You know, there are so many moving parts that go into creating an RPG like the one I'm developing, I'm finding it very helpful to focus on pretty much one aspect at a time (first it was the maps, now it's the narrative, after that it will be the combat), and polishing it up until it's pretty much finished, before moving on to something else. Of course, that's only possible after all the groundwork I've put in up to this point. I know I have a tendency to want to switch gears any time I come up against a difficult obstacle, and that invariably leaves me with a bunch of loose ends, that only serve to frazzle my focus further. So I think this strategy is working well. Finishing that world map was a major turning point in the development process - as I knew it would be.
Anyway, this release is exciting because it covers the mid-game climax of my RPG. Although like last time, there were a number of scripted scenes to polish, the reason it took so long is actually because I decided to redo one of the maps from scratch. It's certainly not something I intend to make a habit of doing, although I did fix up one other map earlier on (it was one of the first I ever did, and it looks much better now - I used the experience I gained from making a more elaborate but similarly-themed map you reach much later in the game). I just couldn't look at that map without thinking how plain it was. It wasn't a map I felt like I could be proud of. So I redid it, and it looks much better now. It's also more intricate, so it should be a lot more fun to explore. It was just what this particular dungeon needed to get up to snuff.
Also, because this part of the game introduces the player to the Fashion Boutique - where they get to have their first taste of playing around with alternate outfits - I spent some time deciding on and standardizing the mechanism by which the player will unlock these alternate outfits (which they will have more freedom to play with on subsequent playthroughs, after beating the game the first time). Each playable character has 8 different outfits, and they all satisfy particular functions - like sleepwear, their "job" clothes, a casual outfit, winter jacket, formal clothes, etc.
The way it works now (this is kinda spoiler-ish, but it's fine) is that the first time a character joins your team, their "job" outfit is unlocked - which is pretty much their default outfit. Each of these characters has a home in one of the towns in the game. In their personal bedroom, they have a bed that you can use for free in lieu of the inn (but only if they're currently in your party). Using that bed unlocks their sleepwear outfit. They also have a dresser or a hamper or a vanity or what have you, which you can use (once the feature has been unlocked) to change that character's clothes. Accessing it the first time (for each character) unlocks their "casual" outfit.
There are others. A winter outfit that can be unlocked in the snowy town. Formal wear which is unlocked the first time a character uses the fitting room in the Fashion Boutique. And there is a nude "outfit" for each character - not for lewd reasons, I assure you. It's partly because I'm a nudist, and I like the idea of this being an option in games. But also - as you'll see when you play the game - nudism actually plays a meaningful role in the storyline. So it makes sense, and it's not coming out of left field.
That just leaves a couple of alternate outfits I threw in just for fun, and to give the player more options. I'm still debating on how to let the player access them. I might offer some for sale at the Fashion Boutique, that you can unlock by purchasing in-game (to give you something to do with all that money you earn late game, when there's not much of value left for you to buy), and I think I might also have some of them unlock automatically the first time the player beats the game, as a kind of reward.
Okay, then. I'm looking forward to plunging forward and getting to work on the next section. It starts with a bang, which marks a major turning point in the narrative. And then I'll be able to tie up a few loose ends. We're not at the end of the game yet, but we're definitely into the second half now. Onward and upward!
Dragonfaith (Pacifism 6.0) - Ice & Fire
Download (426 MB): Windows
