I first started making this game on March 5th, 2014. I was wise enough to write the date down, otherwise I would've had no idea it's already been a year!
I had been kicking around a heap of different kinds of game prototypes after having just gotten started with game development around a year and a half before that and an RPG seemed like a good challenge that would teach me a lot more about this craft of awesomeness.
Initially, I was going to release the game on Android and probably iOS. Quite recently I came up with the idea of releasing it on PS Vita instead, for a couple of reasons. First, the game was getting a bit heavy for phones other than the high end models to handle. Second, it's not ideal to play it on a small touch screen. I wanted proper controls. Last, I like Sony. And PS Vita is easily accessible to your average hobbyist dev through PSM.
While I do hope to be able to bring the game to native Vita and even PS4, I'm keeping my sights locked at PSM for now. A Steam release for OS X/Linux/Windows would also be nice.
So, where is the game now? More and more of the core functionality is coming together slowly but surely. Basic combat is in, as are the skills (as in they're being taken into account in damage calculation formulas, determining hits/misses, etc) and levelling system. There are several different types of enemy mobs with basic AI. Friendly NPC's with dialogue functionality and basic idle AI are there. The quest system has been started but is not even in "works somewhat" state yet. The inventory system is working well. The first area of the game is coming along nicely.
The story still needs to be fully fleshed out, but I do have the basics thought out deep inside my head somewhere. As soon as I'm finished with the first drafts of all the game mechanics, I can start making the actual game in form of NPC's, quests, areas, etc.
I'm making the game alone and I have a day job in IT, so I only have the nights and the weekends to work on the game and having sat in front of a computer all day at work cranking out code, I don't always feel like doing the same at home - even if game development is a lot more fun than the type I do for a living!
A 2015 relase is still not too far fetched, but it might be pushing it a bit. We'll see.
My plan at this point is to get all the required mechanics in, at first in a rough state. Then, I'll move on to finishing the first area with content and once that's done, I'll most likely release some kind of a test version of the game to gather feedback and give people a sense of what I'm going for. This version would be an OSX/Linux/Windows build or possibly a web client.
But I still have a long journey ahead of me before I can make this happen. It is somewhat of a concrete goal, though, that will hopefully help keep me motivated and working on the game!
Phew, there. The first piece is written.. it will be easier to post further updates every once in a while. Laters!
