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[sajidsarker]

Synopsis
   The prince of Bani Sidon suffers exile upon saving the life of a refugee of war. He uses this chance to act on a dream that visited him foretelling the founding of a nation.

SIDON is a story of the clash of civilisations and the consequences of politics and conflict, and the futility of human ambition.


About
Hej all! My name is Sajid Sarker from Bangladesh. I've spent years lurking on TIGSource Forums, but never got dedicated to significant projects that were worthy of putting up. So this is my first DevLog.

I'm working on what I call the Beirut Engine to realise an old dream of creating my own Turn Based Tactics game named SIDON. The direction I am going for is akin to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, with the simplicity of Final Fantasy I in its RPG systems, and a focus on interesting class abilities.

What I want to technically accomplish is smooth gameplay, polished feel, and interesting systems that balances the excesses of micromanagement with its associated depth and faster pace of gameplay with a good story.

@sajidsarker
Follow me on Instagram!
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Follow my game on Tumblr!

Tools
I'm using GameMaker Studio.

Platform
PC for now. Otherwise, not quite sure yet. I'm targeting a more tactile Gamepad friendly interface, since I grew up more of a handheld gamer. Though controversial to the master race, I'm not particularly fond of doing a lot of clicking around.

Progress

Work has been going on for about a week now as I brainstormed the direction of gameplay and graphical presentation for my engine. Fire Emblem is by all means a tactical RPG, while Advance Wars is more about wargaming with a focus on terrain. I felt graphically and mechanically, following an isometric approach would be the most interesting to make, where combat plays out tactically with elevation instead of type of terrain.

08/08/2019
17/01/2018
05/04/2017
29/10/2016
24/09/2016
11/09/2016
05/09/2016
26/08/2016
16/08/2016
14/08/2016
11/08/2016
- Minimalist level editor for elevation data created
- Map containing elevation data loads from external file
- Pathfinding algorithm fully implemented for units
- Pathfinding is currently under testing and not tied to units yet
- 3D layer has been implemented
- Cursor movement and camera implemented, not smooth and has some bugs

Screenshots (Outdated)

[sajidsarker]

14/8/2016
- Fixed bug with cursor and camera rotation
- Camera rotation and panning based on lerp, works smooth as butter  
- Implemented finite state machines for all game objects and initial game loop layer
- Designing RPG back-end;
 + Todo: Stats, Inventory, Levelling, Ability
 + Considering: Permadeath

Screenshots

[JWest]

I'm interested to see where this develops.  Best of luck, keep us updated!

[sajidsarker]

Work full-time at an economic research institute, so a new study has been keeping me busy since last week, but managed to put in a half hour here and there. Some good results so far!

17/8/2016
- Implemented spawning units on the map
- Will implement spawning impassable entities on the map like trees and boulders
- Units are either on own team or on enemy team
- Pathfinding tweaked so enemy units are considered impassable obstacles for player units
- Unit classes framework implementation conceptualized and started
- Using Oryx's lovely spritesheet as placeholders!

Screenshots

I'm interested to see where this develops.  Best of luck, keep us updated!

Thanks for the support, appreciate it!

[sajidsarker]

26/8/2016
- Implemented Stats system
- Implemented Class system
  - Warrior
  - Archer
  - Thief
  - Lancer
  - Sorceror
  - Cleric
  - Pyromancer
- Implemented Stat-growth and leveling system
- Implemented Clan Roster management system
- Tiles light up during movement algorithm to show whether an ally is in your way
- Save/load system started
- UI elements started
  - Header
  - Label (done)
  - Listbox
  - Textbox
- Textbox and notification system started

No screenshots this time! I'll post when the UI stuff is done

[valrus]

Even if it's not the graphical style you intend for the final product, I like the minimalist presentation!

Suggestion for a smooth but minimalist FFT-like implementation without a lot of choice-micromanagement:

• Of a class's skills, only one is an active skill and the rest are passives.  But characters can change their class during encounters.  (Put another way: instead of choosing a different action each turn, the character can change classes.)
• Moving, facing, and the default action are combined (when possible) into a single selection.  Say the current character is a cleric, and the cleric's default action is to heal whomever they're facing.  If the player chooses the "southward" facing of tile G5, then the cleric moves there, faces south, and (if there's a character in tile G6) heals them.

This compresses a lot into a single click/X-button-press, rather than making the player make an explicit choice to do each action in a sequence of actions they do 90% of the time anyway.

(Aimed ranged actions don't easily fit into a single-click paradigm, but you could maybe have it that all spells (and similar) have a defined range and shape.  So if you have an earthquake spell, it extends five spaces in the direction the character is facing, rather than make the character choose their location and then choose the spell location.)

[sajidsarker]

5/9/2016
- Converted entire 3D graphical layer to tiled 2D isometric
- Readjusted camera (still very smooth)
- Widescreen resolution
- Developed first iteration of GUI elements
- GUI:
  - Status screen (connected to database of Clan Roster)
  - Debug information

Progress
There are a few reasons why I've gone back on my initial idea for a fully 3D rotatable map. Part of it is the limitations of GM in controlling and adjusting the 3D exactly the way I want. Part of it is how the aesthetic just doesn't feel right with rotating, scaling, distorted sprites on a 3D field, and poor tools for controlling lighting and shading.

Suffice to say the 3D made the pixel art stand out unnecessarily, so going full 2D would feel more consistent. The advantages of 2D shaders and graphical control are also benefits I took into account moving into isometric.

The gameplay changes this would necessitate first and foremost hits the map design. I can't have terrain with large objects obstructing the centre of the battlefield. This makes it harder to put cool eye-candy set-pieces like a large fully-3D revolving windmill in the centre of the battlefield to rotate around. However, the performance boost in 2D means I can have larger map sizes as well.

If I am lucky enough, good quality pixel art like Tactics Ogre with interesting graphical effects, shaders, and consistent art style would be far more visually appealing.

As in all optimization strategies: Costs and benefits!


Screenshots

Even if it's not the graphical style you intend for the final product, I like the minimalist presentation!

Suggestion for a smooth but minimalist FFT-like implementation without a lot of choice-micromanagement:

• Of a class's skills, only one is an active skill and the rest are passives.  But characters can change their class during encounters.  (Put another way: instead of choosing a different action each turn, the character can change classes.)
• Moving, facing, and the default action are combined (when possible) into a single selection.  Say the current character is a cleric, and the cleric's default action is to heal whomever they're facing.  If the player chooses the "southward" facing of tile G5, then the cleric moves there, faces south, and (if there's a character in tile G6) heals them.

This compresses a lot into a single click/X-button-press, rather than making the player make an explicit choice to do each action in a sequence of actions they do 90% of the time anyway.

(Aimed ranged actions don't easily fit into a single-click paradigm, but you could maybe have it that all spells (and similar) have a defined range and shape.  So if you have an earthquake spell, it extends five spaces in the direction the character is facing, rather than make the character choose their location and then choose the spell location.)

Thank you for all the suggestions, I appreciate all the support! I'm definitely going to balance the experience away from long, dense, unintuitive menus to faster snappier experiences.

I'm not sure I can live up to those exact recommendations but I hope you can find enjoyment in the niche project I'm working on!

[sajidsarker]

11/9/2016
- Maps
  - 1 of 5 unique maps loaded randomly on startup
  - Maps were all made by my kid brother
- Units
  - Movement algorithm generates on cursor entering unit now, disappears on cursor exit
  - Movement algorithm tweaked to allow enemies to recognize their own faction to and player to avoid collisions
  - Pathing algorithm being implemented for movement of units
  - FSM for commanding units to be implemented (the turn order system stats already defines, the pieces are coming together!)
- UI elements complete
  - Lists, menus, prompts, labels, headings, footers, canvases
  - Main menu added, status screen revamped
  - FSM of RPG menu screens to be implemented
  - Footers show context sensitive controls depending on input device
- Debug UI improved
  - Number of connected controllers shown
  - Pause screen shows name of default controller
- Added gamepad / controller support
  - Defaults to Keyboard on startup or unplugging of controller
  - Joypads will not be supported
  - Xbox 360/Xbox One controllers correctly supported
  - PS3/PS4 controllers not correctly supported
  - DS4Tools for DualShock 4 controllers supported with bugs (changing screens stops controller detection)
  - Dynamic controller switching when controllers plugged / unplugged

Progress
Honestly, controllers are a damn headache on the PC. It's amazing ordinary joypads, joysticks, and PC controllers all have outdated code in GM which causes intense lag spikes whenever input is being polled every step. Slows my 60 fps game to an absolute crawl. My preferred DualShock 4 controller is not supported either unless I have DS4Tools. Bummer.

Since all the stats are complete, now is the painstaking bit of working on the FSM for the RPG management screens for the Clan Roster. Equipping spells, abilities, equipment and all that. Then there's the FSM for the battle engine itself. Once I get turn order sorted out, I'll make the next big step for moving units around (although old movement code I once wrote for a Tactics prototype has been copy-pasted in, so theoretically it already works).

It doesn't feel like a lot of work, so much as a lot of organization. It's less like making a game as conceptualizing the engine of a finely tuned car and just sculpting out the components and systems.

The most fun thing once the battle engine and everything is done will be making the spells, abilities, animations and all that jazz. A good friend of mine agreed to work on some classical guitar music. Excite!

Screenshots

[sajidsarker]

24/9/2016
- Cutscenes!
  - Dialogue
  - Camera panning, focus
  - Timing and waiting
  - Macbeth
  - Working on story and lore! (Not Macbeth)
- Entities
  - Trees, rocks, pots and other objects can be added
  - Will have stats
  - Can be damaged or set on fire during combat
- Leveledit
  - Interface tweaks and accessibility
  - Will feature tiling soon

Screenshots




For artistic reference, I am using photographs from my own time in Lebanon.

[sajidsarker]

3/10/2016
- World Map in-progress
- Chapter selection UI flow in-progress
- Save System completed
- Screenplay and scenarios for story

Screenshots


Progress
The most exciting task has been to work on the lore and the world-building for the story. Not all of it will be explained outright, but the idea is that these areas will need to be thought out in order to give that extra flavour and richness to the world. Depth comes from understanding the societies and the politics and the religions that compose this world. Traditions, attitudes, cultures all have to be addressed.

Not enough games want to do that to significant depth, as opposed to making fleeting references. While TES games have that on the surface, they lack the characteristic of the genuine. The worship of eldritch gods seem to have no significant cultural bearing or manifestation other than for exoticism or as a power fantasy for or against archetypes. In comparison, the Witcher does the analogy better with entire villages and hamlets having covenants with nature deities, and a culture shaped around these belief systems. I'm hoping to provide that depth in Sidon in a natural sense, that informs every aspect of the world-building.

I've always enjoyed good user interfaces. Unfortunately, dealing with the minutiae of making a good interface so each visible element is just right to pixel accuracy is a level of obsessive compulsion that has started to burden down on me, so I might be taking a bit of a gap from that. Right now, the story, setting, and world-building are my key focus.

I hope to include story details in my next update. For now, have a look at my first post for synopsis.

I envision a world map that isn't just a paper map. Every facet of a game like this ought to push world-building to the fore. I want the world map to have ancient cities, ruins, and other monuments littering the world. The world in miniature. This would give a sense of solidity to the place, and unite the maps on which the game occurs, into what feels like a cohesive world.

[sajidsarker]

[sajidsarker]

5/4/2017
- Inventory (w/ Selling)
- Shop (w/ Buying)

Long hiatus, you guys!

Screenshots

[sajidsarker]

17/1/2018
- Roster (20 Character Maximum)
- Status
- Edit Equipment
- Edit Abilities
- Bio

Another long hiatus! Moved to the States to start my PhD in August last year. Haven't let this go  

Screenshots

[bacon]

Love to see more tactics games! What are you trying to do above and beyond FFT - you mentioned story, but any interesting systems, levels, etc?

[sajidsarker]

08/08/2019
+ Rewrote BeirutMapEdit to version 0.9
 - Integrated new map and cutscene loading system
 - Saving map files
 - Loading map files into editor not integrated
 - Loading map files into BeirutEngine integrated
+ Phases:
 - Cutscene
 - Unit Placement
 + Battle
  - Turn Order
 - Victory / Game Over
- Turn Order List
- Unit Attack
- Unit Death
- Squashed bugs
- Graphical polish
- Cutscene features added

Instagram: @sajidsarker

Progress

I've been working on this since 2014, and I can't find myself working on anything else.

I've travelled to the Emirates and to Turkey and I'm doing research along the way. Visited the desert surrounding Dubai to get some experience of what the conditions are like on the dunes. Did some overnight camping as well. Experienced the manifestation of Arab culture and the appropriation of cultures from immigrant communities to MENA region. Learning a little something of Turkey's Ottoman history and its cultural influence on my own country.

Sidon was inspired by visiting Sayeda (Sidon) in Lebanon. The engine started in Beirut. I feel now it will end somewhere else, and my journey across the region of the Fertile Crescent, the Gulf to the West, and from my own youth farther East, will all find expression through world-building of the many cultures I wish to represent in my game.

It's all going in the game!

The game is in its alpha state. The battle system is minimally featured presently, but fully functional and without bugs. I never get enough time to work, but in the long jeep rides without internet, I was able to hunker down with my laptop in the back seat and really get some programming done.

I want to find an artist now who's willing to work on a passion project. This seems super unlikely at the moment

If I can change my tilesets and characters, I should like to release a demo by the end of the year.

I notice my image hosting has removed all my past screenshots from the post. I'll have to reupload them, and I intend to upload a demo video again in the future.

Will be working on battle mechanics, attacks, and abilities exclusively here on out.