This is the story of System Mania's development from prototype to release!

30th September 2007

• Started new games design doc (working title : Contraptions)
• Worked on Contraptions editor/core render system
• Editor modes system
• Select a type
• Select an object (within the type)
• Type system/structure
• Objects system/structure (not using objects module)
• Rendering the three basic types (point, line, quad)
• Mouse detection for all three types
• Group selection and selection rendering
• Tweaked the big to do list into separate headings
• Object Structure (Quads, Lines, None, Routine, etc)
• Some test object routines (including rendering)

1st October 2007

• Load/Save objects
• Level editor scrolling/swapping levels!
• Editor level name is updated correctly in all places
• Editor is toggle-able
• Copy, cut, paste (single object and groups)
• Rotation and scale values (just individual objects is fine)
• Point editing for lines and quads
• Allowed for easy node editing (using the shift key)

2nd October 2007

• Messed with the field of view so 3d objects don't distort too much
• Test switch (with position indicators)
• Change in-game detection to find the closest control then overstate detection areas
• Quick test of changing switches
• Proper game updater which selects what to change and when =D
• Test group display
• Game logic (game affects controls and is generally naughty)
• Group logic (controls assign to groups)
• Make switches work with click and move technique (more hands on that just clicking)
• Test knob (with position indicators and warning light and movement)
• Test button (push to reset, glows when wrong)
• Lots of visual polishing and reusable routines ... Nice =D

3rd October 2007

• Group indicator display/code
• Game over event (just back to the title screen for now)
• Crank object (have to turn it X times to reduce indicator to 0)
• Outlines, shadows and highlights on panels =D
• Test backdrop
• Level texture/location selection
• Level coloring & reset option
• Fixed the crash bug to do with reordering while buddies were used.
• First pipe/line test

4th October 2007

• Standard decal system (uses any render mode)
• Designed 10+ controls =D
• X/Y flip properties (test with decals and pipes)
• Allow Ctrl+PageUp/Down to quickly set orders
• Allow editor UI to be toggled on 'H'
• Ctrl+Insert creates the object at the bottom
• Insert defaults to placing the new ob on top
• Allow copy, cut, paste for individual objects (much more commonly used)
• Level time, editor and temporary indicator
• Level success (everything settles down for now)
• No control on success or failure states
• Difficulty tweaker (over level time)
• Found lots of values to change to alter difficulty
• Each object can have a string which we can use as anything (handy for text too)
• Text placing system, as a centred line : )

System Mania Prototype Screen

8th January 2008

• Test camera movement with z position
• Populated the Contraptions to do list from paper notes
• Practiced some pencil character drawing, good fun even if it was rubbish =D

9th January 2008

• More drawing tests
• Started programming a gear stick

10th January 2008

• Contraption : Gear Stick
• Contraption : Slider
• Started on the numerical keypad (got keypad itself finished off)

12th January 2008

• Finished Contraption's keypad entry
• Contraption : Pull Cord

13th January 2008

• Contraption : Guitar Strings
• Contraption : Egg Timer (with lovely sand effect like a mini Circulate!)
• Contraption : Wheel (spin when required, has large momentum)

17th January 2008

• Finished spinning wheel condition light
• Contraption : Doors (cover buttons, must time when you can hit the button)
• Contraption : Piano Keyboard
• Contraption : Joystick + Button
• Contraption : TV Mini Game

20th January 2008

• Started analysing & practicing a new style

23rd January 2008

• Learned all about paths : )

26th January 2008

• Messing around with new art style

27th January 2008

• Playing with the new art style more, found a nice simple look for the backgrounds.

2nd February 2008

• Rewrote how the panels are displayed ... much improved =D
• Writing out additional object variables which can be tweaked

3rd February 2008

• Background system, multiple layers, FX etc.
• Prepared some test assets
• Allow Page system to load up it's own dynamic assets
• Added a clear function to remove all assets
• Now able to use pages as a background editing system
• Turned current page FX system into a full system which allows multiple, complex fx
• Write a few FX (UV scroll, X/Y wobble)
• Create a finished backdrop to test the system
• Got rid of group indicators
• Started on UI : )
• Tided up background elements
• Added black outline to groups

5th February 2008

• Finalised buttons, switches and egg timers

6th February 2008

• Got most of the controls finalised, looking good : )

7th February 2008

• Finished re-doing all the controls.
• Bendy pianos and keypads too
• TV screens

8th February 2008

• In-game UI & Number display (rotating-alarm-clock-digits)
• Improved the FX_SCORE module and added some scores in

9th February 2008

• Combo Scores
• Instant Bonus ($100)
• Type Combos (clicked X buttons in a row, $10 per item)
• String Bonus (clicked less that 1 second ... $10 per item?)
• Group Bonus (all elements of a group clicked in a row)
• Scoring System & 'Floater' Display, star FX when bonuses are awarded (not too much!)
• Fixed a bug in FX_PAR module
• Added scores/penalties to every control type
• In game cursor turns into a direction arrow giving some indication as to what to do

10th February 2008

• Location design
• Location mock ups =D

16th February 2008

• Finished off test location images : )
• Put them in game, wow, they actually work straight away =D
• Started on title screen image
• First character tests

17th February 2008

• Finished main character
• Created 5 more characters (location owners) =D
• Started on the map
• Got groups displaying as dialog boxes

18th February 2008

• UI buttons/panels for ... erm, the UI.

19th February 2008

• Planed levels based on controls
• Ordered the controls
• Need a get key 'G' and easy ways of scrolling though current list '+/-'
• Variation swapping table system
• Delete group indicator (graphics too)
• Creation short cuts? 'B' button 'I' Icon Display 'T' text display 'W' Wheel ...
• Fix the group screws position when rotating
• When moving/rotating/scaling groups all it's elements should move too
• Reset object UI buttons on 'SetMode'
• 5 levels
• Moved group graphics to correct folder
• Pipes per location and redo graphics/move
• Delete left over screw graphics

20th February 2008

• Objects auto create to back or front
• Page up/down works better now (not always having to hold ctrl)
• Fixed a bunch of little things with the editor
• 10 levels
• Did some variations of Cake backdrops
• Redid machine graphics
• Initial 15 levels for zoo
• Began how to play screen graphics

21st February 2008

• One zoo backdrop finished
• Animating elephant
• Found a fix for that alpha white-lines problem
• Sleeping lion
• Some zoo variations
• Initial 15 levels for funfair levels

System Mania Crank Model

22nd February 2008

• Twitching ear on sleeping tiger
• ZZZ's for sleeping tiger
• Sorted objects not assigning themselves to groups correctly
• Flag animation
• Ferris wheel animation
• Some location variations
• Map screen locations/icons
• Started map screen TVs

23rd February 2008

• Finished map with replay option, characters talking and level summaries.
• How To Play system done!
• Added half the controls to the system
• Fixed some bugs in the page module (to do with new texture system)
• Fixed some in-game scoring issues caused by how to play system when used in-game

24th February 2008

• Finished all the instruction controls & pages

27th February 2008

• Failure screen, playing tip and smoke FX ... nice effect =D
• Summary screen, longest combo etc.
• Just In Time bonus

2nd March 2008

• Redid all the difficulty code
• Added the first animated elements
• Can specify what control does what to which animated element
• Animating cogs
• Levels auto assign their own max times
• Zappers antennae
• Steam jet machines
• 60 goes to 59 correctly on time display
• Pause button is now 2d
• Added help routine to quad module to quickly get offsets positions
• Can click anywhere on the UI buttons now
• Tweaked some controls here and there
• Sliders now has a more distinctive slider handle

3rd March 2008

• Simple/small steam generator gizmos
• Trumpet gizmos
• Easy selection cancelling in editor
• No accidental key presses (creating buttons) while editing names
• Control names/texts display toggling on 'N' in editor
• Can now name controls anything (not limited to a single character)
• Stopped pull cords from jiggling on start up
• Belts 3 wheels and colored belts

5th March 2008

• Wrote a UV trimmer function which uses the textures w/h to remove the last pixel

9th March 2008

• Speed up score text to make the next one stand out more
• Added a panic button mechanic, with bar and bonus! =D
• Did a checkbox override
• Started percentage override, going well

11th March 2008

• Finished dialog control override for percentage
• Finished all UI panels
• Tweaked the panic button (works on right-click and blinks the UI)
• Added bonus coins =D

12th March 2008

• Expert scores system
• Finalised text displays
• Initial 15 levels for perfume location
• Several small control tweaks
• 2 space levels

15th March 2008

• Tweaked TV games
• Fixed a bug in the fire button
• Tweaked button doors behaviour
• Fixed a detection bug
• 5 Space Levels
• Another 8 space levels
• All 75 are now done (first pass), just another 5 passes left!

16th March 2008

• One perfume backdrop finished (animated conveyors)
• Perfume conveyors and bubble animations
• Some perfume variations
• Smaller screws on the groups, much better : )
• Tweaked some background art
• Got rid of lots of UV edge lines
• Tweaked switch detection
• Added centre bit to egg timer
• Got a page routine which auto-fixes UV edges

17th March 2008

• One space backdrop finished
• 2nd pass of all cake levels
• Auto naming for auto-animations
• Can now have multiple controls tied to a single reaction animation
• Added reactions for all cake levels

18th March 2008

• Additional bonus round mechanics

19th March 2008

• Chose better colors (including frame which should match)
• Don't use panic bar values
• Tie in the success / failure screens so they make sense
• Need to use time as a big bonus rather than panic timer
• Success condition, make levels winnable
• Additional arcade mode mechanics

20th March 2008

• Started arcade map, can now play arcade levels : )
• Arcade level selection with unlocking levels, total score etc.

21st March 2008

• Finalizing zoo levels (got through eight)

22nd March 2008

• Finished zoo and funfair levels
• Added wheel holders
• Tweaked some controls
• Tweaked cake levels

23rd March 2008

• Did most of the perfume levels
• Made adding reaction animations far easier (auto depth and scale)

24th March 2008

• Finished all the perfume and space levels (animations and scale)
• Started bonus levels for cake location
• Finished all the possible controls for bonus level (6 extra ones)

25th March 2008

• Finished 15 bonus rounds
• Wrote something to tweak entire levels =D
• Did most of the arcade levels.
• Added level script
• Bonus round difficulties and tweakers.

26th March 2008

• Finished arcade mode levels
• Added reaction animations to all arcade levels
• Applied backdrops to arcade levels
• All levels are now complete (just the polished pass to do now) =D

27th March 2008

• Reordered levels and generated new pictures
• Fixed slider flashing bug
• Scale the in game UI down a little
• Trumpets and steam animations should allow multiple hits
• Combo/Bonus text shouldn't go off the edges of the screen (compare with width?)
• Zappers should allow multiple zaps and ignore requests for more
• Are the coins too big? Yes, reduced
• Collect closest coin with weighting towards bigger coins
• Only show cursor instructions for elements that are currently wrong?
• Closed the small gap in the button doors
• Adjusted 'How To Play' control scales
• Switch needs to set its value if instructions!
• Story level difficulty controls tweakers

Some Of System Mania's In-Game Textures

28th March 2008

• Sound : Keypad click
• Sound : Guitar (5 notes)
• Sound : Piano notes (7 notes)
• Sound : Slider
• Sound : Crank clicks (speed and volume)
• Sound : Wheel spin loop (varies pitch and volume, used for egg timers)
• Sound : Pull cord
• Sound : Spinning loop & Belts (varies pitch and volume)
• Sound : Steam release & variations
• Sound : Button & variations
• Sound : Switch & variations
• Sound : Sand loop for egg timers

29th March 2008

• Sound : Gear stick move
• Sound : Knob click
• Sound : Button doors open, closed
• Tweaked some current sound effects (wheel mainly)
• Allowed two wheels to sound at once (much better now)
• Sound : Trumpet (3 notes)
• Sound : Electric zap
• Sound : Incorrect 'Buurrrp'
• Sound : Correct ting
• Sound : Keypad electronic noise

30th March 2008

• Sound : Coins created
• Sound : Coins collected
• Sound : Main alarm flashing
• Title, success and failure music selected and added

31st March 2008

• Fixed the pull cord handle
• Sound : All UI components
• Sound : TV games, 8-Bit style samples

1st April 2008

• Created 2 more level tunes (4 parts each)
• Created some test title and map music

3rd April 2008

• Found out why the arcade and bonus rounds were way too fast
• Added tips system
• Added several tips screens for different bits and pieces
• Added post-it notes for in-game hints
• Added in-game hints
• Got the hide tips option working for both types of info
• Added tip screens for all new types of control
• Arcade Tips Screen
• Redid the expert star on the summary screen
• Arcade mode post-its
• Updated FX_Score to allow for independent alpha and scale fading
• Made sure points are never off screen

4th April 2008

• Finished FX_SCORE module
• Get the points (and bonuses) fading nicely =D
• Y limit on bonus score displays
• Started on the panic buttons
• Level names finished

5th April 2008

• Added machine names to all levels
• Name and label system
• Spent sometime making sure the labels/names looked okay
• Finished off the panic button control and FX
• Fixed can't-move-panic-buttons bug

19th April 2008

• Made a start on the third pass of the comics (first computer pass)
• Got 3 pages done and all the images to make up the rest of the middle comics!

20th April 2008

• Finished three more middle pages and the last two end pages (1st pass, but looking good)
• Comic system (display before map and page turning buttons)
• Added all comic pages to game with 1st pass text.
• Made sure they all function as expected (especially the start and end comic)

21st April 2008

• Started on building drawings
• Tweaking map with new buildings

22nd April 2008

• Finished building drawings
• Finished (more or less) the map screen
• Redid map do use new buttons, much better
• Red lights on map screens
• Wobbling hover screens

23rd April 2008

• Spent all day finished the front-end ... looks much better now =D
• New arcade layout
• Working on logo, might call it 'System Mania' instead of 'Systemania'

24th April 2008

• Updated loading bar
• Trying to find a way to get better characters
• Spent lots of time on main character, adding detail using paths, looks good.

25th April 2008

• Updated three characters using paths.
• Starting text for the map screen.

26th April 2008

• Updated the final two characters
• Updated the main buildings
• Did the ruined version of the main shop
• Used new assets for the 1st comic page (with expressions!)
• Animated main character on title screen.

27th April 2008

• Finished second comic page (spending time on expressions & poses)
• Started on mid comic pictures

28th April 2008

• Finished three mid comics
• Finished first end comic
• Redid the loading screen (again)

Before And After Of Fiona The Main Character

29th April 2008

• Did the last comic (needs finishing)

30th April 2008

• Finished the last comic page =D
• Created all 21 character TV pictures
• Vamped up the success and failure screens for both game modes (including new lead character)

1st May 2008

• Created 10 exterior backdrop images for the levels.
• Finished 6 backdrop 'pages' for each location
• Story levels auto-select a backdrop
• Updated the Moon Launcher graphic and redid all the comics, map & backdrops.

2nd May 2008

• Flashing the map-play button a few times
• Renamed story buttons on map screen
• The Next button on the instruction page now flashes
• Speed up conveyors, then slow down to normal as controls get nearer to the lose state.
• Created expert scores (by test playing) for all levels (arcade & story)
• Fixed the level numbers going over the limit on the map screens
• Nine piano tunes
• Signs now point out that you can practice on the tips/instructions pages
• Condensed first instructions page (less text) and added coins info.
• Added a new coins tip page to level 3
• Moved panic button tip page to later in the game (where it's more likely needed).

3rd May 2008

• Art variations for zoo.
• Panel naming for zoo.
• Fixed a few bugs to do with loading different textures.
• Added a coloring system. Backgrounds, panels and controls can be colored separately.
• Finished naming the cake shop panels.

4th May 2008

• Fun fair panel naming & texture variations
• Perfume factory panel naming & texture variations

5th May 2008

• Space agency panel naming & texture variations
• Added variations for clouds to all backdrops & UI
• Added in-space background graphics/pages for the last five levels =D

6th May 2008

• Preparing marketing materials
• Renamed the game from 'Contraptions' to 'System Mania'
• First pass of System Mania web pages

7th May 2008

• Re-ordered the space missions

9th May 2008

• Tried uneven beats when not doing well, but it just sounds broken.
• OGG'ified the sound files (saved about 10MB on the download size)
• Updated the loading bar, again!
• Made OGGs call the loading screen
• Spent some time working on a nice way to display 'converting audio' but gave up in the end
• Added OGG-loading-screen ignore code to all games
• Made sure non-OGG'ed samples are being loaded direct from LMO file
• Use 'Panic' instead of '!'
• Use 'Pause' instead of '|'
• Re-ordered post-it notes for coins and panic tip screens (where on the wrong levels)
• Switches show stick to the correct position (similar to knobs)
• Make the switch detection easier (see level 3)
• Made pull cords so they actually need to be pulled
• Map screens need a title and a description of what is expected of the player!
• High-resolution window title for map screens
• All screens now have proper static FX
• Finish the arcade meter
• Polished map speech text
• Added a phone and waves and sound to map (different pitch phone talking sounds) : )
• Hang up and phone ring samples added
• Fixed the info-stays-on map bug
• Added ability to define level order
• Mixed up the levels so they cross over nicely
• Proof read comics
• Proof read half the phone conversations

10th May 2008

• Redid icon
• Redid cover
• Tweaked logo so it's bright (in all places & standardized)
• Need to play title music on comics
• Proof read the rest of the story text and tweaked the order/positioning
• In space pictures for map TV screens
• Proof read all the panel labels
• Added a new backdrop for when Fiona goes inside the mars obiter

11th May 2008

• Take the mars obiter out of Larry's last story images (and re-test)
• Need less text and more graphics on first how-to-play page
• Stuck on the practice tip screens, make the first couple more obvious to continue
• Wheel instructions should be more clear
• Coins help should read 'click on them before ...'
• Re-sized all instructions and tips text (including post-its)
• Cancel talk sample when playing hang up (fades out past hang up sound)
• Summary and failure screens should say 'Stage 1 Failed' or 'Stage 1 Success'
• Finalized summary background fade : )
• You can see a quick flash of the game controls appear when continuing from how to play
• First level of zoo doesn't use correct colors!? Okay when you visit how to play though
• Arcade music sequences
• Arcade warning sounds (using the story mode ones is too much!)
• Single panic Bonus Coins
• Extra single panic button FX
• Make sure panic bonus isn't permanently fixed (just on 'C' key)
• Panic buttons auto-increase the levels difficulty
• Panic buttons auto-increase the expert goal
• Need a panic button tip (and in-game post it)
• Tweaked the panic button holder
• Tweaked the star FX texture
• Add panic buttons to all levels
• Tested panic buttons work for every control type
• Added difficulty mode selection when story mode is completed
• Made auto-difficulty real time stuff float based instead of integer
• Added penalty consideration for some bonuses
• Proof read all the pages
• Added high score system
• High score pages
• Added System Mania high scores to builder
• Uploaded System Mania pages to test high score
• System Mania was the first visitor to the System Mania pages, worked first time too =D

System Mania's In-Game Development Editor

12th May 2008

• Made two desktop images for System Mania
• Started the System Mania DVD case : )
• Proof read and greatly improved marketing text.

13th May 2008

• Finished DVD case image off
• Proof read web text
• Uploaded case and desktops (and added them to the appropriate page)
• Tweaked some small ramp issues
• Uploaded everything ready to plug in to the main site =D

14th May 2008

• Redid all the comics so they have a little more detail on screen
• Fixed mouse detection (was slightly off all this time!)
• Add missing panic button sound
• Added a cheat to get the expert mode early
• Added a spin bonus
• Created and uploaded build
• Released System Mania =D