Entry 017

[Devlog — February 17, 2025 – 10:14 PM]

Mitchell sent me the project files today. His email was short—just a quick message saying everything was good to go. I wasn't sure what to expect, but when I opened the files, I found myself genuinely impressed.

His game had a similar exploratory vibe to mine, but there were some clear differences. Where my project, Ruins of Iniuria, focused heavily on world-building and narrative depth, Mitchell's Shattered Realms leaned toward combat and puzzles, with a solid emphasis on action. It was all about player interaction, whether through fighting, solving environmental puzzles, or uncovering hidden paths in a richly detailed world. The sense of discovery was strong, and it felt fresh to me, even though our genres had overlaps. I could immediately tell that he had a deep understanding of pacing and world dynamics.

The NPCs were well-designed, with routines that made them feel like part of a living, breathing environment. I could see how each NPC had a purpose in the world beyond just being there for the player to talk to. Some of them were traders, some were quest-givers, but all had their daily routines and interactions with the environment. The areas themselves had character, too—the day-night cycles were subtle but impactful, and the game used weather effects to adjust the mood of different regions. It gave everything a more immersive feel.

When I dug into the code, I realized he had laid a solid foundation. But, of course, there was always room for improvement.

I asked Mitchell for permission to tinker with his files. I had a few ideas that might help tweak some of the NPC systems and make them feel even more dynamic. He gave me the green light without hesitation. "Feel free," he said. "I trust your instincts." That was all the permission I needed.

I started off by refining the NPC AI. Mitchell had some basic interaction triggers, but I thought I could make the world feel a little more reactive. I added more environmental cues—things like NPCs looking up when it started to rain, or pausing their routines if they passed through a region with strange activity. Little touches like that could really make the world feel more alive, like these characters were aware of their surroundings.

Next, I took a look at the combat system. It was decent, but there was something a little off about the enemy AI. They were smart, but I felt like their reactions during combat could be more fluid, more unpredictable. I spent a couple of hours tweaking the way enemies behaved in different situations—how they reacted when they were outnumbered or cornered, how they adapted to the player's tactics. It wasn't just about making them harder to beat, but about making them feel like they were real opponents, not just scripted challenges.

The puzzles were another area I wanted to dive into. I noticed that some of the environmental puzzles were interesting, but the difficulty curve wasn't always smooth. Some were too easy, while others felt frustrating. I spent some time refining the puzzle triggers, making sure that the challenge was just enough to make the player think, but not too hard to the point of being cryptic. One thing I did was add a hint system—small, subtle clues that would trigger if the player was stuck for too long. It wasn't intrusive, just a nudge to help players get unstuck without taking them out of the experience.

I was careful not to overdo it, though. Mitchell had a clear vision, and I didn't want to overstep. I just wanted to refine what he had, smoothing out the rough edges without changing the essence of his work.

As I tested the changes, I could already see how they were affecting the flow of the game. The NPCs felt more responsive, the combat was more engaging, and the puzzles had a better balance. Everything seemed to be clicking into place. It was like I could feel the world coming to life even more.

By the end of the day, I had made significant progress. The changes weren't huge, but they were enough to improve the pacing and the player's experience. I made sure to back up everything before closing the project. There was still a lot of work to do, but I was excited to see where things would go next. I'd check in with Mitchell soon to get his feedback, but for now, I felt like I was heading in the right direction.

I logged off for the night, feeling pretty good about how things were progressing. There was a satisfying simplicity to working on something new—a fresh perspective, new mechanics to play with. I think this is exactly what I needed to clear my mind.

[End Entry]

[To-do List]

>> Review Mitchell's feedback on the NPC, combat, and puzzle changes.

>> Check the next build with the recent updates.

>> Work on any new concepts that come up.