Dev Diary: Recap Episode #1 -- Where we are now

Announcements about major changes in Haven & Hearth.

Dev Diary: Recap Episode #1 -- Where we are now

Postby loftar » Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:56 pm

Hai guise!

As suggested and requested elsewhere, I though I should try and write some reflections on current and future development on Haven from our perspective as its makers. Or, more precisely, my perspective; I don't want to put words into Jorb's mouth (they flow from there without any end in sight anyway, so there's no need to). I've previously been putting such things in various threads spread elsewhere around the forums that might not even have had with the subject to do originally, which has the obvious flaw that people who might be interested never get to see it.

It might be reasonable for me to start with describing the state in which Haven currently is. In my view, we're still very firmly in Alpha ground, with no Beta in sight for quite some time. I say that because, while we have a game engine that allows us to construct and play with various mechanics, the actual game content is still an experiment at best, and the vast majority of it will have to be replaced sooner or later. As you know, we're already working on a new fighting system (and it will most likely not be the final iteration on it), and we plan to replace the entire LP and skill system. Farming, hunting and villages are requiring major revamps, the map generator will be remade completely (probably a couple of times over), and the resource/crafting tree will probably change shapes in major ways.

We're at a rather exciting point, however: When we first starting getting users en masse back in the end of May (which is more than half a year ago now -- crazy!), we were still at a point where the game couldn't even really be played, since many things either required divine intervention to be done at all or were so horribly broken that it wasn't even funny; while at the point where we are now, Haven is almost even playable as a real game. Having such things as the scent system, tracking, basic villages, object destruction, item quality, wilderness spawning and a few experimental industries in place, we've finally reached the place where we can start thinking of where we want Haven to develop as a game, rather than as a game engine (yes, there are still quite a few core systems missing, but the remaining ones are at least slightly less critical).

What that means for updates in the close future is that we'll probably continue spending a bit more time on discussing the future of Haven (which is still very much in flux) than doing concrete development, which may be a bit boring for you; but I hope it's for the best in the end.

In a bit of a sentimental outburst, I'd also like to add that, while we've had to put up with some RAEG from time to time, it has been indescribably fun to have you guys as lab rats for the past 7½ months. With the state the game was in at the end of May, neither Jorb nor I thought anyone would be going to stay for more than a few days in the game. It has been very flattering to see that many of those who came in the initial wave of players are still around.
"Object-oriented design is the roman numerals of computing." -- Rob Pike
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Re: Dev Diary: Recap Episode #1 -- Where we are now

Postby Lothaudus » Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:52 am

This has probably been asked (and feel free to link to the answer if it exists) but what made you and Jorb want to make this game in the first place? Was it just an interesting technical challenge? And why a sandbox and why Slavic and Germanic myth? Was there any particular game that inspired you to go that way or was it because you felt it was something that hadn't really been done too well before?
Barry Fletcher Norwin
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