Today is a #screenshotsaturday and 9 months ago I pushed the first version of Engineer Millionaire to Google Play. Prety solid term to look around and define, where I am now.
As some might remember, this game evolved from my other project, Steampunk Idle Spinner, which is is development since June 2017, so, for 16 months. Recently I saw a fun picture in fb, here it is
... well, that's not my case :) In my approach the development goes in a spiral pattern in the 3rd dimension. And I return to previous projects with new knowledge and technologies.
So, to move forward with Steampunk Idle Spinner (which had 3 worlds and around 40 various machines in the end of 2017), I had to rebuild the game core, which would provide a convenient way to design bizarre mad science machines, interations between them and the player, resource transmission, production chains, etc.
To avoid breaking all that what was already working (and here goes my favourite programmer's joke ), I made the fourth world as a separate release.
So, finally this branch of development has these useful features: - ability to drag machines all over the screen - system of LEGO-like "pins", to which the machines stick - detailed machines' properties, available on long-tap - statistics system, which helps me balance the game and you keep track on your earnings - bug-report system: the player can send me a small .png file where all the machines data is encoded, this helped greatly to define the troublesome points - as well as plenty ways for player's touch interaction, territory exploration, solid system for adding new entities and concepts.
The ability to desing new machines and connections in the new game engine is such that I sometimes add new elements into the game during a 1-hour stream.
To be more concrete, here's what you get in Engineer Millionaire. This game is all about mad science. All what you have at first is the ingenious machine, which produces money while you spin its cogwheel.
As you earn money, more opportunities are unlocked for you:
- engines, which will work while you are away
- coal mines, which dig for fuel for your engines
- balloons, which travel far away and bring money back
- coin stompers and real magnifying glasses, which increase the value of coins passing by
- teleporters for coins, which help you organize cash flows and money cycles
- portals, which generate narrativium to give you boosts when you restart the game (prestige).
- Android
- PC Windows
- Web
- and, finally, iOS! I've compiled ipa, it runs successfully even on my old iPad 2, so send me your TestFlight email and I'll invite you to the beta within few days (as soon as I figure our how to do it).
I keep working hard to bring the game out of beta to the full release. It needs some balansing, fine tweking, and, perhaps, adding additional world here.
Then I'll move Steampunk Idle Spinner to the new engine.
And then, with boosted knowledge and skills, I might return to my old game of a dream and complete my own Civilization.. or civIDLEzation? But it will be another, distant story.
