News
27/02/2020 Update
Any News?
To answer that I'll post a screenshot of my current WIP in the 3D editor (Blender). The blue spot to the lower left will become the Llangollen Marina and also on the left you'll also notice a hill. I'll throw some rocks on that to let it roughly resemble Castel Dinas Bran. This is the early stage of the terrain model which will extend the Llangollen canal in the game until its navigable end. It will still take a while though until this part will be ready and released.
Like the initial Pontcysyllte section this terrain data basically originates from the Welsh LiDAR Composite Dataset. Although that data has to be reduced in detail to be manageable in the game. As an example: In the original dataset, an area of 2x2km features 4 million terrain height values. Typically, this will be reduced to a 3D model with around 50-70,000 vertices (points).
Android Game Update
I published a little update for the Android version of the game. The google play store required a technical change and I used the opportunity to include some little updates. No new game contents but I tried to improve the user interface in terms of usability on touch screen displays. While being at it, I also changed the background image and music. Some levels now feature a map option on the briefing screen so newbies know where to go.
On-Site Research
In summer 2019, my family and me hired the boat Snowmane and cruised on the Shroppie and the Llangollen Canal. The Llangollen is a wonderful, quite rural canal and also the Shroppie was very enjoyable. (Ok, passing over a mile of private moorings just before Chester can get a wee bit boring.) I also used the opportunity to compare the "game" canal and the real thing.
The people of Chas Hardern provided a wonderful service and a boat in perfect condition. Nothing to complain, and naturally, no sponsoring involved (just in case somebody really had that idea).
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