This is my progress on the game so far. I've done extensive research and decided to go with the jPCT API to use for the 3D engine (
http://www.jpct.net). It has a lot of features I like, such as being able to switch between a pure-Java software renderer and hardware-accellerated OpenGL. It makes use of the LWJGL, which has a very nice AppletLoader that allows me to display my own progress images while the applet is loading. I have spent about a year developing a 3D Sound System which has been well tested and debugged, and is just about in its final form that I will use in the game. I have begun work on a 3D Map Maker and loader library.
Along the way, I will be making several mini-games and demo applets. Things should get pretty interesting as I pick up more and more skills.
There are still several key components that I must complete before I can begin to work on a cohesive RPG infrastructure, the main ones being the map library, experimenting with animations, physics, and collision detection, and either learning or developing my own server/multi-client networking library.
