There was an October and November 2011 when I did a lot of things for the Courier of the Crypts and even released in-game preview videos. And then, there was silence…
If we skip elements like job and studying I had to rewrite the framework on which this game runs, so this is the reason for no “visual” previews and progress. Most people ask if I really had to rewrite it instead of just finishing the game with what I have.
I put considerable ammount of thinking into this issue because past experience taught me that this leads nowhere except to another unfinished project because there is always something new to add and you end up in the endless loop.
I had in mind the new design of the framework and did it right away (in a week or two) and after that I’ve packed the old game code and moved it to it’s new home. Of course there were some big changes and most of the code had to be rewritten but this time it works so much better.
So, what are the results of rewriting the framework and the game logic:
- About 40% less code
- Faster development
- Easier to add or change special effects in the game (like animations, particles etc.)
Was it worth it? Totally!
I’m already near the end of writing the game logic so I’ll most likely start with the level design and pixelling more stuff for the environment in February. Next time I’ll explain how “treasure” system (aka replayability) will work but until then…
…Enjoy the weeked!
There will be cracks in the ground trough which lava will glow, spider nets, spike pits, ghost… but I can’t show you everything now, at least not yet 
Mockup for the story map
I just love to-do lists, because I don’t like to keep all task that I have to do in my head (including those to buy pizza). Ussualy I make more lists while working on the project. Why? Because I don’t want to be like “Oh man, there are so many things to do, project is not going anywhere“, so I make smaller lists that gives me a feeling that I’m moving forward. Today I took some time to write one of those detailed lists and it’s about the stuff that needs polishing…It’s very long but hey, it’s always nice when you can cross-out something from it, right? I have wrapping paper, lipstick and other visual-shapers ready to polish some stuff. I’ll just start at some “yuck” source code, it’s a very good place to start.
It’s neither time nor monsters that threats, but the fire of your magic torch. Everytime you make a move, flame on your torch lowers and when it runs out, courier is helpless. Of course, there is lurking evil in the crypts as well as nasty puzzles but the most important thing is your torch because visibility and safety depends on it’s power.
Since the game is not heavily based around action, there aren’t many monsters but I’ve designed them carefuly so each of them requires different approach. E.g. some may be affraid of fire then others won’t stop before it. Among other mechanics you’ll have to think about that as well in order to pass on your letter. In accordance with the thematic I didn’t forget on spooky moments that will make your heart beat faster (just a little, don’t worry ). There are more things that I won’t mention here but all together, I should desrcibe my game as spooky-action-puzzle-adventure … I should really work on this to shorten it up, ey?