The development so far …
At the start of 2020 I started development on my first computer game: Cursed Road Convoy. Back then I had been working as an software engineer on ‘normal’ software for 23 years. The plan was to release the game after a year. How difficult can game development be. Now, 2 years later, I learned a lot about game development and producing game art and I have a game that is 3/4 done. In the last 2 years the game has gone through a couple of technical and visual iterations and now I feel the design is stable enough to start showing it off a bit.
So what is in the game so far?
Here is a list:
A generated world map. The terrain is build up with hexes at various heights. It has a road running west to east and impassable hills to the north and south. It has various terrain textures that have been inspired by high altitude maps of outback terrains in Australia.
The world map is populated with warbands of various factions. They can attack you, attack warbands of other factions, or merge with warbands of the same faction. They are represented by hood ornaments with the logo of the faction. Currently there are two factions: Anarchist Punks and Kahn’s Golden Horde.
The world map is also populated with settlements that will give you fuel and supplies when you enter them.
Your convoy is represented by an easily identifiable big hood ornament that you move around one hex per turn. Every turn represents half an hour of driving through the outback wasteland. And every turn uses up precious fuel and supplies.
On a display inspired by digital displays from 30 - 40 years ago you can keep an eye on fuel, supplies, morale, time of day, and days traveling so far. Running out of fuel is an automatic game over. Running out of supplies will wreck your crew’s morale. Low morale will make part of your convoy mutineer.
The aim of the game is to head east and reach the end of the map. At the end of the map you will be scored based upon time taken, destruction caused, and size of convoy.
There is a day/night cycle. During the day you drive and at night you rest. Resting still costs supplies and counts towards time taken.
Attacking or being attacked will send you to a battle map. The terrain of the battle map is build up with hexes at various height. The map is generated and has impassable terrain features like rocks, flora, and scrap metal. Your vehicles and the vehicles of the other warband are placed facing each other on either side of the battle map.
Battles are handled in turn-based rounds. In a round, one by one, the vehicles can move and ram enemy vehicles or move and shoot at other vehicles. Based on the speed of the vehicle it can move 1 to 6 hexes. All vehicles have a limited turning circle of 60 degrees per hex. Selecting route and end direction can be done by one click. Weapons on vehicles have their own range and armour only works on the side that it is installed on.
Vehicle physics are used to make the movement of vehicles
Vehicles have hit points shown by a progress bar. Running out of hit points will destroy the vehicle. Destroyed vehicles stay on the map to be pushed around, but they don’t block active vehicles.
Currently there are 14 types of vehicles ranging from small buggies to big war rigs. Each has its own speed, weight, and locations to add people, armour, and weapons. Currently there are 17 different types of armour, weapons, and decorative parts on the vehicles. The people are generated.
Each faction has its own specific vehicle, looks, armour, and weapons combinations fitting the theme of the faction. Movement and targeting behaviour of enemy vehicles are also inspired by the faction.
A vehicle can flee the battle by going to the edge of the map.
A battle is over if all vehicles from one side are either destroyed or have fled. If all your vehicles are destroyed it is game over. If you destroy the enemy warband then you get to loot the wreckage of all vehicles that didn’t flee. If you fled without defeating the enemy warband then you get to loot nothing.
Looting is done on a screen based on an old green monochrome CRT monitor. Destroyed vehicles can be scrapped for parts or fixed up with parts. People, armour, weapons, and decorative parts can be dragged onto or off of locations on the vehicles of the convoy. There are limits on what can be put where.
Fixing vehicles costs time based on amount of parts used divided by number of people available. This is simulated with the day/night cycle when the looting is submitted. This costs supplies and counts towards time taken.
The game can be saved and loaded on dedicated screens
Currently the only settings are music and effects volume. The game currently has 3 music tracks. Sound effects are limited to engine and weapon sounds.
I think that is about it. There is probably stuff I forget to mention, but this should give a good idea about what is currently build.
Now that the game is on the Steam store I will write a Dev Log every couple of weeks so that people that are interested can get an idea of the development progress.