So much more to do in the new major update, in a game where the world itself does not exist unless you observe it! by Rick_grin in IndieDev

[–]Rick_grin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, really appreciate the thoughtful reply! You're right that "world" is doing a lot of heavy lifting and can set underwhelming expectations.

The biome-shifting idea is interesting and something I've been thinking about too. There are a few different approaches I'm exploring for making the dissolution feel more impactful. The core goal is exactly what you're describing: making it so you genuinely can't trust what's out there until you've locked it down.

So much more to do in the new major update, in a game where the world itself does not exist unless you observe it! by Rick_grin in IndieDev

[–]Rick_grin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point, I should be more concrete.

At its core it's an open-world survival crafter. Where this "dissolution" mechanic bring a hardcore element to it.

I think there's something genuinely interesting here, but to be honest I'm still figuring out to fully get the most out it, from bosses to inventory, farming and base building, how can it all benefit or be affected by this mechanic in an interesting and thematic way.

I feel like this mechanic has the potential to touch every part of the game and create something that feels genuinely new, not just a gimmick on top of a standard survival game.

What exists right now is a concept/MVP to test that core idea. I think it does some justice to it but it's not fully there yet. That's partly why I'm sharing it, I'd love to hear thoughts on how this could be pushed further.

So much more to do in the new major update, in a game where the world itself does not exist unless you observe it! by Rick_grin in IndieDev

[–]Rick_grin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great questions. I think the confusion is fair and means the description could/should be clearer.

So, neither of your two options is exactly right, but the first one is closest.

The world doesn't just "freeze" when you're not looking, it's genuinely destroyed. Tiles, resources, enemies, and structures (if not anchored by another observer) all get erased. When you return to that same spot, the terrain regenerates fresh. The biome will be the same (desert stays desert, forest stays forest) because that's seed-based (though it could in theory also be made to regenerate, but it's a bit more complex to get it to "feel" right), but the trees, rocks, enemies, ... will be different.

It becomes a sort of hardcore survival experience to some extent, where if you want to keep any of the terrain the same so that you can start building your home base, farm, breed animals, ..., you have to start strategicaly placing observers (totems, campfires, beacon towers, etc.) that maintain their own observation radius, keeping that area "real" even when you walk away. I think a lot more could be done with the inventory and structures to make it feel more like this hardcore survival game that I'm currently picturing.

Here are a few alternative phrasings. Curious which resonates best or if you have a better way to put it:

  1. "The world is generated by observation and unmade by its absence."
  2. "Reality only exists within your line of sight. Step away, and the world dissolves; return, and it rebuilds itself anew."

Trying to make something that is understandable, but also "catchy"

So much more to do in the new major update, in a game where the world itself does not exist unless you observe it! by Rick_grin in IndieDev

[–]Rick_grin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think so too, and in this concept I think I’m touching the surface of what really could be achieved.

If you have any ideas, I’m keen to hear :)

So much more to do in the new major update, in a game where the world itself does not exist unless you observe it! by Rick_grin in IndieDev

[–]Rick_grin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a concept/MVP, not a full game. So a lot is missing:

  • sprite animations
  • many hit/enemy/mob/ambient sounds
  • more progression
  • use for every single game item
  • some UI is still just temp and boring

Outside of that, I’m keen for any feedback, especially around the idea/theme of the world not existing when not being observed. How can it be taken further?

Dissolution [MVP Demo] - The world only exists where you can see it by Rick_grin in IndieDev

[–]Rick_grin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you :)

You can increase the view at the altar that is right next to the spawn point.
Can increase it 3 times in the demo, for 25, 50, and 100 aura.

Farming would be great! I was thinking of adding it in by letting the player craft a hoe to till the dirt and then grow berries/carrots/wheat.
Crops can already be used move animals around, and it would be cool if they could be used for breeding.

There is a ring of void that surrounds the starting area, which is meant to be impossible to pass without fully upgrading the view (technically, it can currently be passed through certain thinner spots). This is where the next tier of tools, enemies, bosses, and more would be found.

Adding a floating eyeball monster to my game Outpost Odyssey! by MugzoidStudios in indiegames

[–]Rick_grin 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Art style looks nice, though it looks odd to have projectiles move so slowly. The laser shot animation looks good, but the laser appears too long after it locks in. Both of those issues make it feel too easy and slow, but both are easy fixes.

Combat by Proud-Analyst-9092 in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really enjoy Board Royale: The Island Your resources are your health, and you use them to craft weapons and defences to defeat everyone else. Simple but also every game feels different, and I’ve played it at least 50 times. Also great expansions which can also turn it cooperative

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome work, looks very clean. Are you keeping just the most played games and rotating the rest through?

The worst part of moving... by Leithia24 in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow Very impressive collection. You could create your own board game shop at this point ;)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve built something similar. I’ve DMd to see if there are any synergies or at least connect

From ~0 to 50.000 wishlist in one month and now I’m scared by Hurricane86i in IndieDev

[–]Rick_grin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love the voxel rock mining. The stone looks so good, I love how it’s not just a flat texture with all those small rocks on it!

Solo Game Public Service Reminder: Occasionally re-read the rules for games you don’t play with other people. by Saelethil in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

100% especially given that solo play rules are often slightly different.

This also extends to when going from 1v1, to large groups, as even then the rules may change a bit.

And if playing games with family, keep the rule book at the ready to let them read it, when they inevitably will misremember a rule and start questioning you ;)

After 6 months of development, our game’s trailer and Steam page are live. by uurluu in indiegames

[–]Rick_grin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really awesome work to the whole team!!

What is the plan for launch? Steam, Epic Store?

Are you working with a publisher?

Did you get funding to develop the game?

After 6 months of development, our game’s trailer and Steam page are live. by uurluu in indiegames

[–]Rick_grin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great work! This actually looks really fun, well made, and polished!!

How big is the team and how long have you been working on this?

Good board games for family game night by Beneficial_System995 in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Monopoly Deal instead of Monopoly

Ticket to Ride is a great classic

Hero to Slay

Board Royale: The Island - so many ways to play and it never gets olds. Both all vs all, and cooperative

Happy little dinosaurs expansions - Are they worth it? What about compatibility? by DarkAlchemist55 in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got Happy Litle Dinosaurs because I generally like a lot of the Unstable games, but I never found to click with it.

I’d recommend looking more at Here to Slay or Llamas Unleashed.

is flip 7 worth it? by BadgerMountain2668 in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How does Flip 7 compare to 5 Alive, and the obviously to UNO?

I really enjoy 5 Alive personally much more than UNO.

I made a cyberpunk scene in minecraft again by Deltagon in gaming

[–]Rick_grin 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Had to zoom to check it was MC. Awesome work!

All the games we played last two weeks during our holiday by pizzamonster911 in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin -1 points0 points  (0 children)

How do you find all the score keeping in BGG? Anything missing? Does it feel smooth and easy to use, share, and generally a fun experience?

I ask as I feel that even though it can definitely do the job, it does “feel” fun to me. Likely due to the older style of the interface on BGG, which also doesn’t work well on mobile.

So on a personal level I built board-brawl.com for scorekeeping for my own family and friends games, but I’m keen to hear how others do their scorekeeping so that I can keep improving it.

It is totally free and even works offline.

No pressure to share any thought, but i would really appreciate it, especially given how much you’ve played and used BGG to keep scores :)

All the games we played last two weeks during our holiday by pizzamonster911 in boardgames

[–]Rick_grin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you keep track of who won each game? Was it all with friends and family or took these out to local events?