So, I finally decided against my precious better judgement to allow EVERYONE to play the game. Now, while this is a good thing for multiple reasons, it also carries it's negatives, and I feel compelled to list those for you, so you all know what I now get to deal with from this decision:
Positives:
- Publicity! People get to know about this game, tell their friends, and gather a following so people can enjoy this game in the future when there is more content (similar to when Corruption of Champions started out!)
- Feedback! I get the input from the entire community of 3 websites (at least) about ideas, submissions, suggestions, bug-finds, thinks that are liked/disliked, so-on and so-forth! This will help improve everything about the game, and make you, the player, feel invested and want to play more!
- Free(dom)! I don't have to limit you all from playing - you can all play to your heart's content, until you get bored of testing a particular thing BESIDES the previously planned idea of just letting you play the first 'edition' of each Phase and allowing access to a select few.
Negatives:
- Publicity! Alteratio will come across as an incomplete game to those who don't know anything about it, they will not play again, and tell anyone else who shows interest in Alteratio to back away from 'that crappy, incomplete game'.
- Pre-determined impressions! Some people think that if something is in a game, it WILL NOT CHANGE. And because it will not change, or lacks something that appeals to them, they quit and never return, also informing everyone to avoid Alteratio. [Alteratio is a game made by both me AND you, so YOU have the power to change it! Just say the words :)]
- Haters! People will come along to troll me or the game simply because they don't like me and Alteratio - it'll demotivate me and will slow the progress of the game sometimes, if it gets bad enough. I have 3 communities, so it can easily happen.
So, I felt that the benefits out-weighed the negatives, so we'll see how it goes.
For more information especially pertaining to the state of the game and it's direction, please continue to read-on!
I thought a location here on the blog as well as a post INSIDE of the game would inform users of what is going on with the game, but it seems I'm mistaken and will state HERE what the game contains, where to find information, and what to expect right now and in the future:
WHAT TO EXPECT NOW
- Expect an empty, non-existent game.
- Expect the 'outline' of what is to come - 6 empty 'rooms' that will contain Phase 2+ content
- Expect only certain parts of the character creator to function
- Expect the general functionality of everything to work somewhat
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE FUTURE
- You can visit the entire list HERE
- Finishing the Character Creator first, then Transformation mechanics, then combat mechanics, then all of the previous ones in an area of 'test play'.
- Updating the game and fixing bugs!
I hope we are on the same page now, and I don't get asked the silly question/statement 'Oh, there's nothing here!'
Now, to be a bit more specific on what I have so far, and the thoughts behind it:
Character Creation (as a whole):
I'm sure that at least one time, when you've played an RPG game before, you just can't QUITE make the character you had in mind - you either end up making someone else or 'making due' with what is available.
Since Alteratio's goal is to immerse you into your character, then it only makes sense to make the character you want to be immersed in, right?
With that ideal, my goal is to make a very through and vague creation system - several parts of your character is defined, but each part can be interpreted/used in multiple ways (Ex. a Barbarian isn't JUST a barbarian, it can be a Rage Mage - the Assassin can be a Spy or a Master of Disguise - the Swashbuckler can be a Pirate or a Gladiator) to fit YOUR play-style.
As much as I want to, I cannot make every single possibility of character out there, but if I make things vague enough, you should be able to make your own 'definition' on what a particular part of Character Creation means, and even conform it to your own uses without forcing or losing anything in the process.
Classes:
I touched on it a little above, but I have (currently) 15 classes that I would LOVE to have in the game to start.
I believe that each one is unique in some way/form, all of them are somewhat appealing to play, most of them are broad to be able to make other 'classes', and that they are fairly balanced;
That's the goal, anyway!
I don't won't there to be an 'optimized way' to play the game - I want a game where EVERYTHING is appealing, and is meant to simply be a world for you to RP in, in a way you enjoy with who you enjoy playing as.
At the moment, I'm planning on reworking Divine (which is kinda a 'catch-all' category for anything such as demonic powers, god-like powers, or alien time-traveling powers from robots.) since all of the classes there have... below-par abilities. The idea is in the ball-park, but it's left-field and NOT a home-run if you catch-my-meaning.
Races:
So, currently there are 7: In the future, I plan to have more, but by the end of the 'Alpha', I hope to have each Race with 4 or so variations each - Ex. Human would have Human, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Half-Elemental (Fire, Water, Earth, Air).
These are simply going to be 'descriptions' that are vague as well - I'll basically give some common traits of the race and some stereotypes, but you should still have the ability to make a Dwarf just like the one in that book you read instead of the typical D&D or Lord of the Rings version (Since you're the one reading about what a typical Dwarf is, and you can envision them in a way you want/desire).
Currently I'm trying to work out what their 'normal' bonus would be without the variations (which will be added later on during , like phase 3/4!) as well as such a description without bringing up too many 'flags' that impede my goal.
Aspects:
Your Stat-points, plain and simple!
I need to give a description of what each one does (that 'Info' in each of them is where it will be displayed) but otherwise it'll more than likely be set-up in this manner!
The only other thing that might change is the amount of Aspect Points you get (45 was a nice number since you could average everything to 10, which is JUST below average)
Backgrounds:
I've gotten some feedback saying that people would feel 'confined' in the way I was doing it in the past, but now I think I've managed to find a method that still gives this 'vague' feeling that allows you to customize your experience!
It'll be set-up like Perks and Aspects in the sense that you get Background Points: I'm thinking 3.
You'll have a list of background to choose from, divided into categories (like Classes) such as Jobs, Goals, Accomplishments, and you can choose some things that your character has done.
If I do add an age function, then I might base these points based on your age, but that's still up in the air.
I'll talk more about it when the time comes to begin working on this ^.-
Talents:
These are effectively 'mini-skills', where they add up and average out into an actual skill (Ex. Sword and Fist and Staff and Two-handed and Single-handed (Talents) are all in the 'Fighting' Skill') similar to how the Aspect points work - the three Ability ones ad up and average out to give you your Ability!
There isn't much I can say on them yet, but they play a BIG part in most actions that you take - interacting with others, combat, searching, even looking around and secret/additional things to do!
The action menu, as I envision it (let's see how well I can pull it off) will be something that allows you to choose a 'basic' action, then from there you chose how you preform the action.
Ex. You choose ATTACK. From there, you decide that you are going to use your SWORD in a flurry of nimble strikes by using your COORDINATION. Or perhaps you wish to use your MAGIC and weave a song into it with your ORATORY skill.
So I wish it will be, but it is NOT official!
Perks:
By far the funnest part of this whole character creation to make, I'll probably try to do a campaign for a week to just get Perk ideas from you all!
Perks can be Positive or Negative - you start with 0 Perk Points, so you don't have to take any unless you want to!
When you get a positive perk it deducts points, and when you get a negative perk it grants points.
This will customize your experience even further than any of the other methods (since this is kinda the 'catch-all' that can even have similar abilities to any other part of the Character Creation), so it's important that I have a lot of variety!
Think Fallout-style perks. I'd personally love around 25 to start, but we'll see.
Description:
This has already erupted into a conversation/debate of sorts over at Fenexo's, so go there and read-up on it if you haven't already!
This is such an important topic and such a LARGE one, that I'll cover it more thoroughly when the time draws near, but know this - I want it to be better than anything you've seen before, so I'll need all the help I can get! ^.^
So, that's Phase 1 for you in a Nut-shell, and what to be expecting in the next while, while you play what little I have and start seeing the updates roll in. These are the goals and ideals I deal with when I make what I make, so I'd love feedback to see if I actually DO fit these goals, because if I'm not, then I need to change something.
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My final notes:
I've said many times that 'I'll have the game done by <x >time!', and have failed to deliver on multiple occasions. In order to not disappoint people over and over again, here is how I'll be doing my scheduling from now on:
Every Weekly Update, I'll state what things I have planned during the week and things that will aid/impede my progress for the game.
I've already made a list of things that I will be doing, in order, for a good long while, so there shouldn't be a question on what I'm working on at any-time (unless I say otherwise).
I would love, LOVE, to cross at least one thing off the list every week, regardless how busy I end up being.
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This week's Busy schedule (that makes it so looong):
Yesterday (Tuesday): Study-group with My Love and their BFF - I worked on Alteratio while they did their studies! Lasted around 4 hours before we had to go play baby-sitter, then go to the library, then go shopping for party materials/drinks/ingredients for the pre-party for one of the biggest holidays in Finland. I got home, and just finished cooking some of the goodies before I sat down and worked on this for an hour.
Today (Wednesday): Wake up in 3 hours (yay) to travel a long distance by train to go watch Avengers: Age of Ultron (FUCK YEA!), then go shopping for clothes, go out to eat in an Italian Resturant, then come back around 8/9 at night (we were originally going to go to a club called DTM to karaoke until around this time of the day that I'm posting this, but it is delayed until next week!). Whatever time we have left will be in prep for getting ready for the party.
Tomorrow (Thursday): Pre-party - starts noon here, and lasts until almost midnight by my guestimations.
Friday (May 1st holiday): Wake up earlier than the other two days (with what little sleep I get, lol) to go to an outdoor picnic with friends, then to an amusement park, then finally home for a few hours of solitude (almost the dead of night by now, and me and My Love will be hanging out for the remainder of the holiday)
Saturday & Sunday: I can work on the game! Nothing that I know of is going on.
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Questions, Comments, or Concerns? Post here, in the Questions/Comments section, or contact me!
Ya it was a good and bad thing to go public so soon. Good in that you got some feedback for the future bad in that on fen forum they started being confused etc about types of characters and arguing with each other haha.
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