Final Stretch

Okay. So, less than one week until the final presentations. Whew.

If you'll remember, at the beta review I was told I had two ways I could take what I showed - the debugging route and the game route. You might also remember that I really wanted to do both. I still really do. So far, though, I've only focused on the former.

I added colors to the characters so you can tell their genders. This was relatively straightforward, but it still took me a while to figure out how to do it and what code to use. I implemented a way of keeping track of character histories and asking about them as well. All that's left for me in the "info" mode is GUI changes - making it look a bit nicer, adding real time emotional values of the characters you're talking to, and adding a button that lets you access your interaction partner's character history. While all that might sound intimidating, I do think the hard part is done. What's left to finish off the info-mode should only take me an afternoon.

I still hope to make good on my mystery idea that I proposed. While I do think you can understand the reasoning and potential behind my dynamic narrative proposal just from the "info mode" I've constructed (and will be completing soon), I think to make people really feel the full impact of what this could mean to games is to show off an actual game. More importantly, to show off how easily a game can be built from this concept. I'm predicting I'd be able to implement this game mode if I work on it for two days straight. I realize I still have to plan and prepare my final presentation, so I'll be cutting it close, but I do think if I can pull it off that it will be well worth it.