Week 42 Update

TL;DR Prepared for next release. Streamlined Kickstarter pledges & rewards.

Build & Deployment:

• Merged UI feature branch & started cleaning up code for next pre-Alpha release.

Development:

• I have been working on UI for 10 weeks and I am so burned out. I have been working on gamepad & input for 13 weeks and I am so burned out. I started posting devlogs with Week 22 (finished Gradle Build & Deploy pipeline) which means roughly half of my updates are about struggling through input & UI. Huzzah. Good thing I talk about design work too.

Design: 

• Classes & Mechanics: continued research & development thread from Week 39 (Gnosticism). This week I not only completed a full draft of the class framework (how classes relate to each other) but I also integrated all of the major character class updates from the last couple years into a single document. I alluded to this in the design section of Week 30. Practically speaking, what does this mean?
  • There are 28 base classes, organized by power source (i.e. 7 magic "flavors") and party role (i.e. Tank, Zoner, DPS, Healer). A party role means 1-3 features to fulfill that role, such as the basic healing ability, crowd control or "mezzing" abilities, mobility or spike damage abilities, and so forth. A power source means design space constraints i.e. "do A with B mechanics, don't do X under Y circumstances," etc. I'll provide some examples.
  • The "Warfare" power source possesses no magic-users whatsoever as a design constraint. All of their abilities are based around using the environment, positioning, and tactics & coordination to secure an advantage. Warfare is one of the most flexible natures when it comes to magic item use (second only to Arcane) as the items are less likely to reject them on principle. Finally, as their advantages are largely tactics-oriented, they have the greatest flexibility when it comes to Gear & Kit (see below).
  • Decoupled Hit Dice & Hit Points from character level. Hit Dice and bonus hit points are now a "class feature," meaning they can be used to help balance class design, and they can potentially be effected by multi-classing and so forth. Note: this is not a commitment to multi-classing, just an observation.
  • Updated basic Level Progression framework. Every class follows the basic level progression but some classes will necessarily deviate for the purpose of design balance.
  • I decided to implement a mechanic similar to 5e D&D's "Proficiency bonus" however this feature is called Resolve and it has broader mechanical implications, similar to the mechanic of the same name in Darkest Dungeon. For starters, it will most likely reside in the Heart (soul component) and either complement or replace the previous Morale mechanic. When you "put your heart into a task" this is reflected by your character's Resolve.
  • Updated Spell Progression framework. Formally "spell slots" are now referred to as spell Charges, with the implication that some classes may expend charges to activate other class features.
• Items & Inventory AKA Gear & Kit: updated the item & inventory system to better function across classes & bloodlines, as well as updated some of the mechanics & terminology.
  • Articles refers to all objects, items, and miscellany.
  • Gear refers specifically to those articles which are equipped such as armor, clothing, and jewelry.
  • Kit refers specifically to those articles (and stacks of articles) which are packed or carried, such as light sources, weapons, ammunition, tools, provisions, etc

Influence:

• Inspired by 1e Dungeons & Dragons this week, as well as White Star (Barrel Rider Games), Advanced 5e (EN Publishing), and Darkest Dungeon (Red Hook Studios).

Marketing:

• Pared down reward tiers, updated pledge rewards.