KickStarter Prometheus Wept - turn-based RPG from Vigilantes developer - Demo Available

[Iluvcheezcake]

it's going to take 12-18 months per act. Crazy when you think it's for 4-6 hours of gameplay.

What takes so much time when you have game systems in place and a lot of assets can be reused?

No raging coke habit

 

[Modron]

What takes so much time when you have game systems in place and a lot of assets can be reused?

Content generation is the longest and most laborious part of game development isn't it? Ron Gilbert went ahead and said even with the engine they created for Thimbleweed Park another game using it wouldn't really be any cheaper to make because of that.

 

[Timeslip]

What takes so much time when you have game systems in place and a lot of assets can be reused?

In terms of game systems, the game's in a good enough place. Some new environment assets will need to be worked in for each act, and new maps will needed. A more complex map, with several buildings, could take a week. A simple map could be wrapped up in 2-3 days. There will be new factions in each act, so character models will need to be added. I spent an absolute age manually adding clothes into the software I'm using for character models, so it's not very time expensive to make models. Maybe 1 hour for something simple, 4 hours for something more complex.

The dialogue encounters are time expensive. First design -> bullet point -> multiple drafts, for the writing. Scripting the encounters and debugging them is where most of the time goes, though. I'm using a really good third party plugin for managing the dialogue in game, but regardless of how good it is, every time a character, prop, camera or any aspect of the game world is moved, rotated, enabled, that needs to happen through scripting. So far, I've written about 170 code functions to handle all the actions, but they are activated with a scripting language which lacks some of the error checking and conveniences of c#. It's easier to make mistakes here, and each possible choice the player can makes needs to be tested. On simpler encounters, it might be possible to debug it in a handful of passes. In more complex ones... well... you might be looking at 20+ passes to test all the possibilities and fix any bugs that are found.

 

[Timeslip]

it's going to take 12-18 months per act. Crazy when you think it's for 4-6 hours of gameplay.

What takes so much time when you have game systems in place and a lot of assets can be reused?

No raging coke habit

Some of these days, I'm going to crack (pun intended) and go old school Steven King on this game

 

[Timeslip]

What takes so much time when you have game systems in place and a lot of assets can be reused?

Content generation is the longest and most laborious part of game development isn't it? Ron Gilbert went ahead and said even with the engine they created for Thimbleweed Park another game using it wouldn't really be any cheaper to make because of that.

Yeah, it's super time consuming. I knew making an RPG would take longer than a combat focused game like Vigilantes, but didn't anticipate how big the difference would be.

 

[Infinitron]

This dev log for turn based RPG, Prometheus Wept covers the completion of the militia pre-finale mission, which provides options to recruit more militia, and improve their equipment through trade and crafting. You can also attempt to interrupt a rebel arms deal on a newly created map.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Here's text part of that update.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1208110/view/3980686873611947746

Prometheus Wept Dev Log Jan 24!
TLDR: The militia pre-finale is complete, and includes an optional combat mission which takes place on a new map.
Hello, and welcome to the January dev log for Prometheus Wept. I've wrapped up the militia pre-finale, where you will prime Sunny Pine's militia for confrontation with the rebels. This includes improving the militia's equipment through trade and crafting, recruiting new members, improving morale.

In the militia pre-finale, you must decide how to best allocate your faction's cash and time.


You can also attempt to convince the mayor to print extra currency to be used in the war effort, or follow up on intel received about a rebels arms deal, in an optional combat-focused encounter. Doing so will briefly bring you in contact with one of the main factions of act 2. Each faction has preferences for the weapons they use, so there is an opportunity to get your hands on some new items here.

Attack, approach, sneak or observe. The choice is yours.


This encounter required a new map, which has been completed and is the final map for act 1. There are a number of options for handling the encounter, such as observing the group, approaching them, or attacking. If you approach them, you will discover that their goal is to deliver a crate of merchandise to you, which raises further questions on what exactly is going on.

Up Next: Militia Finale & Minor encounters

Moving on to what's coming next. The focus for the next number of weeks will be two-fold. Firstly, I'll be working on the series of combat focused encounters which make up the militia finale. It's a fairly big piece of work, likely in the ballpark of 6 weeks. Second, I'm going to start addressing what I see as Prometheus Wept's biggest current weakness, namely, a lack of things to do outside the main questline. The goal here isn't to add large side-quests, but rather to focus on getting a decent number of smaller encounters, which breathes life into the world, and develops the characters.

That's it for now, thank you for watching. I'll check back in next month, and if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, I'd be happy to hear from you!

 

[Timeslip]

Thanks for sharing Infinitron and Taka-Haradin puolipeikko - Nice to be drawing closer to a release. If anyone has any comments, questions or suggestions, happy to chat!

 

[Infinitron]

This dev log covers the completion of the militia finale, where you must defend against a major rebel attack on Sunny Pines. Numerous encounters play out over up to five locations as you struggle to retain control over the rising city state.

 

[Timeslip]

You can get this from the video, but if you can't be arsed trawling through 15 minutes of rambling, here's some low spoiler extra detail on the militia finale:

- The finale starts after you spend your time units and cash on launching pre-emptive strikes, recruitment, crafting and purchasing of equipment for the militia.
- Sunny Pines comes under attack by a substantial rebel force, which will attack different districts with different attacks, including a head on attack of the main gates, encouraging rioting, attacking infrastructure, and more.
- If you are defeated in any fight, you regroup with what remains of the leadership and militia for a last ditch defence. If you win this battle, you'll push back the rebels and will launch an attack on their HQ. If you lose the battle, Sunny Pines will fall under rebel control and you'll move on to act 2.

Here's the character artwork for sociopath and con man, Ferdia Beckett. Beckett (unfortunately) joins you early on.

Here's the artwork for Markus Tiber, the sheriff of Sunny Pines. Depending on your choices, Tiber can become an enemy or permanently join your party.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...t-a-post-digital-turn-based-rpg/posts/4099807

April - May 2024: Militia Finale (Finally) Complete!​

Hi there-

Daithi here. I hope you're doing well! I've just wrapped up the militia finale – that's all the encounters designed, written, implemented and debugged across the five maps the finale can play out over. While working on the finale, I added code to:

• Allow AI characters to target objects
• Allow AI characters to spend AP activating objects
• Improve trap mechanics
• Equip a faction's troops

Olga's artwork for con man and sociopath, Ferdia Beckett. (He's on your team!)
Debugging these additions ate a fair bit of time, so I'd expect the rebel finale will be quicker to complete. The focus for the next couple of months will be the rebel finale, along with making the maps more interesting with small encounters and loot. Then it'll finally be early access time.

You can find more a more detailed outline of recent developments in the below video, or continue reading for the short version.

Artwork:​

Olga has been working on illustrations for key characters and has completed the artwork for Markus Tiber, Sheriff of Sunny Pines, and sociopath/con man, Ferdia Beckett.

Olga's artwork for Markus Tiber, Sheriff of Sunny Pines. Depending on your choices Tiber can be a key ally, or an enemy.

Militia Finale:​

• The finale starts after completing recruitment, crafting and purchasing of equipment for the militia.
• Sunny Pines comes under attack by a substantial rebel force, which will attack different districts with different attacks, including a head on attack of the main gates, encouraging rioting, attacking infrastructure, and more.
• If you are defeated in any fight, you regroup with what remains of the leadership and militia for a last ditch defence. If you win this battle, you'll push back the rebels and will launch an attack on their HQ. If you lose the battle, Sunny Pines will fall under rebel control and you'll move on to act 2.

Almost there I'll check back in some time in June.

Until then, all the best, and if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please let me know!

Daithi

 

[Infinitron]

This dev log covers and update on early access release and the completion of the rebel finale, where you must lead the rebel attack on Sunny Pines. Numerous encounters play out over up to six locations as you struggle to take control of the rising city state.

From last month: https://www.kickstarter.com/project...t-a-post-digital-turn-based-rpg/posts/4140250

A quick check-in: Making good progress on the rebel finale!​

Hi there,

I hope you're doing well! I'm making unusually good progress (for a change) on the rebel finale. The rebel finale occurs over 6 locations, with typically 1-2 encounters per location. I'm currently well through the 4th location, so two more after this one. Each location provides resources, such as increasing the number of rebel fighters that can join your party, reinforcements to replace casualties, and equipment which can be used to improve your troops' loadout.

I'll check in with a more detailed video log, as soon as I wrap up the finale. In the mean-time, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, do let me know!

All the best,

Daithi

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...t-a-post-digital-turn-based-rpg/posts/4167628

Prometheus Wept: Rebel Finale Complete & Early Access Release Update!​

Hello, I hope you're doing well!

TLDR: The rebel finale is complete, and an early access release before the end of the year is likely, but not definite. If you'd like further details, check out the below video or text.

Rebel Finale Complete:

I've just wrapped up the rebel finale. Your goal is to capture Sunny Pines, and the conflict plays out over up to 6 maps. If you're defeated while attacking any of the five districts of Sunny Pines, you'll have to defend the rebel base from a militia counter-attack. If you win, you can continue to fight, but if you lose, Sunny Pines retains its existing leadership and you proceed to act 2.

The rebels start out as the underdog. They are less numerous, less well equipped, and most have no combat experience. Your party size expands at this point, increased by a % of the rebels you've recruited, while the remaining rebels will replace losses, secure captured districts, and defend the rebel base.

You can capitalise on civic discontent to mobilise rioters against the militia

Capturing sectors often provide a benefit, like an increase to party size, or seized equipment. The current gameplay for act 1 ends after the final battle. I would've liked to add the epilogue, but doing so would greatly reduce the probabilty of a release this year.


Early Access Release Update:

There's a fairly good chance of an early access release for Prometheus Wept this year. I've taken very few days off, to boost the chances of being ready in time.

Typically, it's a bad idea to release in the wake of a major Steam sale event, or too late in the year, as getting coverage will be more difficult. The coverage issue is likely less relevant, as Prometheus Wept isn't going to get a ton of coverage anyway. Also, if time is tight, I can buy a week or two by just releasing the windows version to start, and following up with the Mac and Linux versions shortly after release.

Yeah, you might want to move...

Moving on to what needs to be done. The good news is that every encounter in the game has been tested, so the majority of the testing work's complete. There are, of course, any number of areas which could be worked on, but I'm going to concentrate on two. The first is balancing, particularly the combat, economy and character levelling. The second is to add some smaller encounters to flesh out the setting and characters.

I've been working in isolation on Prometheus Wept for a long time, so feedback would be very useful to improve the game. Ideally, I'd like to get a pre-release version to kickstarter backers some weeks in advance of release, so there's time to react to your feedback.

I'm conscious that I haven't added any of the Kickstarter rewards to the game yet, but early Access release will at least fulfill the most basic reward. After this, the situation will become less time sensitive and pressured, and I'll be in a better position to add reward characters, perks, and items.

If you have any concerns about any of this, or would like to share any observations, please do let me know!

All the best,

Daithi

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1208110/view/4701285005743386012

Prometheus Wept demo updated for the Steam turn-based RPG fest!
Hi again-

I hope you're doing well! A new demo for Prometheus Wept has just gone live for the Steam Turn Based RPG Event, and as a stepping stone to Early Access, which will hopefully happen before year's end. If you get a chance to check it out, it would be great to hear your feedback, so I can tune the game in anticipation of the early access release.

Small Encounters & Scene Dressing
To date, I've added around 6 small encounters to the game. These help to develop the characters and setting, and often contain skill checks, or offer rewards. May of these can be resolved on the spot, but others, such as fixing Sunny Pines water treatment plant will require interacting with different characters on different maps.

I've also spent time dressing up the various scenes, partly with animated characters, partly with decorations. This didn't take a huge amount of time, and it feels like it helped quite a lot to make the game world feel more alive. I'd anticipate spending more time on this, prior to release.

Equipment Slots & New Items
Equipment slots have been restored in the new demo. The number of these passive bonus-providing items you can equip is determined by your tech stat, and many of these items can be crafted, or found, at different quality levels. At present, there's Lightweight Footwear (move ap), speed loader (free reload), EMT kit (healing bonus), lock picking kit, and a few others. More will be added as development progresses.

Around 20 new items have been added to the game, mainly in the categories of firearm, melee weapon, equipment and skill magazines.

Perks:
Around 8 new perks have been added for the updated demo, for a total of ~20. I'll aim to get this to 30-40 for early access, and would expect the final game to have at least as many as Vigilantes (approx 80).

Balancing & User Experience:
I've completed a balancing pass on the game, with a focus on the loot available in each area, and the difficulty (lock picking/bashing) of acquiring said loot. I've also made it less click/time intensive to pick up loot dropped by enemies, and will continue to improve user experience as development proceeds.

As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please do leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

All the best,

Daithi

 

[Infinitron]

This dev log covers the combining of a number of fragmented gameplay elements into a morale system, improvements to the camera and more.

From last month: https://www.kickstarter.com/project...t-a-post-digital-turn-based-rpg/posts/4251365

Nov '24: A Quick Update.​

Hi there-

I wanted to check it to let you know how things are going. I went into a crunch for the last 6+ weeks, with the hopes of a public release on Steam before year end. For this time, I worked every day, sometimes in excess of 50 hours a week.

While testing and balancing the already released gameplay went really smoothly, I started running into choppier water with the later gameplay of act 1. I'd calculated 11th November as the last viable day for release, and eventually, reluctantly had to accept it wouldn't be possible to get Prometheus Wept into a state which would offer players a good experience by then.

Right now, I'm finishing up testing the rebel side of act 1. Next, I'm going to test the militia side of act 1, and the optional encounter in Hec8 labs. As soon as those things are done, I'll release a private version for you, and work on polishing the game for a public release.

Thanks for your patience, and if you have any questions, do let me know!

All the best,

Daithi

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...t-a-post-digital-turn-based-rpg/posts/4281123

Dec '24: Morale System, Camera Improvements and More!​

Hello Daithi here. Welcome to the Prometheus Wept Dev Log for December 2024!

Since the last update, I've been alternating between coding, writing and testing. Since I'm going to have to wait until next year to release, and to take a break from testing, I took a look at a few aspects of the game that have been bugging me. Check out the video, or read on, to find out more.

Morale System:

Prometheus Wept had a lot of fragmented gameplay elements around morale, including the encouraged, discouraged, and ronin status effects and the questionably named group cohesion system which came into effect when you were controlling a faction's troops.

These have all been rolled into a morale system, which is tied to the leadership skill and provides bonuses to action points and resolve points, which are used for activated abilities.

The morale bonuses are meaningful, without being so potent as to stack powerful bonuses on the already winning side. Morale can be modified in dialogue by making good or poor decisions and use of the leadership skill

When you enter combat, your party's existing morale is used as a starting point and can be modified by incapacitating characters. At certain points in the game, often when your group loses or gains members, party morale will be reset. Currently, this works by halfing your morale, negative or positive. There are some additional things to unpack, but I've been enjoying the changes in my latest playthrough.

Camera Control:

I reworked the camera to do a better job of keeping the most important action in frame. The old camera system did this awkward zooming out to keep long-range firearm attacks in frame. This has been changed to follow bullets and will also follow the player in real time mode.

Performance Issue & Writing:

I addressed a performance issue with retrieving and displaying the save files. At 15 or more files, it became noticeably slow, but has been since improved to reduce the time taken to 40%. One more world building encounter has been written, and will be added to the game prior to EA release.

Again, I'd like to thank you for your patience for a project that's taking longer than anticipated. If you have any questions or suggestions, do let me know. I hope you have an enjoyable Christmas and I'll check in again in the new year.

All the best,
Daithi