Hi everyone,
Just thought I’d give you a peek behind the curtain for what’s going on in development right now. As I’ve said previously, I’m planning a demo for sometime early next year. This will be a very early demo, which means that I do not intend for it to be save-compatible with the full game, and it will likely be relatively short anyways.
There will be a few things that need to be done before the demo releases, and it’s these basic elements that I’m working on now.
- Migration of combat system into Unreal - One of the biggest and hardest parts of development is transferring my combat system into the new engine. It will be significantly different from its iteration from Memoirs, and I think it will be better in most ways and lean towards a more simulationist approach. I am using a template asset, but it needs to be expanded significantly.
- Basic RPG systems and UI - This means things like inventory, skill trees, party management, faction overviews, etc. Just very basic menu stuff that still requires significant investment. I am aiming for something simple but effective (and hopefully not too much of an eyesore).
- Perspective Toggle - I think I already have a good handle on how the toggle between 3rd and 1st person will work, there are just a few bugs that need to be ironed out. If you’re familiar with The Elder Scrolls games like Oblivion or Skyrim, it will be quite similar to that.
- Optimization - Having a lean file size and a technically polished game is very important, and hard to get right even for AAA studios with many times my budget. It is something I’m nervous about, as the technical aspects are where I have the least experience in. But, I’m planning on getting some help in this area and following best practices.
Historically, I make games at a breakneck pace and this has worked out for me in many ways, but I also see the need to make sure things are done correctly. Shigeru Miyamoto’s often-quoted saying of "A delayed game is eventually good, a rushed game is bad forever" may no longer be strictly true in the age of Early Access and open betas, but it’s still a warning gamedevs should heed.
I also notice a lot of people sending in offers to help, especially with voice work. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I already have people in mind for a lot of the work that I’ve scheduled, and voiced dialogue especially will be done towards the tail end of development. I’ll make an announcement when we’ve reached that point.
Thanks again,
ManlyMouseDan