However, the idea has been around for years now, and it will reincarnate better than ever. Maybe next time a less lofty goal will be chosen, and the project may attain a feeling of completeness. I believe I may have reached too high in this current cycle, and constantly straining my neck looking at the goals is frustrating and discouraging.

For now, there are some other projects that demand pursuing. Rest assured that the Megastructure will return; because the truth is, it never ceased existing to begin with.

This blog will continue to exist as a development log, as well as @megastrata. I am participating in Ludum Dare #16 this weekend, under the name eli.

As always: get the latest version from the Megastrata information and download page.

Here are some new screens, reflecting changes in lighting and modeling. Also, the new elevator shaft rooms are visible.

(Wolfgang discovered the ceiling pillars that go on forever.)

Major changes in this version include a newer, less degenerate collision engine. The player now collides with surfaces, instead being manually bound to a certain volume.

Also, steps have been taken towards making the corridors more visually interesting. This means adding chamfering to some corners, and variable heights to the corridors. (Suggestion in part by @zdanielz.)

Some screenshots:

Please note that there are disabled stubs for working with ffmpeg, but I decided it was far too bulky to add to the project. I only used it for a few export clips, for the teaser.

Also, as Wolfgang points out, the Mac version does not look the same as the Windows version (most of the walls are transparent). This is evidently because of some nonstandard usage of OpenGL that Windows is willing to forgive. Any thoughts or suggestions on how this might be solved would be quite welcome.

Regardless, the project is moving forward, and new and exciting features are coming. Stay tuned.

The name has gradually started becoming “Megastrata”, as it morphs away from being an experiment, and starts getting more serious.

Here is a short teaser video:

A new build will be prepared soon, and we’ll continue the unending task of bringing this impossible structure to life.

Using Flickr’s new Gallery feature, I have put together a few megastructure explorations. These are built from other users’ photos, but represent a larger structure that crosses space and time to become the Megastructure we seek.

So far, there are three such explorations:

Exploration #1

Exploration #2 – Descent

Exploration #3 – Ascent

The feelings I get while going through these photos in their particular order is the same emotion the Megastrata simulation should give.