September Goals & Progress Thread

[mlogan]

 
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[SIZE= 18px]Welcome to September! Hope everyone has a great month of game dev! Good luck![/SIZE]
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[SIZE= 18px]If you're new, this is a place you can share what you hope to accomplish and how it's going for you, in the hopes of motivating each other![/SIZE]
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[bgillisp]

Nice, came in right before I went to bed. So what should I try to do this month?


Goals for September. Since my game can be beaten now, it's time to tackle the goulash of tasks that have been put off til later. Since all are equally important, I'm going to aim for 3 of the 7 listed here:


-Redo EXP charting. My EXP rewards to this point had been throw a number at the game and see if it works, with some bosses giving absurdly high EXP rewards every now and then to balance it out.


-Draw the 'missing' maps for the demo (these are the ones that you could never enter for strange reasons), and decide on tints and fogs for all Chapter 1 maps. Some are tinted, but few have any fogs. (This might also require me having to hire someone to make fogs, as there's only so far the XP fogs can go more than likely).


-Finish up the sidequests for Elmwood, Silas Rest, Aurora, Riverdale, Blackmire, and the Crossroads (the Six City area, as the characters call it). Most of the towns have 50 - 75% of the sidequests in, so it's not too tall an order.


-Finish all Character sequences up to Chapter 4. For those who played the demo, the character sequences are the 'pick someone to talk to' moments in the game. Mostly just little moments where you learn more about one character.


-Finish the Dwarfen Training Caves (the big optional dungeon for those who wish to grind). I have 2 levels to go. Might only put placeholder enemies for now though as it will depend on task 1 before I can set it up well.


-Implement one of the optional Chapter 9 side areas so that it is possible to get ending 6.


-Take over the world. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

 

[Kes]

@mlogan I particularly like the image you've chosen for September


@bgillisp You can't take over the world in September, because that's my RL goal.


Progress will be a bit slow (again) because of RL, but here's what I'm hoping to do this month.

• Some more last minute testing before The Tale of a Common Man goes live on Steam on Friday (yeah, I know, only 2 days, but it's still September)
  
• Get character #4 into the game via mini-dungeon, cut scenes etc.
  
• Map out a small side quest area.
  
• Map out the next town, eventing, etc.
  
• My stretch goal (other than taking over the world) start mapping the next area the player will go to if they don't choose the 'doom or glory' option in the town.  Or maybe they will choose that option, hit doom (i.e. game over) and decide to go the longer way after all.
  

 

[Marquise*]

@mloganNice picture Mlogan it is  subtle!


err GOALS;


- $Eg's heads


- the Pagofly dragon comission


- unscare of the internet


- nurse Daughter Cat


(and if by miracle I am OVER all that by the end of the month, finish my old to do lists a bit!)


Good luck everyone and focus, you can make it!

 

[VideoWizard]

@bgillispand @ksjp17 Only taking over the world? Why only take over one pebble like this one?


So, it's already September. The Ember Months have begun. It will slowly but steadily grow colder each day as the days get shorter and shorter (dayLIGHT, days themselves remain 24 hours with the exception of leap seconds and the twice a year most of us change our clocks). Even here, the days are noticeably shorter and the sunlight less intense. Of course, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, the days will instead get longer and hotter until the December Solstice.


Goals for September


-Work on my friend's side project, "Blackscreen Kingdoms"


-Not get too sidetracked by a shiny carrot, er, Smile Game Builder and/or Dragon Quest VII Remake


-Get something done on my main project.


-Celebrate 18 years of the series on the 27th. That's older than some users here, whoa!


Stretch goals


-Draw the first comics of Dragon Kingdoms: A New Era's Dawning


-Take over the universe. (See?) Or omniverse if that exists. Or omnomnomniverse if THAT exists.


Best bets: September 12-16, 23-30 (vacation). So-so: Sept. 5-11, 17-22 (for whatever reason, work increases right before vacation). Worst: Sept. 1-4 (Labor Day weekend and the Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hermine). Maybe no activity whatsoever if it makes a right turn on the 2nd.

 

[BigToastie]

Why does work always get in the way!


I tend to get a fair bit of my rpg done while at work, but it's been so chaotic here I haven't had time too!


So far today


Proofing and Modifying story line


Setting "Main Event" Areas up in the story (so I know where they take place) and why they take place


Its easier to type up sentences then focus in and out of mapping! haha


P.S. ITS ALREADY SEPTEMBER!? Holy Moly!

 

[Arithmetician]

You guys aren't ambitious enough.  Not only shall I take over the world, I shall come to rule the multiverse, and remake it in my own image!  All by the end of September!  For the laws of the multiverse mean nothing!  MWAHAHAHAHAHA!   


Joking aside, my grad school will resume classes in mid-September, and I will return to my work as a substitute teacher after Labor Day, so I will be busier again soon.  Last month's goals were also exceeding ambitious, so I'll try to keep them more limited in scope this time.

• Work out the nuances of a job system.  As I said earlier, I'm switching gears for now, and think this may be mechanically easier to work with.  So far, I have 20 classes brainstormed, as mentioned on the August thread, but I'm still trying to see if I can come up with some novel class ideas that are less in the stereotypical Final Fantasy mold.
  
• Create suitable protagonists and a rudimentary plot fitting for a job system.
  
• Create portraits and battle sprites for each character in each class using the generator.
  

 

[Arcmagik]

Current Goals

• Finish up database by 9/12.
  
• Set out the designs for several areas to make mapping easier on me since I lost my Project Mapper.
  
• Start putting the storyline & dialogue to a word document.
  
• Start Mapping! (Bargon Castle & Bargon City)
  

I think I'll leave those goals here for now and see what progress I make on the game. Ideally that will set me up nicely to begin eventing and finishing up the plugins in October. I don't think they are unrealistic goals.

 

[BigToastie]

Welp, got my 'guideline' for how my story pans out until the 'tutorial' kinda area is completed now 


>Buying a new tileset pack (the fantastic buildings) as it looks class!


New Objective!


Complete mapping up to and including the first main city (by the end of this week!)


Optional Objective*


Add optional quests as mapping goes / once mapping has finished


XP 0/100

 

[AceOfAces_Mod]

Okay, half of the month will be a difficult time for me (need to take exams for some of the lessons) so:


Current Goals:


-Complete all of the optional dialogues between teammates.


-Build some optional dungeons.


-Add a few side-missions.


Progress Report #1


-Released version R1.04 of Northbridge Save Manager SDK.


-Almost done with the first optional dungeon.


-Drafted a side mission.

 

[mlogan]

@ksjp17 and @Marquise* Thank you so much, as it's actually one I put together in Gimp. I like playing with brushes in there.


So, I've not been very active in here for many reasons. But a large part of it, I've realized is because I'm really struggling with game dev in general. I have a couple of projects I want to work on but I keep coming up to roadblocks and struggling to get past them. I suppose I've had the game dev's equivalent to writer's block. I'm trying not to stress too much about it and focus more on things like editing tiles and making sprites and such as I can. But it's really annoying. To that end, I don't really have any goals this month. I'll just keep doing what works at the time. It's not like it's been unproductive entirely. My MV tile topic has grown a fair bit this last month and that makes me happy. But yeah, there's my game dev whining.

 

[taarna23]

This month I would like to try to get some other animations together for my first character, like attack and stuff. Maybe some emote-type ones too. I'm watching Iavra's lighting effects progress like a hawk, as it's exactly what I'd like to be using. I'd also like to either get a few more dungeon tilesets done, or do more with with the first town area. Probably dungeon tilesets.


Edit: Not game related, but this month I may also end up moving if everything goes smoothly. Shiny new house okay, mobile home (OMG one that some tool hasn't disassembled and left in a bad state) that looks and feels a little like a cabin (works for me). The fun part is moving to a new place and keeping the same address! So, yeah... Mass amount of cleaning and packing to ensue, as well.

 

[Schlangan]

Very few goals for me this month, as I'll be playing WoW most of the time.


- Maybe work a bit on mission XVI.


- Add new functionalities to the generator if people ask me some.


That will be enough. Of course, I can completely change my mind at some point, and I'll also be in the United States for one week without Internet so I might work on the game the evenings during this time.


Oh, I forgot one last thing.


- Put a leash on everyone wanting to rule multiverses and worlds, to remind them that, while they are busy trying to rule in this time, I am the one in command of everything that has been and will ever be. Don't forget that I am the General of Team Evil. Mwahahahahaha ! 

 

[Celianna]

Yeah, nice banner!


My goal for September: finish Ancient Dungeons Jungle, and finish this portrait, hah.

 

[slimmmeiske2]

It's been too long, since I've worked on my game. Hopefully I can change that this month.


Goals:


- Finish the Restaff sprites I'm working on.


- Finish ongoing commissions.


- Play my game to remind me what still needs to be done (and you know to kind of set the mood :3)


- Add tints and fogs to existing maps.


- Finish the couple of interiors I have left in Bremen. (Probably need to do some tile editing/searching for this)


- Do some brainstorming for the second part of the game. Cutscenes have been written out, as well as one sidequest, but it definitely needs to be fleshed out more. 


Stretch goals: 


- Sprite some dwarves.


- Edit existing animal sprites to fit the XP RTP better.

 

[Plueschkatze]

My goals.


- Finishing my commissions/request. 


- Finishing the first maps of my new project.


- Commission some scripts and music for my game.


- Designing the 3 main characters. 


- Start writing down dialogs and do some more prototyping.

 

[Kes]

Hurumph!  All these whipper-snappers trying to muscle in on a bit of private world domination.  Take your place in line!


Lots of interesting and varied goals this month.  Reading the posts will be interesting.


My update


Done the final checks for the Steam release tomorrow.  Looks bug free to me, though I'm wondering if I have fully solved my screen resolution problem as the video looks a bit stretched to me.  Agreed the launch discount (30% off the price of $9.99)


And just because I really like this character, here's the art work for him.  He's a dwarf who's an artist (and why can't a dwarf be an artist??).  I love his method for carrying his paints when he's away from home.  In a spoiler because it's a bit big.

Spoiler

 

[taarna23]

@ksjp17 No reason a dwarf can't be an artist. There's going to be, in my game, a town of dwarves living in a forest, and sharing the space with harpies (the harpies are good at hunting, the dwarves are good at gardening, it works out pretty nice). They're not really sure why their mountain counterparts are so obsessed with treasure - maybe they just need some fresh air for a while.


Also, for some reason I can't understand, I keep, every dang time, reading your name as "kjsp." I know I'm doing it wrong but my brain does it anyway! Sigh.

 

[Arithmetician]

@ksjp17@taarna23 Yes, we will take our place in line.  Kneel before Arithmetician!!!   But more seriously, nice take on dwarves.  

 

[taarna23]

@Arithmetician Huh? Me? I'm not planning any world domination... I have cats to handle that for me.