Narrative Game 04. - Progress

Today's blog session is about the new feature which is the progression manager (or quest manager if more familiar with RPG games/terms). The main goal of this feature is to activate and deactivate certain objects on the screen and help the player to keep them on the right path without overwhelming them.

But first, let me share the new colored version of the game:

The models and texturing are made by another group member, but it is indeed a good addition to the game. At first, I was pretty sure that the noir black and white style would be the winner, but I changed my mind since.

On the upper-right corner, the progression UI takes place which is relatively simple and straightforward, the player follows the tasks and when any of them is finished, they will be crossed out.

Progression Manager

As usual, I got clear tasks about what I have to do:

From the player's perspective, the progression manager is just that small UI at the corner, but for us developers, I had to develop a set of tools so we are able to create a better progression for the player and not overwhelm them with every feature at the beginning.

We already have the dialogue system, so the best solution to manage the game progress is to activate them through the dialogues, so every time a certain dialogue is played we are able to attach a task to it and open up the new content for the players.

The progression manager features:

- Activating objects (a new diorama, an inspection spot, etc...)

- Deactivating objects (Hiding them from the player, not needing them anymore)

- Updating the progression UI after the task is completed.

- Activating new dialogue for the NPC (after certain tasks).

Additionally, I added a new feature to the dialogue system. When the player activates a certain dialogue, they can receive a clue card from the NPC which is needed for later to progress further.

The video (older version) shows that when the player engages with the NPC, it triggers the activation of a new inspect spot. These spots correspond to specific areas or objects in the diorama that can be examined by the player, providing them with additional information or even a new evidence card. Once the player has completed the inspection, the NPC will unlock a new dialogue option, allowing the player to progress further in the story.

To make everyone's lives easier, I created a quick tutorial on Miro about how to use the progression manager:

So far it has had success and is easy to learn and use and we are able to add content to the game without overwhelming the players.

Thank you for reading!