{"id":1098,"date":"2014-10-01T12:31:10","date_gmt":"2014-10-01T04:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gridsagegames.com\/blog\/?p=1098"},"modified":"2015-10-02T13:16:37","modified_gmt":"2015-10-02T05:16:37","slug":"prototype-full-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gridsagegames.com\/blog\/2014\/10\/prototype-full-game\/","title":{"rendered":"From Prototype to Full Game"},"content":{"rendered":"

I often look back on the time it’s taken Cogmind to reach this stage and ask myself “why the #!@^# is it not done yet?!” (That’s actually me standing in a corridor between a Potion of Speed Coding and Trap of Feature Creep.) More recently I’ve also been wondering if the investment is worth it--think about it: I’ve already put in more than five times <\/em>the amount of work that went into the 7DRL (including post-release updates) and the game still isn’t released. I’m perhaps not the best judge of my own work, but is the result really five times better? In any case, as a game the 7DRL was obviously a lot less than it could be. It lacked polish. And polish is what takes time.<\/p>\n

While at some point the law of diminishing returns will inevitably kick in, Cogmind development still has yet to even cover all the core features, much less reach out into completely unnecessary territory. Since it’s about time for a general progress update anyway, here’s a quick look at Cogmind in the context of what it takes to turn a jam game into a polished product.<\/p>\n

7DRL vs. Full Game<\/h1>\n

Seven-day roguelikes are great for prototyping, since the restrictive time limit ideally forces you to focus on a single core mechanic. Where commercial indie games are concerned, those most likely to be financially successful (defined as turning a profit…) will just stop there--polish a core mechanic and release.<\/p>\n

For a (very) short time that was my intention, to simply polish up the Cogmind 7DRL and be done with it. That… would’ve been done by now ;)<\/p>\n

But no.<\/p>\n

Then I started thinking that a true roguelike also needs more<\/em>. “This is already a fun, solid foundation to build on… what if we added X, Y, and Z?” More systems! More options! When properly combined in a procedural world these will multiply against each other to produce an exponentially deeper experience.<\/p>\n

The thing about polish is that you obviously want the core game to have the highest quality possible, but that means every added feature or element must reach the same level<\/em> of polish, otherwise a lack of consistency ruins the entire thing. Applying and maintaining consistent aesthetics and gameplay throughout a major project is a project in itself, manageable as a one-man independent operation only because roguelikes defer a good chunk of the experience to the player’s imagination (thereby reducing visual asset requirements).<\/p>\n

Scope<\/h1>\n

So what exactly happened to explode the amount of work necessary to turn what was a pretty feature- and content-complete 7DRL into the expanded game described in the new design doc?<\/p>\n

Let’s examine the new scope across three main areas:<\/p>\n

World<\/h2>\n

The 7DRL was organized as a straight dungeon dive (although technically up, not down), passing through ten floors before completion. While the world retains that same central complex, there are now many alternate branching paths. You’ll still be able to go straight up to the surface, but that may not always be the best route depending on your situation.<\/p>\n

\"cogmind_sample_world_map\"<\/a>

A sample path through the world of Cogmind, highlighting the central area organized similarly to the 7DRL while also showing potential outlying branches. Each rectangle represents a separate map. (There are more areas generated in a given world than shown here--this is just one possible path, since taking one path means you lose access to others.)<\/p><\/div>\n

Individual map size is also increased. Those which were mostly 100×100 in the 7DRL now range from 100×100 to 200×200.<\/p>\n

\"cogmind_factory_evolution\"<\/a>

A sample mid-level factory map layout--see how the size has quadrupled since the 7DRL, naturally along with significant algorithm improvements (still more to add).<\/p><\/div>\n

We need lots of new content to fill this extra space, so in addition to unique themes and gameplay purposes for the new maps, they’re also occupied with new robots and even factions. (Really it’s the other way around--the added space was required to fit all the planned content.)<\/p>\n

There will be a more in-depth discussion of the world later on “when it’s ready,” in traditional roguelikedev fashion ;)<\/p>\n

Mechanics<\/h2>\n

At the prototype level Cogmind already came with a variety of items, that being instrumental to the core mechanic of building and rebuilding yourself throughout the game. However, the 7DRL is very obviously just shoot\/avoid enemies -> attach parts -> rinse and repeat. Sure there are plenty of possibilities and considerations given the large number of parts to choose from, but it all boils down to combat (or fleeing from combat).<\/p>\n

The prototype is<\/em> the core mechanic, where it would be quite easy to add just a few more systems for a result that is greater than the sum of its parts. “Easy” taken in the design sense, not<\/em> implementation (which takes forever, hence this post). Hacking<\/a> was a logical choice, adding a whole new dimension to the game that integrates well with all its elements from combat to intelligence gathering and story. Even a range of new combat features found their way into the game, like melee weapons<\/a>. Then of course there’s the collection of parts related to these new mechanics. And on top of that each part needs its own art and sound, neither of which existed in the 7DRL. Now that<\/em> took a huge chunk of time.<\/p>\n

NPCs and allies<\/a> are another big addition, fleshing out the story and gameplay though requiring support for dialogue and orders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Interface<\/h2>\n

In terms of visuals the 7DRL may seem relatively polished, which can be attributed to importing the existing X@COM<\/a> code base (which had already been in development for nine months at that point).<\/p>\n

Now that we’ve doubled the available width<\/a> of text windows we have plenty more room to work with, as well as many more windows and UI components related to the new mechanics. These in turn need their own behavior logic and animation scripts consistent with the rest of the interface.<\/p>\n

Improving accessibility is a big part of turning a prototype into a full game, thus the entire interface had to be updated or redesigned to make every interaction possible via both mouse and keyboard, sometimes even through a variety of different methods. Heck, there’s even drag and drop<\/a>. The latest enhancements in particular have focused on visual action feedback, something largely missing from the prototype. I’ll be posted about those soon. (As a side note, one major\/common accessibility feature not<\/em> supported is key remapping. The input system isn’t set up for it, something I hope to resolve one day.)<\/p>\n

Progress Update<\/h1>\n

Despite the significant increase in scope beyond the prototype, this is not me succumbing to feature creep ;). The added mechanics and content are things I think the game needs to satisfy the player’s desire for variety, depth and, more importantly for a roguelike, longevity.<\/p>\n

So where are we now?<\/p>\n

\"cogmind_progress_140930\"<\/a>

Cogmind Development Snapshot: Sep. 30, 2014<\/p><\/div>\n

Put simply, the three main components remaining are<\/p>\n