| Author |
Topic |
|
Matt
un-deleted
|
 Posted - 02/17/2008 : 5:05:50 PM
|
http://www.nolimitscoaster.de/
Starting with this news I am going to release some new information every month about my current project. This project is definitely the largest project I have ever been working on and as you might already have guessed, I am talking about NoLimits 2. It is hard to say how far I am with it because a lot of development was spend so far on basic features like the graphical user interface and main engine and at this point there is nothing cool to show that is has anything to do with a coaster simulation. That means that it is still impossible for me to give you a clear release date. Two years ago, I would have estimated the year 2008 but now it more and more solidifies that I cannot finish it this year. I know that this is a damn long time for a new update. I would like to use these monthly posts for giving you more insight about the project and why it is so huge and why it is not just a new update and why it is not out yet.
A long time ago I decided to start from scratch for NL2 because a lot of things that went into the original NoLimits were not that perfect from today's point of view which give me more and more trouble now. I still think that starting from scratch was a good decision, though if NL2 would have shared more with NL1, it would be way closer to a release. But what about NL3 and so on? The more and more I will continue relying on a bad design, the more and more problems I would face with every new update. To start from scratch means, that I will get a second chance to do it right from the beginning which means that every new update will be so much easier. NoLimits is a project that evolves, it is not a simple game that is ever finished. The whole amusement industry evolves. New coaster designs are coming out every year and new techniques improve the ride experiences more and more. I am just trying to keep up with the industry.
The classic example for what I think that needed to be redesigned is the separated editor application which results in a lot of doubled code. The original idea was to have a simulator application with a highly optimized rendering path for best framerates and a lightweight editor with a simplified wireframe based display. When I was in the process of developing NL1, I had no idea how many people would actually buy the program. And then again, my guess was that most customers would most likely play with shipped tracks inside the simulator and only a minority of customers would really care about the editor at all. I was so damn wrong. Now it is for sure that the editor is a very important aspect of the application. On the same hand today's graphics hardware and CPU power is much higher which is not requiring too complicated optimization paths. For NL2 you can expect that the editor is built right into the simulator sharing the same display. The big advantage is that you do not have to switch between two applications if you want to try out your ideas. WYSIWYG ("What You See Is What You Get") becomes possible. One big downside of higher performance computers is that also the demands from the customers are much higher today. A lot of the overall development time is spend for keeping up with today's graphics features like GPU shaders.
I still plan to continue maintaining the NL1.x project while NL2 is still too far away. That's it for now, more information about NL2 and its features is coming in march...
|
Edited by - hyyyper on 09/01/2012 2:58:09 PM
|
|
|
|
|
GerstlCrazy
RMCrazy
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 5:12:03 PM
|
| Happy to hear news. It's obviously a good idea to start from scratch if continuing to build off of a flawed base would only make the future more instable. Look forward to updates, and of course, NL2's release. |
Edited by - GerstlCrazy on 02/17/2008 5:12:25 PM |
 |
|
|
Austin
Oscar Was Here
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 5:19:22 PM
|
dive machines, more build space, and higher top speed!! (for your next 1.x update  )
thanks for the updates, im really glad to hear about the wysiwyg feature, and that it's starting from scratch, good luck. |
Edited by - Austin on 02/17/2008 5:36:46 PM |
|
|
|
alton_
Towers Fanatic
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 5:29:46 PM
|
I'm getting confused. Matt do you or do you not have anything to do with the NL production team? Are you just posting it as news? Or do you have a hand in it?
Sorry if this is a stupid Q. |
|
|
|
Matt
un-deleted
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 5:52:18 PM
|
Just posting news _alton.
What's this guy chatting about below me? |
Edited by - Matt on 02/17/2008 6:51:02 PM |
|
|
|
neopuma
G.I.B. Aficionado
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 6:01:24 PM
|
"Yes" to an "or" question?
Edit: Matt, before you edited your post it simply said “Yes” and alton_ asked several questions, such as “Matt do you or do you not have anything to do with the NL production team?” and “Or do you have a hand in it?” I was simply pointing out that answering “Yes” to those questions was a bit ambiguous and unclear. It’s cleared up now though, thanks. |
Edited by - neopuma on 02/17/2008 10:58:05 PM |
|
|
|
boneplaya
robots are assholes
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 6:02:42 PM
|
| Sweet. I can't wait for this to come out, along with the next 1.x update. I would love to see a suspended coaster design option, or maybe some kind of never-before-seen coaster that's specific to NL. One more thing would be to have supports actually connect, whereas now, one just kind of ends, and the next one starts (there's a gap between them if you place two beams at right angles to each other, making the structure look ugly and unstable). Or maybe you could have a built-in flanger that does not affect the appearance in the editor. Anyway, good luck in the development of NL2! |
|
|
|
ianko66
ALPHAdog & OMEGAlomaniac
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 6:03:04 PM
|
Cool, nice update.
Thanx for the now monthly updates too! |
|
|
|
coasterdave
Gatekeeper Ride Host
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 8:23:45 PM
|
| I do know that there will be "unlimited speed" on either the next update or NL2. I had emailed a question about it and that was their response. |
|
|
|
Austin
Oscar Was Here
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 8:54:44 PM
|
| ^definatly not unlimited! |
|
|
|
coasterdave
Gatekeeper Ride Host
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 9:03:07 PM
|
| ^ Thats what I was told... |
|
|
|
GerstlCrazy
RMCrazy
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 9:43:03 PM
|
| My homie Ergolicious made a ride that goes like a gagillion miles an hour. Don't know how he did it... |
|
|
|
Coaster individual
Raptor Crew 05
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 10:25:25 PM
|
| At least he hopes to give us fairly regular updates. Makes you wonder though what supporting 1.x means. I have a gut feeling that new coaster styles or fixes/enhancements might get ported for testing purposes. |
|
|
|
coasterking1993
CoasterCrazy Addict
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 10:40:42 PM
|
i agree... i hope for the next update for NL 1.x they include intamin loopers (maverick style), b&m dive machines, new cartextures for b&m inverts (to replace the current "shark" ones that dont really match most designs), and a batman the dark knight recreation  |
|
|
|
GerstlCrazy
RMCrazy
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 10:58:34 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by coasterking1993
new cartextures for b&m inverts (to replace the current "shark" ones that dont really match most designs),
You know you can change that yourself?
quote:
and a batman the dark knight recreation
I don't think they could possibly care less about the rides they release with the update. Besides, they usually only flaunt the new features of the update, so unless they do anything with B&M Floorless, there's probably no chance of seeing one of those.
Why don't you do one yourself? |
|
|
|
Casper
Casper is amazing
|
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 11:51:53 PM
|
so does this mean an editor like Scream Machines?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
as long as its as easy to use as the current one, i get confused over SM's editor and can never build anything |
|
|
|
coasterking1993
CoasterCrazy Addict
|
Posted - 02/18/2008 : 12:27:48 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by GerstlCrazy
quote:
Originally posted by coasterking1993
new cartextures for b&m inverts (to replace the current "shark" ones that dont really match most designs),
You know you can change that yourself?
quote:
and a batman the dark knight recreation
I don't think they could possibly care less about the rides they release with the update. Besides, they usually only flaunt the new features of the update, so unless they do anything with B&M Floorless, there's probably no chance of seeing one of those.
Why don't you do one yourself?
ya i know you can change it... im just not too good at it 
and i am working on a b:tdk recreation. its in the planning stage (check my nldc pg.) http://www.NoLimitsDevCenter.net/p4401 |
|
|
|
luckbuck35
Kiddie Coaster Rider
|
Posted - 02/18/2008 : 01:18:30 AM
|
what will be different from the last update?
is it worth it ? |
|
|
|
SMer
Who touched Sasha?
|
Posted - 02/18/2008 : 2:07:27 PM
|
^It's a completely new design, so everything is going to be different. And it will be worth it.
I'm so glad he's posting news regularly now. I couldn't stand not knowing anything about upcoming updates.
It's also really good to see that NL's not going away any time soon. I had a feeling that this was just a side project for him that he'd stop working on sometime after the last few 1.x updates. |
|
|
|
lyle
Kiddie Coaster Rider
|
Posted - 02/19/2008 : 01:24:42 AM
|
I'm not sure those NL2 separate NL1 for pay or percent off pay to NL2 by NL1 or full pay?
Lyle |
|
|
|
coolbeans326
Government Property
|
Posted - 02/19/2008 : 01:51:09 AM
|
| Well, I'm assuming he means that he'll continue to update NL 1 to keep the community alive as he develops Nl 2 since it's still a long ways away. Here's hoping to B&M flyers some time before NL next Gen. |
|
|
|
ONOITSBROKO
I hate people
|
Posted - 02/19/2008 : 06:01:26 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by lyle
I'm not sure those NL2 separate NL1 for pay or percent off pay to NL2 by NL1 or full pay?
Lyle
While your comment didn't make any sense whatsoever, I think I know where you are coming from and I feel the need to respond. I wouldn't be suprised if NL2 was full pay. It's a new game the second time around. It's just like RCT1 AND RCT2 You have to pay full price for an entire new game. If we get discounts, awesome, but I will still be willing to pay full price for a brand new game. |
|
|
|
Adrenaguy
Kind of a big deal
|
Posted - 02/19/2008 : 3:11:45 PM
|
| yeah i would feel fine about paying full price but if you're really gonna do even better than last time (and hell, NL1 is an amazing piece of software) then this could be quite an epic simulator, and i am absolutely ecstatic about this WYSIWYG editor because it is very tedious having to do something, go into the sim, realize you've done it wrong, go out of the sim, move it an inch to the left, go back into the sim, then realize you've done it wrong again. |
|
|
|
SMer
Who touched Sasha?
|
Posted - 02/19/2008 : 9:39:57 PM
|
| Even NL1 is an amazing deal at $25. It's software that lets you make fully realized versions of coasters in a relatively short period of time. A lot of manufacturers probably love the idea of something that requires so little time to come up with a good working example of a project. I'd gladly pay for NL2. |
|
|
|
Mitchell1994
Kiddie Coaster Rider
|
Posted - 03/23/2008 : 10:50:45 AM
|
| Sweeeet! I can't wait :D |
|
|
|
Casper
Casper is amazing
|
Posted - 03/23/2008 : 11:09:44 AM
|
| god dam u! lol, u reply make this thread active again and i think theres more news, whats the point replying like a month later! |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
