December Update! Game Dev in full swing

Hey all,
Thanks for taking the time to read this short update on how things are going. I won't be going into too much detail just plethora of screenshots from development

Location - We're going underground!
More befitting of a trodden on middle ranking commander I'm moving the player to a dugout closer to combat. This is to give a perspective on the difficulty of trying to focus when there is a constant sound of explosions and shell fire. 

While I feel I've got the height correct I think it needs to be a little more cramped so expect it to get smaller in future. (also, not the final look)

Maps - Prototypes galore. 

the map has no doubt been the hardest part of development, mainly because I didn't have a clear vision of what I wanted, so along came the prototypes

Prototype 1 - Grids

Using a grid layout, the player can precisely choose exactly where to dig. The idea of navigating around soil types like stone and soil provided an interesting gameplay opportunity. 

 Prototype 2 - 3 Dimensions

 A more out their concept, the player would see a 3d visualized view of the underground and be able to perform actions, such as digging between layers and attacking from blow giving a real feeling of undermining. This idea certainly followed the rule of cool over being relatively realistic. 

Prototype 3 - Open Map.

From a starting point the player can draw tunnels to anywhere on the map not limited by grids, taking inspiration from prototype 2 I had multiple maps providing 3 levels with different mining conditions. This idea came out closest to a realistic depiction of maps from my research.  

And the Winner is!

Prototype 3, it was a closer representation of what I envisioned the game as. Additionally, it includes fewer design problems and hopefully limits scope creep due to a lower complexity. This also helps me in reaching my target audience as strategy/morality game players and not just strategy enthusiasts.  

Soldier cards - Sticking to my roots 
Like the original game I'm creating the cards which hold key information as well who is assigned to what tasks. I'm also using it to hint about how the soldiers are doing in the notes section, as well as providing a menu for rewards.

Also working on some animations too, yes there is one card out of place, I've fixed it now ;)

Hopefully mid-January time I’ll have an alpha build ready to show to people interested in getting involved. In the meantime if you’re interested in following the production of the game, consider following my itch.io profile. 

Thanks for taking the time to read, if you have and questions or anything in general drop a comment :)

- Danny 

Master of misspelling