January Goals and Progress Thread

[BreakerZero]

While on the subject of progress updates, my own project is coming along well. I have added a few more things to my road map plan:

• Universal app build. I am now officially testing a port to Windows 10 universal application development services (targeting all releases from creator's update one and possibly extending to Xbox by consequence)
• Scenario extensions. I have already updated the opening scenes to include a full explanation of the game (first with NPC hints and then in actual practice). Also I played with my dimension infusion hook a bit which led to another scenario being written (starting with an E. T. level of response as a part of the verification process). And admittedly, getting the bioguard layer to be accurate was actually the most intensive part of this process from a standpoint of pixel art, even with the generator parts. But aside from the undies that I edited out to achieve the lab research aesthetic of the deal I practically nailed it up the core.
• Stretch goal planning. This is a big if for now, but I have planned my latest plot arc while referencing classic retro game material as a development assist, which in turn may lend itself to a Switch stretch. (Crossover material not necessarily included.) Also, it happens at least twice over in two separate points and two separate places.
• Steam added to my service targets. I'm still gonna need some verification on draft three of my game description though. Right now it's a start after having extended my description info with plot information, but I still need ideas and verification for my extended gameplay descriptions that have been requested (current copy available by request so if anyone has editing expertise for this start convo with me and I'll fill you in).
• Asset plox galore. Thanks to the last hours of the winter sale I have now unlocked the entire RPG Maker collection so making determinations on what enemy and boss types I'll reference (among other such things) is anticipated to be a far easier prospect going forward.

Anything else that I add will be stated here as I go.

EDIT: At least one unintentional typo. I was mid-shift when I saved my draft and the wrong word was popped in. (And yes, I [expletive] hate it when autocorrect blows it on me.)

 

[Schlangan]

Some quick update here;

I'm done with the Hell Fair. After fighting former enemies again, the party is willing to work with them to unravel the location of the true Hell. After a bit of thinking and a lot of explosions, the seal to the entrance of Jigoku is broken !

Now the two next steps will be :
- Creating the tileset for Jigoku
- Mapping the place of arrival of the team as well as the village a bit further on.

 

[artoni]

Finally getting to the point I can release the proof of concept demo, AKA pre-pre-pre-pre-alpha - that is, only 30 minutes or so, depending on how fast people move through.

My goals this month:

• Finish skeletoning the skills/find a plugin for the skill tree
• Finish the 'mountain pass' events

 

[M.I.A.]

My January goal..

-Now that I've finally settled on the general "kingdoms" and "regions" of my main project, time to start MAPPING them!!
I'm not putting any restrictions on deadlines or goals.. I really enjoy creatively mapping and it's a process. So it'll be a lot more fun than boring old Databasing. Lol.

Cheers!
-MIA

 

[Robert-Character Creator]

My January goal is to get the last of the items on my to do list finished, so I can finish fixing the remaining bugs by February. Then my project will be at Version 0.3.5!

 

[mobiusclimber]

I spent hours last night looking for good SV-Enemies - I'm probably going to go with a mix of Thalzon's and ShadowHawkDragon's... but I'm worried these might all be a bit too cartoony for my game. I haven't added them yet so I'm not sure. Still haven't found a decent replacement for default slime tho. The other big problem I'm gonna hit is having on-map enemies and needing "character" sprites for at least a third of all the enemies (since I can divide enemies into troops of three different enemies and just use a graphic for one of those enemies as the event sprite). I also need to get to work on the behaviors of the enemies I already have.

 

[Marquise*]

@Chiara Wich means your brain is racing up or your brain is a treasure (it was about scrapbook art)

 

[FleshToDust]

I finished drawing all the trap cards. Support cards are next, then Skill cards and finally Beast cards. Beast cards will be the toughest to do but once that's all finished I have a few more cards on a notepad document that I want to make. I'll make those and event them. That should push the card count up to 80. After that I'll have to make more AI opponents and then the card game will be 100% complete. I'll then start working on the card deckbuilding menus and the card shop.

 

[Gladivs]

Finally starting with one of my projects. The last game I did was ages ago when I was a rpgm noob. I did nothing but spend 1 1/2 years with working on that thing (aside from school time in the morning), writing the story, drawing all the stuff, even animating sequences. Was a hell of a ride but despite the lack of social interaction one of the best phases of my life. It's kinda why I want to get it back. Improved a ****ton in drawing and writing so just let's do this again I guess.
Back then I reached ~7 hours of gameplay with it, sadly, much is lost nowadays but I would completely remake it anyway. The point where I gave up was when I started drawing the chipsets. Animation was kinda fun, the facesets and sprites too, but this was a pain to draw and I had to draw everything since that stuff took place in the real world of the future and the (very few) futuristic sets that existed back then had different drawing styles and weren't what I needed. I would start with another idea I have though, one that isn't (regarding game/programming aspects) that long and complicated. I just hope I will make use of 2019 and do this.

 

[Aloe Guvner]

This January, I'd like to:

• Complete 3 maps & events (this would bring my total up to 6/10 maps for a demo)
• Create a plugin website so that others can find my plugins easily
• Write 1 tutorial (subject TBD)

 

[Rose Guardian]

My January goals: Finish replacing the artwork for my game Dark Slayers. Try to get more maps done.
2019 Goals: Complete at least one of my games. I hope I can because my college class starts on January 7th all the way through May.

 

[bgillisp]

I never posted my goals, but here it goes:

-Finish the Book of Shadows.

Seriously. To pull that off, here is what is needed to get it out of Beta (in spoilers):

Spoiler

-Make a true title screen. What I got is functional and could work if I don't come up with one, but I'd prefer to have an official one.
-Fix the Chapter 2 reveal scene and the Chapter 9 confrontation cutscene. But are awkward at best and need a revision.
-Add animations or missing objects to 4 cutscenes (two in Chapter 5, one in Chapter 7, one in Chapter 9). This may require commissioning 2 sprites.
-Minor balance changes to Chapter 9 I'd like to make based on my notes on my last playthrough.

Technical changes:
-Find a fix for the F12 being a reset of the game that I like. I have an idea for it, but I want to do it last.
-Make a small change to the victory aftermath to see if I can prevent silly responses after a boss fight. I have an idea on how to do that, just need time to implement it.
-Optional quest arrows. Since the game is large I want to add an option to turn on quest arrows to point to which city you should go to next, or where in town you should go to now, for those players who want something like that. Now, for the times you are supposed to be lost (like the Mushroom Caves), they will be disabled, but outside of that. Currently implemented to end of Chapter 2, need to add the rest.

Business end changes:
-Get a business email and bank account.
-Update the trailer.
-Make a video to also show off the combat in the game as some have asked to see it (as I show no combat in the trailer). I've got some candidates already recorded, just need to decide if they do what I want them to or not.
-Update the game thread and demo.

 

[BreakerZero]

I'm due for my next trailer as well. Additionally I have updated my demo package to account for several changes in my script at the beginning in addition to addressing several issues that I missed which are holding up review (and I literally forgot to account for several assets and functions that I'm not even using in the demo because spoilers) in addition to advancing the year in my updated splash roll.

Also been hard at work on some balance changes that popped up in the most recent series of play tests. Some asset changes have also been finalized pending full implementation (primarily in terms of character design, but also in presentation).

 

[mobiusclimber]

I rewrote the intro dialogue of my game. I'm not sure I like it better than what it was, but it's shorter and has a bit more info about the world, and also suggests some things about the world that I need to put out as soon as possible (namely, that it's set in the future). I'm gonna keep working on it. The big problem is not having the characters' voices down. I'm getting there, tho. I also have to decide how comedic I want the game to be.

I also spent some time working on a spell animation. Singular. These things take so damn long. XD

 

[bgillisp]

1.4 Update:
-Added the quest arrows to the rest of the game. They can be turned on or off in the system menu, but for those who want them or are afraid of getting lost or being unable to find that one person in a town, now there's a nice bouncing arrow pointing at them (or the place to go).
-Started the rewrite of the chapter 2 cutscene.

 

[Schlangan]

Some progress here, with the first pieces of the ice tileset for Jigoku. All the elements of the first map are done concerning the tileset. Of course, other maps will need additional elements, but still, progress is going smoothly. Here is a picture of the ice hell :

Spoiler

 

[bgillisp]

1.5 Update:
-Started to implement the corrections to the chapter 2 cutscene, hated it, deleted the changes. That was my day today. Can I get a mulligan?

 

[BreakerZero]

At 0.5.5 here on my roadmap as of this evening and I just determined off another character's redesign on how I'm going to handle my dark mystic and her untimely brush with coronary problems. I'm hard at work now in making the presentation slightly more accurate overall in terms of real-world equivalency and decided to pull the feed mask idea and go straight for the airway itself. This may be a bit more heavy in presentation as a result but I decided that a more realistic take on the scenario prior to her retrofit would be more effective than anything I could ever throw at her in terms of alternate mechanisms.

 

[Shaz]

By the end of January I will have

1. given my maps a facelift by swapping out some not-so-nice tiles with some nicer tiles from FSM (the ones I've already done have made a huge difference)
2. pull out unfinished stuff that doesn't really need to be there - decide whether I want to finish it and add it back in later as a lower priority
3. listed and prioritised all the dev tasks still to be done
4. completed several tasks off the top of that list (not saying how many, as it depends on how many there are and what they are)

Have finished task 1. Replaced all the autotile trees on all maps with ones from the new FSM packs, apart from the snow area, which FSM MV hasn't covered yet. Took ages as I had to create my own autotiles out of trees that weren't meant to be autotiled, work out the "corner" pieces, and add all the overhanging leaves - which in turn hid all the corner pieces I'd created and placed so painstakingly! And I realised on the second last area that I could have saved myself a lot of time by making the leaves that overhang the trunks a part of the autotile, like the RTP does. Let's call it all a learning experience.

Now to add back all the plugins I've already converted, and see if the game is still playable all the way through. Then I'll move onto step 2.

If anyone saw, and remembers my ugly, ugly "dark forest" map, it's awesome now!

Spoiler

 

[Another Ned]

Progress Update:

• one preliminary character design. This one truly lived up to her inofficial nickname of 'troublemaker girl'. I know I can make something good-looking out of it later, but her fashion sense sure is ...interesting
  
• once again mused over the fact that this game's... 'selling point' is, when it comes down to it, 'guy with super cool, interesting job gets stuck trying to do paperwork on his day off while people constantly interrupt him'. I mean, at least it's somewhat relatable..?
  
• made some revisions to the NPC list, added some more 'this is what these other people are doing with their day', and extracted some numbers for my asset list; also had an idea that introduces the idea of optionally calling people more elegantly than what I had before (note to self: Have some indicators in the contact list so players don't waste their time trying to call people that can't be called at that point in time)