Dev Log #5.0 - Brainstorming and scoping

Niwl Games

- 3 minutes read - 486 words

Hello and welcome to another dev-log! This week we talk about gameplay, brainstorming, and demo scope

But first, we’ve got some new website, discord and store page for this project.

Brainstorming the gameplay

We had a nice brainstorming session with Yann, Khaleer, Giiba and Honora, focusing on gameplay.

Notes from the meeting

We explored various options for the way players will transform scrap metal and mechanical parts into ingots in the Solar Foundry, and then cast ship parts to assemble in the Hangar, engines in the Makerspace.

Giiba had the idea to model the crafting system after a mix of minecraft and the cooking in Zelda Breath of the Wild.

Just like BotW allows the player to use monster parts and make “dubious food”, we allow players to use fewer parts, or combine the wrong ingredients to make “flimsy ship part” that will result in ships with less Hit Points.

Using steel results in more HP, using aluminum increases speed, and the attributes get passed down to the final ship stats.

Giiba then made this diagram:

alt text

The DIY makerspace becomes the place where engines and cranes are built, and the hangar where they are assembled. The main change we decided on is that the scrapyard produces mechanical parts in addition to scrap metal.

We’re also thinking of adding toggles, so that buildings such as the makerspace can either produce a specific item (ie: engine, crane) or choose between increasing city approval (reputation) by providing the space and tools for free for people to come repair their stuff, or charge money for it and generate some income.

alt text

The larger diagram includes a few additional buildings.

The field kitchen takes wood and improves worker morale.

The backup generator takes wood or hydrogen/gas and is needed for operating buildings that require electricity when the grid is down.

The ocean science lab generates science points over time, which can be used in the tech tree to improve the efficiency or disaster preparedness of the shipyard. It can also generate gadgets and equipment that -once equipped onboard ships- can enable the player to take on science related missions, accelerating progress on the tech tree.

alt text

Demo scope

This is a lot of complexity to manage for a small team, so first we’re focusing on the smallest possible gameplay loop involving just the scrapyard, solar foundry, makerspace and hangar.

The electrical grid and science (tech tree) is skipped for now, so we don’t divide our team’s attention too much before finding out if the gameplay loop works and is fun. This way we can tweak things a bit more efficiently.

The demo scope would involve the tutorial, repairing and upgrading buildings, and building three different type of ships to go on expeditions.

alt text

Thanks for reading! See you in the next dev-log, probably with some art updates :D