So it has been a while since my last blog post, which was not intentional. In the preparation for the big expo, somehow a couple of blog updates did not fire as expected. The joys of being the absent-minded professor type.
The expo went very well. I was actually right on the corner as people entered the exhibit hall, which ensured a steady flow of traffic all day Saturday and much of the day Sunday. Lots of people got to try out the “Expo Cut” of Dehoarder 2, and I gathered a lot of good feedback both directly from players, and indirectly by watching their interactions with the game. Overall the game was well received.
A lot of what was learned has already been incorporated back into the game, and now that I am free of the need to code to the expo, I’m going back and redesigning some areas that were cobbled on quickly for the purposes of the demo. The story and gameplay are also expanding.
Recycling has been included as an additional option for disposing of appropriate items. Once you gain the ability to recycle, it is automatic as long as your recycling bin has capacity. Recycling items earns incentive points that you will be able to spend on in-game rewards. So, there is now more incentive to focus on certain types of items over others. Selling items is going to be overhauled, and I also plan to add a way to give items away, which will confer some type of bonus.
I also have a few ideas for mini-games, both modal-play and ongoing. By modal-play I mean playing the mini-game in its entirety before resuming the main game, and by ongoing play I mean that you work on the mini-game as you play the main game. The modal-play “item survey” game implemented as part of the alien encounter for the expo was only the first mini-game. I want to have at least a few absurd mini-games kicking around the house to be picked up. A few will revolve around pest control, a few more will be about various cleaning and home maintenance tasks.
I’m already wondering about my “early 2015” date. How late in the year can still be considered early? I’m confident that this game will take months rather than years to finish, I just don’t have a definite feel yet on how many months. Time will tell, I suppose.