0.2.5: Development Screenshots 41

Morning, apothecaries!

I'm still chipping away at this, but it's been a slow week due to a lot of issues. However, I'm finally getting some mapping done after a long slump where I did no mapping at all, and have been writing dialogue where, for some reason, it was taking me forever to get started writing dialogue.

Speaking of dialogue, here's some from an elf!

Tathaln lives on Mt. Gwylio ever since he moved in a couple of hundred years ago. It's (usually) not a bad place to live.

0.2.5: Development Screenshots 40

Morning!

I've mostly been focusing on finishing things that were close to done this week, as well as working on something in 0.2.5 that I can't spoil; I had less time than I'd hoped to work on Ruphand, but I should be able to pick up the pace next week.

In the meantime, have one of the few screenshots I can give of the spoilery thing I worked on!

Brill's hat has a complicated and tragic backstory. 

(Disclaimer: hat's backstory is not actually complicated or tragic.)

0.2.5: Development Screenshots 39

Good morning, apothecaries!

I'm happy to report that the first iteration of World Map Sampling's almost done. I made all the encounter maps in the first batch (which includes every part of Evrandel except the water) and all the unique item rewards; all that's left is to finish the "Sample" event itself, and fill it out with the lists of ingredients and encounters I did a write-up for. (You'll be able to find ingredients everywhere, but Kitaban and Altolato won't have any encounters yet.) Most encounters will be more easily found if you haven't cleared them before; the bandits in the first video are the exception.

In future updates, I'm planning on adding more encounters to Kitaban and Altolato, and having new encounters appear on the list after certain key story events. I'm also thinking about adding a means of searching out those encounters directly if Brill hasn't already cleared them, but that'll all be post-0.2.5. (Hopefully without nearly as much of a delay as 0.2.5's had :P)

Here's one such encounter!

You might actually be able to guess where this one is.

0.2.5: Development Screenshots 38

Good day, apothecaries!

Honestly, I'd like to apologize. When I first started work on 0.2.5, I expected it to take significantly less time than it did. I think I even projected "it'll be out in two months" at one point. It's clear that that didn't happen, because:

• I was looking for work, and later, was at work. They weren't kidding when they said it's hard to find your first job; I had to basically throw my resume at every job that fit and hope one of them hired me! Said 'first job' (which I'm currently at) has a fairly long commute on top of that, and I get up early to avoid traffic, all of which makes it hard to work on this for too long without getting sleepy on a weekday.
  
• I had to work out some details. 0.2.5 is where some major plot points will show up, and I had to hash out what lead to what and what is motivating who and things I have to not mention because they'd be humongous spoilers.
  
• I got sidetracked, big time. This was largely due to YouTube and video games (well, the ones I'm not making). I'm terribly sorry about this in particular.

I'm sorry that things didn't turn out as planned, and I hope I can have Ruphand out soon now that I've dealt with some issues.

As far as my current progress with 0.2.5 (note that these "percents" are approximations):

• World Map Sampling: 65% (Sample data is planned but not implemented; The first batch of encounter maps, which will cover existing locations, has all encounter enemies programmed, but the maps need finishing and I need to implement the items)
• The Magic Raft and Ocean areas: 100%
• Altolato and Centra Fort: 100%
• Nortahn/Grandfort: 80% (A few side/connecting maps)
• Grand Ring Lake: 95% (I really just need to put in a dragon statue event and add a few treasures)
• Arkenvali Academy: 80% (Some eventing; many parts are closed off in 0.2.5, and will be accessible in another update, likely one soon after 0.2.5)
• Daltah (except Mines): 40% (A few houses, and some events)
• Daltah Mines: 10% (I have nothing there except the entrance, really)
• Mirage Monument: 35% (Puzzles are all planned out, but most await implementation)
• Defia Castle: 50% (Events need fixed, map features need programming)
• Mt. Gwylio: 95% (Really, all that's left are map connection events!)
• That golem foundry level I showed off: 70% (Most of the maps are complete, but the boss room and another room have a fair bit of work connected to them both)
• ???: 50% (No spoilers!)
• ??? #2: 5% (Again, no spoilers!)

So, in the meantime, look at this maze!

There's a gimmick to this maze, but I'm not saying it yet.

0.2.5: Development Screenshots 37

Morning!

I've mostly been working on the Mirage Monument's riddles and puzzles. There's quite a few of them, and solving them all will net some useful items.

Here's one of the aforementioned rooms in the meantime.

0.2.5: Development Screenshots 36

Good morning! ...wow, Screenshots 36 already? It's been over nine months! I need to get to work!

At the very least, I have been working on things, though my new schedule continues to slow down progress on the game. I had to re-do some of the pyramid dungeon shown in an earlier screenshot. But now I've done enough pre-planning that I may have the dungeon completed by Sunday.

Fire Scarabs are one threat you'll face in the Mirage Monument.

0.2.5: Development Screenshots 35

Good morning, apothecaries! Hopefully everyone's been staying warm up here, because it's cold outside!

I've been doing a little work on the Pyramid dungeon, but the main thing I've been working on is the Dark Foundry. The Foundry's got a total of two more rooms to map out, and they're both small.

I've also been revisiting some events I made near the beginning of work on this update.

Not all is well in Defia.