Now we move out of the prototyping phase and mould this project into a feature-complete, non-broken game demo ready for playtesting and refinement.

Once it’s sufficiently refined, I want to start taking optional early access payments/donations just to see what happens.

Main goals for v0.2.0

• Finish core gameplay mechanics:
  • ✔AI: peaceful NPCs unless provoked
  • AI ‘framework’ for different behavior trees for each NPC, configured by scripts
  • AI: proper chasing+fleeing behavior
    • Trigger when attacked or upon witnessing vampirism (but only if horrified)
    • Attack if armed and brave, otherwise flee
    • Use pathfinding movement
  • ✔Stat/skill effects (in realtime gameplay)
    • ✔Vampire speed
    • Vitality (primary factor in max health, maybe more complexity later)
    • Balance for a fair fight between physically fit man and a lower-level vampire, but no contest between several strong men and a vampire with high physical stats
  • ✔Status effects (temporary buffs/debuffs)
    • ✔Basic code, structures, intensity curves
    • ✔NPCs: incapacitated by magic (mesmerized etc) for feeding
    • ✔Player: speed modifier…
  • Social vampirism
    • ✔Generic NPC dialogue (vanilla “pickup lines”)
    • ✔Charisma/attraction/repulsion
    • Consummation (for now just follow player and submit to feeding)
  • ✔Clean up biting/feeding mechanics and animations
  • ✔Game Over screen upon player’s death
• Finish sorcery/alchemy:
  • ✔Overhaul the spellcrafting system prototype from v0.1.5
  • Gameplay effects for each component ✔of Mesmerize spell only, lol
  • ✔Consume basic magical energy sources (stamina and blood/regeneration)
  • Placeholder VFX (cheesy light particles etc)
• ✔Miscellaneous
  • ✔Doors, locks, keys
    • ✔Navmesh/pathfinding test
    • ✔Door: E to open/close, collision off when open, animation, multiple variants
    • ✔Portal: simple invisible Area3D (visual representation can be anything)
    • ✔Keys: item script, door/portal linkage, player code, NPC nav code
  • ✔Fast travel menu (maps to come later)
  • ✔Settings for fullscreen, mouse sensitivity, FOV, and some difficulty options
• ✔Character models
  • ✔Lich (robed skeleton sorceror)
  • ✔Skeleton (and individual bones for tomb clutter)
  • ✔Male
• A few interesting ✔characters with dialogue and quests (lol, there’s no way I’m gonna make that goal, gotta punt)
• ✔New title and ‘dark angel’ cover art
  • ✔Title lettering
  • ✔Setup+pose
  • ✔Bat wings, clothing, dagger in hands, background, corrective sculpting
  • ✔Proper hair, fangs, makeup, and BLOOD
• ✔Finishing & cleanup
  • ✔Fix driving/flying modes and their controls
  • ✔Use level loader for starting level
  • ✔Cleanup test levels & character models
  • ✔Character Editor fixes
  • ✔Character Creation model/gender constraints

I aim to complete all of the above in January (February at latest) followed by a series of rapid-iteration point releases. (Edit: not surprisingly, it’s going into mid-late February.)

Additional goals for v0.2.x

• General immersion:
  • Play up the dark atmosphere, night environments, tenebrism
    • ✔Torch sconces? w/ flame + smoke particle VFX
    • Torch improvements
    • Electric lighting
    • Outdoor night: fog, street lighting, ghostly auras, moonbeams?, moon improvements
  • More levels, clutter, character models and heads, and variety of NPCs
    • St Connor township
      • ✔Rough layout
      • Rough ✔buildings, roads, ✔waterways, interconnections
      • Roadhouse (detailed)
      • Church (detailed)
    • Catacombs (3 levels, not final form, just enough for gameplay)
      • ✔Level 2
      • ✔Level 3
      • ✔Finish level 1 and interconnections
    • …
  • NPC schedules
  • More music and sound effects
  • Sense of purpose…
    • To make friends and influence people?
    • To master sorcery/alchemy and become a lich lord, demigod, angel…
    • Vengeance (always a classic)
    • …
• Vampire vision prototype:
  • Washed-out shader effect for daylight and bright lights
  • Vision augmentation in darkness only
• Spellcrafting refinements:
  • Potion brewing and usage
  • Other magickal items
  • Implement all magical energy sources (leylines, elements, etc)
  • Transmute and store magical energy
  • More components and premade spells
• Full gamepad+keyboard controls in all popup UIs (can wait til v0.3)
• More to come…