I’m back in it after a few days of break! I have to refactor a bit of the tool system so it works better. I also worked on implementing the text speed functionality and fix a few UI bugs in battle. I’m not 100% happy with how the battle text flows yet, but I’ll focus more on the battle mechanics in the upcoming days!
Time spent on the project so far: 56 hours
Currently working on: Tool system, Second tutorial fight
More work done on that second tutorial fight today! Better UI for the enemy becoming visible, more tutorial text written and now I’m working on using the notebook to figure out how to attack that specific enemy!
Time spent on the project so far: 54 hours
Currently working on: Second tutorial fight
Currently working on the transformation of enemies you have revealed, which is the first part of the process to defeat them and move on!
Time spent on the project so far: 52 hours
Currently working on: Second tutorial fight
Still working on that second tutorial right! Trying to figure out the best look for special effects and other things, trying to decide if I’ll have good old floating numbers that pop out of things, the classic RPG quandaries!
Time spent on the project so far: 51 hours
Currently working on: Second tutorial fight
Not a ton done today but I slowly am working up to a real battle loop. I still have to make the second tutorial fight explain the basic mechanics - and make them work - so there’s plenty of work to be done here! But once I have the core design done, it should go pretty swiftly!
Time spent on the project so far: 50 hours
Currently working on: Second tutorial fight
Back into the mansion! Now I have to deal with the second tutorial fight where you learn about the actual battle mechanics of the game and this is making me think long and hard about how I’ll really save monster’s weaknesses and attacks and all that other juicy stuff. I also added a door to the mansion so you can technically leave!
Time spent on the project so far: 49 hours
Currently working on: Second tutorial fight
I think I’m done with my menu base! I went back over the title screen and the intro cutscene and I’m testing everything to make sure that things work like I want them to. I added keyboard controls to the title screen as well and a confirmation to start a new game when you have save data. Now I have to go on the second tutorial fight!
Time spent on the project so far: 48 hours
Currently working on: Second tutorial fight
Still working on that pesky main menu, I think I’m done with the tools menu for now and moved on to the options/controls menu. There aren’t that many options yet, but I’ll add them tomorrow!
Time spent on the project so far: 46 hours
Currently working on: Main menu
Still working on that menu with all the game design decisions that this brings to the game. What will tools -do- actually? They’re a big part of how you’ll deal with the challenges of the Mansion and what makes this game special, so I have to carefully plan how they will be used. Still working on that, but also working on some menus!
Time spent on the project so far: 45 hours
Currently working on: Main menu
More menu work! I started with the tool menu now that the personal info is where I want it to be at the moment. Not much to see yet (and I won’t be able to fully build this UI either because I don’t know everything I’ll put in) but that’s what I’m working on right now!
Time spent on the project so far: 44 hours
Currently working on: Main menu
Working on the ‘personal information’ page of the notebook and I’m not 100% sure of what I’ll put on there, so the right page is pretty placeholder-y right now. I still have to think about a few of the game’s mechanics, so that might help me figure that out!
Time spent on the project so far: 43 hours
Currently working on: Main menu
Still doing some UI work! I’m virtually done with the ‘Case Info’ pages, where you’ll see what happened so far and what you need to do next. I’m wondering if this fits well into a ‘horror’ type of game or if it removes a layer of stress because you more or less know what to do next, but at the same time being told that you have to do something can also make you dread it! More UI tomorrow, probably either the ‘tool info’ page or the ‘personal info’ page!
Time spent on the project so far: 42 hours
Currently working on: Main menu
More UI work! This is a RPG, so there’s a bunch of UI work to be done. I don’t have to do the whole thing immediately, but I still have to do enough to keep me occupied for a few more days, at least!
Time spent on the project so far: 41 hours
Currently working on: Main menu
I’ve started working on the main menu of the game that you access using your notepad. I don’t have to create all of the UI at the moment because you don’t need it all at this point in the game, but I still have to do some of it!
Time spent on the project so far: 39 hours
Currently working on: Tool system, main menu
Didn’t do much yesterday except begin to think about how the tool system will work. It’s a big part of the game, after all! I started working on UI systems and a few mechanics as well, but nothing too interesting so far. The first two tools you get are the notepad and the lantern, the notepad will act as your main menu for now and the lantern emits light so you can see where you’re going as long as you have oil, they’ll have other uses as well, of course!
Time spent on the project so far: 37 hours
Currently working on: Mansion outside part 2, tool system
Today I worked more on the way to show changes after a point in the story has passed through the map. This doesn’t mean much right now - the bike has fallen down, you cannot re-enter the mansion immediately, text is different - but it’s important that I figure out how things are going to work right now. I also started thinking more about the ‘Tool’ system. Passive tools, active tools, where you’ll be able to switch them, what limits their uses, etc. More of that in the upcoming days!
Time spent on the project so far: 36 hours
Currently working on: Mansion outside part 2, tool system
Our hero was defeated! Or were they? After some dialogue, they are sent back in front of the mansion and must now collect their tools in order to enter the building again. I have to tweak a few things so the dialogue makes sense around the mansion and then let the character grab their tools and decide how that’s going to work! Exciting stuff for sure!
Time spent on the project so far: 35 hours
Currently working on: Mansion outside part 2, tool system
I got to a point with the first battle where I’m happy. You get unceremoniously defeated, but it’s not the end of your adventure, of course! Next up is what you do once you’ve finished that initial battle! Probably grab your gear from your bike and try again…
Time spent on the project so far: 34 hours
Currently working on: Battle defeat
No screenshot today (because it’d be the same old battle system) but I’m almost done with the first tutorial encounter of the game! I’m thinking about removing the TP/AP/Turn counters for that one fight, because they’re not useful and are probably just confusing and I need to tweak the ‘run away’ visual effect, but things are going smoothly!
Time spent on the project so far: 33 hours
Currently working on: Battle system
Still going on the battle system! Had to tweak a few things on my UI and on the battle flows, also changed the enemy you fight so it’s an actual enemy and not just a tutorial entity (that’ll be easier for the next tutorial and some random encounters as well). Now I’m at the point where the character has to run away from the fight, so I’m working on that running away effect!
Time spent on the project so far: 32 hours
Currently working on: Battle system