Devlog #0: Planning

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Hey everyone! Welcome to the first devlog for Manage Your Mana! This is the post-jam version of my Ludum Dare 46 submission: MMO Healer Simulator 2020. I was super inspired by the concept and I wanted to make a more complete game out of it! Given the new title, I will also be shifting my focus a little more to the mana mechanic.

I am going to start from scratch since my code devolved into a sloppy mess over the course of the jam. I want to build a robust and flexible base for this version. After reading through all of the comments on Ludum Dare, I compiled a list of the suggestions and ideas that people left me:
  • Visible progression (unlockable skills, final goal, rewards)
  • Make gameplay more clear (tutorial of some sort)
  • More visual feedback (damage/mana/healing numbers)
  • More variety
  • SFX & VFX (particle effects & such)
  • Party chat (to really get the MMO healer experience)
  • Mobile version
With all of these in mind, I opened up a new Trello board and started planning out a roadmap:
However, this is subject to change. I have never planned out a project this large before, so I may not have initially put the versions in a good order or grouped features together very well. I also started working on a spreadsheet of class and item ideas. I want to make them all unique and interesting since it will make the game more fun to create and play!

Well, that’s all for now! See you next post!