Reflections on the new system and structure

Tempus Libertatis is simultaneously an easy and difficult project. Easy because I used a lot of the system that I'm currently refining. I was able to take advantage of many pre-determined elements that worked perfectly. New ideas and adaptations flowed like a river, but on the other hand, what didn't work really didn't work, and I had to make some tough decisions that I'll correct in a future update.

Romance: The romance aspect was one of the things that didn't work out. In the first version, the game starts during a time of freedom, followed by capture and resistance to a life of slavery. During my revisions, I realized that the already compromised pacing made it impossible to leave it as it was. If I were to include the provincial prologues, I would spend too much time on the story, and the mechanics would fall by the wayside. This part was cut, and in the current version, I found it inappropriate to introduce an effective romantic element because there was nothing to rescue, unlike dignity. In the future, the prologue will be better addressed because this game is actually a spin-off of Siege of Amal, focusing on what happens to the prisoners. I'm taking great care with this aspect. In a future update, the process of love—what it means to love when you are objectified and a victim of a system where there is no love or space for love—will be addressed along with other customization mechanics. Writing it, I felt it was very important to rescue certain elements. With better implementation of the prologues, the initial reading will likely be more fluid. I'm aware that the current pacing is not good.

Combat System: The combat system is structured not in a user-friendly way but in how the system processes each option. Basically, during the combat phase, the player sees the numbers and data I’m using, as well as behavioral variables. Some things occurred as expected and others did not, so the entire combat phase and analysis part are raw. I couldn't complete the limb system within the 30-day cycle. Essentially, in the prototype combat phase, you attack specific limbs (head, torso, arm, and leg), and each limb has specific health points. For now, it’s generic.

Events: I've been studying how to present gladiatorial events (here called duels to avoid historical purism), and I have drafts of chariot races, athletic challenges, and parts in Act 2 and Act 3 where you leave the arena, use money to buy possessions, and bet on other duelists. I had two options: present this incompletely or cut it. I chose to cut it. The drafts are still here, and I will work on them for future implementation.

Act 3: Act 1 is ideal and as I wanted. Act 2 faced issues with events and combat but presents the idea and concludes Act 1's intrigue. Act 3 should actually be the sum of decisions made in events and special battles with characters like Titus, Aloysius, Nigellus, Lenora, and Ajax. I opted for a ghost version of the ending. I could have left Act 2-3 open or created an ending within the possibilities, and I preferred a closed ending to leaving it unfinished. This will be corrected and deeply improved. In the scene where Mercia gives the trick of what to do, I left the roots of everything I need to remember and implement the mechanics of movement/surprises in the arena.

Attributes: Attributes are displaced because they are tied to events. Since the events were cut, the attributes are just equipment-based but still impact the base damage mechanics, though not interpretatively. That's why increasing attributes is not an option when entering Act 2.

For now, that's it. I really enjoyed working on Tempus Libertatis. I think I can mature what was done here into something really cool by refining the rough edges and giving it a well-deserved final polish.