Idle Demon Hunter - Devlog [01]

I have so many unfinished projects and a lot of them are really close to being done so I've decided to use them to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. I'm hoping that completing these old game projects will not only build up my portfolio but also improve my overall game design skills.

I haven't played many idle games so this one has actually taught me a lot of new things. I've found that I have 2 major weaknesses in my game design ability: feature creep and UI design. Working on Idle Demon Hunter has helped me learn more about when to stop adding and start finishing. It has also helped me learn more about working with compact GUIs.

That being said, I do feel like this project is missing something before I can call it complete. There is a complete game loop but I can't yet tell if it actually needs something more or if it's my own lack of experience with Idle Games just making me feel like there should be more to it. I've got to keep everything tight and compact but I do have a couple ideas on how to fix the problem:

- Maybe a personal tent or base camp that can be decorated with trophies. Sort of a lightweight idle player housing.

- Maybe a small town or village screen where the player can shop or craft certain things.

- Perhaps a lightweight food/energy mechanic that requires stopping to catch a fish or cook some food for your hunter.

- Something restful feels appropriate.

Beyond filling that gap, there are still things in the game to expand before it is completed. Things like more skills, more scrolls, more items. I am also still browsing for more artwork assets of player characters that can fit the style and theme of the game. So samurai, ninjas, etc. Here's a quick list of some of the things I still need to expand:

- Added skills and scrolls will have different damage types so demons will also have resistances or weaknesses to certain damage types.

- The equipment interface still needs some work. It may change slightly.

- There is a companion system that is being finished up. It is not yet active in game but it is designed to allow for up to 2 companions with 1 as support and 1 as a damage amplifier or DPS.

- Skill animations will be added in for more visual appeal and to telegraph information better (like buff states and damage types).

All in all, I'm hoping to finish this one quickly. If I like the end result, I may publish it on Amazon or Google Play as free-ti-play. If that happens, this might also be a good project for testing out less intrusive monetization options that can get rid of things like ads or premium currency.