The problem with working in RAGS, and especially with the way that I'm making Cursed (whenever I get back to it) is that even if I want to release cumulative demos, a problem arises in that there's an intro that rather severely impacts the game proper. Sure, I could let people skip it and make various option choices, but that's annoying. And even then, with a progressive living simulator, where things happen on specific days, people have to play through a LOT of stuff they've played through before, particularly as the game nears completion. If something happens on day 200, then they have to play through the previous 199 days, even if the previous version allowed them to play until day 190.
Still thinking about doing it that way, but the more I think about it, the more I think it might be a foot-shooting thing.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Speaking of Trials...
I'm still, sadly, working on Day 5. Creativity comes in fits and starts. The problem isn't the coding...in fact, quite a bit of the coding is in place. The problem is, in fact, the descriptions. While I could just put "placeholder" text in certain situations ("You cast the spell, and feel more bimbo-like"), I know that if I do, I'll never go back and actually fix it.
Day 5 is therefore the bane of my existence. Day 6 will be much easier, at least in terms of variability. There won't be any kind of "real world" interactions, as at that point you'll be locked in to whatever feminine form you've acquired. Karma will still change, though. I suppose I could, in theory, build another real world set of interactions, but really, can I have my sanity, please? It's hard enough to hang on to it as it is, dammit.
Day 4 was about a fantasy adventure world. Day 5 was about a fantasy transformative world. Day 6? Day 6 will be about the real world. With fantastic elements.
What saddens me is that Trials was supposed to be a contest game, finished at the end of February. It's now June, and I'm still working on it. I really just want to move on, dammit, get back to working on Cursed, which is honestly much more fulfilling from an intellectual standpoint, but no, I have to finish this. I will. Hell or high water, it'll be done, and hopefully soon, but man, I'm tired of working on it every day.
IN OTHER NEWS
I know this blog isn't like Fenoxo's or Valente's, where the most recent version of a game is posted and playable with just about every update (...yet?), but I do like to know what people think of my ramblings and plans. So, please, feel free to leave a comment, ask a question, whatever. I'll try my best to respond.
Day 5 is therefore the bane of my existence. Day 6 will be much easier, at least in terms of variability. There won't be any kind of "real world" interactions, as at that point you'll be locked in to whatever feminine form you've acquired. Karma will still change, though. I suppose I could, in theory, build another real world set of interactions, but really, can I have my sanity, please? It's hard enough to hang on to it as it is, dammit.
Day 4 was about a fantasy adventure world. Day 5 was about a fantasy transformative world. Day 6? Day 6 will be about the real world. With fantastic elements.
What saddens me is that Trials was supposed to be a contest game, finished at the end of February. It's now June, and I'm still working on it. I really just want to move on, dammit, get back to working on Cursed, which is honestly much more fulfilling from an intellectual standpoint, but no, I have to finish this. I will. Hell or high water, it'll be done, and hopefully soon, but man, I'm tired of working on it every day.
IN OTHER NEWS
I know this blog isn't like Fenoxo's or Valente's, where the most recent version of a game is posted and playable with just about every update (...yet?), but I do like to know what people think of my ramblings and plans. So, please, feel free to leave a comment, ask a question, whatever. I'll try my best to respond.
Redesign
I've come to the conclusion that Cursed will need to a redesign. Right now, it's too complicated for not a good enough reason. So I'm going to simplify it slightly. In the current version, there's separate tracking for strength, muscles, weight, and more. In the new version, there will be a strength stat, which will determine your strength AND your muscles, a fitness stat, which will determine your weight and your endurance in various activities, and so on. It won't be too hard to re-code, and the lower level of complexity will make things easier.
Besides, it makes more sense.
Still not working on it, though. Gotta finish Trials first.
Besides, it makes more sense.
Still not working on it, though. Gotta finish Trials first.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Day Six plans
So I figured out what I'm going to do for the third (and final) trial. Should be interesting. Suffice to say it will involve quite a few more characters.
I've also decided that day six will be the last "full" day. Day seven will be involved in aftermath and denouement, but there won't be significant interactions available. Well, there will be one specific significant interaction, but since that will end the game, it should be pretty obvious there won't be anything after it.
As for the end of the game, it will be the single most annoying thing I've ever coded. Think that A Game For Witches had a lot of possible variation at the end? This will have significantly more. First, let's just consider a few variables. The whole point of the game is to gain the privilege of making a wish. Sweet, everyone loves wishes. Of course, if you only had one wish available, that wouldn't make much sense, would it? So there's a few different wishes available. Let's say there's...four wishes available (I haven't really decided yet). For each of those four wishes, there has to be a high karma and a low karma variant (for the sake of simplicity, there won't be a neutral karma variant). For three of the four wishes, I'll also have to take into account the choices you've made before. Remember when I said there would be subset choices? Welcome to a combinatorial explosion. Five different options for the main personality choices, and then a total of 12 more subset variations. There will likely be a lot of copy-paste going on in the endings, just so I don't go insane.
But wait! There's more! What about your sexuality (men, women, both)? What if you're in a relationship (Lynn, Jack, no one)? Those have to be taken into account as well. To be fair, those might vary only slightly between different endings, but naturally karma will affect them.
And then there will be the special ending, available only under very specific circumstances. But, since that will be unique and not affected by quite as much, it'll be easier to take care of.
Well, back to work I guess.
I've also decided that day six will be the last "full" day. Day seven will be involved in aftermath and denouement, but there won't be significant interactions available. Well, there will be one specific significant interaction, but since that will end the game, it should be pretty obvious there won't be anything after it.
As for the end of the game, it will be the single most annoying thing I've ever coded. Think that A Game For Witches had a lot of possible variation at the end? This will have significantly more. First, let's just consider a few variables. The whole point of the game is to gain the privilege of making a wish. Sweet, everyone loves wishes. Of course, if you only had one wish available, that wouldn't make much sense, would it? So there's a few different wishes available. Let's say there's...four wishes available (I haven't really decided yet). For each of those four wishes, there has to be a high karma and a low karma variant (for the sake of simplicity, there won't be a neutral karma variant). For three of the four wishes, I'll also have to take into account the choices you've made before. Remember when I said there would be subset choices? Welcome to a combinatorial explosion. Five different options for the main personality choices, and then a total of 12 more subset variations. There will likely be a lot of copy-paste going on in the endings, just so I don't go insane.
But wait! There's more! What about your sexuality (men, women, both)? What if you're in a relationship (Lynn, Jack, no one)? Those have to be taken into account as well. To be fair, those might vary only slightly between different endings, but naturally karma will affect them.
And then there will be the special ending, available only under very specific circumstances. But, since that will be unique and not affected by quite as much, it'll be easier to take care of.
Well, back to work I guess.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Additional thoughts...
Of course, if I include tattoos, then I have to include piercings, don't I? Hrm...
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Tattoos
Had a thought about Cursed today (no, it hasn't died, fear not): a tattoo mechanic. I considered tattoos before, but then dropped it when I couldn't think of a way to implement it beyond "you've got a tattoo". Then I figured it out.
Multiple locations for tattoos (currently: upper arm(s), lower arm(s), shoulders, lower back, full back (takes up the shoulders and lower back slots), ankles, neck), and the tattoos themselves, while mundane, inspire different changes in your character. For example, getting the wings tattoo affects your morality changes, boosting positive changes and dampening negative changes. The rose tattoo increases your attractiveness.
Lower back would be reserved for "tramp stamps", which would have unique effects. The tribal tramp stamp, for example, would have a significantly different effect from the "princess" tramp stamp.
Getting lots of tattoos gives you the "Tattooed" trait, which...will have some kind of effect.
None of the tattoos will have game breaker abilities, though. They'll just alter things slightly. A tattoo that increases attractiveness, for example, might add 1 point to attractiveness. A tattoo that alters morality changes might only add one point to a bonus. And the scales are 100 points.
Location would also have a effect. For example, getting a full back tattoo might take up two slots, but it makes the tattoo 100% more effective. Conversely, an ankle tattoo doesn't cost much, but is only 50% as effective as a normally-located tattoo.
Just thoughts. Haven't really finalized anything yet.
Multiple locations for tattoos (currently: upper arm(s), lower arm(s), shoulders, lower back, full back (takes up the shoulders and lower back slots), ankles, neck), and the tattoos themselves, while mundane, inspire different changes in your character. For example, getting the wings tattoo affects your morality changes, boosting positive changes and dampening negative changes. The rose tattoo increases your attractiveness.
Lower back would be reserved for "tramp stamps", which would have unique effects. The tribal tramp stamp, for example, would have a significantly different effect from the "princess" tramp stamp.
Getting lots of tattoos gives you the "Tattooed" trait, which...will have some kind of effect.
None of the tattoos will have game breaker abilities, though. They'll just alter things slightly. A tattoo that increases attractiveness, for example, might add 1 point to attractiveness. A tattoo that alters morality changes might only add one point to a bonus. And the scales are 100 points.
Location would also have a effect. For example, getting a full back tattoo might take up two slots, but it makes the tattoo 100% more effective. Conversely, an ankle tattoo doesn't cost much, but is only 50% as effective as a normally-located tattoo.
Just thoughts. Haven't really finalized anything yet.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Weekly Post Time
Honestly, I didn't really work on anything last week. LA Noire came out, along with a couple of other distractions (the Sims, to be honest). However, it did give me a couple of ideas of things to add to Cursed, so maybe that's not so bad (hey look, vampires!).
I'm back to working on things today. LA Noire is absolutely fantastic, by the way, but it's one of those games that's better played with someone, and I'm usually on my own during the days. But on the schedule for today is Trials, and hopefully getting most of Day 5 completed. Or some of it. If I can get to the Sleep point that ends the day, I'll be happy.
I'm back to working on things today. LA Noire is absolutely fantastic, by the way, but it's one of those games that's better played with someone, and I'm usually on my own during the days. But on the schedule for today is Trials, and hopefully getting most of Day 5 completed. Or some of it. If I can get to the Sleep point that ends the day, I'll be happy.
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