Progress Report 2021.08.10

Hi friends,

Happy August! The start of the month has been pure chaos, I’ve barely registered that we’re onto the second week.

The new content for the alpha build is really starting to come along now. I’ve finished (most of) the edits and coded about 2/3s of the material. The fight branches are all complete and I’m just finishing up the (multiple) variations of the end sequence. After that, I have some polishing to do on the main file—mostly double-checking that all the variables are labeled the right thing and trigger in the correct spots, that faction approval for the Order of Lethalis is consistent across Route A and B on certain dialogue choices, etc.

I will also be tackling the interactive maps before I update the alpha build since there is quite a large margin of error in the code for those and I want to make sure the maps are thoroughly playtested. I will be replacing the current map system with one static map. It will still light up different areas when you hover over it with your cursor, but the selectable areas won’t be pre-defined.

So this:

Will be replaced with something like this:

The reason for this change is because at the moment the game files have multiple versions of the map for each combination of locations. On the original, the blue areas are part of the map’s image file itself and the gold/brown area is an interactive area created using an HTML image map and the maphilight macro (this is the main reason the interactive map doesn’t work on mobile/small viewports--the polygons are connected to specific spots and if the image is resized, the polygon doesn’t resize with it; there’s probably a more elegant way to create something like this, but I don’t really know how).

This means that every time the player visits a location and then returns to the Exploration screen, there needs to be a different map image file that removes the blue areas if the player has already been to those locations. I ended up having around 13-14 different maps in the game files and it was inflating the game’s file size as well as making the code much more difficult.

A single static map is a lot easier to handle because then I only need to worry about the code for triggering the interactive areas and not multiple maps on top of that.

In addition to changing the Rona map, I am also updating the world map so that it matches it in style (the new one will be in colour). I had originally planned for every map to be unique, but I like the idea of having one consistent style across all maps now.

Once the alpha build updates, I will be taking some time off and then working on updating the UI with a new look (which includes mobile compatibility, new image assets for the character creator, and a light/dark mode). When the new design is done, it will be added to the alpha build and then that will hopefully be the last update before the public launch of Chapter 1!

If everything goes according to plan, August should look something like this:

• August 13 / 14 - Update alpha build with final Chapter 1 content
• August 15 – 18 – Time off
• August 19 – 26 – Patch bugs, fix typos, work on the new UI
• August 26 – Update the alpha build with the new UI
• August 27- 30 – Final checks
• August 31– Chapter 1 Public Launch (which is also the public launch of the game itself)

Patreon Updates

I think I may have mentioned this in another update, but since the drafting process for Chapter 1 is complete, I am returning to monthly bonus content posts. The bonus content vote is available until August 17, so if you’re part of a tier that has voting as a benefit, please check out the poll! The bonus content piece will be up sometime in late August.

I am also planning the second Creator Q&A for September, so I will likely be opening up a Google docs form where you can submit questions sometime mid-to-late August. The form will stay open into September.

Important Note Regarding Alpha Build Access

For the past few months, Wayfarer’s alpha build on itch.io has been integrated with my Patreon. I originally added integration because I was hoping that it would help me manage alpha build access and streamline the process. However, I’ve found that integration was maybe a step beyond where I currently am with the project.

Patreon isn’t always the smoothest with third-party integration (RIP Patreon Discord bot) and there have been a lot of recurring problems on my end, primarily with issues relating to currency and currency conversation (my Patreon is in CAD, itch.io is only available in USD, and Patrons can have currencies from all over the world).

So, for the sake of making things easier for me, I am removing itch.io's Patreon integration for Wayfarer’s alpha build on August 16, 2021. 

A few things:

• If you want to add the alpha build to your itch.io game library, please make sure you generate an access key via the link in the alpha build post by August 16. You will not be able to do so after I remove integration.
• If you run into issues (such as itch.io rejecting your request due to your pledge being too low—this is a currency conversion problem), please message me and I will generate a manual key for you. I will not be generating manual keys after August 16.

After I remove integration, the alpha build will only be accessible via the link and password on Patreon, with the password changing at the start of every month.

I hope this change is understandable. If you have any questions regarding this change, please don’t hesitate to message me. 💗

Thank you so much for your support! Chapter 1 is nearly there! 🥳