Done for now!

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since my last update, and I’ve been incredibly busy hammering away at The Village. I’m thrilled to announce that the proof of concept is finally complete and available to play! This milestone marks a huge step forward for the project, and I’m excited to share all the progress I’ve made since my last post.

What’s New?

Here’s a breakdown of the major features and improvements I’ve added:

1. Villager State Machine

I implemented a robust villager state machine with the following states:

• DecisionState: Villagers decide what to do next based on their preferences and surroundings.
• ActivityState: Villagers engage in activities like dancing, sitting, playing pool or watching performances.
• MingleState: Villagers interact with each other in a casual, social manner.
• HomeState: Villagers leave the bar and head home when they've had their fill or the day is done.

This system is the backbone of villager behaviour and gives them life and purpose.

2. Time System

To create a dynamic daily rhythm, I built a time system that cycles through a full day in 10 real-world minutes. The system triggers state changes for villagers, ensuring they follow a logical flow throughout the day. The player can speed up to double time or pause during the gameplay.

3. Building System

I added a building system that lets players decorate the bar with an inventory of furniture items.

4. Villager Interactions

Villagers now use emoji sprites to communicate their thoughts and feelings, adding a layer of charm and personality.

5. Save System

Using EasySave, I implemented a save system so players can pick up where they left off. At the end of each day, it saves the location of all your furniture, any items you have in your inventory, and a list of all the villagers who have entered the bar so far.

6. Villager Schedules

Villagers now have schedules that dictate when they enter and exit the bar, making the world feel more alive and believable.

7. Dialogue and Story Tease

I’ve started building out the narrative with a brief story intro and a tease of the NPC relationship system, powered by the Dialogue System for Unity. This sets the stage for deeper storytelling in future updates.

8. Adding More Fun

The game felt a bit dry, so I added:

• Furniture: More items to spruce up the bar.
• Activities:
  • A shower Inspired by my local bar Pumpjack, where villagers can "Perform" by dancing while others watch.
  • A pool table, which became a complex tangent due to scripting and animations, but makes a huge difference.

9. Expanded Bar and Camera Controls

The bar is now larger, and I added camera controls for mouse, keyboard, and touch input, giving players better ways to explore the space.

Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements

I spent a significant amount of time fixing bugs to ensure villagers don’t get stuck and complete their activities properly. Performance was also a focus:

• Loading random sprites at runtime was taking too long, so I pre-generated 100 random villagers to draw from. Runtime random generation is still a goal, but this approach ensures smoother gameplay for now.

Looking Ahead

I hope people have fun with this little demo and see the potential in The Village. This is just the beginning, and I’m excited to expand on the features, polish the experience, and build the cozy, inclusive village I’ve envisioned.

Thank you for your support, and I can’t wait to hear your feedback!