I’ve just updated the Opt-In “Public Beta” build of the game to version 0.5.3 which introduces some of the new mechanics I’ve mentioned over the past few weeks such as the new Quest System and the new Inventory System. I’ve chosen not to create a video covering it because I still don’t feel that it’s quite there yet, but there’s enough for people to play with and feed back on should they wish to.
 

 

It’s taken a little longer than planned because yet again I spent a lot of the week making further “Under the Hood” improvements. One of which includes a brand new Building Menu, something that hadn’t been touched since the game was prototyped and was in dire need of a new lick of paint. I’m actually really happy with it and it’s not 100% but I think that it’s miles better than the previous menu purely based on the fact that it now shows you what you’re working towards. Hovering over an item you haven’t unlocked yet details just what you need to get it and should encourage players to improve their kingdom level accordingly.
 
The main focus this week was working on Kingdom AI. They’ve been in the game for a while but their existence was more or less aesthetic. Now, they have a direct presence within the world. They’ll be building objects, hiring hero’s, completing quests and earning money alongside you. Currently, their actions are pretty basic and there’s a lot of things that they don’t do but over time, I’ll be implementing better logic and making them more competitive with greater effects on your Kingdom. Such as affecting the Influence of Settlements you’ve discovered, or completing bounties before you. One world effect that is in place however is that if a Kingdom builds something before you do, the followers and attractiveness you earn for placing the building is significantly lower. (No-one gets excited about the second place to build something, do they?)
 
I spend a lot of time just opening the menu to have a look at what they’re up to. Sometimes they’re questing a lot and accumulating wealth, other times they’re building hundreds of fences for no reason.  I find it quite satisfying, really.
 

Changelog:

• Improved Pathfinding
• New Inventory Items & Features
• Overhauled Quest System (65% Functional)
• Better Tooltips
• New Competing Kingdoms
• New UI Elements
• New Research Menu and Research Options
• New Settlements Screen
• Minor Bugs and Fixes

 
From here I can start working on new content. There’s still a few areas of quests that need updating, such as the bounties system and showing previous quests but most of the massive leg-work is done. I’m hoping to get the final build up (0.6) by the end of the month.