[28] L'lasons de Aether ver Beinags #10

This week mostly involved a lot of thinking and logistical work, as I needed through lines to actually follow. I've done most of the declaratory thinking, but I need to string these ideas into something that can actually be made.

For example, increasing vocabulary and deciphering language can be done many ways, though they generally range from manual to automatic.

A completely manual approach would not include any interface elements to help the player. You'd need to keep track of a vocabulary, and notes on their possible meanings yourself, whether by pen and paper, or an external word processor.

In contrast, a completely automatic approach might go so far as the game replacing Exprish words with English as you achieve a variety of arbitrary goals. These goals could be anywhere from interacting with some character, a device, or simply by looking at a monument with a helpful engraving.

If possible, I'd like to land somewhere in between.

For this feature, I imagine managing notes, quests, and conversations similar to Deus Ex:

Some quests/goals might require proven knowledge of Exprish, among other things, so there would have to be something internal that keeps track of that proven knowledge.

The difference between the above image and my version might come in the form of some minigame that proves requisite knowledge.

Another example of ironing out logistical problems, is how the main story progression unravels, depending on the route you take (out of 3 currently.)

There is one way to start a playthrough, but I need to make a path from there to all 3 endings.

The Kommiagana's task route requires you to dissociate the primordial strykons, but the immediate problem to solve is how to go about it.

It could be set up such that you need to break them remotely, or maybe you need to dig to the center of Aether to break them there. Once I decided on the latter, I needed ways to dig, and a way to split up progression for that digging.

I wanted different layers to be dug through by different methods, meaning that you couldn't beat the game once you achieved a single main goal.

One stage might require you to synthesize some substance, which you can only get by first acquiring some alchemic instruments and stills.

Another stage might require you to give a component to Yolle to build some drill.

Another might need some explosives or something; you get the general idea.

The next step in all of this would be to intertwine and connect these steps to the mechanisms/people that drive them.

In any case, that's it for this week.