I got a short question set from a forum member, so decided to put X10 down for a second and answers here to give you an update:
1.Has work begun on v2/The migration yet?
NOT YET - PLANNED AFTER THE X10 UPDATE
2.Do you have a definite features list that you would be willing to give to me?
NO FEATURE LIST, JOB ONE WOULD BE TO BLEND X9 INTO X10 AND PRODUCE SOMETHING GOOD FROM THAT
3.If work hasn't begun yet, when do you plan to begin?
AFTER THE X10 WORK, NOT SURE HOW LONG THE X10 WORK WILL TAKE. MONTHS NOT WEEKS
4. Which version of Dark Basic Pro will you use?
IT WILL HAVE TO BE A NEW VERSION OF DBPRO WHICH CAN HANDLE A SMALL SUBSET OF DIRECTX10 COMMANDS, SO WATCH OUT FOR THAT!
5.Will FPS Creator V2 still be supported (with new patches etc.)
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS V2 IN MY MIND. WE HAVE X9 (ORIGINAL), X10 (DIRECTX10) AND MIGRATION (X9+X10). WHEN THE MIGRATION IS COMPLETE, WE WILL SLOWLY CEASE SUPPORT FOR X9 AND X10 IN FAVOUR OF THE NEW MIGRATION VERSION WHICH WILL BE SUPPORTED AS THE NEW ENGINE.
6.Will .fpm's be compatible with the migration?
YES, YOU CAN LOAD IN YOUR OLD LEVELS AND GAME PROJECTS, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE SOME ISSUES WITH SCRIPTS AND MEDIA AS YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM THE DECISIONS WE WILL NEED TO MAKE TO BLEND X9 AND X10 TOGETHER.
7.Will anything to do with multiplayer be changed?
NO PLANS TO TOUCH THE MULTIPLAYER SIDE AT THIS STAGE. PERHAPS WHEN THE MIGRATION VERSION IS ESTABLISHED WE CAN EXPAND THIS IF ENOUGH DEMAND IS SHOWN.
8.Will bloom be in the migration?
OF COURSE
9.Will either use a timer-based system?
THE MIGRATION WILL BE BASED ON THE X10 METHOD OF USING TIMER BASED LOGIC, WHICH MEANS YOUR FPS CAN CHANGE BUT THE GAME STAYS THE SAME CONSISTENT SPEED.
10.Will vehicles ever be able to be used?
EVENTUALLY YES, BUT I THINK YOU WILL WANT MORE REALISTIC OUTDOOR SCENES BEFORE VEHICLES ARE ADDED. IT MAKES SENSE TO DO SOME THINGS IN ORDER.
11.Can we finally build outdoor environments without critical slow downs?
HOW LONG IS A PIECE OF STRING
THERE ARE NO PLANS PRIOR TO THE MIGRATION TO LOOK AT FAST OUTDOOR SCENES, BUT ONCE WE HAVE A MIGRATION VERSION THEN IT MAKES SENSE TO LOOK CLOSER AT THIS.
12.Will custom content be compatible?
OF COURSE, AS IT IS NOW.
13.Can we use new audio and video formats?
NO NEW FORMATS ARE GOING TO BE SUPPORTED.
14.What do you mean by dynamic menus?
A DYNAMIC MENU IS A MENU THAT CHANGES. A STATIC MENU IS A MENU THAT DOES NOT CHANGE.
15.Will the migration implement the ability to melee with all weapons which you mentioned in the Feb 2008 Newsletter?
THERE ARE NO PLANS TO ADD OR EXTEND THE MELEE FEATURES OF THE ENGINE, AS THE PRODUCT IS STILL CURRENTLY PITCHED AS A FIRST PERSON SHOOTER (RATHER THAN A FIRST PERSON THUMPER).
16.Will the migration use GPU Instancing?
IF THE GAME IS FOR DIRECT X10, THEN IT WILL USE GPU INSTANCING YES.
17.Will you be implementing any of the features from Ply's mod (including scripting conditions/actions and camera control)?
THERE ARE NO PLANS TO TAKE FEATURES FROM THIRD PARTY MODS PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF THE MIGRATION VERSION. THERE ARE SOME GREAT FEATURES OUT THERE, AND I AM SURE THAT WITH PERMISSION I CAN USE A FEW OF THEM, BUT OFFICIALLY YOU SHOULD NOT EXPECT ANY.
And lo, after much toil, he placed his keyboard on the ground and lo, he saw that it was good. Then his PC crashed, and lo, he saw that is wasn't good enough!