Lueur (LOWREZJAM version)
Playable version and interesting design changes inspired by 64x64 constraint - Lueur Devlog #4
Hey everyone !
A playable version
Youhou ! Finally got a playable version.
It's not balanced, but you can already enjoy the majority of buildings. The next big thing to implement will be the "darkness system".
At the start of the game the darkness system will work like an exploration system. You spend light to illuminate (discover) a new cell. But toward the end of the game, this system becomes more challenging. Darkness will invade back your cells and you'll have to illuminate them again. Furthermore, darkness will eat some of your light points every turn, so you'll need to be careful to not disappear ! You'll need to carefully plan your buildings for maximum efficiency as well as choosing which cells are worth keeping illuminated.
When 64x64 really inspire good ideas
Just want to talk a little about a design idea I would have never thought of without the limitation.
Usually in city building games, you have lot of buildings available. And this started to happen in Lueur too.
The problem is, I can´t display them all in a list like classic city building games because of the 64x64 resolution. Thinking more about it, I realized that a big list of buildings available from the start is not a good idea anyway. I'm sure that is one of the reason some players quit city-building games; too much information and choices from the start.
Here's what I did :
- You need to select a cell to see what you can build on it (depending of terrain and such).
- You can see only one building/action at a time in the HUD.
- There are a few "fundamentals building" that are then upgraded into other more complex buildings.
This way I'm sure there is never too much possibility at every moment, and that the complexity evolves with the player building more things.
And all that thanks to this 64x64 constraint.
Final words
Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments. Did you find new ideas thanks to the 64x64 resolution contraint ?
Also don't forget to follow me to be notified each time I post a devlog !
You can play the game here : https://darenn.itch.io/lueur
See you !
Comments
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I've always been a proponent of the, "constraint breeds creativity" line. This feels no different to me. I think you made a solid decision, and have something you could keep iterating on with feedback. The feedback which is more likely to be plentiful due to your design decision! A loop of sorts.
I'm actually feeling really inspired by this jam, I'll probably write my own blog about it soon though.
Very cool! Can't wait to play!
Thank you !
Can´t wait to read your devlog them.