Today's blog entry: Updates on whatever the hell I'm working on!
"Codename: EPIC":
We're currently working on chapter 1 of the project.
We had a meeting for the plot and background of chapter 1 on Friday and I talked to my friend Airen who is working on the plot and dialogue. I'm not very good with intricate story-lines and plots in a game and the basic premise I have (had?) isn't (wasn't?) very satisfactory. He came up with a very interesting overarching storyline and we're probably going to roll with it. I hope you guys will like it! :)
Unlike Dojo Adventure which primarily focused on game-play and puzzles and didn't have too much of a story/plot, this project is going to have a nice mesh of storyline and game-play reminiscent of SNES/early PS1-era role-playing games.
The screen-shots I'm posting here are primarily development pictures. I'm going to be spending the next three weeks working on spells and abilities for the characters. Then I will focus on development of translating our plot and dialogue and represent that with movements and visual cues in game. Then I will probably spend the next couple of months staying up late working out these cutscenes and timing it with the eventual voices that will be added. After that, we're going to gradually swap in the assets from the art team.
I am really taking my time here to get it to the point where I'm satisfied with it. The enthusiast in me wants to be done with chapter 1 by the end of Summer. The realist in me says it'll likely be done by December or early next year. It really depends on the pacing and how fast people go. I don't want to rush this for the sake of a deadline, but we'll see what happens.
I'm also hosting a beta testing of the battle system from June 13th-June 19th. Keep watching for more information about that.
Dojo Adventure:
I'm going to go ahead and say I'm pretty much done developing the game. I may go back and revamp it with a new art style and re-do it with more of a storyline in the future, but I would need a whole new development team for that, and that is just too much for me to do on my own at the moment. Luckily, the game as it stands is completed and I don't plan on releasing any further versions or additions to the game. (Don't hold me to it though. I may go back and suddenly get some inspiration to do radical changes in a future version. But don't hold your breath!)
It was a good six year run, and without that project, I'd probably not be interested in developing games at all. I conceived the idea for the project back when I was in middle school during my time when I was kept away from everyone due to suspension. (When one is suspended from school [in this area, at least] they ban you from all extra-curricular activities for nine weeks.) So I spent a lot of that time coming up with the foundation for the project and spent the next six years actually making a game out of that.
Now with the new project I'm working on, going back and seeing the difference in quality already makes me cringe. I think that may be a good sign, though. That means there's a vast improvement in quality, and that's exactly what I am going for. :)
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Until Wednesday. If you happen to live in the United States and are reading this, enjoy the holiday and take some time out of the day to remember those who have paid the ultimate price to keep our country safe.
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