A Broken Person's Journey

With 40 seconds left, and undoubtedly some bugs that I’ll have to fix, it’s ready! :) I decided to tell a story (which really fits with the ChoiceScript format) rather than making it purely a game. Over time, I’ll eventually improve in this aspect; slowly but surely, I’m not just discovering but rediscovering my own method.

I think there’s not much to say about Siege of Amal because it’s the kind of game you need to play to form an opinion. Talking about it won’t contribute much. So, I’ll share some mechanical elements I implemented that are part of its framework. I definitely need to start revealing these little big secrets.

1. Using two control variables for the attributes is something I found really satisfying. Essentially, it creates a connection between the attributes that is easy to grasp and remember. Not relying on percentages was a blessing too. This was my last attempt to use a numerical system for states and attributes, and I realized it’s just not for me. The absence of percentage bars was honestly very beneficial. Balancing attributes and trying to bring tabletop RPG logic into this doesn’t work. Between one situation and the next, I’d forget the rules, mess up the numbers, and constantly had to round damage mechanics. I was reading some board game rules and came across the "magnitude board" concept, but I didn’t feel comfortable with it. In the end, as interesting as it is, I don’t know how to use it well and forget what to do next.
2. Eventually, I had to discard something about the routes. Initially, there was more variation in how orders were executed with quests and subquests, but I felt it was taking too long to reach the game’s endpoint. So, I reduced it a lot and created a “skip” mechanism to jump to the important parts. I had a lot of fun creating dynamics and factions. There was even a cooking and fishing minigame, as well as one for wagon repairs and village minigame, but I ran out of time. Since I had just 40 seconds left, it’s clear I wasted too much time on things I’m not going to use and never will, Siege of Amal is completed. Im just need fix all the bugs and thats its.
3. While researching for the tribal aspect for Bo, I discovered I’m a fan of nomadic cultures. The idea of carrying your home with you is something that feels peculiar in my mind.
4. Among the things I have planned, Siege of Amal ranks second in scale. I have a lot of fun with the extravagances that such a hypercontext allows. Above it, only Nihil Obstat is as grand in scope.

That's all folks!