LyLaD October Update (Patreon)

You can post suggestions/questions/etc regarding the game here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/game-ideas-open-71772240

(I'll have colored art to upload tomorrow.)

This month's development was focused on adding and polishing some UI bits and finalizing some of the basic mechanics of combat, future-proofing things to ensure they don't break when I try to use them in new ways beyond the scope of this stage of early development.

A good chunk of that was working on this: https://twitter.com/OrriGame/status/1585682111352262659 Since the DP meter is a part of the UI that will often be changing and shifting, always visible in combat, I wanted to be certain it animated nicely. The rally system for regaining lost DP also feels extra rewarding with these touches.

Combat was changed to make most items usable without taking up a full turn. Instead, Lilya has a set amount of actions she can spend on items before having to select a move. This works better for a single person party in an RPG, and making the change now means I can balance things accordingly from here on out. In the future, the lategame may also be balanced around using multiple moves per turn, so that too was prepared for with some tweaks here.

In addition I created some frames for displaying images inside of dialogue or narration, which will mainly be used for small stuff. Major scenes will take up the whole display (note for this also, that there's a way to hide the textbox to get a better view).

This update concludes an era of development where a demo still felt very far away. It's still far, but now I don't have anything to work on that isn't part of my big list of 'Pre-demo Preparation'. Theoretically if I went crazy and only did gamedev for two months (and ignored all the artwork needed) I could probably get it done almost in time for the new year, but that isn't happening. 

You can read the 'Pre-demo Preparation' list below. Note that some of what's there won't actually factor into the demo very much, if at all, but my philosophy with making this game has always been to get these systems and mechanics out of the way first before diving into map design and writing. When all of these things are ironed out and done, future development will mainly hinge around designing the maps, dungeons, enemies, etc. as well as writing and drawing scenes. Naturally I don't have perfect foresight and things may get added or changed drastically along the way, but my goal is to ensure that I am building my big house of building blocks with as much of the building blocks I need already at my disposal. This should, hopefully, make development of the 'game' itself relatively quicker (on the geological timescale).

I still want to do some kind of gameplay showcase first before the demo, with the adipodal seductress scene at the end. That may still be part of the plan that I could do while I'm working on the maps and writing for the greater portion of the actual demo.

The Plan:

Flavor Text System

Injecting semi-random bits of narration into places that reflect Lilya’s current status (fullness/weight/bloating/etc.)

BP/SP/?P Systems

Bloat (Burping), Shame, and ‘Excitement’ mechanics

Burden & Composure System

Parameters that determine Lilya’s ability to deal with her changing body, affecting descriptions of her actions and her stats

Command Moves

Some enemies can give commands (in the same vein as restraints or hypnosis), and Lilya can be enticed to obey.

Weight + Keyword System

Fleshing out thresholds and effects of weight tiers and the keywords attached to them.

Weight Reaction System

Lilya’s awareness of her weight/size and how she reacts to using mirrors according to her self-image.

Eating Update/Food Denial & Temptation

Lilya will deny to eat food if it’s too filling or she’s at full health, or she can slip into binging more food than you tell her to eat based off of her gluttony.

Sin Checks

Various applications of sins (Greed, Gluttony, Pride, Sloth, Lust) in gameplay, such as traps that prey on Lilya’s gluttony or weight gain being more embarrassing based on her pride.

Skill Checks/Skills in Combat

Usage of skills for bypassing obstacles or solving problems (picking locks for instance) and requirements/bonuses based on relevant skills for moves in combat.

Map Obstacles

Various impediments that Lilya will be able to approach differently based on parameters such as skills, attributes, or weight.

Traps

Generic randomized traps and brainstorming specific unique traps for the demo maps.

Curses

Long-lasting negative effects, have to be dispelled, but trying and failing can make them worse.

Complete Status Effect Implementation

Ensuring all status effects are finished and tested

Complete Unfinished Items

Ensuring all items planned for the demo are finished and tested.

Potions

Consumables that can provide helpful buffs but with substantial side effects.

Implement Perk List for Demo

Adding, testing, and balancing perks that will be able to be gained in the scope of the demo.

Complete Weapon Movesets

Movesets for all weapons in the scope of the demo

Spells & Spell Mechanics

Adding spells, method of learning spells, spellbook used to ‘concentrate’ select spells for easier casting, uses for spells in and out of combat

Magic Devices/Scrolls/Equips

Scrolls containing useful utility spells and enchanted equipment with more powerful stats, but require sufficient magic device skill to use safely.

Complete Ledger Menu

Polishing ledger UI, adding missing parts (archive/glossary), finalizing skill point allocation and adding perk choosing, adding debug uses

Plan Out Demo Maps + Writing

Sketching out maps, deciding on enemy encounters, types of traps and obstacles and where to put them, etc. and outlining the plot of the prologue (the area the first demo will contain)

Scene Writing

Writing for loss/fetish scenes

Enemy Designs, Moves, Troops, & Behavior

Sketching out enemies to appear in the demo, creating their movesets and programming their behavior in combat

Complete Sprite Art (Combat/Dialogue/Mirror)

Colored first pass of all Lilya sprites for all weight tiers

Expression Systems (Combat/Dialogue/Mirror)

Splitting facial expressions into individual sprites to provide better customization & tweaking for display in-game, making a system to adjust Lilya’s expression on the fly according to her parameters and status.

NPC Dialogue Sprites

Colored first pass for dialogue sprites of NPCs to appear in the demo

Scene Art

Colored art for loss/fetish scenes and story sections

Intro + Chamber Room

Scripting out introduction, creating art for the minihub that is used for leveling up and deciding Lilya’s initial attributes

Map Creation

Creating planned out maps in-game, encounters, writing, etc.

Graphical Polish

Final polish for UI (in the demo at least)

Sound Design + Music

Scrounging for freeware music and sound effects, adding into game

Playthrough Testing & Editing

Testing game myself for bugs, balance issues, design flaws, etc. and fixing things before letting patrons play