Update: I'm using MDX, Rein's using XNA and Colin has joined us using GL.

My first deliverable was to have an object in a scene with tilt-to-steer and gravity.

This is done.



yay!

The object


The object is a triangle list primitive with a single triangle in it. Each vertex is differently coloured to help with orientation. It whizzes around quite satisfactorily with a simple spring function restoring it to zero-tilt, resulting in a max thrust of about 70deg.

Gravity


Gravity... sucks. Really.

Inverse r-squared explodes quite quickly near to the centre, I had great fun experimenting with my singularity-like point-source gravity and watching things magically teleport off into the far reaches of game-space, never to be seen again. Okay, maybe frustration as well as fun ;) .

Other things



  • I'm thinking of a few weapon types: a shotgun of low-damage point-bullets, thrust based rockets (possibly steerable).
  • Planets should bubble into their positioins from the deep below the playing surface, with a bouyant-spring effect upon arriving. The gravity field vis should ripple away from them as they arrive.
  • Thinking of indicating a planet's power charge by encasing the planet in a platonic solid, increasing/decreasing count to indicate power. Maybe CTF-style planet capturing? Perhaps charged planets repel craft.
  • Sitting in a gravity field charges the batteries in proportion to the strength of the field. See, in the future they've figured out how to generate power from gravity: It's a cunning arrangement of pulleys, levers, cats and buttered toast.