This week I spent more time thinking not about code, but about the future of the project as a whole: where it can grow, what it can become, and who it might actually be interesting for.
I was looking for like-minded people, talking to others, and thinking about what kind of game this could turn into down the line. That said, I didn’t forget about actual game updates either. Let’s start with those.
TL;DR of the week:
- You can now see enemy ship health melting away during combat
- I launched an email newsletter and a Twitter account — the project is becoming a bit more public
- I’ve reached an important point: it’s time to choose the main direction of the game
- Take a look at current deployed version s0.5.1/c0.5.1
Know Your Enemy
What could be better than watching your enemy’s ship take damage and seeing its health disappear right in front of your eyes? Now you can. The HUD now shows the current state of the enemy ship, and it updates in real time every time it takes damage.
You can literally observe the pain and despair of your opponent. Or — your own, when you realize your ship is falling apart faster than theirs 😅
Moving Further Toward Openness and Public Development
There are two updates in this direction.
1. Twitter
I’ve created a Twitter account for the project. I’ll be posting updates, devlogs, and short notes about the game’s development there. Follow if you’d like — I’d be happy, and hopefully you’ll find it interesting to watch the process unfold.
2. Email Newsletter
You can now subscribe to an email newsletter on the website. No spam, I promise — and you can unsubscribe at any time directly from the email.
So if this format works better for you, there’s a subscription form right at the bottom of the site.
Time to Choose a Path
The end of the year is approaching — this is my personal deadline to make a more serious and deliberate decision about the future of the project.
The question is not whether the game will continue to exist. Of course it will. The real question for me right now is different: what kind of game will it become, and why should anyone play it at all?
At the moment, it’s a pure sandbox. There are toys scattered on the ground — game mechanics. You can interact with them, but it’s not yet entirely clear what to do with all of this, or why. This is exactly the decision I now have to make: choosing a clear direction.
The second most important question for me is building a community — finding people who would genuinely be interested in all of this.
This week I attended three meetups — about startups, indie game development, and business. I received a lot of valuable feedback, support, and ideas. The most important realization was this: the doubts and questions I have are absolutely normal for this stage of the project. And they shouldn’t be ignored — they should be brought up, unpacked, and answered.
I also did some additional research on what actually makes sense to do when looking for like-minded people.
So I’m starting next week with a plan: to feel out and formulate the main vector of the game’s development — the direction that would inspire me the most, and the game I myself would want to play. Let’s see where this leads.
P.S.
I also spent some time looking for artists to create a mesmerizing intro video.
But after discussions and meetups, I realized that this is not a priority right now. The video will definitely happen — just later, and once it’s clear what kind of game this project is ultimately becoming.