..and big step forward

As I wrote, all skills has gone, to come in new glory. Hurray!
Began classes and basic game start.

One suitcase life.

Disclaimer:  This post isn't related to roguelike dev or Fallen, just my small idea, I want to share, so you are free to pass it. Especially for this, I cut my post in two. =)

One suitcase life.
Well, well, well. I didn't come to this due some super powerful meditation technique, it was just coincidence, that leads me to this conclusion.
Some time ago, I got few episodes, not one or two,  when I was moving from place to place with nearly all of my belongings.
Losing or leaving some of them in the process. At very end, I was moving with nearly one suitcase of belongings. It isn't small one, but only one. Only one big bag of items, that I can call my own, but hey! It was comfortable! Even without tons of stuff I thought to be higly important for even evrydays life.

All others, I bring to place I stay or live, that's something,that give some marginal comfort, but it sn't truly mine, even if it literally mine as lawful owner.
Franky, It frees. I can take my suitcase and go, leaving everything, what isn't mine behind.
One suitcase life saves lot of money and put comfort into life, when your suitcase stays between you and all this spontaneous spendings.
Do you really need this super flat big TV? It is out of suitcase, it isn't yours.
Who need this all fancy stuff, when it doesn't fit your suitcase?

I don't know, but maybe it will help you too. Gather your suitcase, safe your money and live easy! =)

Step back

Sometimes, you have to make a step back, if you want to move forward.
For example, right now, I am totally removing all skills from Fallen.
Why, you ask?
Because we have really better variant, that will make Fallen really new game.
But why remove?
Sometimes, it is really better to draw on blank pages, keeping used one nearby as example.

Also, I have one idea, I really want to share. It isn't related to roguelikes or Fallen, so I'll make a new, so everyone, who doesn't interested, can pass it.

Dungeon

What do I think about dungeon and dungeons for Fallen?
What type of dungeon I found interesting?

When I need to come to any sort of decision, that founds difficult to set up a goal, I usually use "negative" method.
It means, if I want to know what means the best dungeon, I have to find out, what do I think the worst dungeon.
So, lets think, what I don't want to see in Fallen dungeons.

a. Monsters is the only thing you meet there. That's wrong. Dungeons should have traps, treasures and puzzles. Some dungeons could be monsters free, but still active and interesting.
b. This room is all dungeon. Until we make some sort of tomb or house basement, dungeon should be big.
c. We assure you, exit is where you enter. You enter dungeon, explore, fight monster, collect bounties and treasures, evade traps and then leave it, where you entered the dungeon. There is no other option. I don't like.  There should be possibility to finde other dungeon, other place, town, hallway etc and find yourself in completely other place or leave where you entered. It is up to you. It shouldn't be 100% option, we can have simple dungeons, but they shouldn't be the majority of them.
d. Dungeon is dungeon, it is the law.  But why? If I want to have underground city or forest, or lake, or everything.
e. The deeper you go, the more dangerous it became. Okay, it sounds logical, but seriously, if it if dragons lair, it would be deadly  from the very beginning, and why goblins should put weakest members of there society near the entrance, maybe they should put there guard post?
 

a bit of surprise

Yes, we did it!
It isn't finished, tileset not fulfilled yet.
We would have new creatures, but...
Here it is, new interface, tiles layout, tileset and draw methods. Enjoy this small preview. =)
(All ASCII symbols would be replaced by graphical tiles. =)

Corridor Dragon

It is well renown combat style! It helps player to destroy waves and waves of monster!
You have found big vault? Group of goblins? Don't panic! Just rush into nearest corridor and kill them one by one! They wouldn't be able to reach you with missiles and summons!

The question is -- why most of roguelikes have one tile corridors between areas (rooms etc)?
Answer is simple! Remember size of classic console window, it is tiny for modern times.
Also, one level of dungeon = one screen.
If we make good corridors and halls, they would eat up all free space!
One tile corridors is obsolete way to create game. It gives possibility of nearly uncontrollable scamming (DCSS has smite spell, but it is not a skeleton key for corridor dragon style).

It was in the past or games based on old games, like DC, but why new games has it?
Okay, I can understand one tile doors, but don't think it is good for gameplay, but corridors? Why?
Well. Doubtlessly, it is of this "please die" old features of ancient times. =)

PS
And I don't say that one tile corridors don't have right to exist! In some special occasions, like small shaft or secret passage, they would be exactly on their place. Anything we want to show as really small and narrow, but not every corridor in the game.

Action!

I decided to separate blog posts about roguelike dev and  Fallen progress.

This one is about Fallen!
We are still working on surprise. There was enough premature decisions, so I want to keep it simple and interesting. This is my  law now.
Also, now I have a break from hidden stuff and pass the baton to GoodSir, so I can continued work on Actions!
I have finished interface, that allows you to see what do creature or your avatar doing right now.
Also, it show what effects and conditions affects creature.
The fun is, I keep it simple, I didn't add new structure that affects creatures. All this cool effects using turn action routines, like move and fight. It is flexible enough to have states like "fly from strong kick", "get a attribute gain/loss" and so on.
Right now I am coding wrapper then will provide with easy interface to work with low level "turn actions routines".
When I will finish, actions like "Horrible battle cry  -20 attack to every enemy for N turns", "bleeding strike - hp/turn", "Iron skin +2*level armor" or "bush fly in %direction%"  could be done with flying colors.

ASCII

What do you think about ASCII.
Do Roguelike means ASCII?
You said yes, but why? Seriously. Just think about it.
Why ASCII means to be roguelike main feature?
Heh, it looks like I understand.

The same situation happens with other aspects of roguelikes and  nearly everything in life.
For example, lets say, that Roguelike development is religion.
We have the main idea, name it teaching. What make roguelike so addictive.
Make you to assault dungeons, fight monsters. That's why they eats up hours of your time and you don't regret it.
What is "Te@ching of Roguelike"?
It is procedural generation, jiggling all game world up side down.  
It is lot of random action in gameplay.
Depth and tons of simple details, fast gameplay, that takes hours to master.
You can see, they are really few.
This is roguelike.

But, there is other side of the coin, that doesn't make roguelike, but absurdly meant to do so!
The sacrament rituals of roguelike.
Some of them had settled here, because The Master Rogue did so.
Without understanding why this feature was there!
We can see a lot games, that has all roguelike "features", read game presents us heap of ridiculous  combinations of obsolete  rogdev traditions, dirty hacks in a uncontrollable boring mix. (I knew it, it was reason of Fallen1 downfall. =)  )

Lets check a couple of this rogue dev traps:
Food clock. You say -- "but roguelike have to have it!". Hey, hey! Why?
Because food clock exists in all Great Roguelikes of Old Times!
Okay, but some of them, like ADOM, would really win, if food clock would vanish from them or reworked greatly.
And for rogue or DCSS. Food clock is limitation, gameplay press, that makes player to move forward and not to grind.
And I think -- not the best one.
Food clock could be really annoying part of game play if you add it, just because every roguelike should have it.


Next, but not the last sacrament rituals is our topic, ASCII.
Ask anyone, what means Roguelike and one of 3-5 answers would be "this ugly ASCII".
But before trying to put me on pyre for heresy, ask youself -- why ASCII even came to roguelikes?
Answer is simple, it was the easiest possible way to create UI for indy game.
It would take minimal code/hours investments and reasonable quality for terminals of old times.
The joke is that right now, create console window simulation on modern computers as hard as create fully graphical interface.
But the second one is really more flexible and useful.
Right now, ASCII in roguelikes is sacrament tradition, that should die long ago, but still on board.

Why? Well. people love traditions and ritual, even if it put real idea aside.

Couple of nasty bugs have been cleared, halve dozen of issues fixed.
Debug interface now turned to something you will see in final game.
But the most important, we have big surprise for our future players!
I am not completely sure when I'll finish this, tomorrow or at weekend.

EDIT: Also, I implemented interesting, perk- based leveling system for creatures. It isn't something new, you can see in different games, but it really cool system!
For example, I don't juggle with stats of, for example, giant roach.
All creatures are the same from the start. I just gave it three perks.
Hard as nail (+ good hit points bonus per level), Carapace(armor per levl + static bonus), Clumsy (- to hit) and set it level to 3.
It make this beast rather interesting and dangerous for low level, badly equiped character.
Because it got about 30 hit points and 12 armor. At the good side, it has only 65% basic to hit chance!

---

Yes, my vacations is over and I have less spare time and the most important, brain power to work on Fallen.
Heh, I really love coding computer games.
I really feel anticipation for this, but I am not sure, that I can become full time indie roguelike developer.
Simply, because I have to eat and pay bills. This life is funny I have to spent 10-12 hours per day on something I really don't like, even hate from time to time, to have couple hours, dead tired on something I like.

From other hand it makes me so happy and I feel such an urge to work, every time I work on Fallen.
Well. It is critical difficult personal decision. Mostly finance, of course. Maybe I'll write something about it later.

Animation

Just this. Animation is on board now.

Interface work

Finished buying skills for skill slots, experience, exp for killing foes, level ups.

Then upgraded interface. Game will show context help when you move mouse over subject, like creature, item, button etc
Added automatic "on click" move, so you click o local map and chareacter moves there. 

Also, made basics for future animation. I can't imagine way we can make abilities without proper animation.

Plan: make alarm stop of auto move, when foes comes close to game screen.
Then return to skills.
I look forward for 4 skills right now. Axes, polearms, armor and explorer.
Also, game should respect creatures skills, ehen selecting them weapons and armor.

After that, I'll make generated word a bit more interesting.  I have plan for chests with treasures and money to collect.

Rogue Dungeon

Can help. but made classic rogue like dungeon generator in underworld.
Underworld waiting for procedurally generated content.
But! Now I am at Character development for 100%!

Skills, again.

Okay, I have passed skills interface.
Then, I expanded world under the soil and added one lair. It eats up about 250mb. =)

So, you would get your dungeons.
There would be big underground world, you can enter dungeon, find small path and enter big tunnels systems.
Find underground vault, that doesn't has access from surface, towns of antmen etc etc
Potentially, you can stay in Underworld as long as you want.
Wait, wait, wait. At the beginning, it would be just dungeons.

EDIT: Nearly forget. Next step, some basic character development. So, player would have some reason to move around.

Multithreaded

Moved world generation to another tread. So, loading graphics is the only problem that freezes game at start.

But when this graphics loading and processing became alone, it is no more that troubling at game start.
I have to optimize it. In future, of course.  But right now, program start doesn't look that frozen. =)
Also, Multithreading looks to be useful tool. I think, I'll use it fir different heavy calculations, like NPC pathfinding and so on.

Give fallen world a try

 Again, new test version for you, who want to try really early version Fallen Rebirth.

Whats new:
* Program clears spawn zones from global maps. I afraid there is small bug with multiple spawn zones on one global map claster,
* game clears killed creature, drops or destroy their items.
* game gives creatures items. Just basic generator, based on slots.
* creatures, that has herd mark would stay in a group, instead of been scattered along all map cluster.
* friendly/foe routines. There is no more friendly melee among NPC. =)
* NPC use specialized melee routines, instead of move routines. Also, creature use melee speed for close combat, instead of move speed. It means, we have slow monsters with fast attacks and visa versa.
* New rat picture.
* Enhanced pathfinding.
* Neutral creatures. Towns inhabitants for now. They would help you in combat.
* Populated global objects. Towns and Evil lairs.
* Pathfinding freeze bug fixed.
* Neutral creatures has their own routines in addition to aggressive combat.
+small changes, like i key for inventory.
Also, give a try to remove/ equip items on NPC. It is not a bug, I left it on purpose to test NPC equipment. It would be used for player followers.




http://rlgclub.ru/forum/download/file.php?id=2109

Gloal map got more details

* Items give stat bonuses.
* Founded object would be reviled on global map.
* Other global maps tweaks.

It is not the end!

1. all drop, pick up, equip item routines.
2. err. Items itself, of course.
3. inventory. (opened by right click on player or use item).
4. nasty bug with GL window. It will look better now.
5. towns, evil lairs. Empty.
6. Monsters of different speed chasing you.
7. keyboard move. (I'll be adding keyboard control very carefully. Just as must have alternative to mouse).

Hope you enjoy this little teaser.  =)
http://rlgclub.ru/forum/download/file.php?id=2101

Fallen Rebirth

This is true rebirth of Fallen.
We are at early alpha stage of rebirth, but there is no other way out.
Fallen would be open world where you going to became the best adventurer of all.

 It is not official release, of course!!! It is just reminder,  that Fallen isn't dead project.
Work is in progress.

You would have white blanks instead of creatures on intel chipsets, Don't afraid, it is okay =)
Game use only mouse, right now, but use both keys on every maps!
Try to run around, fight or not fight monsters.
Next step, to move global map objects (castles, ruins, towns, farms etc) to Rebirth, so you will have something to visit.
http://rlgclub.ru/forum/download/file.php?id=2095

We are not dead!
Oh, no! Anything else, but dead!

I found, the hard way, that refactoring the core architecture is really difficult.
Also, there is nothing to report. Do you need posts, like^
Hello, guys! I moved item routines to specified class and hide data as protected/private.

Refactoring

Started great refactoring of Fallen code.Long awaited refactoring,  increasing abstract level of code.
 I am doing it from time to time.
It important routine, that keeps project from going down.

Right now I am working on creature and item objects, hiding more and more data from other part of program.
Also, I got nice bonus, it helped to find out lot of obsolete code.

What would it give for players? It would game more stable and bug free, already found couple.
Also, it would make game easy to maintain and implement new features.

Back to work again!

I am back, managed to craw up!

So! I have found issue of "I have blank screen in Fallen" bug.
It is not a bug literally.
Part of intel shared memory GPU dosn't support OpenGL 2.0 as "pleasant" addition to other issues.
I had such notebook and don't want repeat that experience one more time.

Well, they are not supporting NPOT (Non-Power-Of-Two) textures. Texture whose dimensions are not powers of 2.
I never thought it could be problem.
We would fix it.
It doesn't need any code changes, but redrawing part of graphical files.
Also, I have found and fixed "always yellow font" issue.


It is interesting, we have some comments from people who didn't managed to run Fallen. but none from people who managed it, that disturbing! :-)

0.1.204

OK, I put link to 0.1.204 version. It is defunct, unfinished and bugged.
But let it be there until I pluck up heart, cheer up and can continue work.

I am not sure when it would happen, so let it stay here.

step by step

Again, I have some sort of depressed state of mind and try to cheer up.

It happens sometimes. Coding Fallen is really fun and cool, but now everything damn boring. Maybe for couple of weeks now.

I know how to live throw it as quickly as possible.

Well, about Fallen development.

0.1  is nearly done, I don’t want to cheat you. It is literally new game, so it gone back to alpha stage now.

For example inventory totally ruined now and should be reworked, I am afraid recoded from scratch.

Hah, I was proud about inventory code once. Now I can’t look at it without hundred of facepalms. It is the price of progress, right.

I don’t know how long I would stay ruined, so I’ll put 0.1 to download section today without announcing it on roguebasin and so on. Some sort of release for close friends.

When I’ll back on tracks I’ll continue the fight.

EDIT:

Ohh. I forget, turned off generation of random groups on road hosts.

It means, that roaming animals, undead and rogues wouldn’t attack townspeople.

Of course, we would have it, but it would be organized and quest oriented.

It was really funny to see animas and undead fighting each other and hunting citizens  on the town streets, for the first few times, but it is completely game breaking.

For example, you can’t visit besieged town, because it flooded by mosters.

Text log bug.

Just noticed!
Text log showed from top to bottom, but should be read from bottom to top! =))))

Ha, ha, ha!
Should fix it.

Happy New Year!

It has been more than a year since 0.0.9 release. Fall From Heaven the Roguelike release.

You can say: “what a hella u were doin, man? One year is more than enough to create new version!” and you would be right, but…

Lets see. Upon the final release I understand that FFHtR is unfunny. I wrote about it lot of times. Additional features didn’t made game more interesting, conversely it became incomprehensible. So on, so on, so on.

I was confused, didn’t work for some and I would cancel the development if there would be no FFHtR team. I was unfair to trash out work of other people.

It was sort of creative search. We were discussing, trying different things, stiles, and concepts.

Lot of code made and removed. Gameplay features tried, removed, changed etc

I think we defined the final concept, well, maybe February 2013.

So, we are working on Fallen for 6 moths maybe.

But one year without release, well, it death for alpha stage roguelike. I think it is for good, let the FFHtR rest in Peace and Fallen to take its place.

From this week, I’ll try to finish unfinished =) and will work steadily at one direction. For this week it would be interface.

Step 199

Another day, another portion of changes, which made 0.1 closer.

• Quality reworked. We had bad, cheap, mediocre, original, fair, superior, great, exceptional qualities. Removed bad, mediocre, original and great. Also, cheap is basic quality means 100% from basic stats of item (it was 30% for bad and 50% for cheap). Players wouldn’t found any difference, but it would make balancing really easier.
• Shops doesn’t buy anything.
• (bug). Game was wasn’t creating nonorganic trinkets. It means, trinkets always were made form animals or humanoids. Fixed, you would get your basalt pyramid 50% of time instead of rats dried heart.
• Game would calculate and show(!) burden level of your character in a really sane manner. Instead of puzzling burden 35(WTF?), you will see levels. Unburden less then 50% of capacity. Halve burden >50%, it wouldn’t bother most of players character, but some of them, who use powerful acrobatics should care of that. Burden >50%. Problems starts here and Overburden and Crushed, >150% and 200%.
• Randomly encountered adventurers would be members of adventurers guild 80% of times.
• (bug) Game was giving weapon skills to animals.
• Professions can have additional name for animals. For example human and wolf has martial arts skill. Human would be named fist fighter, wolf would be named predator. Also, I think that animals should have different descriptions, because “wolf the journeyman predator” sounds odd, but isn’t critical.
• (bug) During dialog with NPC only last NPC phrase can be seen, game hides your questions and previous NPC phrases.
• (bug) Near death BLANC message bug.

• (bug) Message, that creature has been confused showed Before message that explanes why.
• Creatures, that lost limb didn’t start bleeding. Just forget about it. Noticed it, while I was testing new dodging and accuracy methods and cut big rats legs. It agonized in pain, but didn’t bleed. Fixed that. Of course, don’t expect undead to bleed.

Also,  changes, that I made to quality and material really improved weapons and armor. Especially armor. Should fix today.

Dodging & Accuracy

As I promised, screenshot with new realization of dodging.
Now, It really easy to understand what does it mean! 
Dwarven adventurer Agnes Fenton and I fighting against wild beasts at abandoned cemetery.

We aren't buying anymore, sorry!

I continue cutting features that smells bad. 
This one is sort of milestone decision - shops aren't buying loot anymore.
After first FUUUUU.... lets have a look on details.
I have read about in some article wrote by guy from DCSS. Sorry, it was few years ago, so I couldn't find it.
He wrote about feature cut and "shops don't buy" as one among them.
Well, it was time when I was blinded by idea, that the more features you add to game the better it would be. Such a delusion!
But this is the topic for the separate post, lets talk about current topic.

So, what game and player got from selling goods to NPC merchants? It is just another one way for player to get money, nothing more. Rarely it  would be the main source of coins for player.
It is not vital part, player get coins for variety of sources.

What we would get, if cut it?
First of all, this aspect is really hard to balance. Of course, it couldn't be the only reason, but lets keep it in mind.
 Next, selling goods feature means tons of micromanagement. Of course, it is roguelikes and we like hardcore, but not that way. Nobody like grinding.
And about hardcore. Yes, it would make game a bit more hardcore and it is good.

Well, decision is simple: shops aren't buying from version 0.1.

197

• Few fixes I made during my vacation, didn’t document them and forget . =)
• GoodSir finished road sprites.
• Fixed creature limits. Game was leveling creatures up to location danger level and, for example, you could meet overpowered 20lvl. rat. So, I have added leveling limits, so creature can’t get more then named level ups. Also, it wasn’t enough, because I made them a bit wide ranged. For example, rat has 5 level ups limit, so rat could be 6 lvl at maximum, such creature would be ridiculously powerful for puny rat. So, I fixed level ups to 1-2 (rarely 3) for nearly all creatures. Also, I’ll fix leveling algorithms, so it would stop producing demigods.
• Material differently affects final item. Now basic materials use default (100%) item statistics, all better materials would be upgrades for default stats. It wouldn’t change game greatly by itself, but would allow me balance it easier.
• The same is for quality. Bad quality is 50% of default item stats (previously 30%) , Cheap 90% (previously 50%).  Also, quality affects accuracy from -12% Bad to +12% Artifact.
• New combat algorithm implementing Accuracy and Dodge. Combats would be faster, balance, more interesting and understandable. Combat mechanics were really puzzling, now you can understand what is going on.
• Changed names of creatures main stats. Names now closer to meaning.
  Strength => Might;
  Dexterity => Reflexes;
  Intellect => Mind;
  Just Endurance remains unchanged.
• Cut dozen of weapon types. They vary because of material and quality, lot of look-alike item types were useless and puzzling. I made it for armour beforehand.

It is good to have have small rest from work.
I looked over current combat system and found it completly unbalanced, cryptic and enigmatic.
Well, it the only part og the game, that hasn't been changed, refactored, but not changed.

So, I'll change it, already changing. I'll post screens soon!

I have returned from vacations and ready to rumble!

It is good to rest a bit from your project and look upon it with refreshed view.
I found, that we need quests for 0.1, basic and rudimentary, like "visit location". It would allow to give direction for new player.

FIXED!
Reproduced unpleasant graphical bug:

OK, it is good to find it before the official release, but
I welcome every advise.

193

• Mostly different clean up. Misplaced ladder here, wrong char there etc

192

• Loading screen
• Main menu background screen
• Borders for all windows
• Talk tweaks. Free line between dialogs, your phrases etc
• Portion of changes at character creation screen

191

• Fixed loot. Item brands shouldn’t appear as independent items.
• Z-menu should be placed  properly.
• Fixed old issue with NPC containers. They would have different containers.
• Mana has been set to moderate level for every location, until magic release. So, magic trinkents can recharge and go online now. =)
• Turned off unfinished perks.
• Cleaned up some trash in Esc menu.

Most important issues that stay between us and 0.1;

·          Moving around town is disturbingly slow! It looks like there is some sort of performance bottle neck.

·         Confused creatures acts a bit strange, it should be fixed.

·         Road tileset should be finished.

·         Z-menu should be finished.

·         Prices of items unbalanced. Some items worth 0 coins.

·         NPC doesn’t get any armor now.

·         I have disrupted all mana flow around the game world, that made all magic trinkets useless.

190

• Fixed bug, when player can apper at wrong place, when travel from global to local map.
• Informational bar has been placed to normal location.
• Returned lost black pixels.
• Food and sleep clock were turned off. For real, now.

• You can change the size of the text log by '`' button.
•  Fixed  bug, that generates the cemetery only, forgetting dens of robbers. 
• Fixed a bug, that prevents game from adding basement at cursed graveyard. 
• Fixed a bug with the initiation of the next level of the dungeon generator. 
• FOV is back.  
• Displaying the cursor at "open container" menu. 
•  The game creates spawning areas for the undead and bandits. (they are not restricted to forests and have access to global objects)

Cursed Cemetery

New global location Cursed Cemetery.
You will find location filled with cursed land, populated by undead.
Also, there would be chance of vault with powerful undead boss.

180+something

• Tweaked furniture. I think, such disturbing items like softwood oven wouldn't appear.
• Added narrow font. Miraculously, it fixed dozen of issues, just because it is narrow! Check the screenshot page.

OpenGL

Hey, boys and girls, by the way, did I wrote that we moved to OpenGL?

No? Well, well, well. Developing game is really cool idea, but leaving blog behind makes our follower, who is waiting for this game (is there anyone? =) ) think, that we forfeit development! NO and NO!

So, what I was speaking about? OpenGL? Yes, I managed to change DirectDraw to OpenGL at less then one week, and yes, I am really proud of it. =)

What does it mean? Crossplatform? Hmm, maybe, maybe!

Random Generators

It is funny, but manual creation of h​amlet of Hallowel (Hello, anybody remember that place?) took almost the same time as the creation of random generator routines for towns in current form.

Also, that hamlet was almost empty and boring, when towns are full of people, furniture and so on. Well, well, well. The most important, that separate modules of random generator now successfully used in other generators (caves, dens, houses, etc.).

Development Concept - game world created by bulk of small generators, that responsible for own small piece, works really great!

Restart

0.1 looks like total restart of our roguelike, and maybe it's for the best.
We even changed the name. =)

Actually, I propose to take look version 0.1 cut out plans. =)
Our new motto is: Feature Cut is the Best friend of game developer!

Let's look at list we would not have in future version:
No hunger. The old hunger system doesn't fit to the current game mechanics. Absolutely. Turning off in 0.1.
Quest. They will go to a separate release, with interesting mechanics, which GoodSir and I developing now.
Active followers. They are cool, but also at separate release.
Any other weapons, except axes and blunt. Each weapon will have its own characteristics and abilities. We will be adding 1-3 weapons per realise.
Magic, Ranged, and so on.
Craft of any sort.
Weather changing and the seasons.
No global events. Like demonic invasion and so on.



Of course It can't be called completely finished game.But, don't  forger that Fallen is realy new game, with the new paradigm of development.So, It can be quite accurately described by the version number 0.1.0.

Build 180
 yep, skipped 179.

• At end of all, nicely working item generator, that accepts minimal data (danger, faction) and gives you furniture or loot for location.
• Fixed unpleasant freezing bug, game could engage into endless loop during floating msgs routines.
• Player would get "tokes" (something liike platinum coins in ELONA) for character development.
• No more perks on level ups.
• New ability for maces (Dazing Strike). Maceman would target bodypart with brains an hit it well. It would make target really confused. Doesn't work on brainless targets, like Giant Helmint or undead.
• Also, good damage to brain holding bodypart could provoke confusion, but Dazing Strike works on undamaged bodyparts and more precise.  

Build 178

• Fixed a bug. Game did not check the requirements for ability target.
• Fixed a bug. Game were picking the wrong spawn zone.
• Fixed a bug. Game were returning creatures to wrong spawn zone.
• Fixed a bug.  Player has been reported that the ability isn't recharged yet, after he selected target.
•  The game checks - is there any creatures left for the faction. If being run out, the game marks a fraction as destroyed and displays a message.
• During a conversation with an NPC log shows this conversation and nothing more.
• New generator mini caves, and refactor of the code, that creates the stairs between levels.
• There is  small cave under players house.
• Fixed Look option (after imlementing OpenGL).
• Trade has been changed. Barter is impossible now. You should buy or sell separately (although you can switch between straight dyring trade). Items would be bought and sold one by one.
•  Passive ability: Bash. Character strike is so strong, that with X% chance completely ignore armor.
• Fixed a bug. NPC could use abilities tied to the arms, without it.
• Unfinished skills temporarily removed from selection.
• Fixed a bug that resulted in the appearance of junk messages at skills selection menu.
• NPC would get weapon skills only if it is possible.
• If a player has found a place of interest on the Global Map (that isn't a city or global object), game would put a note on the map.
• Skill Potential shows as text, not a numerical.

Build 177

• Fixed a bug with spiders and worms bodyparts.
• Fixed a bug that prevented creation of spawning areas for animals, consisting of beings other than bears.
• Now, if a player does not buy a bag at the start, he will receive a free bag (ugly one, of course).

Build 175

• Spawn zones adding and removing creatures and items to/from local map.

build 174

• Refactoring of factions code. Also, fraction can be destroyed. It was not necessary previously, but now it allows game to forbid this fraction from use.
• Basics for the spawn areas. (Create / delete / move randomly).
• Zones for wildlife.
• Kyes 1-0 decoupled from the movement, would be used for hotkeys.

I would post my dev results for Fallen 0.1

173

• You can select world size at the begining of world generation.
• Skill potential changed. It doesn't limits your skill, but represents exchange rate of your skill gains.
• Active abilities returned back to main screen.

Age of Rebirth

It would be the name of 0.1 version, truly the rebirth of Fall From Heaven the Roguelike. During this year, we cuted, added, then removing, again adding, testing, checking, verifying different gameplay features.

Still, we have dozen of unresolved questions.



Well, It looks like you should make have dozen of roguelikes, until you understand them.

I think that full list of features scheduled for 0.1 version would be really helpful.
I mean, what we have left, because list of all changes... well it is huge. I think I wouldn't make list of changes for 0.1, but announce as basic release of new FFHtR.
What I was speaking about? Oh? yes. List of features that stay between us and FFHtR 0.1 "Age of Rebirth"!

• Heavy armor skills and abilities.
• Rest of abilities for weapons + basic balance.
• New melee weapon damage mechanics. it would be based on quality and material, limited by creature strength.
• Passive abilities routines.
• Skill screen merged with abilities.
• Purchasing abilities on level ups.
• Fraction generation screen.
• Additional interface options for items.
• Bitmaps for bodyparts.
• Warm tileset.
• Bunch of interface icons.
• Food refactoring.
• Adjusting global map interface.
• Ability hotkeys. Customiseable.
• At least two additional types of global objects.
• Repair guilds and followers.
• Finish item generator refactoring and repair magic item generator.
• Fix existing craft and link it to new interface.
• Fix dozen of nasty bugs.
• Talk/bump/change location routines.
• Tutorial. At least basic one.
• Allow player to chose options for global map genertor.
• Spawning zones on global map, encounters.

Maybe I forget something, but this is nearly full list.

 

It looks I localized bug, that drops font colors on some computers. Also, during abilities implementation I found how to improve game performance and, well, improved it.
Game works really greater now, so I officially turned “SHOW PC TURNS ONLY” off as default settings.

First ability

For the first time NPC used aggressive ability against PC. Great!
Abilities mechanisms looks so flexible! I'll use them for spells, ranged combat or even items!
NPC drinking potions and zapping wands! Feared or exited?

Fixed Field Of View. It doesn't has glithces now.

Also, game has some strange perfomance glitch. It reproduces on Acer notebooks only. I am really confused.

New screenshot. Interface would be lightweights. All that abilities require this.

 

OMFG!

Hello again.
I wasn't posting for a long period of time.
Because, I think, that there is nobody who reading this blog. It is understandable, FFHtR always was mere roguelike and nearly year without releases.

Yeah. Last realize was 18 June of 2012!
It is nearly year past last release! OMFG!

Well, version 0.1 is really big step in FFHtR development, but one year is one year.
That’s why I want to think about version 0.1 as new game.
Do we need some pre-realise to spice up our motivation or boil until final 0.1?
I don’t know, yet.

Oh!

And I nearly forget.

Tons of fixes, tons of new features, but all this broken nearly halve of the game and second halve was rewritten.

Character creation would be simple and provide more opportunities for character castomization.

jack of all trades

Abilities made me to rework combat, also, I have added skill changing items (such as +10 to cooking).

Added interface for PC, to select target location for ability and tested it with “faint” ability.

Good. Now, the time has come to remove professions from player character too (NPC lost professions some time ago).

Now, you wouldn’t be selecting warrior or mage profession with preset skills, but would be buying skills paying points.

I’ll spent few days reworking character generation.

Purchasing skills would be important, not only because of raw skill, but of skill potential.

For example, every your “never touched” skill (0) would have potential of (INT/5)+(Race_Bonus/2).

For example for creature with INT 20 and Race_Bonus of 5 to Axe skill, potential for untrained axe skill would be 8.

Uninspiring, yeah?

But if you spent some points on skill, your potential would be really greater!

For example, you added two levels to your axe skill for this creature and got.

Level 2:

Skill = 30 + (Race_Bonus *1.5).

Potential: Skill + (Skill Attribute/4)+INT;

It means,

your skill would be 30+7 = 37.

Potential = 37 + (STR20/4) + 20 = 62.

So, it worth spending, especially for initially cleaver creatures.

Also, INT would be ruling attribute for increasing your skill potential.

Formulas above could be changed in realize, of course.

So, you jack of all trades or specialist? Its up to you, now.

Abilities. We are working on abilities. So, you just wouldn’t “bumping” monsters to death, but fighting them, using different abilities, based on skills or racial perks.
Yes, I was writing about it for many times, but now it begins!
Likewise player can use abilities against monster, Monsters would use them against you!
Noncombat abilities would come next.