Nearing Alpha

Since my last post, I've been working on Voxel Heroes quite a lot. I won't go through everything I've implemented but I'll highlight some of the cooler features.

• Totally revamped the look of the UI.
• Added corpse looting.
• Implemented Fog of War and a Minimap.
• Characters now do a little jiggle when attacking targets.
• Generated items now have different rarity levels (Normal, Magical, Rare, Epic and Legendary - for the time being).
• In addition to items, mobs can also be generated as one of the above rarity levels, making the mob stronger, giving him better loot and shading him a random color.
• Levels are now based on a theme. Only the forest/grassland theme has been completed but I'll still extend it to include more landscapes (Fiery, Underwater, Wasteland, Caves, etc.).
• Did away with the uniform chequered floors. Floors are now generated with a combination of the check effect and perlin noise.

There's a lot more, but those are the big changes. For the next week or two, I'll be working on getting the game ready for an alpha release. Here's what I still have left to do:

• Implement container looting.
• Design a character window to easily query equipped items and stats.
• Fix the mob and item placement algorithm to give a more natural feel to the dungeon and make certain rooms easier / harder / entirely treasure based / you get the idea / why am I still typing?
• Lots of little fixes to models and memory management.
• Create a bit more content (4 or 5 new mobs to augment the current bestiary of weird blobby things, spiders, rats and crudely drawn skeletons).
• Whatever else pops up.

I'm really trying to not get too involved in working on awesome stuff right now. I need to get the game to at least function like a basic roguelike before I jump into what's really going to make the game tick. But worry not, as soon as alpha is out I'll still try and implement at least 2 or 3 visible additions to the game each week.

I will of course give you an executable when Alpha is done and give you all the opportunity to rip the game to shreds and tell me how much you a. Want my metaphorical code-babies or b. Want to turn up at my house with very real pitchforks. 

And now, screenies!