A Difficult Decision

I think it’s time to switch to Godot. My #1 goal is to build a few good RPGs, I need collaborators to achieve that, and using Godot seems like the best way to find them.

My top priority now is Agenda 2042, my ode to Bloodlines, set in the Synthnostate universe. It’s a more manageable solo project than a full-fledged turn-based RPG - just a small first-person RPG built on a standard engine with good modding support so fans can help with content creation without making a huge committment to learning some random fly-by-night indie dev’s custom engine and systems, lol.

I’ll collaborate on other projects when I can (systems, algorithms, math, etc) and if that becomes a full-time job, my projects can wait. My project, your project, whatever, just no “democratic” projects!

Second priority is follow-through on Synthnostate 1 and the custom engine. It could still be done before the sequel, lol.

• Demo release v0.8.4 in the coming months
• Development pause
• Port some of the RPG engine and UIs to Godot
• Finish the game in Godot and/or custom engine
• Open-source demo apps (e.g. music player) built with engine/gui
• Full open-source release?

Wow, now I have a lot of easy work to do…

• More standalone Godot 4.0 tests
• Mod framework tests
• Check out Godot asset library, Polyhaven, etc
• Update to Blender 3.x
• Re-test Blender-to-Godot exporting
• Test Godot’s new TTS
• Port RPG engine (excluding party & turnbased combat)
• Port character customization UI
• New single-character inventory UI
• Update existing Godot tests (navmesh, NPCs, dialogue)
• Put it all together
• Agenda 2042 Demo game page on Itch
• Start uploading demos

And more interesting gameplay development…

• Scenes, lighting, hiding places
• Behavior tree AI tests
• Normal NPC activities
• Spooked/evasive mode, panic mode, fight, flight, surrender

At some point we’ll need to address intellectual property rights. I don’t want a total open-source free-for-all. I’ll be the gatekeeper of my vision, and anyone who doesn’t like it can make independent mods or make their own game; no hard feelings. Any contributions I incorporate into the core game will need to be under a contributor license that preserves the creator’s rights to their work, credits them, allows nearly unrestricted use in this game and spinoffs and mods, but doesn’t make it free for anyone else to use unless it’s also released under a CC0 license or whatever.