Week 30 Update

TL;DR got stuck on Gamepad code development & finally got unstuck. Made some great design advances!

Build & Deployment:

Development:

• Integrated player input with ECS framework as an Iterating System (subtype of Entity System). Eventually "Input Components" can be attached to entities that can be controlled by the player(s), potentially including AI players and local or networked players. For now, I'm using it to connect gamepad binding to the User Interface but there's a framework here to sustain *much* more than that.
• Achieved basic integration of controller support with user interface. It took longer than I would have liked.

Design:

• Designed some action/command vocabulary to be "robust and expressive." Drawing inspiration from fighting games & turn-based "tactics" games (e.g. Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics). I've heard fencing (i.e. sword-fighting) referred to as "Chess at 90mph" and that fighting games are fundamentally strategy games. By comparison games in the "tactics" subgenre superficially resemble Chess but borrow comparatively little from other strategy games.
• Created a database of real-world Cultures, Religions, and Languages for use in the next phase of character option design. I have plans for a "representation matters" approach that will put a nice, diverse face on traditional fantasy character types. My aim is to revitalize dead fantasy stereotypes, for example with dwarves:
  • Dwarves will remain "notable" for their stylish beards & choice of beverage, and so you'll have Beer Dwarves, Whiskey Dwarves, Vodka Dwarves, Coffee Dwarves, Wine Dwarves, Mead Dwarves, Chai Dwarves, Tequila Dwarves, Chocolatl Dwarves, and Gin Dwarves. I'm thinking there will also be Soda Dwarves, Smoothie Dwarves, Only-The-Blood-Of-My-Enemies Dwarves, and even Water-Just-Water-Thanks Dwarves.
  • Inspired by Deep Rock Galactic, a significant part of every dwarf's cultural heritage will be the availability of facial hair options.
  • Elves, gnomes, goblins, halflings (best cooks!), orcs, and other traditional fantasy races will receive similar treatment, with at least one significant visual and cultural motif unique to each. There's a lot of work to do in this area, so I'm getting started now.
  • Ultimately I hope to create some super-special-awesome unique combinations of Race & Class features that take into account features unique to each, like how Dwarves make some of the best "Drunken Master"-style Martial Artists.
• Updated designs for Soul Components (i.e. Body, Life, Mind, Honor, Magic, Fate). Attached game mechanics (notably Character Options) to each! This is a big deal but will be a bigger deal once I have a character creation interface built. Soul components will likewise be reflected in Racial Features, like how Dwarves might be able to treat their "Favored Beverage" as a healing potion.
• Updated designs for Character Relationships. These will be associated with Soul Components (above) so Character Options will also have social implications. For example, you have a Mentor (Relationship) who taught you everything about being a Ranger (Character Option). When your Mentor dies, you have a choice to find a new Mentor, take on a Ranger Student of your own, or maybe change your character's class! Changes in your character's life (esp. social life!) can be reflected in changes to your character's identity!
• Created designs for Scenes & Sequences (Situations, Conflicts, Resolutions). Relationships & Character Options are integral to story-telling, and enabling players to create unique stories for each character is one of the goals of this system. Scenes and Sequences are blended with Encounters and are typically inscribed in larger Adventures. An adventure is analogous to a "chapter" in a character's life, and each will enable a player to make choices about the "where, when, & how" of their character's development.
• Updated designs for Death & Afterlife play. These likely won't ship with the initial game but I hope to get to them As Soon As Possible. Soul components are a critical throughline for Death & Afterlife play and depending on how much I can get done (and how quickly), these will be significant chapter's in a character's story.
• Updated designs for Character Classes. Pretty sure I've finished integrating the old designs from last year with the newer designs from the *end* of last year. These will of course be integrated with Soul Components.
• Updated designs for Combat Actions (particularly related to gamepad input), and updated my internal Glossary of Combat Terms with new input from fighting games. I'm still making the rounds but the changes here are all good. Character classes will enable choices in several action types hybridized from RPG tropes (the "Holy Trinity" of tank-DPS-healer), strategy games (Infantry-Cavalry-Artillery), and fighting games (Shoto, Grappler, Rush-down, Zoner, Switch, & Puppet).

Influence:

• Played some BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle to get a feeling for the fighting game controls and develop gamepad action/input designs. Updated design docs to reflect action vocabulary.

Marketing:

• Tried Tribel for a few days. Sadly, doesn't seem super conducive to sharing about game dev.
• Twitter feels dead to me. I don't see a reason to stick around and I don't want to feed the trolls.