Okay- so I should tell you more about gameplay.

One of the comments I've gotten here recently accurately pointed out that over the past few weeks, I've been mostly posting screenshots and information about the business side of things.  

Indeed, the first update I did as a full-time damedev was mostly about the new sky shader we got (which sucked, BTW- we went right back to our old sky/water system - why mess with what worked?)

In my next livecast, I hope we will have time to go into more of the actual action mechanics of the game.  However, I really DO need to let ya'll know more about the actual gameplay.  After all, most of you have not been following the project for long, and might have missed stuff that I've previously disclosed.

So, in each of the next few updates, I'll be covering an aspect of Peace Island gameplay, as it currently exists.  

This week, I'll start by talking about the leveling system that we are designing.

In today's multiplayer gaming, stats & leveling equate to how much damage you can deal to other people on your particular server - and that's pretty much it (hooray, multiplayer.)

In single player games, the leveling system is a personalized way of gauging one's progress in relation to the world around them.  In the olden days, it was enough that your player just got a bit stronger, and could absorb a bit more damage.  

With the introduction of a more diverse palette of stats, players were consequently given a point system which allowed the player to emphasize which aspect of their character they would prefer to emphasize, each time they leveled up.  This would allow them to access particular weapons & tools specific to their level, and grant them more agency.

Now, in a story-driven game with no combat - a game about the ordinary accomplishing the extraordinary - we had to go with a slightly different approach to the issue:

The following is an outdated visualization of the system, created six months ago, when we were first designing it.  The new version, well- we don't wanna spoil anything now...

Despite it being outdated and rather psychedelic, it gives you a general idea:

You start with one cat - Elizabeth, with no real extrinsic goal other than to lie in the sun, fill your stomach, and of course- explore.  As you explore, you will learn about Elizabeth, and her relation to the world around her - and of course, unlock the other cats.

Once you have full understanding of the cats' characters, you will be able "level up" and collaborate.  Instead of wielding a better weapon to gain agency, you will be able to use the cats' collaboration to gain more agency over their world, as the story advances. 

Eventually, your concerns will grow beyond just the island itself - which will necessitate the combined efforts of the nine cats in conjunction - their ability to do so is of course determined by their mastery of the agency previously received.

Hope that makes sense.

In other quick news:

Work on the new cat animation palette is almost done, minus a few tweaks.  We've spoken with another animator about mice.  We're also opening discussions with a level designer we hope to work with.  

A Peace Island website is under development, and in aesthetic news, we're still bringing in new flora.

Lemme know if you have any questions below.

See ya'll monday!