Some people have been asking us what we've been working on, so I think it's due time we do another Steam announcement.
A lot of our current work is centered around Kingdom NPCs and connecting that to new in-game objectives, such as Quests and Kingdom Upgrades.
A lot of this work required us to refactor various bits of code so that us programmers don't lose our minds while trying to implement new features.
One of which is the refactoring of the Crafting UI. To keep things simple, there were 2 separate files that were essentially copy/pastes of each other, one was for the Blacksmith, and one was for the Alchemist. Since we are adding a new NPC with new crafting recipes, it's high time we refactored that code to something general that would be used by all NPCs.
Because maintaining 3 (or more) separate files that do basically the same thing is a programmer's worst nightmare. Additionally, we have made various nuanced improvements to the "base" crafting ui that all NPCs use. Such as snappier animations, sizing and positioning changes, and proper scaling of certain UI elements based on window resolution. On that note, the next thing I would like to show is the
(Work-in-progress screenshot of the Craftmaster and her workshop station.)
The Craftmaster is a tireless maker of various wonderful gadgets and contraptions, but can also make some typical and important items when needed. She supplies her fellow dwarves with many useful gadgets that other professions in the kingdom simply can't.
She is also known to experiment once and a while. Well... Maybe it's all the time. So many projects, but only so much time in a day!
For the player, several of the Blacksmith's crafting recipes will be moved to the Craftmaster, and many new items/recipes will be added to the Craftmaster as well.
(Special armor for different play styles)
(^ Some potential new items to be introduced with the Craftmaster ^)
All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality!
https://www.dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Craftsdwarf%27s_workshop
Firstly, a point of clarification. The Foreman gives "missions". "Quests" are similar, but don't have to be completed to exit the caves.
The player can accept and complete quests from various NPC's. Some of these quests are relevant to the story, and others will unlock things in the Kingdom. There is a lot more variety potential with Quests compared to Missions. There will even be some quests that serve as something like a tutorial, in that the quest will help introduce the player to important aspects of the game.
(A work-in-progress screenshot of quests showing in the journal)
Once you start accepting quests, you will be able to see/track them in your journal. When a quest is completed, you go back to the NPC that gave you the quest and it will be removed from your journal, and you will be rewarded.
This new quest system will be used to present the player with the existing "save this NPC" quests that already exist in the game.
Quests will also be very relevant to our next feature to discuss:
The bar is an area where you will find many new NPCs with various colorful personalities, and stories to tell. The bar will also be a place where the new quest system will see a lot of use, as the owner of the bar will need your help repairing it and getting it ready for customers again. Other NPCs may also offer special quests with unique rewards.
Overall, we want the bar to be a lively and atmospheric place that you will want to visit just to see what's going on.
We are also introducing a gold cost to crafting so that there is a bit more meaning behind the gold you all are accumulating.
We have also added a "low health passive regen" mechanic. This will heal you very slowly over time if your health is under 20 hp. It will help you out when you're in a rough spot with only 1 hp left and still need to escape the cave.
Additionally, we have internally talked about introducing random fireplaces in the caves that you can ignite and cook foods that give you special buffs. We have not started work on this yet, but it's a highly anticipated idea.
I know I am probably missing some smaller things we have done already, but I have covered all the major stuff we have either done or are currently working on.
If you wish to ask us anything regarding Below The Stone or learn anything else about what we are working on, we can be reached on our Discord server. https://discord.com/invite/MW72QReXKh
We typically post what we are working on there.
Anyways, thank you for reading.
We hope you are digging it!