VACATION OVER, REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVED
Alright, more or less well rested the work on Phi - Beyond Immortality has begun again about a week and a half ago. I know this development log might seem a bit overdue, but there was and currently still is not too much to talk about.
Most importantly I finally got support for the project. A programmer (unfortunately not yet connected via twitter & co and thus referred to as "the programmer") has agreed to work with me on the project and will therefore take over the coordination and the bigger workload regarding those aspects of the development. We already had several meetings, discussed the project in detail, sketched out class diagrams, functionalities, code, logic, conventions and should now be on the same page of what there is to do, as well as how we want to approach the tasks. We also had to set up this sort of "networked" development environment which allows us to share files and keep track of changes that the other person does. Because I definitely know that it is rather impossible to do this game on my own, I am really happy for that and I hope everything works out and that the team will get larger and larger in time.
Due to the recent rather theoretical endeavors, I think you can understand why there was nothing going on in terms of development updates. Since there are now two people working on the game and that is also for me something rather new - something that at least currently overwhelms me somewhat unprecedentedly regarding coordination and organization - I hope you will still stick with me (with us!) although from now on development logs will probably be updated only once per month. So, what is the plan? What will happen over the next couple of weeks? After careful thinking and planning we came up with the following plan and divided the next steps as such:
1. PROGRAMMING
Among laying out the code according to the functionalities and diagrams as well as preparing all the programming aspects in terms of a general - better yet - efficient and non-confusing structure, the programmer will work on the menu systems for the game, starting off with the in-game menus. That does not only include a PauseMenu (where really everything gets paused this time :) but has a bigger focus on a PlayerMenu which among other things is about handling items in the game and all that goes along with it.
ITEMS (EXCURSION)
Items are fairly important to play and ultimately beat the game. They were there from the start but I didn't have the time to implement anything related to that matter before the expo and so this may be the first time you hear about this. As I have said before, it is my goal with Phi to not only create a 2½D shooting game or only a jump&run. Players should always have several options to avoid a certain problem (an enemy being just one but probably the best example of a problem). That is where items come in. In classic Castlevania-fashion the player will not only collect gold but several different items on his journey through the darkness and can instantly use them by pressing a (secondary/item) button while exploring the pyramid. Some items (like the revolver for example) are self-explanatory and somewhat limited in their use. Other items however will for themselves not do anything at all but can be combined with others to create something that can be very helpful, if not absolutely necessary during the game.
For example: A rag combined with a stick and saturated with petroleum will create a torch, which in turn is not only a great light source - if you are out of cells - but also a weapon type of item that should be preferably used to kill certain enemies instead of wasting bullets. Another of many possible combination options is to combine standard revolver bullets with certain elements to create bullets that freeze enemies for example.
I think you can catch the drift. Please let me also point out that although there will be several "recipes", as we currently call them, this art of combining items should not be compared with crafting on a Minecraft level! I think you will get a clearer picture if you take a game like Resident Evil, where you f.e. could also combine a green herb with a red herb and thus create a "mixed herb" that will heal you more efficiently. Yes, in Phi there will also be grenades to "craft" and heal items to be mixed, but please stay on the ground and don't expect the best, most flexible, awesome and intense, "be creative" crafting system here. - Actually, mostly to somewhat keep this game balanceable, you will not be allowed to combine and therefore create certain items until you have discovered the necessary "recipe", for example written in hieroglyphs on a wall of an area where you can't go yet.
I hope that after this brief excursion into the topic of items, you understand why there is an enormous foundation of code to write for the programmer, while in the meantime I always have a pen and some paper with me to come up with possible recipes and afterwards slowly start to exchange the placeholders for actual images.
2. MAIN CHARACTER
For me, the experience of good control, the mobility and ultimately the feeling when playing is of the utmost importance. Completing the model entails several different steps from plain modeling, over sculpting and texturing up to the point of animating. Animations themselves, but much more importantly their transitions and behavior while playing, are a key factor to making any good game.
Unfortunately I still don't know how all this will work out in Unity, where there will be throwbacks due to us (currently) only using the free version and ultimately how long this will take. Luckily this will be the most intensive task in this field since there will only be one main character and all the other monsters, enemies and traps are rather limited in what they can do, making their animation and implementation efforts more manageable. There's no way to be sure, but I estimate the point of which the 3D character will be fully implemented in the prototype by the end of April. I am really looking forward to that!
3. WEBSITE
Ugh,...honestly, a rather annoying issue to me. I already did some layout drafts and I am talking with people who can create it but it is still not possible to tell you an approximate date when it will go live. Point is that I would rather put my energy into tasks concerning the game but that on the other hand I don't have the money to outsource this necessary evil completely. It would be a major throwback for the game if I have to make the website completely by myself! I hope the website - in whatever half-finished state can go online as soon as possible, but we will see,... more meetings are scheduled and - naturally - you will be the first to know when the time has come.
Alright! That is as much as I can tell/show you for now. Again: I hope you stick with us and you continue to check the page also for some nice reviews and my humble opinions. If you have any questions, suggestions and so on, please feel free to comment or contact me otherwise! Thank you for your support!
Play more! Model more!
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