DevLog 37 - Keep Riding

Some weeks ago I decided to rebuild Paul’s code from the ground up. Paul is no longer a prototype, it deserves a more solid codebase. A lot of things are working (again) already, though there are still a few things left to sort out.

Hello, I’m Tobi. Every week I write about the development process of our game, Paul. Paul combines turn-based combat, dungeon crawling, and exploration in a hand-crafted world. This DevLog is a way for me to reflect on and document the different stages of development, but also for anyone interested in seeing how the world of Paul gradually takes shape.

Oh yeah, I know, rebuilding Paul from scratch again sounds like insanity. But on the other hand, at least in my experience, it’s actually not that unusual to throw away 90% of what you’ve made during production and then iterate on it again from there. The nice thing about rebuilding something that already exists is that you already know where you want to go. The thinking part is done, now comes the finger work.

The look and core gameplay loop are in place, and the features are clear. Now I just have to actually rebuild all of it with a improved codebase. It shouldn’t be that difficult. That’s what I tell myself every day, and I really hope that’s true. :)

Right now I’m doing a bit of everything at once, a little graphics work here, some UI there, enemy behaviours over there. It definitely won’t get boring. I’m already really excited to show off the next polished gameplay build, and that’s keeping me motivated.

But first, I need a short Paul break, and I’m going to hop on my bike for a few days to clear my head.

So that’s it for now. Let’s see what comes next.

Have a great time, everyone!

Tobi

Oh, and because every DevLog needs a photo, here’s one of my bike helmet.