Hair, weapons armour, accessories and cloth. You can see them on creature in game!

Something we want for a long time. Equipped items are to be displayed on creature!
Along with head hair, facial hair of different colour.
You are no longer would be surrounded by clones!

Trade - check!

Done!
Now you can trade with every single sapient and friendly creature in Catacombs. They are eager to sell you every single item that belongs to their group in a specified radius.
It will be this way until creature role 'Trader' would be implemented.

So, if you find nice, but forbidden item try to lure nearby owner to come closer to it. Don't ask me how. ^_^

Property and Talk with creature

First.  I have finished property and found that private level of property  (items of creature) is a bit of overkill for our game model.
If creature is a member of a group items would be property of this group along with other items generated for this group. It includes its corpse and dropped loot too.
While creature has items on him or her or itself (Yeah, I am 'That' political correct. We should respect undead creatures. ^_^).
So, while creature has these items in a possession.  They are literally belongs to this creature.
All other items are belong to a group. The life in Catacombs is a bit socalistic, deal with it. ^_^

Second: I reworked Talk screen a bit. Removed test features and add one basic dialog.
'Talk' will wait until true world generation would be done, until then, creatures don't have a lot to tell you.
This screen would be a starting point for trade.

Next step is trade with Player. Creatures would be always eager to sell you some garbage!

Creature groups ==> Property ==> Economy ==> Money,Trade and Bounties ==> Profit!

User story: As a Player I want creatures to form different groups and be members of these groups. Like towns or bands.

I scheduled  the development of trade and basic economy (shops, money, rewards and bounties).
Research has shown that I need basic property to be fulfilled at first.
To make property game needs normal groups of creatures.
It leads us to current user story.

At first I have removed very old and outdated 'spawn zones' code. It was nice idea, but it resulted to be very awkward experience for player, so it stayed in game as a bunch of useless routines, eating up CPU time.
Once it was removed the peace has come to world of Fallen, because spawn zones were used to check friend/foe condition in most cases.
But not for long. I have returned friend/ foe recognition by using creature basic fractions, like necromutants, humans, wild creatures and so on.
War, war never changes.

Now I implement creature groups, the higher level of creature organisation, but!
There are a big of difference with old spawn zone system.
First, Creature may be a member of a group, but shouldn't be. Making every single creature to be a member of specified group is a bit of overkill.
For example, Necromutants don't care, do they members of 'mutants company of eastern forest'. They act according to their instincts and not group values.
It is no difference where have you met a Necromutant, their intentions are allays the same: Kill All Humans!
Because of this, most of non sapient creatures will use generic faction rules.
This decision removes a lot of burden to handle literally useless groups of mutants, roaches, rats and so on.

Second. As my previous experience shows, relations between NPC groups, unlike relations of Player VS NPC groups, should be as simple as possible, Reason one, game regularly check friend/foe relations between NPC and NPC, it may clutter CPU time with useless calculations. Reason two, too complicate relations between different NPC groups could be unclear and not fun for player.
That's why I have decided to keep groups relations on Group Values.
And values will have constant tables of friend/foe interrelations. Quick and simple.
For the first version of groups I'll use only one Value - "Law" and I think it would be more then enough for long-long period.
Groups of sapient creatures could be Lawful and Outlaw.
Table is:
Lawful vs Lawful = neutral;
Lawful vs Outlaw = enemy;
Outlaw vs Outlaw = enemy;

As I said, simple. Player would have more complicate relations system with these groups, but player is player.

It allows us to divide our sapient creatures (now humans only) into groups, like villagers of specified town or homestead and different band and ruffians!
Once I'll finish band, necromutants and roaches will not be the only 'meanies'  of Fallen.

Also, groups would handle property for creatures.
For example, some items would be in private property of specified creature, still they would be a property of a group and group will inherit stuff once creature will demise.

Portion of future Epic user stories

It is a collection of future Epic User Stories for our Trello page, their purpose is to help us to achieve our Epic goal:

Create living simulation of underground postapocaliptic world with a steampunk flavor.

Player should be able to take any role in this society from explore and warrior to builder, shopkeeper or beggar.  

==

Towns and Cities.

As a player I want to have access to various activities without leaving town or traveling between towns. I can play game for hours without living city border. (quests, crafts, trades, mobsters, temple and corporate stuff etc)

So, I want towns to have..

I want towns to have different houses consisting from more than one room.

I can meet real home owner. Home owner wants me to respect his or her privacy and property;

I want towns to have shops based on town size and resources.

Smaller towns and homestead would have one general store and / or one specified shop.
When big cities may have even shop district.

I expect general stores to sell different stuff from all categories of items by reselling it without real production.

Special shops would be built near specified workshops.

I want to see:

Smithy - melee weapons and smithy tools;

Apothecary - chemicals and solutions;

Inventor’s shops  - cogwheels, springs, steam engines and other mechanical stuff;

Leatherworker and cobbler – armours, and leather cloth,  boots;

Clothier – cloth;

Gunsmith – firearms, bullets and tools for guns;

Baker, Butcher, winemaker – foods and drinks.

Snailmaster – sells pack snails.

As a player I want to buy or setup my own business in any of theirs categories. Run my own shop, hire and fire workers. Also, I want a competition from competitors.

I want towns to have Taverns and halls (Also they should exist on their own near roads).

I want to buy food and drinks in Taverns, gamble and chat to locals.

Towns should have law enforcement, that will do more job except  killing random necromutants.

Law enforcement keeps records of crimes (including mine).
From one hand they will not attack me on sight if I have stolen a spoon, but from other hand they have to understand 2+2 and be suspicious about me if thievery spree starts right after my arrival.  

Towns should send patrols to fight necromutants and ruffians.

I want towns and locations to keep reputation of other eternities (including me).

It should be Civilization-like relations model like:

We caught you stealing -10;

You killed a lot of necromutants around town +15;

You sold artifact at our town. We appreciate it! + 10;

You own small property in our town. +5

You have made nasty deeds against our foes. We like it! +5.

Total: +25 (warm)

I should be able to find small jobs in town. Some of them are not very heroic.

For the relations with other eternities it would be decided during world generation.

I may expect to be attacked by law enforcements if  wear cloth associated with other eternity they hate.

I want towns to be source of different quests I can solve to get fame, coins or food, if am really desperate and it is really tiny quest.

City watch (law enforcement) should set prizes for necromutants around town if mana wind is strong enough.

Good bonuses should attracts bounty hunters that will not be in town for long.

Big enough towns should have Magistrate.

Magistrate should keep records of people and their lives. Also they should give ‘political’ quests and other various tasks for you to do. They will pay you for cartography achievements.

As player I want to meet interesting people with a history, fears and stories.

People may tell me their stories or refuse if they find me repulsive or unfriendly.

I may gain friendship of people by doing stuff they find good for them. Both for specified persons or whole eternity.

Builder:
I should be able to build house, shed or even manor. Yes, building.

These objects should be properly registered as map objects or even global map objects.

I want to assign a role for this building except for my ‘hero’s lair’.

I may want to build, for example, a workshop, hire people and start working as a smith there.

Wealth:

Making a fortune should be useful for me.

I want to buy interesting items. Especially I want to have a market, maybe black market, of great and rare and utterly expensive good.

I want to hire people to do tasks for me or assign my own quests for NPC.

I should be able to give bribes to people and get their favor or they may refuse it they hate me enough or find it disgusting.

I want to purchase property, hire someone to create property, including monuments in my honor or the honor of my cat.

I want to make crazy things with my wealth, like building ruby houses.

I want to donate my money to development of cities, towns or homesteads.

I want to use my money to corner local economy and buyout towns!

Exploration and explorers:

Mana fluctuation may occur opening rifts to different locations. Even if they close in some period of time it will reopen later.
Because of this local governments pay you good coins for exploring it and bringing back artifacts from these “lagoons”.   

Once you find a lagoon entrance you can enter it and travel there. Your entrance may occasionally close and you will have to find a new one.
With enough skill you may understand when it will close or keep it open for longer period.

‘Lagoons’ are strange locations completely perverted by wild mana.

Novice adventure:

As a novice adventure I want to have a chance to join a guild of adventurers and seek their guidance and help.

World Generation

I want game to create world with a history starting from Exodus (moment when people fled to Catacombs) instead of just placing them.

I want to see and read history of fist conquer of the frontier, met historical locations or monuments.

Underground rivers

I want to find and explore underground rivers and lakes.

Exploring water needs special equipment.

Very specific loot can be found underwater.

Bridges and ferries.

Mana wind

I want mana to be dangerous contamination agent.
It will affect necromutants activity, so they will rise in bigger numbers and be more aggressive.

It have to contaminate living beings giving them strange changes and effects.
Towns should be built in calm places, while interesting locations maybe have high mana level.
I want equipment to help me with mana contamination (like suits).

Mana should contaminate trees (huge mushrooms) turning them into flesh hunting monsters.

Trees:

I want more use of trees (huge mushrooms).

Traps:
I want to experience traps, both natural like quicksand and made by living creatures (sapient and not).

Farms:

They grow food and shepherd snails and roaches.

I want to steal fruits from farms or grow them.

Necromutants

I want them to be a blight of world of Fallen instead of just mobs.

They shouldn’t be constantly aggressive, but if mana level is low they may just wander around without purpose.

Mana they drop should be very contaminating. It should change the look of the level in period of time.

Ruffians

Small groups of villains. They shouldn’t be always aggressive towards player (For example, by default they would be semi-neutral, don’t attacking player inside their camps).
Player should be able to take villain role, lead the band or wipe them.

Villains offer quests that usually bring disorder and chaos to ‘civilized’ towns.

Character creation. The plan was fullfiled.

Oh.Yes! I did it! Now you can literally build your character from Lego-like blocks.

Every single block is a feature. Purchase nice features or get points for 'not so nice'.
Save your points or get more after level up and buy new features!
Click on features to the right and they will go to window on the left and vice versa.

At first I'll put all features in one big heap. Later on, of course I'll have to sort them into in to groups. Also, some features shouldn't be available after character creation, because they describe character history, but not achivments.

So, I have one day+ before Sharing Saturday at /r/roguelikes/.
I have to dig up all features burred in game and add them into a Feature pile!


Cheerse!

Character creation

Current Story: As a Player I want to have a possibility to select stats/skills/abilities and therefore create my own class.

I am in awe with games that have mighty character creation!
For example Cataclysm DDA.
If Cataclysm wouldn't has any actual game after character creation, I am sure, there would be people who play it.
Infinite replayability is one of the results of good character creation and character progression (of course).

My plan is to add good character creation and progression to Fallen.
How is your character to be created and develop?
First of all, Fallen doesn't have creature stats like STR/DEX/CON etc. 
Every single creature has a selection of secondary combat stats.
These stats, as you can guess from their name are used for combat calculations.
Armour, Dodge, Move speed, Melee Accuracy, Melee Damage, Melee Attack speed, Ranged Accuracy, Ranged Damage, Ranged Attack speed.
As usual, all secondary stats, as usual, are based on another creature primary stats, perks and skills.

But! If our character has no primary stats how it would be created and progress?

Perks and features!
You will build your character from features like Lego blocks.

Game will give limited amount of character points to create an avatar.
You will buy different features for your character from a big pool.
Every single feature isn't a skill, perk or stats, but potentially all of them.
For example feature 'robust health' will grant your character additional HP, both as static bonus and per level. Rather classic perk, isn't it?
Another feature 'Internal steam engine' means that your character endured painful surgery and now has mana powered steam engine inside body. It will allow to use steam based abilities and add manometer to game interface. 
You can get 'Steam discipline' feature. It will give your character a steam based ability. I think that player should be allowed to 'purchase' steam abilities even without 'Internal steam engine' ^_^. Nobody prohibits you to learn skills you cant use. In theory. For future purpose, but we will see.

Of course, you can purchase negative features to get more Character Points to buy positive features and so on.

Once you are done, these features would be applied to a character.

I set a deadline for myself to finish mentioned above: this Saturday.