iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 24/05/2026

You know, I've defended WordPress a lot over the years as a generally solid and reliable platform, but they are really starting to grind my gears.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 23/03/2026

That moment where you realise you cannot edit, add or remove anything more in a blog post. Hope it's in a good state! 😅

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 28/02/2026

The problem with making a fluffy little stand-alone tree is that I suddenly feel ike a 10-metre mech with a sword should be able to cut it down... 😰

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 21/02/2026

Taking a break from building level design tools to take _another_ crack at doing trees. (My 8th? 9th?) I think my previous problems may have arisen because I've been going after "free-standing trees to spam into forest" when what the game actually needs is "undifferentiated tree mass".

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 11/01/2026

Always love when an old game thinks my graphics card isn't big enough, then proceeds to run at >700fps. 😌

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 08/11/2025

You can get some very interesting patterns out of it when the pathing grid screws up, but I still have absolutely no idea why it's behaving like this. 😖

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 17/10/2025

Hmm... I think my attempts to optimise the terrain system may have gone a little awry.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 13/09/2025

Saturdays at edindies are for flexing your photobashing and brutalism muscles to make cute office buildings for your mechs to jump all over. 🏢

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 05/07/2025

Glad to see that somebody has already unpacked the trebuchet, so we can defeat The Human League tomorrow from a safe distance.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 20/06/2025

Okay, I think I'm getting somewhere. Hopefully the giant red block health bar (plus a number) will be much easier to keep in mind during a fight, so you don't just die out of nowhere.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 20/06/2025

Giving Exon's HUD a do-over to try and fit in some missing elements (the temperature gauge), add new elements (item quick slots) and generally make things like health more visible... UI design is hard. 😩

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 17/05/2025

That new level for #ECGx is coming together -- I've added the obligatory rescue-the-merchant-from-insects aside, a small Exon tomb with a fancy sword you can rob, turrets whose bulets you can deflect back at them... and more! Phew. Just under 3 weeks to make sure it all actually _works_. 😅

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 02/05/2025

Since it's #ECGx season, I figured that, rather than panicking and trying to get Exon's existing levels back in working order for public exhibition, it might be better to make a brand new -- SMALL -- demo level using all the new props. One that, you know, passers-by might be able to beat.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 25/04/2025

This week's experiments with properly scaled props are brought to you by "Robbie hasn't played Tiberian Sun in a while".

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 18/04/2025

Next in the annals of "things Robbie has wildly overscaled", public transport. This one straddles two tracks so it can safely carry a mech, but it's about the right length and height.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 12/04/2025

It's all fun and games in suburbia until some damn mechs have a barney in the middle of the street.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 12/04/2025

That thing where you could just make a fresh bit of texture, but instead try to contort a straight texture onto a curved mesh. 🙈

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 05/04/2025

"Please don't jump on our houses," they said. But they're just the right height, with those lovely flat rooves...

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 04/04/2025

Okay, I think that's the sense of scale starting to kick in now. (I'm not sure we'd keep using the same road markings in a world of Ubiquitious Mechs, but on the other hand, this isn't set so far in the future that roads would have totally died out.)

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 29/03/2025

I see trees in real life and always wonder if "undergrowth" is what mine are missing, but I can never quite seem to capture it usefully in a low-poly way.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 22/03/2025

Doing some proper work on Exon's sense of scale and realising that I may have _slightly_ oversized the trees in the campaign so far. Apparently the big trees in Edinburgh are about 10 metres tall, which is just slightly bigger than one of my mechs. Not... ah... 70-100 metres...

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 28/02/2025

New chonky mech key art?

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 28/02/2025

Yes, I did spawn entirely the wrong creatures into the Arena side quest -- a left-over from This Wreckage when the numbers were all much MUCH higher. Even maximum level Shatter Henrik wouldn't survive this.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 15/02/2025

New chonky mech! With two guns attached it's reached the dizzying heights of 810 triangles so I do need to fall on my sword, but otherwise the thicker legs make everything look much more solid and reliable. Which is good, because this mech is meant to be solid and reliable. #gamedev #milkshape3d

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 17/01/2025

And the exon said to him, "stop hitting yourself!" But he could not, for the exon was hitting him with his own bullets. #gamedev

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 09/12/2024

Oops, might not be able to post another blog ever again, soz. 😔

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 05/12/2024

I know I said the Exon snow system still worked, but I made some refinements. It's no longer maximum snow on some tech surfaces and foliage, but it is icy on the sides of things. Much better, I think. 🌨️

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 04/12/2024

It's okay everyone, Exon's snow overlay system still works. Time to get festive!

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 20/10/2024

Been a bit unhappy with how I've been portraying the scale of Exon, so recently I've been calculating sizes and speeds to get a handle on how big things should be in engine units. To this end, I've made this cute land rover to give me a solid real-world reference point.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 13/09/2024

Looks like advanced mech paintwork customisation is back on the menu, boiz. 👀 #gamedev #dressup

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 07/09/2024

Drop an alien that's not from Star Wars or Star Trek

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 06/09/2024

I don't think I've ever seen Holyrood Park as foggy as it is today. Especially not after lunch! What is it about pale gray mist that makes everything feel somehow... primeval? 🌁

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 05/07/2024

Before you start an afternoon of game dev, it's important to remind yourself that there's more to life than stupid computers. 🦆 😌

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 16/05/2024

Lost in the fog up Calton Hill two days in a row... this is getting out of hand.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 06/11/2023

Phew, that's me finished the last of my souvenirs from Japan. I didn't actually visit Himeji Castle because it was a little out of my operational area, but I couldn't find portable kits for the ones I did see. I think I did pretty well for it being LEVEL 5 difficulty!

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 27/10/2023

I'm very pleased at all my previous investment into level design tools -- I've gone from zero to a short but functional scenario in under a day. I'm still feeling the overall lack of decorations to pull from, but that will dissipate in time.

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Rao Dao Zao @raodaozao.net · 24/10/2023

Adding a "demo" mode to Exon so it can look fun while nobody is actually playing it.

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