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[Xion]

is a smaller number of rooms really that big a drawback though? the cluster generated levels look much more focused (and enjoyable). I honestly can't imagine that larger levels would be an improvement - especially if the rooms are limited in variety.

Of course this is all speculation as I've not played it, and maybe bigger levels are better.

in any case it's all lookin' real rad. Keep it up, yo.

[BrokenPegasus]

is a smaller number of rooms really that big a drawback though? the cluster generated levels look much more focused (and enjoyable). I honestly can't imagine that larger levels would be an improvement - especially if the rooms are limited in variety.

Of course this is all speculation as I've not played it, and maybe bigger levels are better.

in any case it's all lookin' real rad. Keep it up, yo.

More rooms would mean more chances for random loot. Then again, if the player wanted more rooms they could just increase the map size in cluster mode. And I do like the way the cluster generation looks. I don't know, maybe I'll give the player the option to change between the two (but make cluster generation the default.)

[Xion]

well okay bigger levels would be 'better' for the player cuz they get more loot, but would it be better for actual gameplay? I mean I'm just concerned that huge levels might get boring or repetitive. What's the point in having huge levels with tons of loot if players don't feel like actually getting the loot, you know?

[BrokenPegasus]

It's been over two months since the last update, I've added a lot to the game and I've started planning some new things for future updates.

First off, I've added a buff system.



It works more or less how the equipment menu works (only using timers) except I've added some code that allows me to double or halve any stat.

The system already works with potions (right clicking a potion adds a new buff) and the other new thing I've added: armor sets.



Equipping every piece of armor in a set gives you a permanent buff as long as you keep wearing that set.



I've also added special effects and status effects to the game. The ones that are working, thus far are:

Status
Poison (damage over time)
Curse (mana loss over time)
Bleed (damage if the enemy/player moves)
Corrupt (mana loss if the enemy/player moves)
Calm (enemy/player can't attack)
Blind (enemy/player can't see or use ranged weapons)
Petrify (enemy/player can't do anything)

Special
Vampire (a portion of damage done to enemy is taken back as health)
Ghoul (a portion of damage done to enemy is taken back as mana)
Inflict (a certain percent chance that attacks will inflict a status effect)

Items are only allowed to have one special effect at a time. So if the player were to get an item enchanted twice and get a special effect both times, the second one would overwrite the first one. It would only use one enchantment however.

Speaking of enchantments, I've rewritten the quality system. Rather than having the quality of an item be determined by it's enchantments, item quality now determines how many enchantments can be put on an item. So a Normal quality item will be allowed one enchantment, while Ultimate/Hellish quality items will be allowed seven. Hellish items, however, would have a higher chance for bad enchantments.

Right clicking equipment in the inventory now equips it (if there's nothing equipped in the appropriate slot) or switches it out. I've also added some amount of item comparison to the item hover description.



If the stat is green it's higher than the current equipment, if it's red it's lower and blue means it's the same.

Other than that I've done some sprite design for the three starter races and four unlockable ones. Each has their own female, male and ambiguous forms.



The unlockable races will have different stat distributions and traits.

I've also started working on the Crafting Cube addon sprites.
Here's a mockup of what the Crafting Cube will look like with the Anvil and Smelter addons:



Anyway, I'd like to answer Xion's question about the gameplay and go into a few ideas I have for future features. Basically, the reason why larger dungeons and more items is important to gameplay is because at the start of the game the player is only allowed to pick two stats to raise (using skill points.) There are no stat points to allocate and stats don't naturally grow as you level, so the player will kind of depend on equipment to raise their other stats and help them get through the levels and beat the bosses guarding the staircases that lead to the Grue. A larger map means more items, but it also means more enemies and makes it harder to find the staircase. Of course, the point is kind of moot since map size will be adjustable in the options menu.

But Xion's comment made me start thinking about adding some more side activities to keep the game from getting boring. I know that sometimes when I play RPGs (like Dungeons of Dredmor, for example) I'll make a character get a few levels down and then get bored and make a new character because it just got too monotonous. So I've been trying to think up ways to break up the monotony. I was already planning to add in small side quests (for the unlockable races and smaller quests from certain shrines), but now I've started thinking about adding in smaller maps just to add in some side activities.
Maybe the player will occasionally find a door leading to a village of rat people or a hole in the wall leading to an underground forest. Maybe these areas would offer special items or difficult monsters to fight or allow the player to recruit NPCs to help them or give them a way to raise one stat permanently.

Anyway, I'm still working on it. Feel free to make some suggestions if you have any ideas.

[Windybeard]

This is incredible, i looks amazing, I want this game!

[TNERB]

want want want want want want

[Quarry]

Looks like a wonderful game, looking forward to see how it plays!

[BrokenPegasus]

I've been busy at work this week. I've added cave generation (for side areas) to the game.



I still need to adjust it so it's a little less random though.



I've given the message UI graphics.



I've also added NPCs and the ability to talk to them. If you click on an NPC while standing next to them it opens up the text UI and pauses everything else.



Clicking advances the dialogue. When you reach the end of a dialogue, it either ends (closing the text UI), moves to the next dialogue (allowing for the player character and the NPC to "speak") or opens the dialogue branching options.



Each option gives you a different response.


Maybe?


Yes.


No.

Additionally, certain branches (such as the "Yes" branch above) can lock to that answer permanently or (in the case of the "No" branch above) can lock it to another response permanently.


This is the response you get the next time you speak to the NPC after choosing the "No" option. So it's a pretty standard dialogue system (I think, if I've forgotten to add anything feel free to tell me.)

NPC behavior is fairly simple, they just stand around for a few turns and then walk around.


In the original position.


A few turns later.

Basically they're assigned a random wait time that ticks down every turn. When it reaches zero they look around them, pick a random valid point and then walk to that point. When they arrive they get a new wait time and the cycle starts over.

So that's what I've added this week. Hopefully I'll be able to update this thread once a week from now on, but we'll see.

[BrokenPegasus]

No screenshots with this post. I have been working on GrueQuest, but I'm going to keep what I've been working on a secret for the time being.

I'm just posting now to ask a question: what do you guys think about characters (enemies/hired mercenaries) being able to eat corpses and gain a portion of the dead character's stats? Too OP? Too gross?

How about being able to spot unlocked chests, open them and steal the contents (equipping armor/weapons that are better than their current armor/weapons)?

Dropping everything they're currently doing to collect gold?

Recklessly setting off all traps they see for no reason other than setting them off?

I'm not saying this has anything to do with the next update post, but it might. 

[Quarry]

The cannibalism thing should be a scale-able skill (as in at level 1 it gets 1% and at level 10 it gets 20% or something) and I think it's a really good idea. However the eaten stats (lel) should take place as a buff and the character shouldn't be able to perform the skill until the buff is over, so it'll be non-stackable (which will probably ensure that it's never too OP)

[BrokenPegasus]

The cannibalism thing should be a scale-able skill (as in at level 1 it gets 1% and at level 10 it gets 20% or something) and I think it's a really good idea. However the eaten stats (lel) should take place as a buff and the character shouldn't be able to perform the skill until the buff is over, so it'll be non-stackable (which will probably ensure that it's never too OP)

Done and done.

Also, I've given characters that choose to slowly kill themselves on traps a reason to kill themselves on traps.

[BrokenPegasus]

I think the dungeon might have some overpopulation issues. Better put in a few population caps, a breeding wait time and possibly some condoms around every chest.

[coah]

This looks and sounds really interesting.

I don't have anything significant to add so, just keep at it! Brilliant stuff!

[eobet]

Is there a particular reason why the crafting UI is heavily dithered while the rest of the game seems to use little or no dithering?

I have to admit that it looks pretty overall, but I am bothered by the dithering.

[BrokenPegasus]

Is there a particular reason why the crafting UI is heavily dithered while the rest of the game seems to use little or no dithering?

I have to admit that it looks pretty overall, but I am bothered by the dithering.

I wanted the crafting UI to look like it had been sitting in a dark, wet section of the dungeon for a while, so I added a little bit of green to make it look like moss had started to grow on it. The dithering is there to make it seem like the moss is slowly spreading out.

[BrokenPegasus]

Big update!

I haven't updated in a few months because I was dealing with some depression and the holidays and a major lag issue, but I'm back and work on GrueQuest has picked up again.

First off, I've updated the dungeon generator for (hopefully) the last time.



It uses triangulation to connect the rooms, removes a few of connections and then digs out the tunnels (using room templates whenever possible.) It stills needs a little modifications, but it works much better than the last ones.

Next on the list is profile pictures. I've drawn profile pictures for all sexes (female, male and ambiguous) of the three starter races. From left to right, they're female, ambiguous and male.

Woolen.
Human.
Radonian.

When they're finished they'll look somewhat like this:



I've also done some work on the character sprites, including finishing (except for some minor fixes) the designs for all the races of the game.



And I've started work on the animations.


Running.


Slashing attack.


Staff attack.

I've created the graphic for the skill book UI and started working on the skill system.



It's a skill Rolodex.
The numbered blocks are just there to represent potential skill slots (most will only have ten.) Skillsets will place the skill images into those slots and, where applicable, connect them to their prerequisite skills (usually going from left to right and toward the center, but skills will remain dark until their prerequisite is purchased so it should be easy to tell which is next.)

At the bottom is where selected skills will be displayed along with a description and at the top are little tabs the player will use to scroll through the skillsets. The color of the tab is set in the skillset file.

Finally, I'd like to tell you guys two things.

First, I'm hoping to have the game ready for an Alpha release some time between March and July. I'll update this thread about 2-3 weeks before hand and then put it up on Desura (among other places.)

Second, is something I figured out while designing the quest system (which will be added some time after Alpha release.) I won't go too deep into it, but I will say that I'm adding an Adventure Mode to the game. What does that mean? Well, let's just say it has something to do with modding.