Category DevLog

In our upcoming hybrid RPG City Sim, you will have stats- but they are linked directly to the community that you’re building and influenced by the decisions you make…

OVERVIEW

Idea

• City building simulation with RPG elements and a heavy focus on story telling as a mechanic to resolve conflict rather than resource gathering or building placement

Genre

• Simulation
• RPG

Similar Games

• Civilization series
• Tropico series
• SimCity Societies

Setting and art style

• 2D JRPG-style tile features “chibi” characters and a pixel art fantasy theme, set in the Discoridan Tales universe

Main player goal

• To build and grow a settlement; guiding and assisting the citizens in the various challenges that they encounter through the use of fables, lore, and stories

SYSTEMS

Game currency

• Value in the game is measured based on the impact of the player’s decisions across 3 metrics; Society, Economy, and Environment

Player progression

• Progressi...

After a lot of back and forth with stats and even a proto-system based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs over the last few weeks, we’ve settled on 3 stats- “Society”, “Economy”, and “Environment”.

The aim of the game will be to keep the stats in some degree of balance, based on the level of the settlement.

Every action you take has some impact on one or more of these stats- e.g. Building a shop (minimal positive impact on social, high positive impact on economy, and minimal negative impact on environment), or a Farm/Mine (minimal negative impact on social, medium positive impact on economy, high impact on environment).

You’ll also have regular challenges that will allow you to push the stats in one direction or another based on your plan for the settlement and the needs of the people there...

Further experimentation on the resource gathering system with random placement and selection of resource types. Next step a more rounded ecosystem…

We make our own reality, and influence the reality of others, by the stories we share. When your community needs you, what story will you choose to share, and what impact will it have?

Some experimental random landscape generation coupled with a test of the prototype sustainable resource gathering mechanics with storage caps imposed by the town level…

Introducing the protagonist of our upcoming story-based city sim; Reed Markam. Stay tuned for more as the game (and character) continue to develop in the coming days…

Expanding on the prototype build mechanic whilst testing an alternative visual style for the buildings and roads… Still a way to go, but the game is coming together!

Further development of our research mechanic concept; the town’s level defines the size of the library, the number of books that open automatically, & the number of bonus points to open additional books…

Stories play a key role in our upcoming city sim game, as do you as the titular character. The stories you share with your fledgling community can help, or hinder, as the game unfolds. Choose wisely!