Amber Full Beta 1.0.1

[jack1974]

one class to remap percentages to the fixed steps. you do code object-oriented, don't you? : P

Well the right answer would be "not really"
I know what you mean. The issue is that after working on this for 5+ months, I am scared of doing ANY changes that could potentially break the whole game right now when I'm about 1-2 weeks from the release.
Also, the percentage is used in a lot of other places in the game (calculating experiences, time bla bla) so it's not just a simple "cosmetic change" as it might seem.

but this could be totally genre-related, I am very much not in the target group for this game : D

Not sure, not saying it's wrong what you say, but for example for QoT I implemented all your suggestions, and it improved the game. However, when the base idea behind it is flawed, there is only so much you can do.
In summary I don't think spending any more time to improve "non essential things" can benefit at all the game, when probably 99% of people will be playing it in VN Mode.

Maybe one day I'll make a blog post about this, but in summary for all future games with gameplay I'm going to stick with RPG+VN thing, after QoT and this game I've realized that I am really not good at designing gameplay and I don't even enjoy it
I prefer to have a story and fixed battles (not random encounters like in QoT) and tweak those, like I did with SOTW, where I got a very good result (modestly speaking ). Doesn't make sense for me to waste a lot of energy in something I'm not good. Better if I keep doing what I do better

[jack1974]

That said, the quality change is a nice idea (and has been asked already by other people) so when I do the next update (I am waiting for some edits) I could try adding that, maybe it's not too complex to do

[Troyen]

Maybe one day I'll make a blog post about this, but in summary for all future games with gameplay I'm going to stick with RPG+VN thing, after QoT and this game I've realized that I am really not good at designing gameplay and I don't even enjoy it
I prefer to have a story and fixed battles (not random encounters like in QoT) and tweak those, like I did with SOTW, where I got a very good result (modestly speaking ). Doesn't make sense for me to waste a lot of energy in something I'm not good. Better if I keep doing what I do better

Hmm, I wouldn't say you're bad at it. I just think it may need a different approach than the other games. It sounds like you started the major gameplay work after the story was written, which may be okay for an RPG, but really limited a lot of your options on the tweaks you could make. Maybe next time you try something different (Undead Lily?) see if you can work on the gameplay earlier in development (if not concurrently with the story). Perhaps prototype a technical alpha like you did with QoT for some early feedback.

But if you don't enjoy it, that's a different story...

[jack1974]

Yes true, I should do the gameplay at same time, or BEFORE the writing, that's for sure. But while I enjoy balancing the fights/skills of RPGs (even if it's still a lot of work of course) I don't enjoy much doing those "sims" games anymore. When I started Amber I wasn't sure yet, but now after working on it for months I can say that I don't really like it as much as doing RPGs for sure.
Another thing I really liked doing was the card game design for PSCD. Probably doing kind of games you also enjoy playing helps

[Franka]

Maybe one day I'll make a blog post about this, but in summary for all future games with gameplay I'm going to stick with RPG+VN thing

Caard gaamess!!!

Another thing I really liked doing was the card game design for PSCD. Probably doing kind of games you also enjoy playing helps

CAARD GAAMESSS!!!

[jack1974]

Haha believe me I would rather be working on a card game right now, but... c'est la vie. I'll try to make another for sure though!

[Madance]

Haha believe me I would rather be working on a card game right now, but... c'est la vie. I'll try to make another for sure though!

Yes!

[myoksy]

I am scared of doing ANY changes that could potentially break the whole game right now when I'm about 1-2 weeks from the release.

oh, I am aware that it's a hell of a rework. and I'm - as always - in effect way too late with my beta test involvement. sorry.

for QoT I implemented all your suggestions

my most important CR was the one in 0.8.6

the horizontal/vertical passages layouts artwork are perfectly symmetrical

this one drove me mad : P

two more on-topic remarks:
- when a job giver wants pebbles the resource calculation is wrong: only one raw item is needed for two pebbles, but the game implies the double amount.
- even when all shops are closed (the "nothing to see here" message for dock and market) the quick buy function in crafting let one buy items

[jack1974]

my most important CR was the one in 0.8.6

What does CR means?

two more on-topic remarks:
- when a job giver wants pebbles the resource calculation is wrong: only one raw item is needed for two pebbles, but the game implies the double amount.
- even when all shops are closed (the "nothing to see here" message for dock and market) the quick buy function in crafting let one buy items

For the first I don't think can be solved easily, maybe with a custom check if the recipe is about pebbles might work
About the second I could disable it when shops are closed but in this case I am not sure realism is better than practicity. I'm more inclined to allow players to always buy from the recipe screen, it would just annoy them and not improve the game in any way.

[myoksy]

Change Request.

When you build some special handling for pebbles (are those the only items with more than one produced item with a single raw ingredient?) you should also enforce an even number as job offer. I don't think your crafting screen can handle decimal numbers ; )

The shop thingy is simply weird seen from a story/char PoV, the functionality is neither good nor bad (the time between shop closure and enforced sleep is anyway too short for crafting).