This is my to do list for the next period (my work is putting down on paper the game – everything in this list is writing for the game, no programming involved):

1. the military units are finished but they’re spread across three excel files, so I need to make a single one and give it to the programmers – finished
2. the player profile needs to be written on the computer (I have it written on paper right now) – finished
3. the oasis need to be finished
4. the text and options for every single page so that Mars knows what to do for the design of the game (Ex: demolish option in the city hall, train in the barracks, bonus buildings, research, resources) – need to have on paper every single option in the game. They are made by the programmers, but we still need to decide what exact text and look they will have in the page.
5. the demolish option (to get rid of buildings you no longer need)
6. the influence points that decide when you can make a new village or steal one (settler and senator are done as far as I know, but the way the influence points accumulate I still have to do)
7. the promotion plan for the official launch of the game
8. the manual (in text and pdf format)
9. the tutorial for new players (images + text)
10. the storyline behind the game – I have a basic idea from where to start but I don’t plan on making it just two lines long.
11. the in-game alliance forum – I talked about it in the previous post – must look around for something free that can be implemented easily and secure
12. the in-game chat -also talked about it in the previous post – I have to look around and see if there is something already available to implement; otherwise we will have to delay this – talked with Raywall and Tony, and Tony can do it, so great news here
13. some more defensive options for the players – not a priority right now, but if the offensive players have too much advantage then it will have to be implemented later - i think we got this wrapped up; Mars had a brilliant idea so I think this is done
14. the elephant under my bed – the Game Master system – this one will not be easy. You’d be amazed to what lengths people go to cheat the system. Need to take care of that.
15. the guidelines for the game – what players can and can’t do (nudity in the players profile, threats and other stuff that’s not ok)
16. last but not least :), get the programmers and the designer to write in this blog more often

Well, I just arrived home from the city where Raywall and Tony live. I met them with Mars, explained the battle system and a couple of other things that they didn’t know how it should happen. The 8 pages of text that described the battle system for Imperial Ages isn’t as hard to implement as I initially thought, so that’s excellent news. All in all a very good day for us, and it would’ve been superb if the spicy pizza that I’ve been promised would’ve been as I expected :(.

Now, what we’re planning to have ready for the alpha test in one month:

• resources and the bonus buildings for them
• most of the normal buildings (those that will exist in the first age)
• research and training of military units
• battles
• resource trading between players
• the map
• most of the graphics should present a look for the game close to that from the official launch date
• military bonuses applied in battles

So in the next few days Raywall will work on the more special units in the game and probably the battle system, Tony will continue to work on the alliances (I think the invite system for players is done but not sure), Mars will start working on the look of the game and Alex (me) will finish the few buildings that aren’t done yet on paper.

As for the blog, I added a form to subscribe to the posts of this blog by email if RSS isn’t your thing :).

What I did today on paper:

• finished the costs, atack and defense values for the second half of the military units, research and building dependencies for those units to be built
• finished the concepts behind the rams, catapults, the units that found villages, the units that steal villages and the leader unit.

All in all 5 pages of text and 3 excel sheets written in around 6 hours of work. Worked a bit more on the battle system also. Hopefully I’ll stay with Mars tomorrow and finish it. On Sunday we’re going to the city where the programmers live for a few hours of drinking and explaining the battle system to them.