June Updates on Bastion's Break

Hello all,

It's been a while since I made an update on the progress of Bastion's Break. I haven't done any plot-work in a while.

However, I've done a lot of development on the systems of the game as a whole.
Below, I will list some of these changes:

Updates
1. Bastion originally had 10 guilds operating within the city. The number has now been reduced to 9. What had originally been the golem-making guild and a lycanthropic guild has now been replaced with a pirate/warrior-type guild, called the Arm of Kalya. The reasons for this switch are:
a) The lycanthropic guild, called the Shapemorphers, was pretty lame to implement. Besides an item-usage ability to shapeshift, there was really no other specialty to it.
b) The golem-crafting guild, the Red Watchers, while cool, was overpowered in its implementation. Each guild has its own unique system, and having a system where you can make golems and send them at people would be fun but too easy. Perhaps if I ever make a higher level module (Bastion is lvls 1-11), golems would be interesting to make, as a system.
c) You get to craft specialty grenades with the Arm of Kalya and be a very "srs-bznz" warrior lobbing 'nades akin to modern-day riflemen. But wielding swords and such.

2. Systems that have now been implemented include:
a) (Global) A food system: Yes - you can now starve to death in Bastion and get points nerfed if you don't eat for a while. However, it shouldn't spoil gameplay too much because you can rest off the nerfing and because food takes an in-game average of 10 hours to digest. (Of course, different types of food have different digestion times to them.) It's an on-heartbeat decrease, so resting won't kill you and you can probably eat about once every ten minutes. Also - food merchants now have a use, as well as restaurants/taverns. :)

b) (Global) The magic crafting system (MagiCraft): This has been explained in previous blog posts. Look back one or two posts to read up on it.

c) (Guild) Separate incantation systems for the two mage guilds: You'll understand when you play. Made for the Black Hand and the Blue Mages guilds.

d) (Guild) Grenade crafting system: Made specially for the Arm of Kalya guild, you can find different components to make specialty grenades on the go. (In progress)

e) (Guild) Ki Phrases: There are certain phrases monk characters can utter to channel ki in different ways (similar to attack modes like Power Attack). However, the system is flawed at the moment and may be scrapped at some point in the future, so don't count on having this stay. Made for the Golden Fists guild.

3. Systems to come:
a) Poison projectile crafting system: Made for the two rogue/assassin guilds. You can use different materials to create poisonous darts/bolts/arrows/shurikens/throwing axes/bullets that can put your enemies to sleep, paralyze them, stun them, etc.

b) (Speculative) Key moulding system: Currently partially created as a special task in a quest, I am thinking of allowing members of the two rogue/assassin guilds (the Night Dancers, and the Silent) to be able to purchase key moulds to make keys for doors that other characters cannot enter or would need a specific key to enter. Certain enchanted doors would be resistant to these moulds, but most wouldn't.

c) Unique auras system: Like the paladin auras from the Twilight/Midnight series, the cleric/paladin guild can potentially have auras, but with special and different effects. Made for the Truthbringers. Perhaps a similar aura set will be given to the blackguard/evil cleric guild, the Cabal of Samas.

d) Extra feats: There will be potentially extra feats available in Bastion's Break. These feats can be reviewed through a plot item (currently a mirror) that cannot be sold, given away, etc. This same item will also allow you to examine how hungry you are.



So that's the scoop!
These are all systems, current and potential, that I have been working on instead of doing plot. There are right now only a measly 7 quests (in)complete. However, there may potentially be a very smart casting AI coming soon.

Cheers, and do comment or email me if you have queries.
linus