The trouble with modeling

Having made faster-than-I-ever-dreamed progress on gameplay programming, the time has come to turn the bulk of my attention to modeling (that's 3D modeling--my career with Calvin Klein never really took off).

For the sake of completeness, here's a quick list of all the basic gameplay that's currently working:

• Basic movement
• Camera controls (complete with collision detection!)
• Battle mechanics (attacking, casting spells, applying status effects)
• Character, enemy, and weapon stats (attacks actually cause damage)
  
• Enemy death
• Basic enemy movement and AI (lots more work to be done here)
  

My brother, who has more experience with 3D modeling than me, will be handling the bulk of the character modeling and animation, while I will probably focus on inanimate objects (for example, this crate I modeled yesterday). The reason for this switch is simple: while there is plenty more programming to do, a story-based RPG like ours isn't worth much without a world in which the story can take place. It will also help me hold your interest, dear reader, if I can balance my dry ramblings with a few pretty pictures.

Speaking of dry ramblings, I feel compelled to point out that the creation of art assets will likely prove to be the hardest part of this project. Not only must every object in the world be designed and modeled, it must be textured, animated (if necessary), and placed. We're going to attempt a master spreadsheet containing the status of every object in our little world, and I'm genuinely frightened to see how big it will get.

This is the part of game development that separates the big studios from the little guys. Success in modeling depends as much on the number of people as the depth of talent. Our approach will be to take it one building, rock, or tree at a time until we have a world for you to play in.

Two unrelated notes

• My favorite band has cast a surprise announcement on the recording industry: they are selling their latest album on their own web site, with no record deal, and, this is big, for as much as or as little you care to pay. Seriously.
• Secondly, I have one song left to clear on hard in Guitar Hero II--yes, Free Bird. I must beat it before GHIII comes out. I have no choice.