Current Development Direction!

Hi everyone! Today I worked on planning documents to start a To-Do list for production. I've decided that the first path I'll be working on will be Mason's path. I have a bit more of it planned out and I feel like it'll be a good starting point for getting the hang of my new programming method.

Here's my current To-Do list!

• Separate energy stat into energy and food stats
• Food stat is affected by food and water. Depletion [ takes 24 hours ] will affect the rate at which the energy stat depletes [ double? more? ] Food stat will be out of 24.
• Energy stat is now just for sleep. Depletion [ takes 24 hours normally ] will result in mandatory sleep for 12 hours. Sleep stat will be out of 24. Player induced sleep will restore 3 points per hour slept. [ so player induced sleeping can refill an empty bar in 8 hours ]
• Redesign stat bars. they ugly.
• Leave UI for now, approach later.
• Create temporary text version of Mason's map. Will be switching to hand-drawn style. write in Player receiving paper and pencil. Paper and pencil will be inventory items, using them will allow the player to look at their map and/or fill in new spaces. 
• Assign time costs for travel to areas of the map based on user's current location
• Decide on location list for Mason [ REDACTED ]
• Program Mason's movements [ hunting during the day ]
• Start building events for Mason
  • [ LIST REDACTED ]
• add more to auction
• redraw auction circle
• create ways to die/live screen [ with cute icons? ]
• choose font and create 'you died' screen [ add start over / check saves buttons ]

So I assume that'll keep me busy for a while. You guys will be getting reports in once I finish major stuff! <3

And if you're curious about the more technical side of things, here's an outline of the new programming structure for the game's timeline- completely different from the old branching tree method I was using before.

TURN ORDER PROGRAM:

Arrival

• Check $ Location [ assigned map area ]
• Award +1 hour
• Check $ Arrivedby [ new= player just entered this map area, idle= player stayed in this map area, sleep= player was sleeping in this map area, chased= player arrived while running from a pursuer ]
• Statcheck [ call subroutine Stat_Check to assign any new ailments or activate stat-based events ]

Display

• Display background assigned to location and time

Event

• Call subroutine to check for events. This might be massive, make sure to check for game stability along the way to see if it slows significantly. Events check a variety of variables such as the player's location, time, and the location of enemies. Events will be checked in order or priority!!! Must be tested constantly for conflicts.
• ***Figure out how to check if event subroutine came up with nothing, so flavour text for no events can be displayed / alternatively, assign the flavour text as a low-priority event.
• [ Player's map and items will be disabled via $ phase = "event" ]

Explore

• A pause after all assigning, where player can access items and map. Player can interact with any on-screen environmental buttons [ unlimited ] and Player can choose to idle, travel, or sleep [ will activate new turn ]
• Some events can be accessed via explore options [ IE, player uses items to build a fire, player discovers a trap ]

STATCHECK

• Health [100] depletion results in death
• Sanity [100] depletion results in event call [ probably death ]
• Energy [24] depletion of 1 per hour, hitting zero results in mandatory sleep lasting 12 hours
• Food [24] depletion of 1 per hour, hitting zero results in 2 extra energy penalty per hour
• Temperature [ only for Mason / Derek ] [100] reaching max or zero results in death [50=normal]

I hope to have a working model of the above system by the end of the month, hopefully with some finished locations and actual events programmed in! Exciting! X3c