Check out some gameplay videos: (Note: The current version has higher quality music already)

Expedition v0.1.8 Call For Playtesters

Hello everybody!

After one and a half month of development, the new version of “Expedition: The New World” is getting closer to release; this is a call for playtesters, if you are interested on trying out this version in order to assure its quality and request enhancements, just contact me!

Your critical feedback in this private version will be much appreciated, and will help make the public version as solid as it must be.

Following is a resumed list of changes in this new version:

• Graphics version, using an augmented 8×8 tileset made by Oryx
• Sailing has been completely rehashed, now you control your ships by rotating them, and the wind direction determines your speed.
• Combat system has been redone, now squads of units tackle each other during a Ranged, Mounted and Melee round. Units can be wounded or killed, depending on their resistance, weapons and armor.
• Storms now arise, grow and die in the middle of the ocean, destroying careless fleets.
• Native settlements now abound in the new world, with several different cultures, and they will respawn enemy expeditions when they are hostile. They can also be ransacked after the local population has been slaughtered.
• Weather, Wind direction, temperature and doldrums are simulated
• You can Chop forests for wood now
• Forests and mountains now block LOS, making exploration more interesting
• New tunes selection, including a remix by roguebard Jice

What is missing and will be implemented before the public v0.1.8

• In-game guides
• Documentation

To access this version, you can contact me at: java.koder@gmail.com

Aprox. Work Time: 154:00 (148:00+6:00)

Enhanced GFX UI

New look of the console UI

Battle in the console version

The battling expeditions

Inventory

Battle background

Done:

• Remove dead warriors in the middle of the battle
• Fix expedition drop
• Fix: Game hangs when a ship is destroyed
• Implement Inventory screen on the GFX version
• Enhance the GFX UI
• Update Console UI to the latest changes
• Show resume and battle scene in the console ui

Pending

• Adjust console UI for not-eye
• Summon playtesters

Aprox. Work Time: 148:00 (141:00+2:00+2:00+3:00)

Ambushed by natives

The outcome

I will have my revenge

Pending

• Finish the new combat system

• Remove dead warriors
• Fix expedition drops
• Show resume and battle scene in the console ui

• FIX: Game hangs when a ship is destroyed
• Implement Inventory screen on the GFX version
• Enhance the GFX UI
• Update Console UI to the latest changes
• Adjust console UI for not-eye

Aprox. Work Time: 141:00 (137:00+4:00)

Done

• Calm winds (Block movement on sea)
• Shouldn’t be able to stop while on the sea

Pending

• Finish the new combat system

• Make native expeditions attack
• Show resume in the console ui

• FIX: Game hangs when a ship is destroyed
• Adjust the GFX UI
• Implement Inventory screen on the GFX version
• Validate the Console UI is up to date
• Adjust console UI for not-eye

Aprox. Work Time: 137:00 (133:00+2:00+2:00)

• Make temperature affect food consumption
• Make mountains affect temperature
• Simulate Intertropical Convergence Zone with calm winds
• Increase storm chance on the doldrums
• Esc should exit menus/shops as Space already does
• FIXED: If your expedition is carrying equipment when you establish a town, transferring colonists can cause you to got beyond your weight limit. You will get a message that says you’ve passed your weight limit and the colonists will be lost, and after that it’s impossible to get out of the town creation screen since you need to transfer at least 100 people.
• FIXED: The icon for the bow and crossbow looks oddly sword like.
• FIXED: When you buy things, or otherwise input, the input area is not always at the end of the text, so you end up overwriting text with your input
• FIXED: the 0 (zero) on the top row above the keyboard doesn’t work, only the numpad one does, which is annoying on a laptop
• FIXED: Some of the text on the help screen is mashed together… the lines between fire and repair. looks like two lines printed in the same space

Pending

• Calm winds (Block movement on sea)
• Shouldn’t be able to stop while on the sea (add anchoring?)
• FIX: Game hangs when a ship is destroyed
• Ensure the combat system is working decently (if not optimally)
• Adjust the GFX UI a bit
• Validate the Console UI is up to date and adjust for not-eye
• Implement Inventory screen on the GFX version

Aprox. Work Time: 133:00 (129:00+2:00+2:00)

I also noticed the current map is pretty lacking, must think on doing a complete world map, but finding the sources for that is complicated.

The temperature Chart, it looks like an Angel, right? :)

Snow falls into the sea at Lat 66N

Twelve maps like this one were used as sampling data (Source wikipedia)

Pending

• Make temperature affect food consumption
• Make mountains affect temperature
• Increase storm chance on the doldrums
• Fix the stopper bugs reported
• Ensure the combat system is working decently (if not optimally)
• Adjust the GFX UI a bit
• Validate the Console UI is up to date and adjust for not-eye
• Implement Inventory screen on the GFX version

Aprox. Work Time: 129:00 (126:00+3:00)

It works based on this table:

The weather transitions table

I decided to go for a simple state transition model instead of going completely atmospheric because… I think it will provide a “good enough” simulation! That doesn’t mean there aren’t some transitions tied to the world and expedition status (like terrain and temperature), but for the most, this table rules the transitions.

I think it works pretty ok (in conjunction with the storms, which I love).

Running from a storm

Let's land here til the heavens calm

Time to resume our journey

Pending

• Add temperature calculation
• Increase storm chance on the doldrums
• Fix the stopper bugs reported
• Ensure the combat system is working decently (if not optimally)
• Adjust the GFX UI a bit
• Validate the Console UI is up to date and adjust for not-eye
• Implement Inventory screen on the GFX version

Aprox. Work Time: 126:00 (120:00+2:00+4:00)

Wood Chopping

• Add temperature and weather calculation (impacts storm generation)
• Fix the stopper bugs reported
• Ensure the combat system is working decently (if not optimally)
• Adjust the GFX UI a bit
• Validate the Console UI is up to date and adjust for not-eye
• Implement Inventory screen on the GFX version

Aprox. Work Time: 120:00 (117:00+3:00)

The combat system is pretty … bad … currently, I will have to work it out a bit in order to balance it and make it fun.

Stealing from the bloody aztecs

Pending for next version release, which I hope to release before next Friday (RC1)

• Allow wood chopping
• Add temperature and weather calculation (impacts storm generation)
• Fix the stopper bugs reported
• Ensure the combat system is working decently (if not optimally)
• Adjust the GFX UI a bit
• Validate the Console UI is up to date and adjust for not-eye

Aprox. Work Time: 117:00 (116:00+1:00)

The Aztecs are unfriendly with me

The combat system really needs to be worked out.

Pending for next version release, which I hope to release before next Friday (RC1)

• Allow assaulting native towns to steal their goods
• Allow wood chopping
• Add temperature and weather calculation (impacts storm generation)
• Fix the stopper bugs reported
• Ensure the combat system is working decently (if not optimally)
• Adjust the GFX UI a bit
• Validate the Console UI is up to date and adjust for not-eye

Aprox. Work Time: 116:00 (111:00+5:00)