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Rambling about this game and games that inspired it

Where One Citizen is progressing well. The main story is done. The game system is mostly done.

I think that anyone who has enjoyed any of my previous games will find something to like here. It has elements of all of them; some of the "datesim" mechanics of Heartache 101, procedurally generated content like in A Hint of a Tint, and the walk-around-the-city-and-discover-dynamic-stuff-going-on vibe of Idolcraft.

The latter is the heart of the game system. I really like the mechanic of walking around a familiar map to see what people and events you might stumble upon depending on the date, time, and other parameters. The Shin Megami Tensei Persona series has this. The opening (childhood) sequence of Tokimeki Memorial 2 is another good example of it. Many top-down RPGs going back at least as far as Dragon Quest have this, though typically only in pinches.

Game worlds should be dynamic. They feel more real and alive when characters and events aren't always in the same place and you never know what new thing you might discover if you come along to a certain location at a certain time. That was the feeling I tried to capture in Idolcraft. Now I'm taking it a few steps further (this time turn-based rather than real-time) by making each character have their own schedule.

Which brings me to a realization that only recently dawned on me. Which is...

The series' of games that are closest in spirit to what I'm trying to accomplish are Bethesda's The Elders Scrolls and Fallout.

Yeah, I'm being serious. They are an utterly different genre of games. But the *spirit* of those games I've been trying to emulate without even being conscious of it.

In Bethesda's games NPC have schedules of their own, which makes possible some interesting mechanics. For instance, there might be a quest that involves tracking an NPC to learn where he goes and what he does during the day.

By far most story-driven games (including all the ones I've published to date) do things the easy way. Which is to have characters suddenly appear wherever and whenever the plot requires them to. (Bethesda's games, as well, from time to time)

I have decided not to take the easy route with Where One Citizen. And to be frank, it has been a major headache. Forcing NPCs to adhere to schedules makes everything more difficult both from the story-telling perspective and the implementation perspective. Rather than "teleport" an NPC somewhere that I want him to be I have to go through all the proper steps; make him actually travel there turn by turn, do the pathfinding, coordinate the same with any other NPC that is supposed to be there at the same time. It's no wonder so very few games go through all this trouble. I hope it will be worth it. Really not sure.

Anyway, back to Bethesda. A big thing Elder Scrolls and Fallout are known for is the freedom you as the player have. You can follow the main quest, or ignore it. You can do sub-quests, or ignore them. You can focus simply on making your character stronger. Or come up with your own objective.

I've been trying to make Where One Citizen offer the same freedom to the player. The main quest is optional. Sub-quests are optional. You can focus simply on making your character "stronger" (at conversation).

Also, like in Elder Scrolls, the NPCs all have homes, and there are ways to get inside uninvited.

Anyway...
I'm not sure anyone wants to read these ramblings about a game still in development. (There's a lot more where this came from but I've said enough)