Hello, MiLE HiGH TAXi enthusiasts and Steam Deck gamers!

I'm Cassius, the solo developer behind MiLE HiGH TAXi, and today I'm reaching out for your support in a very special way. As the Steam Autumn Sale unfolds, there's an opportunity to celebrate the games that have transformed our handheld gaming experiences - and MiLE HiGH TAXi is right there at the forefront.

[h2] Why Nominate MiLE HiGH TAXi?[/h2]
MiLE HiGH TAXi is more than just a game; it's a title that begs to be played on Steam Deck; was meticulously optimized for the Steam Deck, and offers an unmatched fusion of high-speed taxi racing and vivid urban exploration. Every element, from the responsive controls to the immersive visuals and scale, is fine-tuned for the Steam Deck, ensuring that your gaming experience is seamless, exhilarating, and above all, portable.

[h2] A Game That Travels With You[/h2]
The Steam Deck has redefined gaming, and MiLE HiGH TAXi is a testament to this evolution. Whether you're commuting, traveling, or just lounging at home, MiLE HiGH TAXi provides an escape into a world of high-octane taxi races and vertigo-inducing cityscapes - all in the palm of your hands.

[h2] Your Support Makes a Difference[/h2]
Your nomination is more than just a vote; it's a recognition of the hard work and nearly 4 years of passion that went into making MiLE HiGH TAXi a standout title on the Steam Deck. It's a celebration of what indie gaming and dedication can achieve. By nominating MiLE HiGH TAXi for "Best Game on Steam Deck," you're not just supporting a game; you're championing the spirit of independent game development.

[h2] How to Nominate[/h2]
It's simple, easy, and impactful! Visit the Steam page during the Autumn Sale, starting November 21st at 10am Pacific. In the nomination section, choose "Best Game on Steam Deck" and select MiLE HiGH TAXi. Your support is crucial! Top nominees will be featured in the Winter Sale for final voting.

Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey. Your enthusiasm and support have been the cornerstone of MiLE HiGH TAXi's success. Let's make a statement this Steam Autumn Sale and show the world the power of community and indie gaming!

Race to the top,
Cassius (Developer of MiLE HiGH TAXi)

Celebrate Diversity with MiLE HiGH TAXi at the Game Devs of Color Festival!

Hello, fellow gamers! In celebration of the Game Devs of Color Expo, i am thrilled to offer you a 25% discount on MiLE HiGH TAXi. As the solo developer behind this vibrant, arcade-style taxi game, I invite you to immerse yourself in a futuristic cityscape filled with high-speed adventures.

In this arcade-style taxi game, you navigate the bustling streets of a futuristic city, where every race is a thrilling adventure. As the creator and developer, I've poured my heart and soul into crafting a game that not only challenges your reflexes but also ignites your imagination. This festival, let's celebrate the spirit of diversity and innovation that colors the gaming world.

Don't miss this golden opportunity to own a piece of this vibrant, fast-paced universe at a fraction of the cost. Join the race and purchase MiLE HiGH TAXi at a discount today!

Thanks!
Cassius (the developer)

Hello, fellow gamers and fans of MiLE HiGH TAXi!

I'm excited to announce the release of the "Race Mode" DLC - a brand-new expansion that introduces a whole new dimension to the game. As the solo developer behind this futuristic arcade-style taxi game, I've crafted this DLC to bring you even more excitement.

Get ready to hit the skyways at breakneck speeds and compete against other NPC taxi drivers in 5 races that will test your skills and reflexes to the limit. The expansion transforms the bustling, futuristic city into your personal racetrack, offering plenty of opportunities to prove your mettle and claim the title of the fastest taxi in Mile High City.

What's New:

• Single Race Mode and Circuit Mode: Master both and become the champion!
  
• InstaBoost: Capable of blasting you to a mind-blowing 400kph!
  
• Pure, unadulterated racing: No passengers pickups, no deliveries, just racing.
  
• Absolutely free: This exhilarating DLC won't cost you a dime!
  

See Full Details About This Release and Upcoming DLC
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1366560/announcements/detail/3660912271287201120

[h2]What's New - Brief[/h2]
I've addressed several bugs that some of you have reported and introduced enhancements to improve the overall gameplay. I've also implemented new features that many of you have asked for, such as the often-requested ability to move up/elevate and drop more quickly, and the addition of 4K as a resolution option. I also refined the vertical driving experience to be more intuitive and in tune with the player's intention.

• 4K Screen Resolution Option
  
• Better prediction of player's vertical movement intents
  
• Faster elevation and drop on the right-analog stick
  
• DLC-ready changes
  
• Linux and Mac versions updated
  
• Change to music system to offer more variety at start of each game
  
• Cleanup and enhancements of the visuals of the UI
  
• Fixes to some issues with game remembering player options after restart
  

Release v1.2.0
Hello, fellow gamers! Today I'm excited to announce the release of MiLE HiGH TAXi version 1.2.0!

As the solo developer behind this futuristic arcade-style taxi game, I've been working tirelessly to bring you a host of improvements, bug fixes, and new features. This update not only refines the existing game but is also a stepping stone towards exciting DLC in the very near future.

As you may have heard, it's true that I didn't break even in game sales. But I've continued working on updates, patches, and new features for the game anyways because I genuinely enjoy making it!

[h2]What's New[/h2]
In this new version, I've addressed several bugs that some of you have reported and introduced enhancements to improve the overall gameplay. I've also implemented new features that many of you have asked for, such as the often-requested ability to move up/elevate and drop more quickly, and the addition of 4K as a resolution option.

I've also refined the vertical driving experience to be more intuitive and in tune with the player's intention. You can now expect even more heart-pumping control mechanics and action as you race against the clock.

• 4K Screen Resolution Option
  
• Better prediction of player's vertical movement intents
  
• Faster elevation and drop on the right-analog stick
  
• DLC-ready changes
  
• Linux and Mac versions updated
  
• Change to music system to offer more variety at start of each game
  
• Cleanup and enhancements of the visuals of the UI
  
• Fixes to some issues with game remembering player options after restart
  

Quality of life, fixes, and game enhancements update for Release v1.1.5

For further details on these fixes and more, please visit https://steamcommunity.com/app/1366560/discussions/0/3790381090380658049/

Release v1.1.2
I'm happy to announce the release of MiLE HiGH TAXi v1.1.2.

It can be hard reading negative reviews, even heart breaking with such a personal project as this one. But among the reviews and game forums, a lot of you also provided some amazing nuggets of feedback and suggestions for the game. Thank you! This release is a response to that feedback.

Here are the feature additions and fixes all based on what I ascertained to be the highest-priorities based on what you all have said. See the thread here if you want to see more or add things you think are missing.

I have another update coming in the next few weeks so stay tuned!

What's in the Update?
[h2]5 New Features[/h2]
[h3]Audio Adjustment Setting[/h3] I've added the ability to adjust audio for (1) music, (2) people, and (3) sound fx (vehicle, smashing, and so on). This was probably THE most complained about missing feature in both reviews on Steam and external reviewers.

[h3]Visual/Post Processing Settings[/h3] You asked for more control over things like screen resolution, post processing, and other visual settings. I've added the ability to enable or disable each of the post processing effects.

[h3]Quick 90 Degree Turns[/h3] Players asked for fast ways to turn around. I've added the ability to do banking 90 degree turns, and 180 degree 5-floor jumps and drops. Additionally, I changed the key combo for the 10 floor jumps and 10 floor drops on the game pad to simplify it. Plus I also added an ability to "slide" into a stop, letting the player drift like using an air-bound hand-brake.

This feature is a 3-in-1. Which brings me to... the control map...

[h3]Controls Map[/h3] Originally, I didn't want to show a full game pad controls mapping because I was hoping players would organically find the "special" button/key combos. Instead, some people accused me of lying in my trailers and video clips! So now you can see what the key combos are, plus the combos that were added in this update. Note: as mentioned in the feature above, some controls (180 turns for example) were remapped.

[h3]Enjoy Smashing - Enhancements[/h3] I got a number of requests to make smashing objects more fun and to give players a reason for smashing things. There's still room to do more..... but I've added coin bonuses when the player is hired and flies through smashable objects. Passenger gives extra coins, ala Crazy Taxi.

[h2]4 Changes[/h2]
[h3]"Too High" and "Too Low" Warnings[/h3] These audio warnings have been disabled when there is a passenger aboard and their drop-off location is within an elevation warning area. I'm also lowered the lower threshold height giving another 5-10 floors of play area.

[h3]Shattered Glass Effect[/h3] I heard from you that the shattered glass becomes more an annoyance than a challenge to game play. I changed it so that the shattered glass fades away after a few seconds if player goes without heavily hitting indestructible objects such as buildings and bridges in the meanwhile.

[h3]Settings and Menus[/h3] Per player feedback, the Settings menu can now be reached within the Player Selection menu.

[h3]Back to Main Menu After Game Over[/h3] It wasn't clear that, at end of a game, players can get back to the main menu by selection "Change Player". I've re-worded the menu to something more obvious.

[h2]2 Bug Fixes[/h2]
[h3]Save Settings[/h3] Fixed the issue with player's ability to save preferences and settings after quitting.

[h3]Music Stops Playing[/h3] The music sometimes stopped playing after a while. Especially if at some point the Pause menu was up for a while. I've fixed it so that the music will always continue playing.

Fixes to the Linux build's Player Selection scene load.

[previewyoutube=af5-yRUaZ2s;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Gist of the video.[/h2]

[h3]

[h2]Bug Hunting Season![/h2]
Over the last 7 days I have been alerted to some bugs and issues I was previously unaware of. Some of the alerts came via the press that were playing the release copy, others through testers, and I've also known of a few issues as well. Here's a summary of some of the bugs and quirks that have been fixed in the Release-Day copy of the game. Some of these bugs may still show up within review articles or videos online.

[h3]Issues That Are Fixed in the Launch-Day Release[/h3]

[h2]Official Release Date Announcement[/h2]
I am thrilled to officially announce the release date for my game - March 13, 2023. MiLE HiGH TAXi players will soon have the opportunity to take on the role of the ultimate scifi hover taxi driver. The game is a fast-paced race against the clock in a vibrant, futuristic city reminiscent of "The Fifth Element" with arcade-style gameplay found in classics like "Crazy Taxi", "Simpsons Road Rage" and more.

[h2]Upgrade Complete - Wishlist Goal Achieved[/h2]
That's not all - I am also overjoyed to announce that I have achieved my personal goal of attaining 20,000 Wishlists for the game on Steam! This is a significant milestone for any game developer, solo or otherwise, and I could not have done it without the support and excitement from fans of the game and community.

To celebrate these announcements, I created a new trailer
[previewyoutube=Xzs46WdaMkg;full][/previewyoutube]

I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported me throughout the development of this game over the last 3 years - including my now 6 year old beta testing daughter! Whether you've been following my progress on social media, added the game to your Steam Wishlist, or shared your excitement with your friends and family, your support has been invaluable to me.

I am proud of the hard work and effort that I have put into the development of this game, and the achievement of 20,000 Wishlists on Steam is a clear indication that my game concept is being very well-received. I think nostalgia plays a huge role here :) It's also an indication of the trust and support that the community has in me as a developer and in my game.

[h2]I Still Need Your Help![/h2]
Now is the time for one final push. I'm asking you once again to help raise awareness for MiLE HiGH TAXi, be it in your personal interactions or on your social media accounts. Let's see if we can get to 30,000 or even 50,000 wishlists by March 13th.

As we count down the days until the release date, I encourage players to add the game to their Steam Wishlist and join me on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest news and developments leading up to the release.

Once again, I want to express my gratitude to all the fans, wishlisters and community for the support and encouragement. Without you this would not have been possible. It's with your support that I am able to bring this game to life and I look forward to seeing you all enjoy the game on its release day.

Sincerely,
Cassius

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi/
[h2]Here's How You Can Help Shape the Game[/h2]
With the release of MiLE HiGH TAXi just a few short months away, I'm nearing completion of development. There's still enough time to add one last play mode (that will make 4) or feature, but I need your help deciding which one it will be!

[h2]The Contestants[/h2]
Here are the features I'm considering adding for the release date. But before I get to that, if the play mode you vote for isn't the winner, don't worry! I intend to add the others after the game's release. For now, I'm just trying to lock-in the final mode to be available in the game at release day.

Vote On Game Discussion Page

I'll just say it: my personal preference is #1. But winner takes all!

[h3]1. Race Mode[/h3]
What better way to learn the city and get a handle on the hover car controls than by racing other hover cars? Players will race through city courses, performing laps. My hope is to have 3 tracks/courses ready for launch.

[h3]2. Police Chase[/h3]
This one isn't a game mode, it's just a feature of regular game play. Unknowingly pick up a wanted passenger and find yourself being chased by police. Avoid capture or you'll not only lose your fare you'll lose the game. Drive fast and lose the cops, or learn some of the best hidden areas of the city and lose them that way.

[h3]3. Ride Share[/h3]
Get 2 passengers into your taxi instead of just 1. Take a gamble and pick up two passengers and drop them at different locations. Why is it a gamble? Because you never know how far apart their drop-off locations will be and you risk running out of time!

[h3]4. First Person View[/h3]
Not much to say about this one - play from a first-person view. I've wanted it and others have asked for it.

Vote On Game Discussion Page

Steam Deck
In recent months, Steam has been placing more emphasis on compatibility with their Steam Deck hand-held gaming console. Some time ago, I put in a request to receive a development deck, but those are in very short supply. Instead, it would seem, Steam reviewed MiLE HiGH TAXi for Deck compatibility. I'm happy to announce the game received "Verified" status yesterday.

Here's an excerpt from the email Steam sent me.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/

Lessons from Steam Next Fest
Last week's Next Fest games festival told me a lot about you, your expectations, and where to focus my efforts on improving MiLE HiGH TAXi. Given the massive numbers of festival demo players, I can see the game attracts a larger audience than I expected. This is fantastic! But given all the constructive feedback, there's still lots to be added or improved.

Here are just some of the things I've fixed-up, changed, or improved in these last 2 weeks.

Changes I've Made or Am Working On

[h2]Tutorial Section[/h2]
Yes, I hear you. You don't like being forced into the tutorial, you don't like its pacing, or you feel it's completely unnecessary for a veteran gamer. And you're right!

What I've Done:
I have changed the game so that the tutorial must explicitly be selected from the main menu, rather than automatically starting. Once the tutorial has started you can now skip out of it by pressing Start.

What I'm Working On:
The tutorial needs a bit more work, like referencing the elevation indicator! (how did I miss this?) I'm also looking at ways to make the tutorial quicker to get through - more concise.

[h2]Game Controls[/h2]
"The controls are too sensitive", "controls suck", "controls need work". Yes, I hear you and agree with you! The controls in the demo left many of you frustrated. I'm fixing that!

What I've Done:
There are two things I've already changed to improve the controls (not yet in demo builds).

Keyboard/Mouse. A bunch of you let me know that if it doesn't work with your keyboard and mouse you won't touch the game. While I personally refuse to play any game that requires keyboard/mouse, I'm not you - nor the average gamer. So I'm going to be adding in keyboard/mouse support!

[h2]"Where Am I Supposed to Go???" - Navigation[/h2]
I watched a few live streamers play and noticed a lot of confusion about where to drop passengers off. Some people repeatedly smashed into the same wall, expecting a different result, relying exclusively on the direction arrow to navigate. It lead to a poor experience.


What I'm Working On:

Something Not Right?
Have you already tried the demo but found something to be ... not quite right? Do you have an awesome idea for a small change that will deliver a big impact? Struggle with the controls or finding passengers? Or maybe something else? Now is your opportunity to let me know. Please be sure to check the bottom half of this page first to see what I'm already working on.

Why now?
Because the flood gates will be open in just a few days when Steam Next Fest begins, and I expect the number of demo users will go up significantly.

Why you?
Because you showed an interest in MiLE HiGH TAXi before anyone else! You have either Wishlisted and played the demo, or simply found the demo and gave it a try.

I found this during Next Fest. Can I still offer my feedback?
Yes of course you can. I'm happy to receive all constructive criticism and feedback. I just wanted to give my early adopters first crack on their ideas - which is why I've posted this before Next Fest.

How do I reach you?
There are 4 primary ways, depending on what you're comfortable with.

Don't miss your chance to try MiLE HiGH TAXi for free at the next Steam Game Festival, starting October 3rd 2022. There will be a free playable demo and I also plan on doing a couple of live streams throughout the festival.

More information about the exact dates will follow, so stay tuned. I'm VERY excited to share this first public release with the community! Help me by spreading the word!

Oh, and make sure to Wishlist the game so you don't miss it!

Cheers,
Cassius

MiLE HiGH TAXi - it's "The Fifth Element" meets "Crazy Taxi"

Hello there. I'm Cassius John-Adams, creator of MiLE HiGH TAXi. I will be playing and live streaming for about an hour as part of the Steam Game Festival 2022. Be sure to come by and watch me play.

Steam Next Fest runs from October 3rd to 10th 2022.

See you Friday, October 7th, 11:00PM EDT (8:00PM PDT)

MiLE HiGH TAXi - it's "The Fifth Element" meets "Crazy Taxi"

Hello there. I'm Cassius John-Adams, creator of MiLE HiGH TAXi. I will be playing and live streaming for about an hour as part of the Steam Game Festival 2022. Be sure to come by and watch me play.

Steam Next Fest runs from October 3rd to 10th 2022.

See you Monday, October 3rd, 9:00PM EDT (6:00PM PDT)

[h2]Update[/h2]
This week I will be starting my first ever beta test release - and I'm scared as hell. Why? For the last 26 months I've been sitting in my house coding, animating, image editing, audio editing, and often falling asleep on the keyboard. In all that time only myself and my 5 year old daughter have ever tried the game. It's tough to put myself out there, be vulnerable, and accept criticism about something that has been my passion for over two years now.

[h2]Beta Details[/h2]
I'm figuring out Steam's system and their process for getting this going. There's also a pdf in the works which should cover topics such as what's currently missing from the game, how to contact me or report a problem, and more. I'll get that to beta testers soon as possible.

Speaking of which, I've applied for 10 keys from Steam, which they state will require 24-48 hours for setup. That puts the start of beta at about Wednesday February 16th 2022. If you're interested in participating, please let me know.

That's all for now.

Cassius

[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h2]Update[/h2]
Since the last update a few weeks ago, I've been focusing my time on preparing MiLE HiGH TAXi for beta testing. Originally I was targeting the 1st week of February but that is likely to slip into the 2nd week.

[h2]Beta Details[/h2]
Realistically, I should be calling this an Alpha release, but "beta" seems to be the catch-all term these days. There will be a number of things missing in the beta build. Speaking of which, I still need to figure out Steam's system for releasing betas to people. So bare with me on that.

The following are the biggest components that are either problematic or likely won't be ready in time for the beta build:
1. Windows only for now (sorry Mac users!)
2. No score page presented at the end of game play
3. No ability to restart the game without killing the app and restarting it. A time-consuming adrenaline-killing cycle :O
4. Booster packs won't be available
5. No vehicle traffic. I'm fixing and optimizing the traffic system.
6. No ability to use right-analog stick to manually move the camera view
7. No Navcom AI (3D minimap)
8. There will be bugs. It's bug-hunting season!
9. Large areas of environment mostly empty - limited number of passengers, pedestrians, bridges, skywalks, etc
10. Memory usage is currently way over budget (it skyrockets up to 12GB sometimes and my memory budget for the final game is 4GB). This is likely to cause crashes for some beta testers.
11. Steam achievements. There's only 1 so far.
12. Each vehicle currently handles exactly the same. Also, the handling definitely needs work on the up/down rotation timing.
13. Multi-language support not fully implemented.

Current performance is about 120fps-160fps on my gaming machine. Occasional drops to 80fps when memory usage is high. On my potato, it's unusable - 35fps but with countless drops below 10fps. I believe this is due to high memory consumption, likely pushing some of the game into swap/paging on-disk (see below). It's an 8GB laptop, Intel UHD-640 integrated graphics, Intel i3; so a crappy machine anyways.

If you're interested in participating in the beta, please let me know.

[h2]Optimizations[/h2]
I'm currently working on pooling the pedestrians and passengers, which is proving to be more complex than I anticipated. The end goal is, of course, performance! Pooling them should help me in three ways. First, a bit less memory used. Second, less computational power (CPU) required overall. Third is it brings me closer to being able to implement "restart game" without reloading the entire scene.

The biggest problem factor right now is RAM usage. As mentioned, it goes up to 12GB occasionally and I want to keep it to 4GB or less. Not sure how much improvement I'll be able to squeeze in prior to beta - so player beware! :)

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]
I'm not going to itemize the bugs I've been fixing here because that would take too long and, let's be honest, nobody cares! :) But in short, I have fixed approximately 50 bugs over the last week or two and there's still a bunch more to get fixed up. I'm fairly certain they won't all be remedied prior to the beta launch.

That's all for now. I'll try and post one more time before the actual beta test news/announcement.

[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h2]Update[/h2]
It has been a very long time since I have posted an update here on Steam. My apologies for that, I will try to do more updates.

MiLE HiGH TAXi is still in development - in fact I usually spend at least 4 hours a day on development, building the environment, tweaking, and optimizing performance. As one can imagine, a solo-developer packing all this stuff into a game can be challenging and time-consuming. But there has been definite forward-progression on the game's development since my last news update - most of which isn't visually apparent in the game since it deals with performance enhancements.

[h2]Voice Acting[/h2]
I have recently engaged with additional voice acting talent through Fiverr and personal contacts. Most of the voice work is complete and I'm currently waiting on finals. I took some time to figure out an efficient way of "connecting" the voices with the pedestrians and passengers along with the subtitling and translation system. That's very close to being complete but does need some minor tweaks (see what I mean towards the end of the video below - things get chatty and volume adjustments are needed).

[h2]Environment Status[/h2]
I'm well into the latter half of building out the environment. At this point I'd say that is about 75%+ complete and generally doesn't cause any complications as I progress. So that's just about putting in the hours, which I'm always doing.

[h2]Beta Testing[/h2]
I'm getting very close to being ready for beta testing. As of this writing, there are three things I need to finish/fix before that can happen.

[h2]Compiling the Shots[/h2]
I finally have something new to show you all. Over the last week I've been capturing footage from MiLE HiGH TAXi as I test the game, and have compiled some of that footage into my first official trailer!

Feedback has been very positive and I've also received some very constructive input as well. Thank you everyone.

[h2]What People Are Saying[/h2]
The game appears to strike a chord with so many people. I've received countless messages from people that tell me they've been waiting for a game like this for so long, or feel the nostalgia it emits. All very encouraging.

But don't take my word for it - have a look for yourself!

Reddit Link 1
Twitter Link
More Reddit

All this feedback has helped keep me motivated, pointed me in the right direction, and reiterates that there's a desire for this kind of game.


[h2]Trailer in 4K[/h2]
Anyways, this post is supposed to be about the trailer, isn't it? Be sure to check it out in 4K for the best experience.

[previewyoutube=Qb6PGP_S098;full][/previewyoutube]

If you like the look of my game or want to know more, hit me up in the forum.


[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

Thanks for your support!

[h2]Update[/h2]
When developing video games, I spend anywhere from 50-75% of loverall development time on optimizing performance - especially in MiLE HiGH TAXi because of the complexity of the environment. In this development log, I'll show you how I'm achieving up to 350fps for in-game action, and some of the strategies I regularly use to take advantage of some of Unity's built-in features.

Learn about what it takes to achieve a high FPS on low/mid-range GPUs without having to compromise on visuals!

[h2]Click to Watch the 4K video[/h2]
[previewyoutube=eFD7bBgtVyg;full][/previewyoutube]


[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h2]Update[/h2]
For today's MiLE HiGH TAXi game dev log, I show how I've been trying to speed up my world building. The amount of time spent position thousands - no, tens of thousands of random objects is proving to be prohibitively time-consuming. Dev log #8 explains how I'll be saving many hundreds of hours of work. Also in the dev log video, some new camera enhancements, vertical streetcar animations and more!

[h2]Watch the 4K development log[/h2]
[previewyoutube=MN8f7jvY12s;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Special Bonus[/h2]
As a special bonus, here is a 30-second clip that received a good amount of attention on Reddit. It shows some actual game play! It's still not final (as you'll clearly see) but it gives a good hint to the direction I'm going in.

[previewyoutube=IDMj6kFz8Wo;full][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h2]Update[/h2]
Over the last few weeks I spent some time doing performance optimizations again. Primarily, my focus was to reduce the number of draw calls made to the GPU and memory-footprint reduction through texture atlases and triggering distant dynamic objects to disable when they're not reasonably visible.

I've also worked on a few more intersections and added a ton of the usual suspects - such as bridges, skywalks, buildings, billboards and a bunch of other random objects.

[h2]Watch the 4K development log[/h2]
[previewyoutube=IJsCsabIQYg;full][/previewyoutube]


[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h2]Introduction[/h2]
It's been nearly a month since my last development log. Where has the time gone?

I've decided to switch up the format a little bit with these dev logs by sharing a video instead. If the format does well enough, I'd like to stick with it. After all, a picture (or video) is worth a thousand words.

First up, the dev log.
[previewyoutube=xSDgfUmKxKk;full][/previewyoutube]

Here's a video that did quite well recently (23,000 views) on Twitter
[previewyoutube=XAfYhRz-gAs;full][/previewyoutube]


[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h2]Another New Wishlist Milestone[/h2]
Something happened this week that was totally unexpected.

I'm used to Wishlists happening at about 1-4 every day. Sometimes less, but rarely more. This week I reached out to the Reddit community for help with a problem I was having with the traffic physics in MiLE HiGH TAXi. Not having a very good way to describe the problem, I posted a video recorded earlier in the day to emphasize the problem. I submitted the post and went to bed. It was 1am.

After waking up in the morning and checking the thread, I was amazed to see that the video had been upvoted about 400 times in just 8 overnight hours. Dozens of people, rather than posting answers to my question, instead raved on about what they were seeing.

"Just want to say this game looks ***ing amazing! Crazy taxi meets the fifth element. Can't wait." one person said. "(Not helpful BUT): Fifth Element mixed with Crazy Taxi?! That's a ****ing AWESOME idea! I love both the movie and the game, and man, that's a great combination!" said another.

The post went on to about 1100 upvotes and some 200 comments. That day I doubled my single-day record high for Wishlists. My previous record was the day after i posted the first official trailer.

Oh, and I got my answer too!

Encouraged by the completely unexpected traction of the video, I decided to post it to Twitter too. No hopes at all - I mean the video didn't even feature gameplay goals, it was just me flying around. I rarely see more than 100 views for any video I post, and it usually takes a few weeks to even get that many. Surely the response on Reddit was an anomoly, right?

Well within just a few minutes of posting the video to Twitter I had a dozen likes and 3 or 4 retweets. Then suddenly the video view jumped rapidly to 100 within a minute. Then to 200. 300. 500. 1000. 5000. Users with 50k...100k followers started retweeting. The thread was ram-packed with people telling me how much they love the visuals, the concept... how they didn't know they wanted a game like this before they saw my video. Or how they had been waiting forever for a game like this. 10,000 views. 15,000. As of this writing my humble little tweet has received 18,390 views - and 54,489 impressions. WOW!

Oh, and here's the tweet



The first 24 hours after that tweet, I doubled the Wishlist record achieved only the day before, thanks to my Reddit post. The second day of my tweet doubled the first day.

Short story long, I know just a few days ago I posted that I had achieved 200 wishlists to date. That took half as long as the first 100 - just one month. Well, today it's already passed 300. Over 100 new wishlists in 3 days.

[h2]Thank You![/h2]
For all of you that are new to my game and are here reading this: Thank you! Thank you for Wishlisting MiLE HiGH TAXi. Thank you for all the wonderful things you said about my game on Twitter and Reddit. Thank you to all the people that have reached out to me directly with ideas, concepts, ways to work together, and of course thank you to all those that helped me on Reddit. I'm energized!

[h2]Your Feedback Matters to Me[/h2]
I don't usually ask people to post comments on these news announcements, but if you came here through Reddit or Twitter, I'd be curious to know what drew you in with my video. I work on MiLE HiGH TAXi just about every day so to me it's all kinda starting to look the same. I need to know why this video is different to help me focus my time on the things you like.

Please comment. It really does matter to me - it's invaluable.

[h2]Shameless Plug[/h2]
If you're reading this for some reason and haven't already Wishlisted MiLE HiGH TAXi, please do that now! It would mean so much to me, and it reminds Steam's algorithm that there is genuine interest and support for the game. Just like the sudden display of support has reminded me.

By the way, here's the unedited video, 4K 60fps. (skip the first 6 seconds or so)
[previewyoutube=XAfYhRz-gAs;full][/previewyoutube]

That's all for now, but expect a new Dev Log posting in the next few days.

I'll finish up by saying a HUGE THANK YOU to the 300+ Wishlisters and supporters. For those who are Wishlisting now; thanks and welcome to the family!

Sincerely,
Cassius John-Adams
Solo developer of MiLE HiGH TAXi

[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h2]New Wishlister Milestone[/h2]
At the end of August I posted about breaking 100 Wishlists for MiLE HiGH TAXi. That took about 2 months to achieve without advertising. Well, I just surpassed 200 Wishlists - taking only half as long as the first 100 - and still without any advertising! Thank you for your support and to everyone that has shown interest.

Seeing the quickly-growing support for my solo indie game makes me feel good about what I'm doing. While finishing the game is still going to take a while, your support continues to encourage me to make MiLE HiGH TAXi the absolute best it can be.

[h2]Your Feedback Matters[/h2]
Special thanks and appreciation is owed to those individuals who have posted into the community forum or contacted me directly with their ideas, feedback, and suggestions. They have been invaluable.

[h2]Shameless Plug[/h2]
I've always found self-promotion to be... awkward... But if you're reading this and haven't already Wishlisted MiLE HiGH TAXi, please do that now! It would mean so much to me, and it reminds Steam's algorithm that there is genuine interest and support for the game.

[previewyoutube=qn_TtNPDPbU;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Thank You![/h2]
That's all for now, but expect a new Dev Log posting in the next few days.

I'll finish up by saying a HUGE THANK YOU to the 200+ Wishlisters and supporters. For those who are Wishlisting now; thanks and welcome to the family!

Sincerely,
Cassius John-Adams
Solo developer of MiLE HiGH TAXi

[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

[h2]Introduction[/h2]
It's been 9 or 10 days since my last game development log and there is lots to cover since then. New Skywalks, addition of a major street, new way of capturing better images for you to see, a hidden neighborhood, and more which I won't go into here. Let's dive right in.

[h2]Skywalks Along Queen Street West[/h2]
Queen Street West is one of the main east-west thoroughfares of the city. It is a cultural and fashion destination, drawing large crowds of people. That means I needed to devise a way of differentiating the corridor from most of the rest of the city. Large amounts of pedestrian traffic in cities usually means more public transit, so I've tripled the typical number of Skycars (vertical Streetcars/trolleys) in the area. From an urban planning perspective it makes sense.


[h3]Click for the full (4500x2368) image[/h3]


Skywalks would also have more presence to support pedestrian traffic flow. I designed a sort of walk-way system across multiple levels, which would allow pedestrians to easily move to their destination without the need to take pubic transit or elevators. Street signage is also plentiful, to promote Queen Street West, and help provide a more visually-busy and recognizable street.

[h2]Hidden Neighborhood[/h2]
There is at least one hidden neighborhood in MiLE HiGH TAXi. steammocking

This past week I began to design and flesh out a hidden area and decide what it means for the player to find it. Much of the 3D modeling is complete. However it still requires a lot more work and infill to make it look lively, as can clearly be seen in the image below. Beyond being just an easter egg, the player can attain bonuses by finding it and meeting certain conditions, which I won't give away.



[h2]Enhanced Screenshots[/h2]
It came to my attention on Reddit that Unity3D has a video/screen caputure add-on known as Unity Recorder. I have been using Unity to make games for over 8 years and somehow I have never heard of the add-on before now. My test results were very impressive. Unity Recorder lets me capture an incredible 4k game video at 60 frames per second. It also lets me do screen captures at very high resolution, including the image at top. Most images I post here and elsewhere going forward will be using this add-on.

Check out the huge difference in this video I posted to YouTube a few days ago.
[previewyoutube=4bQfNaa6FEk;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2]City Infill and World Building[/h2]
I continue to fill in the city with additional pedestrian areas using Skywalks and bridges. Since last update, I've added about 600 new billboards and finished up 4 more major intersections. These have become the most time-consuming aspects of developing MiLE HiGH TAXi. Right now, every intersection consists of at least 64 street signs, 64 traffic lights, and dozens of billboards. Adding these takes time, but so does placing them thoughtfully. Scripting their positions or re-using positions from other intersections just won't suffice. I'm tying to world-build in a way that is consistent with reality and urban planning principals.

[h3]Click for the full (4500x2368) image[/h3]


[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

For today's screen shot (below), I show some of the work I've been doing to further fill out the city. Some of the recent work this week includes street signage, traffic lights, more billboards, and pedestrian skywalks. The black billboards are place holders for now. I also turned on the temporary cars for visual effect again.

Most of the last week's work has focused between John Street on the east, Spadina Ave on the west, King St West on the south and Queen St West on the north.

The game is still running over 60fps on my low-end (for gaming) laptop, however with all the additional objects I have seen a 5fps frame rate drop. This means in my next round of profiling and performance streamlining I will need to look at options for loading objects on-demand in anticipation of player's actions. That should easily recover the lost 5fps when the time comes.

As always, these are development screenshots and they do not represent final game play or visuals of the game.

[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi
[h3]Click for the full size image.[/h3]


[h3]Don't miss launch day savings. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

Today I present a screen shot of one of the key intersections I have been working on (Queen St West & John St). I'm mostly doing infill of billboard advertisements, traffic lights, and street signage. I also decided to turn on the temporary cars for visual effect.

As always, these are development screenshots and they do not represent final game play or visuals of the game.

See an animated GIF of this scene on Twitter

[h3]Click for the full size image.[/h3]

Hi, I'm Cassius John-Adams, solo indie game developer of MiLE HiGH TAXi. I'm pleased to announce the first official trailer for my game is now available on Steam.

MiLE HiGH TAXi takes place in the 24th century when 250 billion people live on Earth. Mile high skyscrapers litter the landscape (think "The Fifth Element"). Your job as a taxi driver is to pick up and deliver paying passengers as fast as you can in a race against time.

Click play on the trailer below, sit back, and enjoy the next 60 seconds. If you think the game looks like fun, be sure to add it to your wishlist. Hundreds of hours of game play for just $4.99.

[h3]Don't miss out. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi
join the community where you can watch my game development in progress.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1366560

[previewyoutube=qn_TtNPDPbU;full][/previewyoutube]
[h3]Don't miss out. Wishlist Now![/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366560/MiLE_HiGH_TAXi

Today I decided to capture a quick video while testing out some early work on pedestrians. I also dropped in a bit of traffic to help the scene along. Neither the pedestrians or vehicles are final.

As usual for my development logs, this does not represent any final game play or visuals.

Let me know what you think in the comments section.

[previewyoutube=sji4IO1esXw;full][/previewyoutube]

I'm happy to announce that MiLE HiGH TAXi, described as "The Fifth Element meets Crazy Taxi", has just surpassed 100 Wishlists on Steam - without any advertising.

When I posted the game's store page to Steam, I didn't expect people would take time from their busy day, check out my game, and show their support by Wishlisting it on Steam. At least not without advertising or a little arm-twisting. Seeing the support of over 100 people to date - people I don't even know - makes me feel good about what I'm doing and encourages me to make MiLE HiGH TAXi the absolute best it can be. It makes me feel less alone through all the tireless nights I've been working on it these last 8 months.

Look, I know there are games that have thousands, or even millions of wishlists on Steam. But this is my game. It's important to me and I want to share it with you. To that end, special thanks and appreciation is owed to those individuals who have posted into the community forum or contacted me directly with their ideas, feedback, and suggestions. They have been invaluable.

I've always found self-promotion to be... awkward... But if you're reading this and haven't already Wishlisted MiLE HiGH TAXi, please do that now! It would mean so much to me and it helps Steam's algorithms know that there is genuine interest and support for the game.

That's all for now, but I'll finish up by saying a HUGE THANK YOU to the first 100+ Wishlisters and supporters. For those who are Wishlisting now; thanks and welcome to the family!

Sincerely,
Cassius John-Adams

While developing an #indiegame, or any game really, it's necessary to go into Play mode and test things out. This usually happens dozens of times every day. This time I decided to do a video capture of one of my testing sessions and post it here.

Please keep in mind that this does not represent any final game play or visuals. For example, there's a lot of visual "popping" where a distant building quickly shifts to a different brightness value as we get closer. Some buildings are space-fillers as another example.

Let me know what you think in the comments section.

[previewyoutube=EtgT2ZIO-OM;full][/previewyoutube]

One of the most important aspects of game development is making things performant. I'm happy to announce that I've just completed my second round of performance optimizations, resulting in a 250% frame rate increase! As of right now MiLE HiGH TAXi delivers up to 110 fps (frames per second) on my non-gaming test laptop. Gaming machines will do a lot better too!

The increased performance allows me get back to world-building the game, which I haven't gotten to do much of over the last few weeks. First on the agenda is the continued build-out of the city layout (1) - basically where the buildings are positioned. Once that's done I'll get back to adding skywalks, public transit, skyway traffic lights, and signage. Pedestrian activity isn't likely to happen until after round three performance optimizations.

(1) - I have included a screen shot from Unity showing part of the city layout I'm currently working on. It contains the first 100 floors of the mile tall high-density buildings.