser beams don’t do that, period! Of course, if it would be made entirely correct you wouldn’t see shit because first of all, the best type of laser for weapons would be an infrared laser wich is invisible, and in space every laser beam, no matter what type, would be invisible. Anyway, I think at least once should someone make a scifi movie with laser beams that behave more like the real thing: a full-lenght beam that instantaniously appears between the cannon and the target. Okay, enough with this ranting, already, back to the game. The main weapon types for the Hovergun will be plasma cannons and rockets; there will be several types of each, of course.
Besides the Hovergun, I will also add stationary defense turrets to the base. These will be available in the later stages of the game and will probably include a laser cannon (wich will behave as I explained before, if I can figure out some way to do that in Torque) and a guided missile launcher.