Aug 22, 2023

Heavenly Peaks Cultivation - Agent H

Hello fellow daoists!

First, I want to address a few things. The most important of which is related to the status of the project. The project hasn't died, that's it - that's the message. I've worked on it constantly the past few months. The reason I haven't posted here is related to many factors as this post aims to explain.

The past few months (with regards to this project) have been centered around 2 things, overcoming the obstacles of development and also improving the gameplay experience. There's a lot to discuss if you only follow the project on Steam, so this will be a lengthy post - have a seat and make yourself comfortable.

I suppose I should start with a bit of history for those who seem to think the project is "dead" or won't be completed. You may know me from posting the game here on Steam but -

In reality, I've already been working on the project as a solo developer for approximately 2 years of my life prior to that.

My "(ab)normal" schedule was devoting insane hours to create the the game from scratch, all while learning a new development environment + 2-3 programming languages. To date, I would estimate I've spent nearly 1,800 man hours working on Heavenly Peaks. Essentially that's almost 1 year in waking time. I mention this to ease some concerns - this isn't really a hobby for me. It's a passion and a career. I don't have a traditional job and I am only able to survive by my efforts as a freelancer. I write, develop games and that's *it*. In short, I have no plans to stop working on this - short of death.

And trust me, I've nearly died - several times - in the past few years. Covid, general malnutrition, financial and personal sacrifice - but that's a whole other story. My point is, I've already bled and sacrificed to come this far. I have 0 intention of quitting until it's complete regardless of the outcome or rate of development. After you've faced death, a few skeptical attitudes and mean spirited comments really don't factor much into whether things will get done. (Sorry not sorry? lol)

Originally, when I posted the game here on steam I intended to use the income to improve the game's graphics, make new 3D environments, commission music - basically all of the things the game actually needs to be successful in the future.

For various reasons, that didn't happen and it completely derailed my plans. Had I been able to keep to my original plans I'd have had more than enough income to create ALL art, sound and visual assets the project would have ever needed. Also, more importantly I would have been able to release Chapter 1 of the game approximately 1-2 months ago.

The reason promising games usually disappear is usually lack of support. It's really that simple. Not enough shares. Not enough likes. Not enough funding - poof. Gone.

Of all the Steam players, very few actually support the project (thanks to the ones that do, you're truly appreciated). At current, I am left to fund most of the project's development needs with just 600$ or so per month. Why is that relevant? Well -

Without funding, 1 of 2 things tend to happen to projects.

1) They end up in "development limbo".
2) They simply end, destroyed under the crushing weight of reality.

Assuming that players don't want to wait another 6-8 months while I learn how to effectively 3D model, create assets by hand and all of the other things - it will cost money to hire people to do those things. That's just the ugly truth of things.

Compile this with the fact that I am just one person working on all aspects of this game and that basically means the odds are against me. Rather, it also means it will take a lot longer to reach the goals I have set for this project. The reason updates have been sparse are really no more than that. In reality, most people would have quit by now.

Seeing as how I haven't, I think it's pretty obvious neither of those things happened. I believe in the vision I have for this project, and honestly I've been cobbling this together with bubblegum, band-aids and the support of a few loyal sect members (Patrons) from the start!

New assets. Sound designers, 3D modelers and so on. That's what's taking so long, essentially all of the things I can't currently do myself and would require me several months to learn to do.

I'm in a position where I must acquire or fund this project in alternative ways as a solo indie developer. That's pretty tough no matter how you slice it.

Most people would probably be dejected or quit - but for me it's normal. I've been working like this from the outset - but I'd be lying if I said it didn't ruffle my jimmies.

In reality, I was so annoyed / pissed that I actually re-doubled my efforts of development.

A few months back, I took to my trusty game design document and began refining all of the original elements held within. At current, about 90% of the game's remaining features have been coded into existence. At the same time, I addressed as many issues and bugs as possible. I'd say I've been pretty successful in all aspects, thanks to those who pointed out bugs, issues and requested changes. I may not have responded because I am one insanely busy person, but I did see them and I have taken great pains to eliminate every problem that has been brought to my attention. So thank you, once again.

I'll now list some of the changes I've done in no particular order.

I attempted to acquire some art assets (character outfits). Things went well...at first, but the artist has since disappeared and I don't anticipate they will be returning anytime soon - these things happen. I commissioned 13 outfits each and only received 2. So, I'll share them with you here:

These were completed a few months ago.

Next, we'll talk about changes to the player. Weapon style has been unlocked for play, and along with it a third main stat called Intent has been added.

Health, Qi and Intent can all be used to activate skills during combat, with skills now allowing you to utilize multiple stats to cast them. Generally speaking, Martial skills require Intent or Health, Spirit requires Qi, and Weapon skills require Intent (though there are variances depending on skill).

A new feature called "condition" has been added and it reflects your player's physical, mental or spiritual condition. When or if this is damaged, it affects your effectiveness based on which trait is damaged. For example, if the condition of your body is injured, you will deal less damage during combat using Martial style. This can be cured over time or by visiting a healer (something that will be available starting with chapter 1).

Navigating the world of Heavenly Peaks changed. You are now presented with a "world map" that has several locations. Clicking on one of these locations will offer you more insight and also to visit these places.

I made a brief video about this a few months ago:

Since then, I've integrated this system into the game and expanded aspects of it. The game now features exploration as you explore dangerous areas, aka Zones. When you enter a zone, you can now "progress" through the zone by gathering materials & battling enemies. Once you've done enough, you will have the option to battle an area's boss. Defeat the boss and you can unlock another area within the zone along with some rewards.

[Note : The art you see here, as well as the user interface are all placeholders meant exclusively for testing. It will all be changed / made more appealing at a future date.]

The game's idle battle system was confusing for new players, hectic and somewhat unforgiving at times. I received many comments regarding it, but in reality it was never what I truly intended for the game. With this in mind, I removed it and opted for a unique turn based battle system. This fits what I originally intended for the game and I'm very happy with it. I think you will be too and I can't wait to share it.

In this new battle system, there are many improvements / differences. The most important one is that the player's build now influences how effective you are in battle, as well as the strategies you employ during combat.

F ex:, if your character has focused on speed and strength, you will be able to deal extra critical damage and attack first more frequently in combat. The benefits of other stats are as follows:

Agility - Evade hits more easily.
Focus - Trigger counter attacks while evading.
Willpower - Parry / redirect enemy attacks.
Determination - Deal extra hits.

Stancing remains the same, but I've improved the effects of each stance.

Balance Stance - restores Qi and Intent each turn.
Defense Stance - restores HP and the previously mentioned by small amounts while reducing damage taken & received.
Offense Stance - increases damage dealt and damage received.
Evasive stance - allows you to avoid damage at the cost of qi. Should you fail this check, you'll take some extra damage. During evasive stance you can also counter attack, which as I mentioned is based on your Focus stat.

As I mentioned, battle is turn based with one major caveat. You can take multiple actions each turn. This is called ACT and it's affected by the number of companions that you've bought along with you. For example, if you bring Yenay and Mai your maximum ACT is 3.

Most actions require the use of 1 or more ACT. In this way you can chain together attacks, skills or some of the other new features to deal with your opponent.

Martial, Spirit and Weapon strikes have all been enhanced as well.

-Martial skills/strikes have a chance to deal internal damage (1% damage to enemy hp).
-Spirit skills/strikes deal extra stun damage. Accumulate enough stun to render your foe immobile for 1 or more turns.
-Weapon skills/strikes deal wound damage. Wound damage allows you to deal more damage to opponents with each attack.

Skills carry these secondary effects in addition to their normal use. Skills also have the benefit of inflicting extra stun against foes. These new changes give you the ability to tackle opponents with strategy in mind.

Enemies also have resistances and weaknesses, which can make them more easily stunned (or not). Attacking a weakness or a stunned enemy also deals more damage.

Companion roles during combat have been revamped, each offers a specific type of strike damage and a unique special skill that can be triggered once every 3 rounds. For example, Mai can deal a high damage strike while Yenay will create a barrier to ward off some damage for you.

[Note: The image below utilizes placeholder visuals. The final battle system will look different, but all of the core elements are represented in this image.]

Starting with Chapter 1, two new additions to the game's battle system will also be available - Hidden Weapons and the Sword Array. These two offer the player a means to turn the tables against especially powerful foes.

Sword Array makes use of flying swords to perform a powerful strikes, defend or be more aggressive during combat with extra hits.

Hidden Weapons are versatile and powerful, allowing you to perform many actions like poisoning, disruption, defense, healing and buffing your character.

The game's inventory has been a pain for a while, but that all has changed recently. In order to more easily manage your Dimension Ring, items of the same type all stack. When you click on an entry, you can then see all of the items of that particular type in a different window.

I lowered the quality of items from 1-999 to 1-9, this should decrease clutter as well. Finally, I've added some methods to sort, clear and dump items.

As of today I'm also taking a look at crafting and planning to add another feature called the Dragon Orb. This is a special item that allows you to strip traits from materials and place them on crafts of your choosing. So, basically you can customize the items you make with the Dragon Orb.

But Wait -- there's more....

Those are the changes to pre-existing elements of the game, now we will delve into the features I recently programmed into the game (within the last 10-12 weeks).

A major reason the stats and their secondary effects were enhanced is due to your path of cultivation - aka, the Dao that you choose.

Dao is "the way" you choose to live as a cultivator on the immortal path. In this game, there are 6(7?) different paths you can choose.

Way of The Fist (Martial)
Way of the Spirit (Spirit)
Way of The Blade (Will)
The Heavenly Way (Balance)
And 2-3 currently unnamed hybrid paths.

When you select a Dao, the effectiveness of your growth is augmented - depending on the Dao. For example, if you choose "Way Of The Fist" then martial trainings become easier and more effective. At the same time, your requirements for moving to the next cultivation realm (aka realm shifting) are dependent upon your Dao. Once again using Way of The Fist as an example, you would need to do more physical training types in order to realm shift from Realm 1 to Realm 2.

In other words, matching the growth methods to your Dao are crucial to advancing your cultivation.

Up until the 4th realm you can freely change your Dao and some other aspects of your character but Dao can't be mentioned without explaining Testament and Chronicle. These two factors influence growth and progression to a great degree.

Testament is a temporary record of your actions between cultivation realms. Your Testament determines how easy / difficult it will be to breakthrough. Meanwhile, Chronicle is a permanent record of your growth methods. Chronicle affects deeper aspects of growth, such as which skills you can acquire, what Inner and Breath Arts you can learn and more.

Dao, Testament and Chronicle all work together to provide deep cultivation options.

Next are the Foundation Field, Inner Arts and Breath Arts. Breath Arts are useful during training and meditation - they offer various benefits like increased qi gains, faster fitness gains for training types, etc.

Inner Arts are internal abilities that enhance your character and are closely linked to your Foundation Field.

Early on your player will have the chance to "build a foundation" which will affect growth permanently for the remainder of your path. This is called the "Foundation Field" and making use of it can make your character powerful. Generally, your player would consume materials or crafted items - upon doing so you must then refine and absorb them through meditation. Doing this will open more of your meridians or affect other parts of your being, allowing you to slot Inner Arts and gain permanent benefits.

Here are a few examples of the Foundation Field's benefits :

Meridians - Network. (Affects how quickly you can gather qi during battle and meditation. This has a maximum of 9. Also boosts inner arts talent. [Foundation Trait]
Meridians - Strengthening. ( Strengthening your meridians will allow you to learn more powerful techniques and boost the amount of qi you can convert in a single day , starts at 10,000, maxes at 100,000.). Has a maximum of 9. Also boosts inner arts talent. [Foundation Trait]
Meridian - Retention. Raise the amount of qi you retain during conversion. Max is 9. Also boosts inner arts talent. [Foundation Trait]

So essentially, by making use of the Foundation Field you can improve your character and prepare to accept Inner Arts, which work as follows:

Each Inner Art you acquire has a cost in order to equip it. In order to slot the inner art and make use of it, you need to have space. This "space" is called Inner Talent.

Example:
Inner Talent - 0/9
Iron Skin - Reduce all damage received by 5%. Cost (2)

In the example above, after having equipped Iron Skin, you would have used 2 points of your Inner Talent (2 of 9).

In this way you can slot multiple Inner Arts according to your liking.

The Foundation Field and Inner Arts are both usable until you reach the 4th realm, at which point all of your choices become permanent. Likewise, at this point your Dao can no longer be changed. This falls in line with the traditional understanding of cultivation paths which, if you don't know is explained briefly below:

Qi Gathering - 1st Realm. Generally, you just have to meditate and train a bit to get stronger.
Foundation Establishment - 2nd and 3rd Realms. Here you are to decide your Dao. If you mess up here, it can affect what you do for ages to come, but luckily most changes here are easy to make.
Core Formation - 4th and 5th Realms. Solidify the core making it dense. As a result, you can no longer make changes to your Inner Arts or your Dao. However, you can move your qi at will and are a force to be reckoned with.
Nascent Soul - 6th, 7th and 8th Realms. Core becomes "formless",i.e. it becomes like an aura that can be worn or projected. However it is hundreds of thousand times thicker and more potent. The core then disperses through your entire body, and reacts to your will. You can infuse your core with intent for special effects. Essentially, you become God-like in the sense that your actions and intentions can cause “ripples” or waves through the world, affecting reality itself. Thus, a great part of this realm is learning to control that ability and spans 3 realms.

The number of realms in the game has been changed to accommodate the info above with a few changes of my own.

Around Core Formation stage (4th+ Realm), Breath Arts , Dao and the Chronicle carry more weight. If , for example you've chosen Way Of The Fist, but trained a bit too much to increase your Qi related stats or abilities, then you may not be able to acquire the most powerful skills and abilities that the Way of The Fist has to offer.

In other words, if you want to draw out the best builds and absolute power - you can. Likewise, if you just want to throw something together and not worry too much, you're also free to do that as well. The cultivation system in Heavenly Peaks allows for that freedom without interrupting your gameplay too much.

There are probably many other smaller things I've neglected to include here - as I said there are numerous fixes and improvements. For now, let's end it here. It's taken me about 3 solid hours to write all this up and I'm terribly hungry. >_>

I am more active in the Discord Channel, so if you'd like to keep track of what's going on more frequently - join there. The next update I post to Steam will be once I've completed version 2.0.9 of the game (it will be an update to the current version - no new story content, but all of the features I've listed here, save for the ones that won't get unlocked until later in the story).

Thanks for reading this far if you have. I have one final request, and it's simple in nature.

If you enjoy the game, consider donating to it's development. Doing so will:

-Allow me to commission new music and sound effects.
-Allow me to commission artists to create unique item icons, user interface elements, and redesign virtually all other parts of the project as well.
- Allow for New character outfits.
- Allow me to create better game environments.
- Better looking characters.
- Allow me to get more props and special effects for all aspects of the game, including the battle system.
- Allow me to commission an animator for custom lewd events / scenes.
-Allow me to release future updates more quickly, which means that Steam will also be updated more often.
-I wouldn't have to work on side projects to generate income for this. In other words, more time for development.

Realistically speaking if 10% of the players so far donated just 5$ (which is less than 1/2 of the cost of the full project at current), it would cover 50% of the project's total estimated budget.

Are you gonna be in that 10%? You know you wannaaaaaa!.

All jokes aside all contributions are deeply appreciated, so if you have 5, 10, 50 or 1.2 million dollars to spare , give it some serious thought. At this point, funding is literally the only thing holding back development of the game.

See you at 2.0.9.

- My Big Little Brother

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