Guess high and then add 20%

Last week I guesstimated that it would take around 6 steps to get a new skill into the game but it turns out I didn’t estimate high enough. After going through the process with my mentor it turns out it’s closer to 16 steps. I should have taking a much bigger guess and then added more time to it. Speaking of which I think it’s going to be important to set some sort of goal to get all the skills built for the game. Maybe Jun 12th will be reasonable. Setting deadlines is important but sometimes it’s best to guess a little longer than my first assessment.

My mom told me that I look pretty tired, and other people say I look stressed. It’s probably all the things I have on my plate lately. The hits just keep coming but I know a lot of people have it a lot worse. Dealing with Covid 19, a job search, relationship issues, single parenting, a possible move has been a lot lately. It’s probably why I’ve been retreating into Slay the Spire a lot lately. I keep thinking to myself, “I wish I could make my game play as engaging as this game.” That said I should have a lot more understanding about where things are going in the next couple of weeks.

The Slay the Spire game cycle of having a short engaging sessions and then giving blind reveal rewards is very engaging. The closest thing I have to that is the random buff or debuff from taking over towns. Maybe I should tie it a little closer to the reputation meter. I need to surface it a little more for the player too. I think another big key to the Slay the Spire deck building model is that it gives random choices which present different archetypes and strategies to game play. I don’t know if I can do all that with what I built though. It also leverages that Skinner Box random reward system that adds so much to keep you wondering when you’re going to hit it big. Playing through a game of Slay the Spire is that rogue like feel that makes you want to keep trying your luck.

Six Aspects doesn’t have a lot of unfair moments that end the game quickly, or overpowered hard fights. Maybe I should give the game a play through to see how it feels. I haven’t done that much lately. I want to be rolling the dice in my own game to get that rush. I just need to figure out how to give it that great addictive feel.

Adding an item system to the game for early access won’t really work but it might need to be placed in the game to give players more engagement and customization. There will be a lot of content to build out if I end up doing this however. It might be better to go into the the town settling system that’s currently on hiatus.

I’m hoping to get a lot more done once my kids go to be with mom for the summer. I should be able to really buckle down to get this game to early access.