Article 1. Optimization.

Well, I purchased a new graphics card (GeForce 8600GT 512mb) for $75, plugged it in, and ran DoC to see if there was a speed increase. There wasn't.

What this means is simple: Graphics cards don't affect GM/Xtreme3d performance all that much. When DoC is finished, how fast it runs on your PC will depend on your processor, and whether you have at least 512mb spare memory. Anything back several years should be able to run DoC just as well as the most modern computer - and as long as I can get it running smoothly and efficiently on a modern PC, I can get it running well on your computer as well.

On that front, I've:

* Made the interface rendering ~50% faster. Also, added trees and resources to the minimap display.

* Doubled the speed of the bump-mapping feature while eliminating certain visual problems.

* Greatly increased the quality/efficiency of my arbitrary culling method.

At present, the game should be able to keep a 30fps constant on even two- or three-year old computers (maybe even farther back). Now I can get back to work on actual gameplay…

Article 2. Tumble.

I've begun implementing a level loader which should go a long ways towards eliminating the room-switching bugs of yesterbeta. Then it's only a matter of adding content… which I expect you gents to help with.

Article 3. Mystery Screenshot of the Week.

Brother, if you read this, get Portal now. It doesn't contain violence against humans (only against robotic gun turrets), so it should pass our father's acceptability criteria. Plus, it's an amazing game. Get it from Steam, or else.

The cake is a lie.

The cake is a lie.

The cake is a lie.

The cake is a lie.