Lightning Wheels-UPDATE Pg 18

I'm getting tired of checking my e-mails for a newsletter. Please keep your word if you promise something and try to live up to the expectations or just let it be. [|)] If you want people to believe in your work you have to give them something they can believe in.

Sorry if this sound like i'm angry. I'm not really. I just don't like to check my e-mails for nothing.

It clearly says "Every few weeks" in the first newsletter about how often it will be sent out.

Originally posted by lpth5

lol, the game will be good i think but i will be hard to top nl, UNLESS its as good as u say it will be[;)]

I think he's only said it about a million times that he IS going to do everything he says. Besides, NL has too many flaws for a new game to loose to it. It'll just take time for user conversion.

...greed [^]

Ok, I need about 2 more articles for the newsletter. However, just a little screen to hold you off until then. [:D] Please note that the GUIM (GUI Menu, more info in the Newsletter) shown here is a very low quality render of the GUIM. Because work has just started on the GUIM this is a work in progress, and not NEARLY finished yet.

[GRIM.657]

Looks Great, as long as it doesn't have only Pre-built track pices, like rct, or UR



}X><<GRIM>><X{

Well of course not! I'm pretty sure I've gone over this already but oh well. [:p] Lightning Wheels-Ultimate Roller Coaster Simulator features an advanced spline editing system to allow you to create your tracks. Of course, the many other features of Lightning Wheels assist you in this too, but you will spend the majority of your time editing your splines. A spline is like a more advanced bezier curve (there will be an option in Lightning Wheels that will make the editor "fake" bezier control points though in order to help make transitioning from other sims easier). Here's a basic breakdown of how spline editing works:
You create "Points". A Point is almost like a bezier control point. You can manipulate it and move it to form your track. However you need to think of a Point like an anchor. A spline, which you can think of like a chain, then extends out of the Point, and reaches the next Point. You can then manipulate the Points, or anchors, to move the chain. But then, you can manipulate the chain too! Move ANY point on the spline. There is infinite posibilities for your track which is just not possible with beziers. Also, splines allow the editor to be smart. When enabled, the editor can "guess" where your track will go and how you want it. It draws this information from your history of editing, a database of real life designs, pictures of real coasters, any tracks that you load in and choose to add to the database, and a few other sources of the like. Programmers may call it the IntelliSense of coaster designers. Other advanced spline features include: Track smoothing, Auto-Element, Scaling, "Unjerker" (different then a track smoother believe it or not), and more (all can be disabled of course).

So to answer your *kindof* question, there will be pre-built track pieces, but totally optional and intended for the beginner. They are pretty much just like NoLimit's pre builts.

...nice too bad there isnt a coaster in that pic tho...

[Oscar]

man do I hate building in 3d

who said thats how its gonna work

Lightning Wheels sports 5 3D views and 4 2D views in which you can edit your track.

atleast there's the smart editor. I hate it in NL when the track always goes straight down at the ground

[Oscar]

how about some better graphics? they seem too unreal.

What do you mean WWS? And keep in mind everything in the pic above is a very low quality render.

[Oscar]

thew top thing with the red arrow, the track style piece, the terrain editing button, the goat looking button at the bottom, they look too cartoonish.

[stupid]

Thats what updates are for guys

Originally posted by WeeWeeSlap

thew top thing with the red arrow, the track style piece, the terrain editing button, the goat looking button at the bottom, they look too cartoonish.

2d artist comment - thats just the begining of the GUI, the environment, 3d, and that goat looking thing (lol), is just there untill we can change them, AND so u can understand what will be what...

zan

Any updates???

As one of the programmers, i know whats going on. We are working on meshing the track and implementing the brezier (thinks thats how its spelled) curve. This will allow you to move/bend/twist/roll the track, which is vital to make a coaster (duh).

When is the newsletter been sent out? I applied ages ago

Ok let's see here. The framework is almost 100% in place!!! [:D][:D][:D] From there it's just adding the mounds of extra features and track styles. So I'm gonna have to start collecting input on the features and things. So here it goes.

Lightning Wheels Survey:
1) Would you rather edit with normal beziers and the features that were to be included in spline editing, or regular spline editing with the option for bezier faking?

2) How important is lightmapping to you? If it could delay the game up to a month, would you still want it?

3) Are there ANY more track style ideas you have? ANYTHING AT ALL!!! LITERALLY!!!

4) Would you consider spending an extra $10 to purchase a WeeWeeSlap/Coaster Crazy version if that extra $10 went to the network and you got extra track styles, a few extra features and CESL commands (nothing MAJOR of course), and a bit extra included media?

5) How would you prefer to have Lightning Wheels delivered? Download and/or shipped CD? If you purchased the CD version, would you consider spending an extra $5 or so to get the download version while you wait for the CD to come in the mail? PLEASE READ THE INFO BELOW!

Note: The CD might also include some extra track styles and more included media.

6) If you ordered the download version, how would you prefer to download it? PLEASE READ THE INFO BELOW!

File info for 5 and 6-
The TOTAL will be about a monster 150 MB's!!!

Here are the different files:
Main EXE-(~4 MB)-The game itself
Resources-(~15 MB)-The media REQUIRED to run Lightning Wheels
Premade Media-(~135 MB)-Addon media NOT REQUIRED, but you can use it in your tracks, and there will be A LOT of it [:D]

Possible ways to download (if you have any others just post!):
One HUGE install file.
Three seperate install files.
EXE and Resources install file and then Media install file.
Broken down Media install files (~30 MB each)

7) Do you think you would actually USE CESL? If so, to what extent?

8) Would you like to see a built in option to take screenshots and movies of your rides? For the movies, it would basically capture whatever is on the screen (so if you like switched cars in the middle of a capture it would record that), except of course text and info (unless you enabled that).

9) Would you like to see a built in track packager? A built in track uploader? A built in track sharing system?

10) Would you like the option of "locking" your tracks so that other users cannot open your tracks? Would you like it better if they could open them, but it was password protected? (You would have to turn both on of course).

11) To edit media (for example sounds and music), would you rather use a big central database or individual options in the GUI windows for whatever it is you want to set the sound for? Or both?

12) What is the most important feature to you?

13)

I think that'll do it for now.[approve]Of course, if you guys have ANY other input I would LOVE to hear it.[approve]

Thanks!
Nick Small.

1) Whichever one of those means it will be like Scream Machines.
2) Good lighting would be nice, because that seems to be missing from a bunch of coaster games.
3) I like the list you have now.
4) Maybe not $10, probably $5 at most.
5) Both. I personally would probably download it though.
6) 2 installers. 1 would be the required files, and the other would be the extra "premade" material.
7) Maybe, as long if I knew what it could do and how to use it.
8) That would be awesome. Great idea.
9) All those seem cool; main focus should be on track packager.
10) I don't see the reason, but the more options the better.
11) Individual options.

I can't wait to see more of this project.

Thanks sns. Two more questions added. Number thirteen is left blank so that if you have ANY other input, you may leave it.

Thanks,
Nick Small.

WOW! I have been (sort of) following the development of Lightning Wheels, and it looks AWESOME!

As for the survey, I agree totally with sns2015 with 2 exceptions:

1) I hate splines.
10) I don't see a reason why, and it could eat up memory.