TomeSpire 07/10 Sprint Retro

This one is thick y’all. Chunky. Like ribollita, you could stand a spoon up in it. And then hang a little flag off the soup. And then a group of small mammals can declare independence, building a self-sustaining self-governing colony with a fully bread-based economy. On the soup.

Where was I?

Oh yeah. Thick. This time with updates. Not soup. It could be that post-vacation energy. It could be the latent stress of an impending launch. As they say, ¿por qué no los dos?

Okay So What Did We Actually Get Done?

You know how in a really good heist movie sometimes there will be like seven disparate threads and it’s not really clear how they’re all going to come together but somehow in the last fifteen minutes they slot into place and it’s so satisfying to see extremely competent gentlefolk execute with precision?

This sprint was like that, without the competency or precision. :D

Six whole new perks shipped. Did we mention there was a perks system? Listen at this point I don’t even remember what day it is, let alone what I wrote in previous sprint retros. But there’s a perks system, and it’s got six slimy fresh offspring, glistening in the morning rays.

What we don’t have is a way to like. Y’know. Unlock them? But hey, that’s a next-sprint problem.

Automation Perks:

• Plants that automatically harvest.
• Plants that automatically plant.
• Plants that automatically do neither, actually they just make you money by being there and hanging out. Sort of like having a friend who’s really good at investing. And is also a plant.

Buff Perks:

• Would you like to unlock some combos? Of course you would, everyone loves a combo.
• Gold crops. Like crops but better.
• Crystal crops. Like gold crops but better.

Economy & XP:

• We did it! We did it y’all! We started on the XP system. It’s tracked. You gain some. It occasionally does stuff.
• The whole region unlock system was reworked, it’s a bit easier to get to the next region and the menus are cleaner.
• Fixed some bugs with selling crops, planting crops, and unlocking crops.

The Broth, or The Foundation of Things, or What Would I Want To Have Known Before This Sprint If I Could Have Known Them

“’If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.’
― Rita Mae Brown”
― Michael Scott

The Bread, or The Accoutrements, or Other Things That Go On The Side And Are Also Good Maybe But Aren’t Really A Meal On Their Own

“Game feel” is this ephemeral and hard-to-describe concept that you’ll sometimes hear design wanks (hi, it’s me, the design wank), carry on about. Does a game feel good to play? Do the buttons have heft? Is there a sensation of motion?

Lots of what we’re starting to work on is chasing that feeling. Does it feel good to click the button? Does it seem like you’re doing something? It’s one of those things that, if it’s all working, nobody notices. But if it’s not working, people say “wow something doesn’t feel right here, but I don’t know what.”

Game feel.

I’m Already Thinking About The Broccoli Cheddar Soup I’m Going To Make Once It Gets Cold Enough, or The Things Coming Next, or That Which I Naively Believe We Might Actually Be Talking About Next Time

Look. This is it. This is it. It’s the final sprint of prototype 1. Which means the game is coming soon. There’s a lot to do, much more than we’ll be able to get done. That’s sort of the point.

As I believe I said all the way back in our first retro, the 12-sprint prototype format is a forcing function. Is the game going to be Steam-ready? Heck no. The point is to get stuff out there, let people try it, build our skills and the muscles for shipping things.

Shipping is the hardest part. Most dreams die before launch day.

So okay what do we actually NEED to get done?

1. The launch screen with our logo, so that people know who made it.
2. The buttons what for joining our Discord or subscribing to our Newsletter.
3. The unlock / purchase process for the new perk system.
4. Wrapping up the XP payoff.
5. Playtest.
6. Cry.

And what would we LIKE to get done?

1. Fix so many bugs. SO MANY BUGS.
2. Keyboard shortcuts.
3. A bunch of UI/UX stuff to make it easier and more obvious what’s happening.
4. Sound?
5. Music?

Oh, and: credit Jeff as a garden gnome, per his request. Jeff, I know you don’t read my blog, but considering that I can trace the current arc of my life in an unbroken line all the way back to your decision to take a chance on a reminder call volunteer who knew a thing or two about computers, it’s the least I can do.