BYOND Strategy Tech Tree: 141

The latest version of BYOND can now be packaged with game files for stand alone installations.  That should help developers with off-site distribution.  It also sounds like it might be easier to run multiple versions.  I've never bothered before, but perhaps I should try so I can run all of the games I've been missing...  Assuming I don't give up on finishing my game update in the dark ages.

Tech Tree is a list of links about developer activity in BYOND Strategy, a guild run by unpaid volunteers on a game/development portal and software engine called BYOND.  Those curious about notes or YouTube videos I've cut out can view the original version.

Mechanos7's turn-based tactical fantasy, Riverside, has been updated.  Details are presented on the hub page.  (Did I miss them before?)  Various units were tweaked for balance, chat is more distinguishable from system text and the active player now has a mouse cursor of their color.

Ganing has run into trouble with the development of his defense offense game, Halloween: Terror.  According to the discussion section of the hub page, he has lost the source code and will have to start again from scratch.  No wonder it's on hold.  Why couldn't he have lost the title's colon instead? =(

Tsfreaks is spending his winter vacation on the development of an RTS called MRTS (or Mini-RTS).  Numerous updates have been provided on his blog.  The single screen map and public stat table seem to indicate that secrecy won't be a huge factor, but the latter might only be for testing.  He is working on AI for a single player mode and AI-on-AI battles.  Various attributes give each AI personality.

The undead could have the company of humans, elves, orcs, beasts, insects, mutants, dinosaurs and constructs in Gamemakingdude's RTS.  Various units and abilities are listed for each faction.  I'm not even sure Gamemakingdude knows which ideas will make it in, but he suggests referring to his forum for future updates.

Geldonyetich is spending his time away from Vehicle Wars to work on an unfinished game called Project Shock.  Described as "a thinking man's action game", the game will tie a persistent world with dynamic content to definite win and loss conditions.  Players will control individual characters with the goal of taking over a 5x5 grid of sectors.  The game makes use of queued actions so BYOND Strategy might still have a shot at it.

IainPeregrine is on target for a Christmas Eve release of Regressia, his RPG inspired by the 8-bit era.  Music and sound effects are being finalized.

...This isn't strategy news, but it involves a member of the guild's staff.  I always mention my own unrelated work so I figured it's fair. ;)

I've been working the next version of my card-battling boardgame, PathWrath 2, but there's still a lot more to do.  I finally settled on an interface style for the individual turn phases.  Only around half of them are done.  On the bright side, I like how they look.  I've also added phrases for battle result estimates.  Stat comparisons are still listed for advanced users, but beginners will probably get more use out of text like "Kills" or "1st Strike & Dies.