Gunpowder, Gold, Gameboards and General Chaos

Studio Update: Gunpowder, Gold, Gameboards and General Chaos

Well, it's been an interesting few days.

I've been sick, which has put a pretty good dent in my productivity and completely derailed my plans to finish getting the office back together.

But apparently being sick doesn't stop me from thinking about games.

Or starting them.

Again.

Coastal Glide Is Back... Again

Remember Coastal Glide?

That pirate and merchant trading game I've been trying to build for what feels like forever?

Well, it's back.

And this time, it has a new name.

Gunpowder & Gold: Tides of Fortune.

At least that's the tentative name. We'll see if it sticks.

I'm thinking maybe changing the name will finally help this project get somewhere, because let's face it, there hasn't been much gliding involved in Coastal Glide's development history.

It's been more like the Titanic hitting the iceberg.

Repeatedly.

I think this is probably the tenth or twelfth time I've started some version of this game.

Seriously.

I have versions of it scattered across hard drives and old projects going back years. Every time I start over, the idea gets a little bigger, the systems get a little more elaborate, and I get a little closer to what I actually want.

And then something happens.

Usually involving the sheer amount of work I've created for myself.

Maybe This Time Will Be Different

Looking back, I think the biggest things holding Coastal Glide back were the scope, the artwork, and my own development skills and tools at the time.

It's not a small game.

We're talking about a sandbox trading and pirate adventure with ships, ports, economies, cargo, combat, upgrades, and eventually your own base of operations.

There's a lot going on.

And a game like that needs an enormous amount of artwork and content to make it feel like a living world.

Historically, I simply didn't have the budget or resources to do everything I wanted.

Now?

Things are a little different.

I've got better development tools, more experience, access to asset libraries, and AI tools that can help with some of the more time-consuming parts of development.

Things that used to take weeks to prototype can now be explored considerably faster.

That doesn't mean the game is suddenly easy to build.

It just means some of the obstacles that kept sinking the project in the past aren't nearly as intimidating anymore.

So here we go.

Gunpowder & Gold is officially getting another chance.

Let's see if we can avoid the iceberg this time.

But What About Threefold?

Before anyone asks, Threefold: The Last Stand isn't abandoned.

I'm still working on it.

I just have a problem.

I get bored working on one thing for too long.

Shocking revelation, I know.

Threefold originally started because I wanted to get back into Unity, experiment with some newer tools, and enjoy developing without the restrictions I'd been dealing with on the WOWCube.

And it turned into a pretty fun fantasy strategy game.

But Threefold never really had a specific destination in mind.

Google Play?

Windows?

Steam?

I hadn't decided.

It was something I started building because I felt like building it.

Gunpowder & Gold is different.

I've had this game in the back of my head for years. It's constantly been there, teasing me, nagging me, and reminding me that I've never actually finished the thing.

And this time, I have a much clearer idea of where I want it to go.

Windows first, potentially the Microsoft Store and Steam, with Google Play also under consideration.

Of course, there's always the possibility that I'll get three-quarters of the way through development and shelve it again.

That does seem to be something of a tradition with this particular project.

But maybe this time we'll actually make it to the finish line.

Or at least get far enough to see the finish line.

That would be an improvement.

Oh, and I Bought Another Board

Because apparently I haven't acquired enough unusual gaming hardware lately.

I ordered a 24-inch Board.fun digital tabletop, the one with physical pieces you can use while playing.

I've been keeping an eye on this platform for quite a while.

Originally, I passed on it.

Development seemed to be taking forever, the software marketplace didn't appear particularly established beyond itch.io, and I wasn't entirely convinced the hardware would develop into a sustainable platform.

I've seen that happen before.

Remember The Last Gameboard?

I seriously considered buying one of those at one point, but ultimately decided against it.

I'm still not entirely sure what happened to that product, but I'm glad I didn't spend the money back then.

So I've been a little cautious about jumping onto another specialized tabletop device.

But Board.fun has continued to interest me, and I finally decided to pick one up.

I think there could be some interesting opportunities for SquigglyFrog Studios games on a device like that.

Especially with the physical pieces.

That opens up some possibilities beyond simply putting a touchscreen board game on a table.

Of course, I still need to get the hardware, play with it, and see what the development situation actually looks like.

I'm not announcing any Board.fun games just yet.

But it's another platform worth exploring.

And if nothing else, I get another toy.

Terrible burden, I know.

Meanwhile, the Office Is Still a Disaster

Remember the office renovation?

The one I was going to get finished?

Yeah.

Being sick has pretty much put that on hold.

There has been some progress, though!

The new display cabinets are assembled and installed.

They're sitting there looking all nice and shiny, with their lights turned on.

And they're completely empty.

Meanwhile, approximately half the office is currently sitting outside the door in the hallway.

So the cabinets look great.

The rest of the house looks like I'm moving.

Progress!

There's still quite a bit to do.

The new filing cabinet needs to be assembled and moved into place.

I've got two more shelves full of games and notebooks that need to be cleared.

The spiders still need to be moved into their proper locations, and a few of them are getting larger homes as part of the rearrangement.

Then I can finally start putting everything back where it belongs.

Assuming I can remember where everything came from.

At this point, that's becoming a legitimate concern.

A Sad Goodbye and a New Office Resident

There was also a sad bit of news in the office.

Our office crab passed away.

Always sad losing one of the little residents that share the space with me.

But the area won't be staying empty.

Once I get everything rearranged, that spot will become the new home of Saffron, our mottled saffron corn snake.

So the office is getting another resident.

One that will hopefully appreciate the new furniture considerably more than the crab ever cared about it.

The spiders will get their new arrangements, Saffron will get a proper spot, and eventually I might even have enough room left over for myself.

That would be nice.

So Much for a Quiet Week

Let's see where things stand.

I've been sick for several days.

The office is half dismantled.

The display cabinets are installed but empty.

The filing cabinet is still waiting to be assembled.

The spiders need moving.

Saffron is waiting for her new spot.

Threefold is still in development.

Gunpowder & Gold has risen from the dead for approximately the twelfth time.

And there's another digital gaming board on the way.

You know...

A perfectly normal, quiet week around SquigglyFrog Studios.

Hopefully I'll start feeling better soon so I can finish getting the office together and get back to making some real progress.

Although, knowing me, I'll probably come up with another game idea before I finish putting everything away.

For now, though, I've got pirate ships and trading economies on the brain.

Let's see if Gunpowder & Gold can finally make it out of port without sinking.

Back to work!

Well...

Maybe after another nap.