Clockwork Empires tech update shows off building design

Some of Clockwork Empires' more abstract design ideals seem to be materialising.

When the sim was first announced, Gaslamp Games said players would be able to design their own buildings and have the engine generate them to spec; how this will work is becoming clearer, with screens showing a blueprint-like grid affair to start with, before walls, windows and lamps are added using an as-yet incomplete system.

You'll be able to place inputs and outputs wherever you please, potentially allowing you to maximise efficiency of layout, but Gaslamp is apparently in a "knife fight" over whether pipes will be automatically generated or placed by the user, and whether they'll be visible or not.

The team has also been very busy working on the UI, which Gaslamp isn't ready to talk about; character AI; graphical touches like lighting systems and water renderers; and squashing bugs. One bug resulted in the creation of horrific plant people; I'm a little disappointed this isn't going to become a feature.

Clockwork Empires is a colony-building sim from the minds behind much-loved rogue-like Dungeon of Dredmor. It boasts a number of interesting features like procedural generation, a Lovecraftian steampunk atmosphere, and open-ended sandbox play in addition to free-form multiplayer. It's expected on Linux, Mac and PC, but no release date has been set.

Thanks, PC Gamer.