You know sometimes it’s great to sit in the sun. I have red wine, a cool bar, and a pavement table. Not much of a summer this year so this is great!

I’ve been working on the AI of the teams. Adding to it. I have plenty to work with now, lots of related variables. This game has a lot of scope to evolve over time. I’ve been playing it. It’s good. But something is still missing. I can’t place it yet, but I will.

I was asked in a comment about Software Star. That was a good game too. And worth another look. I will in time I suspect, but for now I have to continue to cut my App Store teeth on this football game! 🙂

The thing is, I can talk about it here as much as I like, but all that really matters in the end is whether the game is fun. And, it is a bit, now. I am a critical judge and I am still working on it, but I think the basis that I am looking for is there.

I am full of ideas of things to add, but I will do none of those, because if I do the game will never come out! So here’s a screenshot again. Remember these are placeholder graphics, it will get better!! 🙂

One of the things I discussed at Games Britannia, is you are not going to be wowed by the graphics, and the screenshots themselves are even more limited. This is no great concern to me. There was nothing spectacular about the look of the stick men in Spectrum Football Manager. However, what they did was clever, and the action had meaning in the game.

These 2 elements, the action having intelligence, and it having meaning and purpose in the game, -are important to me, and I take care and time to get that right.

In many ways, I am hungry to get this game on the market, but there is a standard it has to reach, a standard I set myself. Until it reaches that standard I won’t release it.

On the other hand it is worth mentioning it is not far off now.

Well I did show those screenshots at Games Britannia. So let’s take a look at one. I’ll be honest. I have removed things from this. Until release is under way I will keep some information quiet for obvious reasons. So, taking the comparison of the new screen, with the original Spectrum Football Manager, what is different?

There is the pitch in the new one, a top view, not a pseudo 3d perspective. So, there is scope to show what is happening on the pitch. There is a box with text in it, indicating some kind of commentary, and there is a Strategy section with 3 sliders. What do these sliders control or change? Aha! My secret for now, you’ll have to guess at this stage!:)

I had the first crash of the game last night in a long time aargh! Completely locked up. I’ll have to fix that.

But, the game play keeps improving. The question I have now, is, what can I show of the game at Games Britannia Replayed in Sheffield in about 10 days time?!!!

Screenshots, I have shown snippets before. Why I am saying soon? Well I am under the cosh to do this, working away in this gem of a northern Europe summer, lol!

I am saying this because I want to show some at the show, the show next month. I am always reluctant to show them,  because they are a work in progress until the final run in. The truth is whatever I show I might end up changing before release. But that is close now, relatively, so the changes are much reduced.

Well I’ll see what I can get together in the next couple of weeks…