Frayed Knights Development Update
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You know, when I was working on the pilot episode of Frayed Knights, I had a couple of ideas. Really silly ideas, in retrospect. I should have known better. While I've never made a full-fledged RPG before, I've made plenty of games. So I don't have an excuse. Maybe it's some kind of suppression of bad memories taking place that made me believe these things.
But here were my beliefs: That when I finished the pilot, I'd have "most" (75%+) of the code for the game finished, and that my job from there on out would just be cranking out content, which would be easier and faster than code.
Wrong on BOTH counts. But I'm just gonna talk about the code part today.
My existing code, in many cases hastily thrown together just to get the pilot out the door, was woefully inadequate for the true rigors that would be demanded of it. Or the demands of players. In some cases (like the inventory UI), I've completely replaced the earlier code. In other cases, I've had to augment the code to something like quadruple its original size.
And then all the little "bits and pieces" that were ignored / shoved under the rug? That was a lot more than 25%.
...
But hey, enough grousing. Here's what's new:
I've taken the visible "wandering monster" thing and made them actually part of the game instead of a tech-demo. So now you can dodge enemy patrols that you can actually see. But their respawn rates are dependent upon how well you've cleared the local area. There are still a bunch of issues to be ironed out there, but it's functioning.
I keep enhancing my dialog scripts to provide greater functionality within conversations. Now talking with people can give you XP or drama stars, give or take away items, set or modify game flags, or call an internal game function.
The area surrounding the Caverns of Anarchy is --- well, not done, but the principle geography is laid out. With a stagnant lake and everything. It's kind of a dismal place. But then goblins and lizard-men were never known for being brilliant landscapers. We've got two of the caverns "done," but they don't look much like caverns. That's kind of an issue when using the kind of CSG geometry we're using for interiors - organic-looking spaces are VERY VERY HARD to do. It's much better at representing regular, man-made locations.
