ShipCore - The Game (Patreon)

Soooo--- 

I've been feeling pretty burnt out lately, and it was Christmas and soon (NEWYEARS!) and wanted to take a break... so that's why there hasn't been a chapter this week.

I wasn't exactly idle though. For whatever reason I said to myself--hey wouldn't it be cool if ShipCore had a game? I really enjoy those text adventure games, ya know... being a writer and all?

I've never programmed before, never edited html, css, javascript, whatever. Twine / Sugarcube is a interactive fiction thing designed to make these types of games and combined with a lot of questions to ChatGPT, I've muddled through.

At first I almost gave up, things looked horrible, it wasn't great.

I am so glad I didn't stop on that first day.

Day 2 had art forming, areas made, and I released a V00000000.1 to discord. It was barebones, you could just walk through places after making your character and doing the intro.

Now there are tons of things todo:

V0.0021 Hotpatch

Fix Haven Apartment signing bug:

Fixed purchasing the apartment conversation to set correct flag

V0.002

Time and Needs Mechanics:

Time progresses as you engage in activities and move around.

Similar to The Sims, your needs decay over time and must be managed.

Updates and Additions:

Added right side bar widget.

Did planning on stuff.

Added consumable biometric boosters player can use via Personal Management -> Consumables.

Worked on KO screen.

Fixed day changes.

Fixed lots of random broken things.

Added Jax the NPC to help get bearings.

Implemented all lower deck areas but observation deck and slums.

Did Not Make It This Version:

Hostile NPC to add tension.

Combat system.

More NPCs and main questline starts.

Reputation.

Journal.

Business management.

Still need to develop and refine systems while in lower deck before expanding the world or there will be massive amounts to redo later when they are refined.

Employment Opportunities:

Basic jobs (e.g., bar, noodle stand) are available throughout the game, offering a modest credit income.

Scrap collection jobs allow for gathering materials to sell or trade at parts dealers.

Storage Locker System:

Players can purchase abandoned storage lockers to find items and resources.

Discover synergies, such as certain shops offering better prices for specific items like cyberware.

Illegal items found in lockers can be sold at black markets for higher profits but increase the risk level.

Black Market Mechanics:

Selling illegal items boosts the black market score, escalating danger levels and attracting attention.

Housing and Rest:

Players can unlock and rent apartments for improved rest and recovery.

Fabricator Feature:

Upon earning enough money and acquiring a license, players can use the fabricator to convert scrap into parts over time.

Mini upgrade system available through the installation of cyberware.

Contribution to the Economy:

Parts can be donated or used in engineering jobs to enhance the game's economy score.

Daily Reports:

Each day ends with a report detailing changes in the player's credits and debt.

Collapse System:

Players collapsing from unmet needs are sent to a default slum house or their apartment, if owned.

V0.001

Basic Navigation for Lower Deck setup

Intro done

So yeah, there's a small loop now, you can do stuff, live. Don't expect it to tie into the story much -- everything is placeholdery. It's set a decade after the Battler of Meltisar, and it is starting the player at the very bottom of society -- very far and removed from the characters we read about in the story who are at the very top.

I would like to build out the game to the point where you do eventually meet the characters, though. And see the how they've developed and progressed over the years after book 4's ending. Maybe even help them out with some of their problems.

The possibilities with this type of game feel endless to me -- there is so much narrative content and potential for tying into the main story. I just don't know if I'll have time to see that come to life, though.

I have to finish the books and programming the game and building it up takes a lot of time. Since it was the holidays, I decided it was fine for me to take the week off, but I don't think that I can do that, so while I feel amazed at how much I got done in the 5 days, I'm not sure about what the fate of the project will be.

Might get put on the backburner... might get closed down. Depends, I guess, on the reaction of people to the game -- if there is a lot of interest on Patreon, then maybe I can tie it in and develop it more. 

I'm also not opposed to setting things up so the game can be opensourced on github and worked on by others who love the series -- like I do for the books/webserials, I would like to keep the game free. Or, like what I see a lot of others who do games like this -- have it free 1 version behind, or with cheats, or some other bonus for those who make a 'donation.'

So... if you are interested, if you like this, and want to see more, leave a comment. Reach out to me, here or even better-- on discord.

Many thanks to all of you, for being here with me, and I look forward to continuing to create for you all!

Happy Holidays!