Update: November 28th, 2006 (Late) - A Lot Going On
Next Update by: January 1st, 2007

Well, it does not look like the end of the year is going quietly. There is a lot going.

The biggest news was released a couple of weeks ago that I have acquired the rights to the second scenario disk, "The Greatest Battles of the 20th Century". This was the second disk for the original Perfect General published by QQP, and many people have asked for it in the past. It has 20 scenarios which are a lot of fun. Definitely different from the WWII scenario set. The WWII set was authored by Mark Baldwin, the Battles Set was done by Bill Sarubbi. The Battles set when originally published suffered from poor quality control to some extent, and after converting them I have spent a good amount of time cleaning up the maps and scenarios. They are definitely a lot of fun and I would highly recommend them for any PG fan, of course.

I have not mentioned it anywhere else, but will mention here that there are rumors of a "lost" scenario disk, which never made it to publication before QQP switched to PGII. I am looking into this possibility. Also, there may be a new disk at some point in the future, as I continue to talk with Bill. There will also be a patch to do some minor adjustments to PGIE and its editor.

I have prepared a patch for EDEE. This patch fixes some important issues. One is there has been a fault discovered in move to order points, which are quite popular. If you have enough of these and a lot of units using them, there is a possibility that the game will crash. This has been repaired. Oblivion (maker of the UltraDB Mod) has found a few problems with using customized World Building DLL's that have been fixed, as well as some issues with CTF/KOTH games under PBM have been discovered.

Thanks to all of the fans that have sent in saved games and reports of issues. If you can repeat a problem with a saved game, it makes it so much easier to fix. It is staggering how complex the EDEE is as a computer program, and you help and patience is greatly appreciated in these matters.

It seems to me Salient games is running some features on the WWII mod I have written about in the past couple of reports. It seems to be shaping up nicely, and I know a lot of folks are looking forward to seeing it. You should check out that website if you have not had a chance.

This month I am reducing the price of Galacticards to $11.99 . I have gotten inspired and have rewritten the design of the game, and I am quite excited by the changes. I have reduced the price to hopefully make it attractive to some more people. If you have not looked at it yet, please try the demo. It is quite different than Empire, and might not suit everyone. But it is fun to play in my opinion, and I have received some good information from players out there about how to make it better. The new design will take out some of the difficulties of waging war on your opponents and such. I am not sure yet if I will move forward with it, but there is some exciting stuff there and I am seriously contemplating it.

With the advent of the new year, my current working contract will begin to be winding down and I will start making some decision on my next project. Probably after next month, I will begin some design discussions in my forum that I hope some of you participate in. If there is something you would like to see, let's talk about it. You can post about or send me an email.

So that's basically all that's happening now. The new scenario disk should be available shortly, and we should get those patches out at some point. With the beginning of 2007, keep your eye out for discussions on where some things should go. I am looking forward to talking about the future. This will be the last report of 2006. I will try to make the next one on New Year's Day, 2007.

Update: October 29th, 2006 (On Time!) - All Sorts of tidbits
Next Update by: November 27th, 2006

I am determined that this status report will be released on time. Was going to put it out yesterday, but then it got busy….it always seems to be busy. But here it is, with tidbits galore.

I understand the WWII mod for EDEE is still under development. Evidently some time is now being put into the AI scripts. From the text messages I have been receiving it sounds like there has been some success.  I have even received a scenario - and I have observed before that this guy makes good scenarios. Also some description of KOTH and CTF scenarios. Here are a couple of additional hi-tech cell phone pics I was sent :

"Portage/Bombs"

Update: August 28th, 2006 - Moving Into Fall
Next Update by: September 25th, 2006

Summer is wrapping up. Not a lot to say about this month, besides the fact that I got to visit Elvis' home. That was more interesting than I had thought it would be, and I would recommend it to all.

Not that I am a big Elvis fan, though I do have a Gospel CD of his that is pretty darn good, but seeing the home in its arrested mid-seventies makes me laugh to think that Empire was getting its start around that time. I seriously doubt if Elvis ever played it ;> But it always amazes me to realize how classic the Empire series truly is. Maybe I need to have an Elvis icon for the General Unit in EDEE.

And of course the Perfect General Internet Edition had its third birthday this month. I received mail from fans wanting to know if there is more in store for that game, and there is. But it takes time, as I continue to work my contract through out the rest of the year.

Though the contract takes up a great deal of time, I have been working on my Direct X Interface, and am quite pleased with the progress. My plan is to have the Interface pretty solid by the end of the year, so that when my contract ends, I can begin working towards the next version of Empire games. Hopefully it will be a little more intuitive and attractive than the earlier versions. I will keep people up to date when I think I have something to show off, but that should be a while.

For those folks looking for the updates of the World of Warcraft Mod, I do hope to release that this week (compatibility with 1.12). I did post a note about it in the forum, and should have it done soon.

And speaking of the forums, the Mod groups both in the swarm forum and in the yahoo forum are really starting to share ideas and concepts for alternative games of Empire. Some very interesting discussions going on. If that sort of thing interests you, you should check them out.

So as I said they would be, things are slow here on the development front, and will continue so through the rest of the year. I will continue to post the status reports monthly, at least to show there is still a heart beat back here. I do answer my mail as frequently as I can, which is almost every day. I enjoy answering questions and talking about the games. Of course, you don't need me to talk to, as there are hundreds of other fans in the forums and yahoo boards. And if you think that is not enough, don't forget to suggest the game to your friends. I continually get mail from people who are just now hooking up to the Internet and discovering that Empire and The Perfect General are alive and well. And if you are spreading the word, thanks so much.
 

Update: July 31st, 2006 (Late) - Pretty Quiet
Next Update by: August 28th, 2006

First, let me apologize with being a week late on the declared delivery date for this status report. I had it in my mind that it was the last Monday of the month, when a month ago I felt it should be the 24th. Making these reports is important to me, because one of my intents is to show you I am still alive, and thinking about my games. (I also try to show this by responding to mail and forum posts). I have seen other small game shops kinda disappear from the map as it were, just by then failing to respond to the community. Empire and Perfect General have great communities, and I will continue to support them, and these games will last for decades to come.

This has been a quiet month for Killer Bee Software development. The patch for EDEE was released, and I am happy to say it has not had many issues. There did seem to be one issue where players playing PBM games would have problem. Saved games were saving up ok, but when the earlier-versioned player saved back down, subtle problems occurred. It took some sleuthing and saved game file help from a couple of fans to determine that issue. Fortunately, something like that can be resolved externally, by both parties being patched up.

This patch also was the VC8 build/release. I have not heard too much from the AI people as of late. Hopefully we will hear something sooner or later. I know both UltraDB and SoloMod were altered after the patch for some improvements.

I have dedicated most of my development time to working on this "next generation" interface for Empire. At some point, Empire will get a nice face lift. It is my hope to work on these interfaces and have them built to my satisfaction at some point, but currently I am still only experimenting. Issues being explored are portability, flexibility, and a simpler use and design. I do plan to be studying these for some time. As many of you will remember, I am currently working a contract for a business firm, and expect that contract to continue for a while yet. My research plan coincides with this contract, so that when it completes, I will be ready to move towards rapid implementation. But that is all next year. This research is very active though, and I am pleased with what I have designed and experimented with thus far. Obviously, I am very interested in hearing your ideas on what you feel the interface needs.

Currently what I have is very generic, but it works both in GDI and Direct X. I have evaluated many graphics engines, but I have not made any decisions as to whether or not any would be very helpful. I have also investigated a 3-D perspective for Empire, but I have not found I adds very much. So it has been a very quiet month, and August will prove the same. But I will continue to work on my interface ideas. And would love to hear yours.

Also, coming up this month will be the 3rd anniversary of the release of The Perfect General Internet Edition! Wow, three years.
 

Update: June 26th, 2006 - Patch Oh So Close
Next Update by: July 24th, 2006

The finishing touches are going on the patch now. It should be out within a week or so. Thanks to everyone that sent in issues and you descriptions. It always amazes me with how many moving pieces there are to this game. And how many different paths you can go down. Add mod-ability to the mix and you definitely have some data to patch up.

As I have been harping for sometime, the most exciting thing about this patch is the fact that fans can now acquire a free compiler that will compile the AI source code and be compatible with the game. There has been a lot more activity lately regarding emails and such about the AI.

I wish I had more time to dedicate to another AI. I think I would make something much simpler, something that would only use infantry, fighters, and transports for quite a while. Unfortunately I really did not have that option for the AI currently in the game. Players want to see varied units in combat, and they want the AI to attempt to handle all sorts of game configurations. But the potential is there for someone to write an AI for a very specific game type. You could even write one expecting an all land or all sea scenario. I hope we see some challenging ones. Trouble is, it takes technical skill to make one. I know some people tried previously, and most of those attempts were to just get it to work with the game using a freeware compiler…but hopefully now the free MS compiler will encourage folks to try some more. Three separate people have already built and run the AI with the compiler and the new game binaries.

There are some other adjustments, fixes, and a couple of additions to the game as well. I will post the current fix list in the forum, and stay close to the website in the next week for the actual release of the patch.

Ok, so when the patch is out, what's next? I got a letter from Fubster saying he was back in the game, after a two year hiatus from playing due to a new baby. He had a request for me to adjust something with the EDIE world builder, and I plan to look into this. That may result in an EDIE patch. Also I have started experimenting with the "next generation" interface design for Empire. My hope is that I continue to mature this interface design this year, so that next year I can proceed with creating updated versions of Empire. Those plans are way into the future, but that is some of what I am looking at.

I played a game of EDEE today (testing the patch of course) and there are so many elements I like about it. I am very pleased with how it came out, but I am often very critical of it and can always see room for improvement. I hope this next generation version will get a little closer to Empire perfection.

If there are aspects of the game you really like, I would love to hear about them. Also, now that we have had a year and a half to play with the new unit sets and such, what additional aspect of the game would you be looking for. As I am currently in research and reflection mode, I would love to hear comments from people playing the game…so don't hesitate to send me a mail.

And while I am at it, remember the greatest asset to a game like this is the community, challenge to a game like this is spreading the word about it. If you can,. Spread the word to your friends, and relatives. Your word of mouth comments go a long way towards building up the community. I always say this but it is true: almost every week I get another email from someone thrilled that they have found this is going on. Even though you may leave it for a time, the Empire series is truly a game that stays in your mind and is part of your life.
 

Update: May 29th, 2006 - Summer Time
Next Update by: June 26th, 2006

Not too much to report with this report. The patch has been delayed somewhat, as I have arrived at the delivery date for my other work. It is already starting to slow down there and I am able to resume patch work. But I was not able to work on it for the past couple of weeks.

It has really been a pleasure working with my old Enron friends...and has been a little strange with the whole trial thing wrapping up. It's fascinating how most of your life you are just part of history, but here I feel like I was just a little too close to it. I look on it in a positive way though, as if things have not of turned they way they did, I doubt I ever would have gotten close to these two games, which is something I had always longed to do. Certainly no regrets.

I am starting to get excited about the patch though, as this is hopefully the version which will enable folks that desire to do so to build and produce new AI modules for the game. I know several people have contacted me and they have their own ideas about how to improve the AI. I hope we see some more challenging opponents out there. I have already sent the updated source and a trial patch to several people that are working with the AI. In the end I do not see a need for a wide spread test, as the build does appear very stable, and the transition to this compiler has not been very problematic. Still a few things to work on and then I will do my best to get it out the door.

EDIE has now had its third birthday. Wow, it really seems like it has been much longer than that. I am not sure why, but it has been a great part of what I have been doing and thinking about for the past three years. I have begun to think of a "new version" for the "Advanced" game of ED. I have come up with some interface ideas. It definitely needs to be brought into the current millennium, and I am hoping to do that next year. After that, I may set my sites on the "Enhanced" game. I do wonder where this will be I three more years. It will be interesting to find out, with some of the ideas I have in my head.

This has included looking into new graphics engines. I have definitely enjoyed working with the Garage Games engine, and am considering that. I am also looking into solutions which use Direct X 9. I have done some experimentation with a 3-D type of interface, but I still feel it does not add much to the game, except time to develop and money. I still believe the 2D for this game is much more natural. I know some might disagree…or agree for that matter. Always interested in hearing opinions on this,

Anyway, I'm still alive, and judging by the emails I have been getting and the posts I have read, so is everyone else. Looking forward to this summer, and more time thinking of what is yet to come. Soon it will be time to begin to turn that into reality.


 

Update: April 25th, 2006 (Late) - Ups and Downs
Next Update by: May 29th, 2006

Well, even though a great deal of development time is being spent in external contract work, it has still been a busy month for Killer Bee Software. A month full of ups and downs, but overall a good month.

I'll start with the downs. Without getting into details, I have been pursuing the rights to another game since December, but apparently the acquisition will not be possible. What is frustrating about this is it is not for the logical reasons, like it being too expensive, but due to the fact that, in yet another case, a game has been mishandled by a publisher and parts of the property have been lost. I have seen this before. It is quite sad.

Now for the good news...The patch for EDEE is coming along nicely. This patch is probably still a month out, and sometimes that means two months. What is special about this patch is that it will be built with the latest version of the Microsoft compiler, enabling others to use the free compiler Microsoft supplies to make compatible DLLS for the AI. I am hoping this will stir some more interest in experimentation with the AI.

The patch will also fix a few problems that have been exposed through various games players have sent to me. Thanks to all of those that sent me stuff that needs to be looked at.

In addition to bug fixes, there is a lot of additions that have been requested by some on the forum as well as in mail, and I have looked over these. I do believe two more throttles will be added to the game, to try to make it possible for players to slow down unit movement in Empire if thy wish. Some more additions may make it in. I am hesitant to make too many changes and additions, as this can affect the stability of the current game. Something I don't want to do in a negative way.

Because of the recompile, I may run a test group on it for a couple of weeks. Keep an eye out for me asking for help on this.

As always, if you have questions or comments, feel free to send me a mail or post in the forum. I will post another report by the en of May. Hopefully at that time we will be close to patch time.
 

Update: March 27th, 2006 - I remember that Java stuff
Next Update by: April 24th, 2006

I am now about two weeks into my development contract with a "financial firm", and I am actually glad I am doing it. The work is in Java, which is something I have not been able to work with in the past three years. The language has actually matured quite well, and so have the tools for it. I am very impressed with the 'eclipse' editor, which can be found at www.eclipse.org. A very nice IDE for Java.

Speaking of IDE's, I think in the immediate future I will be upgrading my compiler to ,net 2005. It is very disappointing to have a compiler that is only four years old and is now out of date, but that seems to be the way Microsoft has deemed it to be. I believe the problems with the AI DLL building issues we have been having are due to incompatibilities between the libraries built with my compiler, and the 7.1 and this 8.0 compiler. In the past I have had trouble compiling with gcc as well. But if I go with the version 8 Microsoft compiler, there is a freely available version of it open to the "hobbiest", which would be anyone wanting to play with the AI code in my opinion. So this would be an opportunity to get the AI code in front of more people, and I think the Unit Database guys are really wanting this to happen, as specialized AI's are needed.

When I do this, I will most likely fire up some of the old beta team to give the newly compiled version a spin. So if you have tested for me before, don't be surprised if you hear from me very soon.

I do want to thank Andrew Peiman, a.k.a. breaker from Salient games for his help and patience on this issue. He has contributed a great deal to the Empire cause, including his website at www.salientgames.com . He is also willing to host the contributions of others on his site. I know this community is not the most talkative, but you should check out what he has done.

Back to my contact work, as I mentioned I am glad I am doing it. Java is a good reason. The paycheck is a good one as well. But I am finding that it is allowing me to focus on the larger picture for Empire, TPG, and Killer Bee in general. Since I am basically a one man show most of the time, I think it's good to retake my perspective. I certainly want KBS to continue, and it will, and I know in a few months I will have my next development steps plotted out.

I will now put out a tease in that there should be some sort of announcement about Empire and Perfect General soon. I don't think it will be too exciting for those that already have the game, but I think I will be getting some sorely needed help in the marketing realm soon, and that will help increase the base of users and move us towards critical mass.

I will say that I have begun actively working on the next patch, which will be 4.007 for the Enhanced version of Empire. It will hopefully include this compiler upgrade, as well as several fixes that folks have been sending me issues about. I had originally thought that I would wait till June, but the compiler issue itself is big enough to accelerate that, and I decided I might as well move a patch along with it.

So there actually is a great deal shaking for not doing too much development at the moment. I am keeping an eye on the forum, so if you have any questions or comments, please drop by. Also, don't forget to spread the word to your potential Empire friends, as this keeps the game going. And share your maps, units, and other stuff with all of us in the forums to help keep the community strong.

 

Update: February 28th, 2006 - A Change Of Pace
Next Update by: March  27th, 2006

With February being a short month, I got my scheduling messed up, so this report is on a Tuesday. For some reason I thought the end of the month was on a Monday, and that yesterday was Sunday. But I am back to real time now.

The EDEE patch has been out a bit and there are no major problems with it. Thanks to those of you that discover issues and send them to me. Nothing critical has come up yet for me to schedule a patch in the near future. If things continue like this, then I would suspect it will be early summer before we see another patch.

I released two "Interface Modifications" to the very popular massive online game "World of Warcraft". This game is currently considered the state of the art in this genre. I do play this occasionally, but have never really been into "grinding" online games. WoW, as it is called, does offer some other choices though, and I always find myself gravitating towards the auction house for some reason. (no grind) So one of the mods is an auction mod, which allows me to follow my style of bulk buying and selling.

I also enjoy the warrior class, as warriors have some decent combat choices in the game. I made a mod to allow a player to switch between several weapon sets. It's pretty simple, but it taught me a lot about how the interface works. Hopefully I can take some lessons learned from it and apply them to my next project.

I had mentioned in the previous report that things were a little "uncertain". They have become a little clearer, as there will be a change of pace here. I have been offered a contract to work on a financial system with some folks I previously worked for. I am flattered that they approached me and expressed a need. This is a good time to do this, as I mentioned I did not want to do anything with the Empire series just yet. So for the next six months there will not be any new development work here most likely. This in no way means there will not be support for the game or a patch. I will still be receiving mail and hitting my boards and looking into issues.

I also see it as an opportunity to get any from the game so that I can take a fresh look at it down the road. Since I will not be working within my development cycle, I will probably also get a little more sleep. ;>

There is another game that I am currently looking into, but as with many others, the web woven around it is so tangled I may never be able to get to it. I could right a book on the history of some great computer games, and how they have been cast out into a condition where they can never be rebuilt again. It is truly sad and unfortunate. This industry often seems to lack appreciation for the individual product produced.

But fortunately for us, Empire is a different story. It has an unprecedented 30+ year history, only three of which are with me. I intend to work with it for quite a bit longer.

So even though development will not be taking place for a while here, I do intend on maintaining this report every month. I will even be on time! So watch for the next one at the end of March. And you never know what may happen....
 

Update: January 30th, 2006 - What Will Come Next?
Next Update by: February 28th, 2006

A new year brings a new status report. I always find these very interesting to read after they have been retired. I have found them a very good exercise, both to keep things at KBS moving, and to make sure I update folks on my progress so that they know there is a heart beat there.