#train puzzle

[whirligig-girl]

(Early work in progress) Dialogue system for Freight Misconductor!

It's called Dialogic, it's a plugin for Godot that handles most of the work.

There's various style elements that need changing, and I'd like to have the level you're about to enter be displayed as the background for the cutscene in most cases, but this is a good start, and it's enough that I can start writing cutscene dialogue for the levels. I've got fourteen levels done so far.

I was worried I wouldn't be able to write a good story for the game, but like, now that I'm actually writing it, I'm having a great time learning these character's voices.

I also need to make more emotes for Auranjuse. In particular, when I made the initial set of drawings, I mostly had her looking at the viewer, rather than to the side at Blaeb. So I've got to go and make looking-right versions of the expressions.

I've also identified a few missing expressions for Blaeb.

And at some point I need to make some more NPCs and backgrounds and--This new system has unlocked a whole new type of work for me to do, and it's a long time coming!

[whirligig-girl]

Unfortunately due to a frustrating trademark dispute with a developer who I don't want to give any attention to, my game formerly known as 'Train Misconductor' is now being rebranded as "Freight Misconductor"

I'm going through the process of getting the name changed on Steam.

[whirligig-girl]

Wishlist Train Misconductor on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4097480/Train_Misconductor/ Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/JZbgJdexmS

A quick little video I made to celebrate one year of development. The initial concept art and the model for the player loco were made on 2024-December-7th. Mostly it's a look down memory lane at the first month or so of the project's development, as several builds were made during that time. The builds have slowed down now, as each milestone gets more and more amibitious.

I'm sure I'm missing plenty of important changes along the way.

[msasterisk]

sometimes i forget how much we've gotten done on Train Misconductor since the beginning, but i just opened an exe of the first playtest version and wow we've really come a long way

[whirligig-girl]

More broad gauge cars: this time, tankers. here's seven of the eleven new tank car textures.

[whirligig-girl]

Train Misconductor: Locomotive Transfer

Some levels in Train Misconductor feature multiple playable locomotives. This level, based upon the classic Primitive Railroading puzzle, is

Locomotive Transfer

Some of the new levels in Train Misconductor feature more than one locomotive. We're particularly pleased with how this system has been implemented into skeuomorphic u.i.

It doesn't come across on video just how satisfying it is to take the key in and out of the control stand, @msasterisk did an incredible job with the implementation as always.

The physics simulation on the keychain is implemented as a 2D double pendulum, which makes it fun to jingle around and ensure it's stable even when flinging the mouse cursor around wildly.

[whirligig-girl]

teaser for the next new feature being worked on. the basic functionality is finished, owing as always to @msasterisk's excellent work; the u.i. integration is pending.

(No, it's not (and never will be) multiplayer)

Also visible: the new ground shader by MsAsterisk--a field of clovers and flowers, which looks really nice. Variation in ground texture and altimetry is planned, as well as foliage and rock scatters.

[whirligig-girl]

@msasterisk tested my new dual gauge Train Misconductor level, and she found a completely different but seemingly equally rewarding solution than the one that I explicitly designed the track geometry around. That's really cool! It'll be interesting to see how many people use her solution vs mine when this version is eventually ready for playtesting.