Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, boys and girls!
Happy New Year, my dear friends!

I wish you everything, everything you want for yourself!
Of course, new interesting roguelikes.


My New Year resolution is  to beat 1-20 of Roguelike of the 2012!

Work started!

Goooood!!!
I finished all counting, writing and recovered well enought!
I have two good news.
First, GoodSir finished first game word concept document, so, we can develop game world more precisely.
Second, I'll use this papers and my calculations for new game world,
and, well, the third, as bonus, after such break I feel great urge for work!!!

I have returned!

Hello again, friends!
Thank you for checking my blog, even I wasn't updating it for a while!

I was in the hospital and got two surjical operations, but right now I am recovering!

It means, that new year verison has failed, but from other hand I got enought free time to think (and write down!) about future developmens and next version should have some amusing things!

So, wish me luck and health, I'll start working again in a day or two!

Our artist can't work on FFHtR development at least until the end of the year. Christmas. ^_^
So, it doesn't mean secede of development. If some game update would need any art, I'll draw it myself, temporary of course, my drawing can cause heart attack of some sensitive fellows. o_-

I planed that 01 of every month would be realise date, but this time, it would be 31.12.2011.

I have some sort of horrible depressive state for couple of month or maybe a bit longer, don't know.
Even I understand, that it is really unnatural, I can't do anything. -_-

It is already showed reflects on my work, life and, of course, FFHtR development.
I don't know, maybe I am simply tired, maybe something else.
I'll try to put myself together and fight it it.

0.0.7b

New version is here.
OK, it isn't "that big" update as before, so if you seen 0.0.7a,you may skip this one.
Well, just check the changelog.
I'll try to keep them coming with decent quantity of changes. It must keep us working!

Changelog:

* Item disassembling.
* "Use item" bugs.
* New icons from Psiweapon.
* "use key" fixes and tweaks. (Soyweiser)
* grab/ drop at inventory screen. (Soyweiser)
* BLANC items
* Unpleasant FOV bug. Both exploration radius and few lost map tiles. (XVs)
* You can check perks during PC creation.
* Local leaders of factions. You can kill one and stop encounters.
couple of really minor bugs and tweaks.

Every month?

Found, that usual realizes keep us in good shape and, practically, resulting more productive schedule.
Maybe monthly realizes would be good idea!
Of course, It doesn't mean realize just for realize, but makes us to keep working, adding features for new versions.

It looks like, I have recovered a bit, so I can make myself to fix burning issues and make realize of 0.0.7b today or tomorrow!

Small report (under cut):

Just changed name generation for animal heroes, so they wouldn't have names like other creatures.
Thats all, I can't recover, yet.

I was ill and really exhausted for last four days, so secede coding for this time.
I got from harsh experience,  that coding when you are ill or (and more critically "and") tired resulting code would be horrible, slow, consisting from bottle necks and so on, and, it is more dangerous, tired/ill refactoring.


So, I wish, FFHtR development would be restored tomorrow,  when I'll recover, but I think, that I am in grave need of vacation, I wasn't on vacations for more than a year and It was really hard year. -_-
.

Today, I have defeated first local leader and stopped  goblins encounter near dwarven hamlet!

...........................
Aunste Andhaag known as Acideater.
Local leader of  Murin_clan at Smelly_cave.
Aunste was defeated by player at 8 of Burnt_Wings in 172 AoR.

So, part of historical figures became local leaders of there dungeons/ caves etc
We need quest generator, so you can get quest from local leader of dwarf, for example, to kill local leader of goblins and if you succeed it would drastically decrease (or stop at all) goblins encounters spawn from this cave.

Also, I have changed concept of unskilled use of basic crafting, it means you can dry meat or fell tree, for example, even if you don't have respecting skill, but with high chance of failure. On the good side, it would be possible to gain such skill.

Beware of Armageddon plague and horrible blight!

We would add some nasty features, they can make life of your character really ugly and short.

Game saved first and basic list of generated historical  figures.
It is only the beginning, we should appoint historical figures as local population leaders (of course, there are would be "free" historical figures) and adjust them properly.

Log:

Dozen of bugs were fixed. Few of them were rather nasty, couple aren't really dangerous.
Unpleasant news is that, I can't fix bug with DirectX surfaces, for some reason, game stopped losing video card, but losing main surface. -_-
I wish, I would find issues of this bug, before future realise. It is not critical, but unpleasant.

GoodSir working on new magic GUI interface, I think you will like it, because new main screen interface and new inventory screen are both his ideas and work!
Until he finish it, I had "free time" for bug fixing and crafting and "quest patch" basics.

For the quest patch we would steal  borrow DF "historical figures" system. It wouldn't be the same, of course, but would help to save lot of computer resources and make quest more interesting!

Psiweapon brought three more icons and I managed to fix "use item" bug and tweaked inventory and main window interface a bit.
So, we would make interim release 0.0.7b. It would fix inventory issues and would close it for good.

you are welcome!

Hello!
We are in dare need for new teammates!
Right now, our team consists of three guys, pixelart and coding mostly.
We really need roguelike fan, familiar with FFH lore for game world development, text writing etc

0.0.8 development schedule

This is next version development schedule.
No more delayed versions for "one additional" feature.

Crafting:
* Item disassembling. done
* Item crafting. (for this patch: weapon, armor, cloth). in progress.

Magic:
* Spells memorization system. (I think that Craw system is worth "stealing" ^_^).
* Starting spells and spellbooks.
* Basic spells, one per category:
1) buff .
2) debuff (for ex. curse).
3) summon.
4) control  (for ex. fear).
5) creation (for ex. food, can be balance breaking, just for test!).
6) traps (not in this version, would wait for traps and doors)..
7) scouting (for ex. show creatures etc).
* NPC spells, AI use magic.
* Healing spell planed to scrolls, consumables only, because of its highly abusive nature.

Miscellaneous:
* "Use item" bugs.
* Game over screen.
* Few inventory patch fixes.

Magic

It looks like "Magic patch" is our winner in voting "contest". Won, 9 vs 6. He, he, he.
So, I'll start magic, when finish crafting basic, which I was coding, waiting for vote results.

There is little problem with development schedule... there is no schedule!
We should prepare some basic plan for every patch and update.
I'll post it here, when it would be finished.

Current status:
Crafting is going well.
I managed to smelt my battleaxe in to bronze ingots, when character would be able to create new item from resources, this goal would marked "done" for now.

Craft

Managed some crafting issues.
So, now you can disassemble item for parts, scraps etc
For example, you can smelt sword to ingots.
And no, you can't brew potion back to ingredients! (It was funny bug) ^_^

0.0.7a

So. we have started next update.
We are not sure about its theme, maybe It would be magic + abilities patch.

Also, I have fixed few issues in the 0.0.7 and undated download with 0.0.7a.
Right now, I found unpleasant bug in the new inventory, using item from the ground crashing game for sure.
It would be fixed as soon as possible. It is massive issue, because need total "item using" methods refactoring.

0.0.7 Inventory Patch

Here goes 0.0.7 "Inventory Patch".
It doesn't have few icons at inventory screen, so we wouldn't announce it at roguebasin.
But if you check this blog, you can try new inventory and report issues if you want!

PS

There are a portion of scrolls, near player starting location. It is testing "Scrolls of Return", they are a bit bugy, but nothing serious and they can save your character from dangerous situations.

Next patch! Vote!

Inventory patch can be considered finished! We need just few icons.
So, we start voting about next patch, care to participate!

Icons

New inventory shows that icon based interface is really more comfortable, then text one.
I think, that we would change everything this way!

Here is first step v- menu. Information about items on the ground.
It would use side info screen rather than text menu!

We are nearly here!

Good! Few fixes, few icons and "inventory patch" would become history of our development!
Click on the picture. It can be change a bit, before realize!

Final Steps

Good news, everyone!
GoodSir finished hi-res inventory canvas, so I can start adding it into game.
So, we have a bit of coding work and few icons from Psiweapon, before new realize!

Survival

Hey!
You know that FFHtR planed as sandbox roguelike?
well, at least you know it now. Of course, we would have story and drama, but it wouldn't be center of gameplay.
So, survival is cornerstone of such type of gameplay.
What it would be:
Food, temperature?
Any ideas?

Update:
From one hand, it easy to create survival, make player to collect branches for fire, finding clean water, keep in mind temperatures etc
well, Such basic survival sounds good for the the start of the game, but later, you know, such micromanagement doesn't fit well future epic adventures and would become simply boring.
We should find some nice mechanics to fight it, and to my mind it simply impossible or
we can allow player to "overgrowth" such simple needs, when character progress at levels.

I vote for the second one.

28.10.11 Camps

Camps bugs were defeated and goblins stays near campfires now.
They need some containers and items near them, of course.

28.10.11

I think that It would be nice idea to post here development "diary".
It can keep us motivated and would give you some fun.

well...

"Inventory patch" programming finished. Right now GoodSir finalizing and polishing hi-res inventory canvas and Psiweapon drawing inventory icons.
There are lot of this icons, but you will like them, I assure you.

Because of this, I got some "free" coding time for future work.
So, I re-factored pathfinding code, as I wrote before, and started "Quest patch" schedule.
Of course, none of the random quests can match old good hand made quest, but good selection of random quests makes game interesting in field of replayability, so we should keep it balanced.

Random quests would be our first goal.
Game would be analyzing global map interrelations, its used right now for random encounters, and would form quests.

If we speak about current work, I have tried to rework cave generator, so intellectual creatures wouldn't be scattered around cave, but would group around different items, like campfires. It revealed lot issues and doesn't work right now. -_-
Also, I managed to reproduce font "color mess bug", maybe it can help to get ride of it.

New posting?

Maybe I should post more often about game development progress?
I'll try it tomorrow.

Future Patches

Lets see, our new, patch oriented development schedule works well. It gives all of us short ranged goals to complete right now, so, it means steady development speed.

So, we would utilize this method for the future development.
Some critical features missed last version, also, there lot of unfinished issues, because of of world wide development plans.
So, this is approximate table of future patches.
Inventory Patch - currently in progress. Crippled and monstrous inventory reprimands greatly.
Magic Patch - We should put magic back on tracks.
"Abilities Patch" - It is a bit boring to fight without of them.
"Quest Patch" - We need some gameplay.

Later patches:
"Faerie Patch" - The Fay would be playable.
"Undead Patch" - Legion of D'tish and other undead would be playable. Different aspect of undead gameplay.
"Puppeteer Patch" - fixing up removed puppeteer.
 

Pathfinding

While working on inventory patch, checked another "bottle neck" of the game - the Pathfinding.
It is really nasty algorithm, you know. It has dozen of repeating iterations, and this algorithm should be run for every active creature (of course, it can be simplified, if monsters can be grouped into units and they would use short ranged pathfinding up to group center, but we have roguelike nor strategy game. -_-).
So, pathfinding is real bottle neck of every roguelike project.
I check mine and started refactoring.
Refactoring isn't finished yet, but algorithm works at least 5 times faster then before!
It means that Inventory patch would also be performance patch, nice ^_^!

Inventory Patch, future looks.

0.0.6 list of changes

Maybe you noticed, that 0.0.6 has been released without "list of changes".
I found, that didn't write down lot of them and forget them, of course.
Here is the list of major changes I remembered ^_^

Inventory Patch

Let me share some information about upcoming patch.
Our current inventory is a bit too hardcore, well, it is really flexible, but to hard to understand if you are not the person who coded it -_-.
I was planning to make "everything in one screen" inventory, but, well, failed. It looks like useless feature, but too annoying to code and use.
So, right now, we have two screens - equipment screen with big pictures of items and full item description with easy understandable, and second one, container screen. Lists of icon based inventory.
Who said, we don't care about game issues ^_^.

Right now we have finished,
equipment screen programming finished and few annoying bugs,
new art and container screen are coming.

0.0.6a "Inventory Patch"

Well, 0.0.6 "ARRP 2011" in a free flight now and now you can see all issues of FFHtR. Franky, It is a bit unplayable now. Yes, there were tons of changes between 0.0.5 and 0.0.6, but it nearly same in field of fun.
Lets think this realize as new "Zero" point for our game and rearrange development managing.


So, as I wrote beforehand, we start series of patches for FFHtR with small schedule, about week or two.
It must quickly bring FFHtR on tracks.

First patch would be name "Inventory patch".
If you played FFHtR you may found its interface "a bit" tricky. It must be fixed soon.

0.0.6 ARRP 2011

Finally done!

We are really happy to present you our ARRP realize of Fall From Heaven the Roguelike version 0.0.6.
Some planned features missed this realize, but some other tool there place, but one thing is for sure, this is one more step to our goal to major roguelikedome.

Download link (try it first)


Download link(mirror).


Fell free to participate and comment here, in this blog.
If you want to help with bug-hunting, you can report any at our Mantis bug tracker:
(just select Fall From Heaven the Rogueline as project).

Bug tracker link.

Psiweapon:
I've been doin most of the graphics for this project (but not all of them) and I've had a lot of fun.
I've been pixelling stuff for this since... February? March? It's been the first game I've collaborated with, and I've always tried to give it a creative approach (sometimes I've had more success, sometimes less)

JollyRoger has given me a lot of room for creativity, save for very few particular cases, and I owe him big time thanks for the chance to train my pixel skills. Usually, gave me broad concepts of what he needed - these and those professions for dwarves and humans; these kinds of undead monsters - and then I started making little doodles while at the university, and turn them into pixels when I got back home.

I'm now doing some freelance pixel jobs, so I don't have as much time as I had some months ago, but I still look forward to keep working on this and other free projects Smiley.

Im in ur rougeliekz, pizelin ur tielz! Grin

GoodSir
I have done some graphics for FFHtR (for example most of GUI). I don't have much to say since my involvement in this version development was less than desired, but I hope that i'll be able to do much more for the next version 8)
Have fun playing!

Jolly Roger
You may find FFHtR too incomplete right now, full of features, but somewhat boring, because of incompleteness. It is OK!
You know, it is impossible to build Empire State Building from LEGO part, if you don't have one. The same is for roguelikes, of course, except, maybe for coffee breaks, so, all previous development was concentrated of adding features, we need really big box of LEGO ^_^!
Meanwhile, 0.0.6 can be turning point of development, we now have tons of features, and future realizes would be named ones, with more gameplay changes!

Day Zero. Pre build.

Whats done is done.
Some features, again, would miss current realize, but it looks like solid enough to be presented at ARRP 2011.
Today, we would make build "OK, it is final 0.0.6, but lets have last look." and tomorrow It would be official realize.

Final step

Last day is today!
Finalizing, closing unfinished, making last build. It doesn't look like something we really expect from this version, but it is not the last one of realizes!

3 days left.

I am sorry for forgetting blog updates, but some really, really big shit happens.
But, FFHtR is almost done and it isn't only my project, so realize would not be canceled, but participate ARRP 2011 at 16-17.09.11.

6 days left.

So, last week are less interesting part of development. Parching, bug fixing (there are two crash bugs right now, one deactivated, but not fixed and one for hunting). Few interface issues etc
I think that "last day" world updates would be more interesting.

08 days left.

Say hello to Zazolal, five headed demonic infernal reaper!
This is new work of Psiweapon, artist of 99% of our creatures. Infernals would march nearly unstoppable march on Erebus, or not. It is up to you.
 
So, today is last day of feature adding and we can conclude losers of 0.0.6 realize.
Alchemy, sane magic system, smithing and crafting, this half done features would miss 0.0.6 for good.
Let say them: "see you later", because they would rise and shine, but later on, maybe in 0.0.7 or some intermediate realize, between 0.0.6 and 0.0.7.
What about features, participating 0.0.6? Well, we wish, that you would find there list satisfying enough. It would be revealed with realize.

So, whats now?
Right now, our team working like mad on 0.0.6 unfinished parts:
Psiweapon summoning pixelart demons and hell to Erebus :+_+, making cool icons, describing player state etc.
GoodSir polishing new interface panels and icons, and filling world with content.
Jolly Roger (well, it is me) has final schedule of patching and bugfixing, also I'll join GoodSir at world content building.

09 days left.

Armageddon is coming.
Right now our target is to create small, but fulfilled world, where you can travel, adventure and explore. Towns, hamlets, caves and dungeons, treasures, monsters and damsels in distress. To my mind, the most important part of every roguelike is interesting sandbox gameplay. YES, of course, good and tragic storyline is really important, but, you know, if game is simply uninteresting in field of "bashing monsters, gaining exp and loot", there is no need for the story.
So, don't expect much of a story from FFHtR, we must create strong and health sandbox roguelike first.

10 days left.

So, what aspect of FFH captures the attention? It is the way FFH team solved problem with powergaming, boredom of super powerful endgame. Yes, I am also talking about Armageddon, interesting part of the game, breaking done "ash breeze" of gameplay.

Usually, we traveling in the worlds, which already survived Apocalypse/  Armageddon or it can change, but in really limited manner.
Frankly speaking, I always want to play or create and then play ^_^ game with changing world, seriously changing, forming new landscape, land sites  etc.
And, second important note, it shouldn't be player triggered changes (like in ElderScrolls, until player starts storyline demons would be waiting). Of course, player must have ability to influences such epic changes of game world, otherwise it would be unfair and not interesting and some of them may be triggered by player, but it doesn't and most of the time shouldn't be activated by player.

One of "big goal" plans, "hatched" all this years, was "Armageddon today" gameplay, Game would not take place in the world after Armageddon or Armageddon wouldn't be in "game over" score lines, it would be now.
Player would start in calm (as Erebus can be named "calm") world, but later different global events would occur, changing game and forcing powerful and bored player to act. 

Armageddon would come in 0.0.6 version. It wouldn't to come final stage, of course and would stop at moment of infernal invasion to Erebus. It would be fair, because player wouldn't have real instruments to prevent (or speed it up!) Armageddon , so advent of Harbingers and other Armageddon events would be game breaking. Also, there would not be (in 0.0.6 of course!) different events increasing or slowing/ preventing Armageddon, just constant increasing Armageddon counter.

Later on, there would be more global events, affecting world, as Armageddon (like Mercurians arrival) and players intervention into this process. Every ideas welcome.

11 days left.

Four days left for feature development itself. I am not sure, but Alchemy would miss the realize, again -_-.
Puppeteers finalization gone fine, but, there are some issues to finish. I'll found a bit of time for this later on the week.
Todays plan is to rebalance leveling system, experience points and perk (if possible). Currently, player gain level up to 4-5 without problems and then troubles begins. Also, there is no perks to select and stat gains.
You know, there is no feeling that your hero becomes powerful, stronger etc. Thats should be fixed!

During the development of FFHtR, we found that FFH mana system completely inappropriate for roguelike. It is cool to have two dozens of mana as global resource in strategic game, but it is a bit tricky to manipulate that selection of mana types as single spellcaster. Even more, this micro-mana-managent was really annoying. 
So, FFH manas were united to groups and single manas become effects. It is really comfortable then before.
For example fireball spell using Elemental mana and has fire effect, Death vortex uses Excruciation mana, dealing death damage and leaving poison base trail with confusing effect (Undead magician choice! Udead heals by death effects and immune to poison ).
Now, we have Elemental, Excruciation, Divine and Metamagic manas for use.
Divine and Metamagic would not be in use at 0.0.6. Divine mana needs "divine chapter" and metamagic is blanc space right now, with no spells available.

12 days left.

Five days left and tons of unfinished business are ahead.
New addition to sweet company of heroes would be Balseraph Puppeteer, combination of magician and "pet-lord" adventure. Except, he wouldn't be summoning or taming his pet, but making them from different materials, from pathetic wood to legendary mithril.
Also, Bapseraph puppets aren't like Luchuirp golems, formidable creature of great size, puppets are small jumping and giggling noisy pets. Surprisingly useful in combat and easily expendable.
They are almost done, but some interface part are still missing, and that the plan for the day. 

Speaking about development of FFHtR, you can ask, why this game has bodyparts? Is it some sort of modern roguelike fashion? Nope, never. As I wrote below, first name of game was "Robots" and it should be (surprise!) about robots. And what is the main feature of every robot? Changeable bodyparts, of course!
Well, frankly  speaking, it doesn't worth the efforts. All this can be imitated by some other way and coding bodyparts interaction is realy pain, I wouldn't do again, well, until paid in good cash per line ^_^.
So, FFHtR has it and it wouldn't be wise to dispose lots of work.
Who knows, maybe creatures in fantasy universe should be able to change there part for something else? Starting from simple pirate hook, up to horrible results of necromantic fleshcraft?
 

13 days left.

Six days left for global game development.
Todays development topic is magical consumable items like scrolls.
You know, cursed items had been added and it would be unfunny prank to let them be without scrolls of identify and remove curse!
Potions wouldn't be like "drinkable scrolls", they should have different mechanics and not just copy there brethren. I am not sure, would Alchemy catch this realize or not, it is a bit too complicated.

Well, today I want to post a bit of FFHtR history, when it has been started and so on.
Development of this roguelike, it wasn't FFHtR at all(!), began at September-October of 2008.
It was hundred percents "death march project", lack of coding skills with combination of sky-high plans failed lot of roguelike. Robots (older name of FFHtR) wasn't an exception from this rule.
So, I have surrender at February  of 2009 and didn't remember about this until end of 2009.
One day, after gooood session of my favorite FFH game, I remembered about pile of code on my hard drive.
And asked myself, why not? FFH universe is great! Fantasy roguelike style are well known and successfully used in many roguelikes!
Results of next attempt you can see here. Sky-high plans were returned to the mother Earth (still, there enough for many ears of development), bought and learned books about coding and, the most important, really cool guys joined the development!
Could we do this roguelike? You will judge.

14 days left.

What is Fall From Heaven itself?
To say in short  - it is CIV4 game mod, but not "just" game modification.
It is one of the most elaborate and mature mod as for CIV4 as for all game moding world.
FFH universe are really thought-out with wast lore and legend.
If you never tried it, but really like Civilization series, then give a chance: Fall From Heaven official.
And, if you already know what FFH is, you are more interested what part of  FFH we have in FFHtR.

Well, as you can understand, looking at upcoming version number (0.0.6), there isn't FFH epic amplitude... Yet. Of course, we are not planning to make a copy of FFH at roguelike. It is impossible and stupid, roguelikes have different scale.

Do you wonder, whats really happens to single adventure, who enters Broken Sepulcher? or whats happens in Balpseraph circus tents or Khazad mining towns? Travel to pestilential fields, touched by Armageddon, fight Buboes or ally with him?
But not as godlike ruler, but simple mortal adventurer?


Thats our big goal, of course. 
Right now, FFHtR is merely  immature puny rogulike. Of course, we are realistic and don't want to do this in one moment, but "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

Two weeks! Procrastination is the thief of time!

I didn't plan to update FFHtR devblog, before ARRP realize.
Maybe, because our roguelike isn't really mature and I can hardly imagine someone, who would be eager to check devblog of it.
But at the second though, you know, ARRP is coming and official deadline 18.09.2011.
Last weeks devblog can be "tool" of real motivation and, maybe, you would find it funny.

So, without further ado. 
For FFHtR, deadline would be 14-16 of September. About two week, as you can see.
First week deadline 07.09.11 would be "last feature" deadline. No more features after this date in 0.0.6!
If some nice feature wouldn't work well until this date, it would be turned off and would wait for patches or next version. Cheers!
And second one would be "test and polishing" week.
Bugs and sharp edges, you name it.

I'll try to update devblog nearly every day of this last week stand and will try to tell you about world of Fall From Heaven, game creation and our team.
Let do this!

Upcoming ARRP 2011

Well, format of blog isn't as good for small roguelike as site. But I never created any sites before. It is not a problem, of course, but all spare time are concentrated at upcoming ARRP 2011. So, blog? OK, let it be so, at least for now.

Fall From Heaven the Roguelike (FFHtR) based on dark fantasy mod for Civilization IV, Fall From Heaven.
FFHtR planed to be hardcore "old-school" roguelike with high learning curve, easy to play, but nearly impossible to win.

Right now, our team (GoodSir, Psiweapon, Jolly Roger) are working hard on upcoming realize of 0.0.6 ARRP 2011!
Keep in touch for realize notes!