A Very Clockwork Valentine’s

We here at Gaslamp Games wish all of our dear readers to have a very happy Valentine’s day and, as such, have created some cards to assist you in your courtship rituals with the ends of finding the love of the man / woman / boiler / fishperson / infinite black abyss that most fulfills you.

(We also did some actual work on various things, so stick around for that too. I’ve cleverly mixed in development discussion with the silly pictures, and in at least one case they’re slightly related. Mostly they’re not.)


#1. A Very Special Knock On Your Door

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Ministry regulations forbid me from talking more about any of that, so divert your attention please to this image:

We just need some kind of "Instant Heliogram Sharing Club" so I can show off my poorly composed snaps.

We just need some kind of “Instant Heliogram Sharing Club” so I can show off my poorly composed snaps.

Evocative, is it not? That’s what happens when Nicholas adds gamma adjustment (and the gamma isn’t adjusted). It looks cool for a shot or two, but there’s a bit more work that needs doing.

(And now I can tell everyone who keeps bugging me about the game looking washed out “SEE? THIS WAS THE IDEA ALL ALONG. I ANTICIPATED EVERYYTHINNNG”. What, bitter, me? Do you know an art director that isn’t a dynamo of spite and slow-burning resentment? … … Ugh, I’m going to go micromanage someone until I feel better. Joseph, tighten up the art on level three! Sean, make it more yellow; no, less yellow! Chris, the thingy needs to insist upon itself less due to the implied synthesis of contextual zeitgeist! Etc!)


#2 That Secret, Forbidden Love

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And we all know how that turns out.

I think they're trying to break free.

I think they’re trying to break free.

Speaking of tentacularity, Nicholas decided to indulge in a little shader jankery (that I’ve been begging for since 2012) to make our foliage look a bit more natural by having it wave about in the air in a manner very much like it does not care, an effect I’ve been enamoured with since seeing it at work in Settlers 2. You can see the lovely results to the left:

(Unfortunately Nicholas also tweaked the shader last night after I complained about how all the trees looked like tentacles due to waving on both x and z axes. Would have made a good gif, and I’m sure, ahem, that we’ll find a good few places to use the “tentacles waving gently in the Invisible Light of the Unseen Configuration” vertex shader.)


#3 There Are More Cogs In The Clockwork

Ah, perhaps this day will not have treated you so well — fear not, for we’ve equipped you with the means to show the target of your disaffection that love is not a thing to forget, to treat poorly and forget to keep well oiled and up-to-steam and filled with a 1:1 ratio of bituminous and anthracite coal as to avoid firebox overheating. Yes, it is the encoggled heart is the heart that loves truest of all. (Or so I am assured.)

ce_valentine2

Put a cog on the UI!

Just put a cog on it!

And if that tickles your fancy, I’ve got just the thing for you: We’ve added on-map indicators for jobs being performed on all sorts of things that can be scattered across the map: trees, rocks, shrubberies, small flowers, and so on. Unfortunately (and to Nicholas’ delight, I might add) they’re all tiny cogs attached to everything. Daniel immediately assumed the Despair Position — But no Daniel, do not despair! These are merely placeholder indicators of generic work being performed and shall soon — soon! — be replaced with the appropriate icon per-job so that you may distinguish tree-chopping from rock-clearing from berry-picking from longpig-butchering and so on.

It’s coming along nicely.

(And I’m never drawing a cupid ever again.)

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15 Comments

15 Responses to “A Very Clockwork Valentine’s”

  1. thechosenkitty says:

    Well if blood sacrifice doesn’t get her in the mood, I don’t know what will! My shrine to Nurgle is prepped and ready for the 14th.

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  2. Ratoslov says:

    Please make the cog the icon for the job of Attaching Needless Brass Cogs To Something To Make It Fashionable.

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  3. toasteroftoast says:

    The tentacular conifers are most hypnotic… surely the work of Quag’garoth?

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  4. Merijeek says:

    Man, you people are more creative in your development updates than most companies are in their actual game.

    Even if it’s vaporware, it’s already entertained me more than most games I’ve purchased.

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    • Spocktagon says:

      This. What this guy said. I came late to the party and have spent the last week doing nothing but reading these blog posts and laughing maniacally at them. My wife has found this disturbing. Nonetheless, I am undaunted. I will purchase this game or a reasonable facsimile at launch.

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  5. musteline says:

    why you had to tell me about valentines day NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

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  6. Thor Elvin Valø says:

    Shut up and take my money!

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  7. Kazeto says:

    Don’t cry into your coffee, Sir Nicholas. Tears are salty and salt doesn’t go well with coffee …

    Also, the third one totally made me want a cog pin. I’ll have to magic something with a saw and some glue …

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    • Svend says:

      Actually, some people do put a (small) amount of salt in their coffee, to reduce the bitterness.

      The more you know, etc.

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  8. Björn Winnerstam says:

    Please, write a book! I love reading this!

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  9. Bluerps says:

    Is that a cactus, hiding behind that conifer?

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  10. Regan says:

    You wanna put a banging cog on it. Sorry.

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  11. The Chaplain says:

    Long live the Empire! Down with the cultists, socialists, anarchists and foreigners!

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  12. Cutter says:

    Cthulu loves you. On a bun. With catsup.

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