April Update
Once again, the first Saturday has arrived and with it a monthly update post.
If you've been following these updates, you'll know that the current priority is getting the game into a state where it can be played beginning to end. The biggest hurdle to that right now is sufficient main-phase random events. So this month I picked up where I left off and continued writing those.
This graphic may not seem particularly frightening, but there are some implications. You see, the current batch of events are random events that are triggered by player traits. I opted for a uniform flow for these; it makes composition and balancing ever so slightly easier. There is an introduction to the scenario, a "safe" choice that takes you away from the trait that triggered it, and another choice that takes you toward the trait but randomly will go well or badly. That's 4 pieces of content per trait. Also, there are two different scenarios per trait: one for simply having the trait, another for having a high value of the trait.
All that's fine and good if you have, like, 5 traits. In DGR, there are 49 traits that participate in this scheme — and a few more that do not. Most of these events (though not all) are fairly simple, but still result in some faction adjustments in addition to the movement of traits. However it turns out that writing 392 pieces of content is a bit time consuming. I have not quite written all 392, but I am close to finishing this part. Some examples:
More main-phase random events still need to be written after this. Specifically random events that flow from the faction values and from the seasons are required. All of the above trait-based random events are allowed to repeat, but carry a multiple year cooldown. There must be other events that are more amenable to repetition, should nothing with a higher weight be chosen. Besides, all these events can alter personality traits, and personality is meant to be rather less malleable upon the conclusion of the introductory phase in Normandy.
When all that's complete, as frightening as it is to say, I think I want to start testing. Hopefully more on that soon.
Main Phase Random
If you've been following these updates, you'll know that the current priority is getting the game into a state where it can be played beginning to end. The biggest hurdle to that right now is sufficient main-phase random events. So this month I picked up where I left off and continued writing those.
This graphic may not seem particularly frightening, but there are some implications. You see, the current batch of events are random events that are triggered by player traits. I opted for a uniform flow for these; it makes composition and balancing ever so slightly easier. There is an introduction to the scenario, a "safe" choice that takes you away from the trait that triggered it, and another choice that takes you toward the trait but randomly will go well or badly. That's 4 pieces of content per trait. Also, there are two different scenarios per trait: one for simply having the trait, another for having a high value of the trait.
All that's fine and good if you have, like, 5 traits. In DGR, there are 49 traits that participate in this scheme — and a few more that do not. Most of these events (though not all) are fairly simple, but still result in some faction adjustments in addition to the movement of traits. However it turns out that writing 392 pieces of content is a bit time consuming. I have not quite written all 392, but I am close to finishing this part. Some examples:
What's Next
More main-phase random events still need to be written after this. Specifically random events that flow from the faction values and from the seasons are required. All of the above trait-based random events are allowed to repeat, but carry a multiple year cooldown. There must be other events that are more amenable to repetition, should nothing with a higher weight be chosen. Besides, all these events can alter personality traits, and personality is meant to be rather less malleable upon the conclusion of the introductory phase in Normandy.
When all that's complete, as frightening as it is to say, I think I want to start testing. Hopefully more on that soon.