Elven Academy

I’ve taken a few months off to work on paintings, but I’m ready to return to game developing. The first step is to find out where I’m at, then sort through pages and pages of existing notes, ideas, lists of bugs, and to-do documents.

The main sticking point seems to be the overall plot for Book B. The first chapter of Book B is on the live server. The second chapter is 75% completed.

I feel the second book needs to focus on the player character’s development, especially in relation to heritage. Spoiler: it has an unsurprising derivation, i.e. OH – you’re actually the child of the all-powerful XYZ.

Is there any way to put a twist or surprise on this trope?

I suppose I could research existing stories that featured superpowered children (Baldur’s Gate comes to mind) and see how other writers handled the situation. (I have a terrible memory for stories and plots.)

I see a few people are actually checking out the game lately, so thanks. It’s a big motivation. If you have any suggestions or ideas to add, please do so on this post.

Here is my current to-do list after distilling down all of my old notes. I’m sure I’m missing some important things, and some very important things are currently listed as lower priority. I ended up resisting last year’s plans for a game download due to fear of piracy, basically. I don’t want to deal with that.

In fact, I’ve been thinking lately of a long-term plan of trying to sell my game or partner with someone who knows how to sell games and can manage distribution for me.

High Priority:

Finish module B2: The Queen’s Gambit (Yule Festival, it’s maybe 75% done).
Firm up entire plot for Book B.
Module B3: untitled Sea Voyage to the Unseelie Court, also develop assets in tandem for a pirating adventure module.
Do the diplomacy skills actually increase with use??
Romance T2 – after the first chapter is over.

Lower Priority:

***Writing/Concept/Story***

What about reversed tarot cards in the Tarot Training module?
Add quote to A2: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
― Plato
Complete a few new library books possibly re: oil painting, Tonalism and French painting at the end of the 19th century, and/or Fin De Siecle, Belle Epoque, Victorian periods in England and France.
Work at the gift shop.
Enable option to drain companions vampirically to heal yourself.
Add a module choices (save code) review journal to your room. “I chose not to rescue the fairy.” “I slept with the Unseelie Fey.” Etc.
Need an official spell list with spell difficulties?
More weirdness in A1-A3

***Graphics And UI***

Chary still needs a crying face? (A7)
Still no Alex doll in drawer nail patch? (A7)
Do class portraits.
Gift shop items need item ports.
“Status” on character sheet could more clearly say “Base” to indicate bonus is additive.
Constantine’s Coat is missing an outfit graphic (44f and 44m)
Leonie needs upset mood portrait. (In A6 dialog 97 and elsewhere.)
Fretzel needs upset mood portrait (A6).
Panterah better sexport. (B1)
Show figures in the world more, like in an isometric game or comic book. Makes them seem real.
Chary profile party port hair fix?
A7 panterah port could be painted better, and have succubus styling?
A7 could animate the little demon when chary goes down, loc 67

***Systems/Mechanics/Balance***

Re-examine save roll bonus for staff.
Re-examine starting stats, still too high after addition of classes
Companion roll is luck + a modifier on how good the companion is?
Doing attrib gains wrong? More gain for failing?
Examine use of Hell’s Court rep, change hell’s court rep to something else?

***Coding***

Gift shop items need checks to see if already owned.
Update companion (and all NPC) adjectives to include strengths and weaknesses.
Dreams of desire for a succubus or incubus, or other addiction mechanic to home module.
Room Chair is missing in many modules
Leonie’s hearts (only Leonie) don’t seem to be updating visually on the speaker panel??
Dump jQuery.
Fix dialogues to enable more attitude changes.
Give affect with pi society for d2.
A7 quests 1 and 2 aren’t completing?
D1 needs an endMod func and modFlags?

***Sound/Music***

Sound effects for sitting at vanity and opening closet, etc.
Gift shop and other shops need sound.
More fanfare for gaining a ‘level’?
Need a dungeon theme songs and sound effects for d1 and d2.
Coin sound. And a default path to look for a sound? if it’s missing or something?
Use the recently added choir music,. and also backup music and sound folder
Affordable violin background music throughout? Cheaper than learning the violin?

***Testing/QA***

Playtest all existing modules for equal support for the three class roleplay boxes
Playtest on Firefox, etc.

***Style Guide Percolators***

Use more comic book influence in the art style – dramatic lights and darks, creative third-person perspectives.
Always need more fairies and comedy.
Show the evil, not tell about it.
Have native Spanish speakers in the game with the languages reversed.
Develop more for situations needing specific skills and clothing/gear.
More fairy hijinks.
More fun.
Being a Serpent needs to mean rebelling more.
Being good means feeling good about your actions.
More evil clowns and evil dolls.
More fighting good people who are wrong.
More creative corruption.
Connor – more poem quotes.
Sexy time with the weirdest Fey?
Menstrual blood, virgin blood, alabaster, etc. Ritual components.
It’s a relief to be around normal humans sometimes – Jeanie.
Need more elf atmosphere, a tolkein promise.
Use CONST, recall ASI = automatic semicolon insertion.