The Loop Is Done. The To-Do List Apparently Didn't Get the Memo.

There probably won't be another update until next week. I'm planning to spend the weekend making a substantial dent in Swordoku: Grid & Glory.

I hope.

That last bit is doing quite a lot of work.

The loop works. Now for everything around it.

The basic game loop is done. Monsters now drop Gold and Essence, and the combat HUD shows how much you've collected from kills.

I've also been shuffling the combat interface around, tweaking elements and moving things until they feel right. It is getting attention. It is not yet getting my wholehearted approval.

There's a difference between an interface that tells you what you need to know and one you're actually happy looking at while playing. I'm still chasing the second part.

To keep the remaining work from becoming one enormous mental pile, I've got a list of systems and features to tackle one at a time. Gold rewards were the first item checked off.

One down. Let's not count the others just yet.

A dragon should probably do dragon things

Still on that list: barriers, enemy behaviours, and boss mechanics. All the things that should make fighting different monsters feel like more than watching a different model take its turn.

A dragon, for example, shouldn't just rake at you with its claws. It should breathe fire.

Unfortunately, writing “dragon breathes fire” on a list does not cause fire to appear. That means getting into the visual effects work as well.

Oh, and sound.

Every time I start thinking I'm getting close, another part of the game politely reminds me it doesn't exist yet.

Somewhere to spend all that Essence

The goal for this weekend is to get basic implementations of the blacksmith, merchant, and shrine in place. Even if they're only a beginning, getting those systems working will be another useful step.

Besides, I've accumulated a stockpile of Essence while testing. It would be nice to do something with it other than admire my growing collection.

Equipment and cards still need building out too, along with a few decisions that sound small until you start considering what they mean for everything else.

Does the offhand slot only take shields, or do I allow dual weapons? That one is still undecided. Apparently even choosing what goes in your other hand requires a meeting with myself.

I'd also like to expand the monster catalogue. I've got ideas; now I need to find the asset packs I actually want to use.

Meanwhile, in the other dungeon

Of course, the weekend isn't entirely reserved for game development. The garage needs rearranging so the new freezer can be installed, and the carpets need cleaning.

So there are two lists: the one with dragons and equipment, and the one where I move things around until a large cold box fits.

Both apparently involve inventory management.

Enjoy the weekend! I'm going to try to do the same somewhere between projects, carpets, and whatever else decides it needs doing.

Hopefully I'll have a few more things checked off when I report back next week.