spawn, generators and "mini fallen"

Made my last stand in the sieged settlement. Inhabitants fought well, but they were losing their solders one by one.

At some breaking point, intruders became too strong and numerous and defenders suffered great casualties. Town was overwhelmed. I loot weapon and armour from the dead bodies and tried to escape, but was cornered not far from the town.

I was testing the gameplay that combines dynamic and static spawn of the monsters. Game doesn’t just spawn random creatures or adjust them to your level of your character.

It uses none of these techniques.

When «just random spawn of X-N level monsters» isn’t bad at all, and can provide decent fun. It has one problem, it is too random and it hurts from time to tile.

From other hand, the dynamic level adjustment is a poisoned salve. It sounds cool at first – player always get the challenge and progress.

But this is the problem! None of them are given by dynamic level adjustment.

I am not going to take your time and writing about it. It is rather well developed topic.

The main idea, that Fallen handles monster spawn in a different manner. I don’t want to spoil your fun and write the exact algorithms.

Also, I have finished (YES!) all this book interface routines.

Character screen is looks like book with bookmarks. Inventory, character sheet, skills.

Book is flexible now, I can add all types of “pages” we need, for example diary etc.

Started factions development.

It is sort of “super groups” that every creature belongs to.

Creatures are no longer having «diplomatic» status. It is groups and factions only. To tell the truth: only factions for now. There is no real need in rogue groups of friendly factions. Maybe later.

Put owner flag at the items, added blood splatter and other small cosmetic fun stuff.

Anything else?

Of course, we have big, even huge plans for «Fallen», but it is always cool to have something playable.

That’s why we decided (about month ago) to create «mini Fallen» at first. Smaller, but playable variant of the big game.

Like 7DRL, that would be developed in to big game, but in our case it would be 7MRL ^_^.

When it is done, we can test it and work on expanding something working, rather than defunct one.

We have about two weeks until the «deadline» we set to ourselves.

Your adventure

I read my blog and discovered that I wrote about nearly everything – threads, classes, inventory, interface, algorithms, landing pads for gay Martians etc.
Except for the game itself, for the experience you are going to get in the game.
Something simple like – “this game is about collecting treasures and beating monsters!”.

Okay. Let’s try to do this and then copy it to “About Fallen” page with “understanding post”.
First of all, small task for me: Describe Fallen gameplay experience in a three sentences.

Game take plays in the big system of catacombs bellow the earth surface – “The Frontier”.
You take a role of “free hunter” character that explores these catacombs, fighting necromutants and blight plants, collecting ancient artifacts and avoiding traps.
Your goal is to collect and “sell” decent number of ancient artifacts to get the top rank and win the game.

That’s it!
Now a bit more detailed explanation, but about the gameplay only, avoiding “In the Year of 465564 the Kingdom of Bubblemurder was…”.
It is okay to be inside the game Fallenpedia or ingame books, but if you risk writing it in the description, then take care about the readers and provide them with “free pillow” coupons.

First Feature: All world in game simultaneously.
You travel through the huge catacombs, but it isn’t the global map and portions of small maps within.
It is big map that computer keeps in the memory. 
Different things happen here and there.
Of course, player is Avatar, but he isn’t the only active person in the game.
You walk over the catacombs, find mutants fighting guards etc.
We don’t plan to create the real world simulator; It is absurd plan for one lifetime.
But, events driven world is great alternative, isn’t it?
Event driven, you ask? Rather simple, game would have few dozens of ‘blocks’, like move monster unit there, spawn creature here, activate traps in this region, increase/ decrease ‘heat’ in this place etc.
This events? would be announced to player, if it would be passing by and they would play collisions.
Simple example: Spawn Monster in region N, Move adventurers group from A to N.
We got the collision. Then, game increased ‘heat’ in region N. Poor adventurers or not poor.
Frankly, it is a bit more complicate and simpler in the same time, but, this description gives some understanding of the process.

Game take plays in the big system of catacombs bellow the earth surface – “The Frontier”.
That’s right. Player starts in the underground settlement, connected to the catacombs network.
The map isn’t to be really huge for the first release, to keep all features close, instead of scattered all around the monstrous map. As long we expand the game, we would expand the map. Classic method.
Map has this list of features:
Settlement. 1-2 per map. You start at the one of them. It would serve as relatively safe place to rest, exchange artifact for fame and purchase equipment. Also, you can talk with NPC.
Catacombs main tunnels. This is wilderness of the Fallen.
'Dungeons' locations with tombs to explore and rob!
Custom locations. Place to some random stuff to occur.


You take a role of “free hunter” character that explores these catacombs, fighting necromutants and blight plants, collecting ancient artifacts and avoiding traps.
Player wouldn’t get classic quests during the game, instead of this you can zoom out using mouse wheel and check “popup” tasks nearby.
Possible tasks list:
Classic, defeat enemy group.
Explore location.
Defeat powerful enemy.
Need item.
Check great shop offer.
Protect creature.
Don’t disturb, I am on adventure ^_^.
Collect resources.
etc
Yes, this is representations of the event to the player.

Your goal is to collect and “sell” decent number of ancient artifacts to get the top rank and win the game.
This is your long-term goal. Fallen would be a winnable game, even being a sandbox.
I plan at least three ways to acquire artifacts. You can find them by yourself, rob other adventurers or purchase on the black market.
All of them has their own drawbacks.  You can guess them for yourself. ^_^
And yes, achieve multiple major goals and win Fallen!

inventory clean up

Inventory isn't "that" messed up, as it was yesterday, but I have to finalize drag&drop from inventory to slots, from slots to inventory and from ground to slots.
It is work for few minutes.
Also, tooltip window is on the row.

ah yeah, cool Hit Points and Experience window. All Hail the GoodSir.

09/04/14

Sometimes I find current progress rather insignificant for the blog to post.
Oh my, It just like my resolution - "never touch the code, if your are tired"!
I spent a lot of time, fixing the most obscure and bizarre bugs (these words are the best to describe these bugs), made during exhausted coding.
Please, go to bed and then write good code, but no!
From time to time I give up to anticipation for work and got what I got!

The same is for the blog. Why do I think for you?
 If you like, you will read. You don't like, you don't read and I have nothing to do about it.
The worst thing I can do :"don't write about this insignificant stuff".
I think, it is up to you to decide!

Well then - Drag & Drop. Yeah. it is the inventory.
You can grab the item and move here and there.
I have some code clean up in inventory class and some finalization job, but it works and works well!
The most surprising stuff for me was that drag & drop is easer to implement, then classic roguelike "keyboard only" interface! Surprise!

Of course, I left "click to pick up" (or hot key) routines at the main screen.
So you don't have to drag&drop items, while you are on the main screen.
Drag & drop is cool, but it doesn't mean that it should be push it everywhere.
For example: "pick up coins in one click or 'p' hot key" (ideally auto pick up) or "grab coins and drag them to purse".
It overburdens interface in such cases.

Next cool and useful feature.
Game would have lot of game play, based on global map.
It means, you should have free, quick and comfortable access to this map!
Done!
Use mouse wheel to zoom right up to global map and back to the game.

close zoom out

distant zoom out

Chess figures are a bit bugged representation of creatures' groups.
Chess figures are temporary measure, of course.

What next?

I have to finish global map information windows, fix road map glitches and inventory looks messy and unfinished.

Also, Jesus05 finished powerful debug system for Fallen.
We have to put it to use.
Heh, debug doesn't implement for itself.
It is enough for now.

EDIT:
Oh yeah. Just forget. As you can see on the inventory screenshot, font mechanism was tweaked.
Game supports up to "a lot of" fonts (three looks like enough) and they can be changed with ease.