Welcome to the Dark Miasma dev blog!

Welcome! 

Hey there! If you don't know who we are, we're Uncommon Potential Games, an indie game development studio developing our first game, Dark Miasma. Dark Miasma is a fantasy role playing game about saving the small town of Galeport from the Miasma, a darkness that sweeps through the lands, destroying all civilization it touches. 

To save Galeport from this grave threat you must... well you can't, really. In three years' time, the Miasma will come, and Galeport will be destroyed. But the townsfolk don't have to be destroyed with it.

In the three years before the Miasma, you must gain the favour of the locals and convince them to follow you in a mad journey through treacherous lands, so that you may find refuge in the Capital. You'll have to choose how you spend your time wisely. Will you spend your limited time making friends? Working at the blacksmith to forge the strongest sword? Or will you delve into the wilderness, seeking to strengthen yourself? Whatever you choose, I only hope that the Threads of Fate smile upon you...

What's this blog for? 

Video game development is a complex process. Trying to check and balance multiple interdependent systems to create a rewarding game experience is not a simple task, and many different skills are required to build a good game. 

That being said, I am a software developer, and as such this blog will primarily be a record of my development of this software. I plan on posting here fairly regularly, and will go over what I'm working on at the time, and any interesting design decisions I make along the way!

So, what's the state of the game right now?  

Right now we're still focusing on developing core features for the game! We've implemented skeletons of a few systems, but each needs to be fleshed out and polished before we release anything to the public.

The systems we have partially implemented right now are:

• Combat
• Inspired by RPGs and card games alike, our combat system needs to be flexible enough to allow for complex interactions between cards, but also deep enough for some crunchy stat-based growth
• Dialogue
• Our dialogue engine needs to be able to display conversations between multiple characters at once. We also need it to be able to branch out based on choices, stat rolls, and a number of other variables.
• Dungeon Delving
• When diving into a dungeon, the player will come across different enemies, rooms, special events, bosses, treasure, you name it. This system needs to support these, but also put on the pressure. We can't have you players waltzing through our dungeons with no mortal fear, now can we?
• Map
• This is where you'll make all your meaningful choices. Do you want to work at the market, or train at the barracks? Visit your allies, or rest at the bathhouse?

The systems we have yet to implement are:

• Jobs
• Money doesn't grow on trees, so get working! Working will let you get money, items, and improve your skills to boot! Jobs are stressful though, so be sure to take a rest once in a while
• Training
• To prepare yourself for the trials ahead, it's important to be ready for whatever comes at you. So train your mind, body, spirit, and... dancing? Intense training sessions like these come at a cost though, so be ready to pay up.
• The Journey
• One day, the Miasma will come. And on that day, you must leave town with whoever will join you. You will embark on a treacherous journey through the wilderness, with your allies by your side fighting for their very lives. Sounds sick, right? Well, someone's gotta code that.

Final Thoughts 

I'm so excited to start on this dev blog! So far, my journey with this game has been full of twists and turns, challenging problems and eureka moments. I hope you'll join me on this journey, I'd be glad to have you along!