Devlog #11 - a little grab bag

Hey, hey. Crazy week, huh? You’ve probably heard what’s been going on over on itch.io and the broader internet. It’d be an understatement to say that it was a bit of a morale dampener, but after a week of activism and getting shit together, I’m back on the Joker’s Trip grind! 

A few things I’ve been working on and wanted to talk about, a grab bag of you will. 

The Table!

Eagle eyed gamers might’ve noticed the new blackjack table! This is the third table that I’ve used in Joker’s Trip. 4th if you count the primitive red cylinder I used as a placeholder. Here’s the evolution of blackjack tables. 

One thing you might immediately notice is different proportions. For the latest I actually used blackjack table specifications to make a more accurate and lifelike model. Since the camera doesn’t move in game, the table never really had to be anything other than an oval inspired shape. That changed though! With the crowd scenes, you can have angles UNDER the table and see it in full view. 

So detail is added. Casino logo, rail to put your feet, arm rest bumper. No cup holders though. And the boot (where the cards are stored) is still something I’m Eh! on adding. 

Before this game, I knew how to model and texture, but didn’t have any experience in it, if that makes sense. Making so many versions of the same piece of furniture really highlights how much you can improve a skill by keeping at it, I’d definitely recommend making a game if you want to Really learn how to model. 

Dialog!

Some changes! For starters, we're getting rid of reactions. When the game first launched, I had issues with the dialog system I made, and the easiest way to fake a conversation was to let characters "react" to others. For example, you might've seen Syd pog out from Rosalie taking off her bra. 

You might have also seen characters react in a way that just doesn't match with what the line for that event was. For example, a dialog event is BUST, because Prill busted. The dialog between her and Joker is a fourth wall breaking examination of Prill as a person. Then Noriko reacts and says, "Wow, idiot busted." That's a weakness of the reaction system.

Now that I've made conversations possible, I can just get rid of 'em! You'll still have Syd going gaga for Rosalie's bobbers, but now it'll be a much more contextualized experience! It'll mean a bunch of rewriting, but it'll be better dialog all around.

Aaaaand on top of that, I'm giving TT and I some new tools in the form of conditions: dialog lines that only proc when the speaker has X amount of money, or still has Y clothing, or if Z is present at the table. Dialog lines that only happen if they're in the buff! This game is sold on its writing (and really great art (thank you TT <3)) so having ways to make something happen and only when it makes sense is paramount. Also it'll be hot to have lines that only happen when they're down to their undos:) 

Dialog studio!

Hey guess what, Meredith is coming. She’s also going to be in the next update! Which means we need to write hundreds of lines of dialog just to bring her to parity with everyone else. And this isn’t including the new dialog we’d add to existing characters to acknowledge the goth bombshell playing with them!

So it’s back to making tools to make writing this easier. And really it’s just the tags. I hate typing out the tags, but it's literally how the game's dialog runs! It’s been the source of most of the typos and bugs we’ve received. Stop what you're doing and try to type the following on your phone: <?express=happy,def>Heh, didn't think that <i>I</i> would be able to get a <wave>natural</wave>, did you?|*<?jexpress=tired,def>This is a game of pure luck.|*<?express=shock><?jexpress=smug,happy>It was a matter of time!

Miserable, Christ. And to be honest, not much better on a keyboard! With the dialog studio that won't be a problem.

What was a problem was rewriting the logic completely for the past week. But it's better now :) 

...Also don't worry about how it looks, I promise most dev tools look worse.

That's about it, I wanted to touch base a little before I plow through this update. I've seen the thumbnails for Meredith's scenes and you're all in for a real treat~ Till next time!

-LG