Devblogs/Archive/26

DevBlog #26: Plenty of progress

Posted: November 16, 2023

Summary: Year summary

Source: Original post

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Welcome once again to WalkScape development blog!

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Now that we're getting closer and closer to WalkScape's much anticipated closed beta, I'll keep updating the list that clearly indicates how much work there is left to do, while also showing some other interesting things that have happened.

Splash/concept art created by Sorgo for Jarvonia’s religious capital, Azurazera

Closed Beta To-Dos

So let's begin! Here is the updated to-do list!

• Content needed to be added for the closed beta.
  • Locations 95% done
  • Items 40% done
  • Item attributes 20% done
  • Achievements 70% done
  • Activities 40% done
  • Crafting recipes 60% done
• Item banking - not started
  • A minor feature, shouldn’t take too long
• NPC buildings and shops, 60% done
  • UI 100% done
  • Buying/selling items in progress, minor feature
  • Server infrastructure and design, 100% done
• Apply item attributes in game - not started
  • A minor feature, shouldn’t take too long
• Cloud saving, 100% done
• User interface for skill level ups showing unlocked content, 50%
  • The general UI is completed, but showing unlocked content is still missing
• Exploration mechanism, 100% done
• Authentication and login functionality, 100% done
• PFP Customization and character creation, 100% done
• Completion of the main menu, 100% done
• Possibility for creating multiple characters, 100% done
• New server for the game, 100% done
• Temporary buffs from consumables, not started
  • A minor feature, shouldn't take too long
• Steps bank, not started
  • A minor feature, shouldn't take too long
• Occasional bug fixes and minor additions
• Final polishing

As you can see, we've made significant progress in the last two weeks. We have added a lot of content and completed cloud saving, character creation, and made progress on NPC shops. Additionally, we have added the ability to create more than one character.

I have also added two new items to the list. These items were originally part of the "other minor features," but I separated them to make it clearer.

With the recent progress, we plan to start adding and getting the game approved on Google Play and AppStore in the next two weeks. Although the game is not ready yet, the review process and setting up the store pages will take some time, so we want to start early. The game will be downloadable for everyone, but only those with a beta invite will be able to authenticate and access the game.

For the next development blog, you can expect more content to be completed. We should also have item banking and NPC shops completed, and make progress on some of the minor features.

NPC Shops part 2

Another feature that has made significant progress is the NPC shops. We have been working on the buying and selling mechanism, although I wasn't able to complete it entirely for this development blog. This also means that money has been (finally) added to the game.

Temple of Azurazera is considered the holiest site for Jarvonians to visit

In order to make the shops more interesting, we have implemented a few design choices:

• Some NPC shops offer higher or lower prices for certain types of items compared to the usual rates.
• NPC shops have a limited supply of items. This supply is specific to each player and is not shared server-wide. The shops are updated at 12:00 UTC+0. Please note that an online connection is required for the shops to update. However, in offline game mode, a connection is not necessary.
• Certain shops will provide discounts and offer special items at specific times. For example, farming shops may sell seasonal goods based on real-world time, and so on.

With these features, we believe that the shops have become much more interesting than simple stores with infinite supplies.

Frosthook Emporium is the place to go for purchasing your fishing supplies in Jarvonia

As always, we are open to hearing more ideas for NPC shops and buildings! The next development blog will include screenshots of the completed buy and sell mechanism.

Some minor features that were implemented

We also made several minor implementations over the past two weeks, which I will briefly cover here.

1. World map pathing

During my stream on W Love Games, I was asked to include path visualization that goes beyond straight lines between locations. Initially, I thought it would be too much work, but I was mistaken.

After implementing a new system for routes, I realized that I could create a special tool in the development tools for drawing paths. As a result, the paths in the game now appear more realistic. The character follows these paths on the map, allowing you to see your character actually walking on the roads, and so on.

The new routing system improves the visualization of connections between elements on the map, making it appear more natural.

2. Improvements to Dev Tools

We have introduced sorting, filtering, search, and copying features to the dev tools. This allows for faster creation of content and provides a quick overview of the balance through the use of filtering and sorting.

Dev tools now include handy tools to help me create content even faster

1. New server

We have also set up a new server for the game that is more capable of handling increasingly complex tasks. This was necessary primarily for cloud saving and NPC shops. The WalkScape Portal will gradually transition to using the new server instead of the old one.

4. Content additions

Furthermore, as discussed in the last development blog, a significant amount of new content has been added to the game. This includes dozens of new items, new crafting recipes, new activities, some new locations, and more.

Recipes to smelt some bars in-game

5. Cloud saving

Cloud saving has been implemented in the game. During the implementation, I realized that adding multiple character support is not as difficult as I initially thought. As a result, I enabled the creation of multiple characters even for the initial version of closed beta.

At first, the idea of having multiple characters may seem unnecessary. After all, the game takes a significant amount of time to complete, especially in the full release. Why would anyone want to create multiple characters?

The main reason for having multiple characters is to experience different game modes. For example, you can have one character for the ironman mode and another character for online play. Additionally, in games like these, some players enjoy creating challenge characters. They might attempt to complete as much of the game within a month using a fresh character, or they might limit themselves to a specific region in the game. Having the ability to create multiple characters also means that you don't need to purchase multiple subscriptions for more than one online character.

Testing character definitely represents the actual number of steps I take

Portal Updates Before Closed Beta

As a final step, we have been planning a new feature for quite some time now, and it should be released before the closed beta.

And what is this feature? Well, it's polls.

At first glance, polls might seem a bit boring as a feature. However, our intention here is to draw inspiration from other games, where tough game design choices and game direction will be determined through polls. You can also find these polls in the game itself and vote there, or on the WalkScape Portal.

The first use of these polls will be to prioritize the implementation of the next features after the closed beta is released. We believe that you, as players, will have the best understanding of what feels like it's missing from the game, and we will work based on what most people feel should be added.

There are also a few other things that are currently being worked on, but we will provide more details on those at a later time!

Until next time

We are working hard to release the game before the end of the year. Hopefully, you can see the massive progress we have made in the past two weeks. In a few more weeks, we hope to reach a point where we can release it on app stores.

Stay safe, and keep walking! See you again in two weeks ❤️