Here's what we've accomplished during the month of May.
Prototype Build v0.3
We've updated our prototype build with more features and improvements. Here's the link: World's Bane Prototype
Additional Corrupt Actions
- Vampirism. Characters afflicted with this do not get tired anymore but can no longer recover their Fullness Meter using their usual eating actions. Instead, a Drink Blood action is now available which they typically use on Sleeping or Unconscious characters when they are hungry. If a vampire starves, it may knockout other characters to render them Unconscious and then Drink Blood from them. Victims will be lethargic for 24 hours, slowing down their movement. There is a small chance that a victim may become a Vampire as well. Vampirism is an Aberration-type crime and those that are discovered will also be restrained and judged.
- Unfaithful. This is a very subtle affliction. Those with an Unfaithful trait will develop Paramour (affair) relationships when they already have a Lover. Players may attempt to report an NPC's infidelity to his lover (by storing the event as an Intel and then doing Share Intel) and see how a lover reacts to it. This behavior requires further improvements.
Disable or Destroy Objects
- World objects may now be clicked. Initial actions available are Disable and Destroy. Disabled world objects cannot be used by NPCs for 4 hours. Destroyed world objects are permanently removed from the map. This uses a placeholder UI.
- This is an initial step to introducing further actions on world objects.
Additional NPC behaviors
- Lovers and Paramours can woo each other and make love to replenish Happiness Meter
- NPCs will now bury corpses. Those with a positive relationship to a buried character may reminisce beside the tombstone to replenish Happiness Meter. Those with a negative relationship to a buried character may spit on the tombstone to replenish Happiness Meter.
- NPCs with Craftsman trait may sometimes craft Guitars, Desks, Beds and Tables and place those inside Dwellings. They may also craft Healing Potions and Tools to replenish the City Warehouse stocks. Healing Potions are now consumed by Cure and First Aid actions. Tools are now consumed by Release, Poison Food and Remove Poison actions.
- NPCs now store memories of events they have witnessed or been informed of and may share this information to other characters. For example, a character that witness his enemy committing a crime may share this info to that enemy's friend to break up that relationship. This behavior requires further improvements.
- NPCs may now break up with their lover. For now, this occurs when a character has been informed of his lover's infidelity either through the player's Share Intel or another NPC's Share Information action. More break up triggers will be added in the future.
- NPCs in a Dark Mood may have a Tantrum and go berserk for a few hours.
- NPCs will now sometimes visit a friend's house and stay there for a few hours.
Improved Chat System
- NPCs sometimes trigger Chat Action with other characters within range. Usually this just involves a quick chat with no significant effect. Sometimes, sexually compatible characters may flirt, become lovers or become paramours. Enemies may argue with each other or resolve their hostile relationship. Sometimes, characters may also share information but as of now this actually does nothing yet.
Provoke Action
- Added Provoke action which may persuade an NPC to attack an enemy. Success rate is higher if the target is in a bad mood. Can only use on Humans and Elves.
Revised Intervene Action
- Intervene Action may now afflict NPCs with a variety of short-term status effects.
- Zap. Prevents the target from moving for 30 minutes and cancels any action it's currently doing.
- Spook. Forces the target to flee from all other characters for 30 minutes.
- Jolt. Doubles the target's movement speed for 30 minutes.
- Enrage. Forces the target to enter Berserk State for 30 minutes. An NPC in Berserk State will be hostile to all other characters and may sometimes destroy world objects.
- Fumble. Forces the target to drop current action and all other existing plans.
June Plans
- I really want us to finish the Gameplay Trailer this month. We just keep on pushing it for later as game development of actual features take up all of our time!
- Updated Combat Mechanics. Currently, our combat occurs instantaneously. We intend to update it so that NPCs now truly perform attacks on the map that slowly reduces their target's HP until they get knocked out or dies.
- Additional World Object Actions. We'd like to introduce a few interesting actions that players can do on world Objects.
- View and Alter Memory Actions. Currently, an NPC's history log is freely viewable anytime. This will change soon as viewing an NPC's history log will become a Spy action. This will also allow the player to store past events as Intel. We're also considering a Debilitator ability that alters an NPC's memory which may then affect how he views characters involved in that memory event.
- Revise Action UI. We're considering better and quicker ways for players to perform the various actions available to them.
- Balance and Tweaks. We'll need to spend some more time to ensure that characters behavior make sense. This involves more tweaks to action costs and extensive review of the entire behavior AI.
- Complete Share Intel responses to existing events.