Thank you!
I’m looking forward to the community’s response to Update 1. Hopefully, the wait’ll have been worth it.
2 Likes
Howdy, Heroes!
You’ll all see the Base of Operations System properly in good time, but it is quite in-depth. Many moving variables provide for the underlying systems of wartime management. To give a snippet. Plenty of pieces go into activating and determining single points of major readiness such as those below.
Have a great afternoon!
~Zach
3 Likes
Evening, Heroes!
I’m back again, with a separate simple feature poll. As you’ve seen above, I’m working on and have announced the Base of Operations system. This will provide quite an in-depth war experience and will have significant narrative impact while also putting you in the hot seat as the Commander of a war front.
The following image is unedited, and the ‘menu’ provided is merely a glimpse. I’m working on much of the backend for the Base of Operations system, so the front isn’t intact nearly as well as I’d like. Nonetheless, a full-throated feature preview will follow soon as that front-end is assembled. This provides a glimpse of how robust the system will be, merely from the options on display.
I wish to know your opinion and to what level your enjoyment of a system such as this would be.
Let me know what you think!
EDIT: This system will be much more community-oriented and less warlike in Act I/II. It’ll only increase to a war vision upon the enactment of Act III.
- I think that the proposed system and depth is fantastic! I’d love it!
- I think that it suffices, but I’m not sure how much I’d enjoy it.
- It’s not really for me, in truth.
- I’d rather not include this in the game. Sorry, Chief!
0
voters
Til next time, Heroes.
7 Likes
Uniting the Realm - 11/14/2023
Hello, Heroes!
We’re back for another weekly update regarding the development of A Realm Divided. As seen recently, I’ve begun polling the proposed Base of Operations System.
That system is heavily in development and is no longer a mere proposal.
Let’s delve in, shall we?
Status Update
In the past week:
- I’ve added the underlying variables required to calculate the Status Reports, Royal Assistance per Cycle, and several other major mechanics present in the Base of Operations System.
- Initial testing has confirmed a success in measuring adjustments made through gameplay.
- I’ve begun work on the narrative of the Base of Operations Playtest, adding another 3,000 words to the project.
- Lastly, I’m working on implementing some narrative upgrades to the Prologue.
As it goes, I’ve been quite productive despite some health issues the last week.
Much has gone into the code that provides the Base of Operations system to the game. That said, this system is far more manageable development-wise compared to the turn-based combat I had worked on. As a result, I don’t foresee major delays to release as a result.
Take Command
Hello, Commander.
The Base of Operations system is rooted in my original ideas for a township. I felt that given the plotline, running your own ‘town’ wouldn’t feel appropriate. A Realm Divided will feature heavy themes of war, and you’ll end up thrust in the middle.
In Act I/II, this will take the form of an Operations Camp for you and your party. Only once Act III begins will it formalize into the ‘Base of Operations’ that you’ll see present in the playtest component of Update 1.
As a result, the Camp segment is story-oriented to fit in with earlier plot-beats. You’ll manage and build up a community of sorts, and work on development as you settle in.
This Playtest will be accessible from the game’s Main Menu, separate from engaging in the Prologue. I’ve developed the content of the Playtest with a ‘cut-and-paste’ approach; it will be a form of the Base of Operations in Act III. As such, I’m not wasting my time on development, as it will be purposed later.
Expect a wide variety of content and management gameplay. This is all narratively inclined in a way that supports future decision-making but doesn’t outright railroad you. I’m aware that some of my audience may wish to avoid engaging as much as possible with the system, so I’ve opted to create a prompt that would disable it through the story.
If disabled, the game will use your choices throughout the storyline to simulate certain additions provided by the system.
I’m hoping to provide it as a flagship component of A Realm Divided and look forward to properly showing it off.
Finale
Another week in development, another batch of code applied and another set of words developed. We’re making headway, bit by bit.
I’m looking forward to December’s State of the Realm. Should be a fun one.
Til next time Heroes.
~Zach
10 Likes
Howdy, Heroes!
As it is currently unknown if Moody will be transferred to someone else and updated to the latest version of ChoiceScript, Dan recently pushed out a thread detailing an export to HTML option that would allow for builds to be uploaded as an attachment to this forum thread.
I am currently exploring these options and adapting to the newly implemented checkpoint system released.
This would be separate from the save system implemented on Moody or CJ, but it’s still something. Nonetheless, the project must adapt to the checkpoint system for full release.
More information will become available as I study the updates. I’m not implementing anything until the upgrades are placed into CSIDE nonetheless, but I wanted to talk about it now.
Take care!
11 Likes
Howdy, Heroes!
My State of the Realm may be a tad delayed, as I’m looking to turn it into a feature showcase for the upcoming Base of Operations.
I’m currently working on how I wish the presentation of certain components to look. Status Reports are a WiP though this variation may be gutted in favor of something streamlined. Not sure, yet!
Thanks for all the support,
11 Likes
@Zaxwlyde Do have images for how the races you can pick look like? Especially for the Aetherial since it sounds like they’re beings of pure energy but since there’s romance planned in the game I guess that there is some way they can romance them physically somehow?
2 Likes
Now I’m imagining a Human x Aetherial as just the Human getting high on their SO. 
Hello!
I dont have any physical art references… yet.
Once finances allow, I’ll be commissioning one for each race.
Separately, I can address that modern technologies have allowed the Aetherials to attain humanoid forms, albeit with the caveat that theyre not flawless, subject to degradation and/or cracks of energy pulsing through in pockets.
So does that mean it’s dangerous for mortals to mate with them and the only romance they can have with them is the non-physical type? Or can they still do that stuff somehow? Cause I’m imagining one of the mortal races trying to mate with something similar to the fire astronach from the Elder Scrolls series. Also regarding that, are the Aetherials elementals and can we pick the element we embody or are they just pure energy?
So, depending on the type of Aetherial, it’s safe!
Some have the humanoid bodies with small imperfections but are capable of that. These will encompass romance options.
Others can take a general humanoid ‘shape’ but are nothing but raw aetheric energy in a chaotic manner.
As for elements…
Aetherials are at their core composed of and maintained by aetheric energy. As a result, they can learn to harnass that energy and focus it to channel an element. Aetheric energy is wildly manipulatable, which provides that ability to utilize it within the environment and channel an elemental type.
So does that mean we can use any element and we’re not limited to one? What are the elements you can learn and use in-game and how many element can we learn at max? We can use magics in this game right?
The School of Magick system is currently under retooling to allow for narrative use, but should I retain the use of elements every race will have the ability of selectively using elements. As to which they’re specialized in, the Aetherials will not have an edge over any other for gameplay purposes.
A Realm Divided does feature Magicks, which will be properly showcased at a later date. Earlier dev posts from the scrapped combat system provided a small snippet of the Schools of Magick and the like!
1 Like
Since the Aetherials can form skins very similar to most mortal races, can they shed them whenever they want like how Gwen’s grandmother from Ben 10 Alien Force did when she went into her energy form which was her true form? Feels like it could also be useful as an emergency skills somehow.
As it’s a technological advancement that allowed this, that wouldn’t be something possible, admittedly!
Howdy, Heroes!
Work continues apace on Update 1, with heavy code progression. As shown previously, I’ve been working on the Status Reports and calculations required to power them. Among the way, I’ve worked on UI upgrades that’ll make it a bit cleaner.
This is the updated UI display for Status Reports (this one being for Stockpiles).
Once I’ve gotten enough under the hood, I’ll officially drop the Feature Showcase for the Base of Operations!
Thanks for the support!
5 Likes
Hello, Commander.
WARNING: The image within contains direct story spoilers surrounding Act III as part of the Base of Operations Demo. If you’re uncomfortable with this, please do not play either the playtest on release or look at the contained teaser.
6 Likes
Howdy, Heroes!
Development on Update 1 is ongoing, with much operational groundwork laid for the Base of Operations. As I begin to properly implement narrative components, I’ve reached a point of opportunity. The War Cabinet.
Given that this will take some stats and balancing work, I’m going to throw this one to a poll before I delve in.
I’m split between two options.
- You’ll be tasked with selecting your own War Cabinet, split across your Minister of Finance, Stockpile, Operations, Development, Expansion, and your Vice Commander. Through this selection process, I’ll introduce three potential candidates for each role. Each of these candidates will have their own personality, leadership style, and special Trait. This opens a few potential narrative opportunities down the line, but would take longer/more work to implement.
- The second option would be to merely develop a well-rounded War Cabinet myself, that is pre-developed. This would take much less time, but also provide a degree less of content and customization.
In truth, it comes down to how you’ve all felt with waiting. I know that this Update is a long time coming, but the Base of Operations System in truth needs to be developed now, so I can scale the code alongside future development present in Update 2 and onwards.
So, we’ll throw it to a poll.
Which of the two proposals above would you prefer?
- Proposal 1 - Selecting your own War Cabinet. (Longer Dev-Time)
- Proposal 2 - Pre-built War Cabinet. (Shorter Dev-Time)
0
voters
Thanks for your time!
~Zach
8 Likes
I say do a premade cabinet. That allows you to really flesh them out, incorporate them earlier (even if briefly), and have specific stuff for them as characters, instead of just cabinet people.
5 Likes
I rather wait longer and have a more fleshed out War Cabinet. Having 3 candidates for each roles with their own respective skills sounds interesting. And since they’re going to have their own stories, that’s make it even better in my opinion since when their stories starts happening, it’ll provide a more unique gameplay since it might involves reactions to your MC’s race, pets, abilities, backgrounds (idk if this is planned or not) and they might even become either a possible ROs or a strong ally depending on the choices that you make.
Speaking of that. @Zaxwlyde Will we be able to train those candidates in different skills respective of their stations?
1 Like