Initial thoughts on a game that incubated for a year
After several times working through #EctoComp, the #EctoComp21 entry was a lot smoother. The script I used to create the ZIP file for web playing worked so much better. The main problem is the tweaks I need to make to the Parchment template, as well as the line
```
Release along with the "Parchment" template.
```
I always type release along with a web template, but really, I like Parchment better than the default Quixe. I even had time to create background art.
I wound up not submitting WEW done in time for EctoComp 2020, and I think that's all for the better. Submitting it now put me on the upswing from the worst of the Coronavirus (I hope.) It certainly let me have a look back and say, yes, this year was less disjointed than the last.
I think having a year (and about an hour programming time) left to fix things really helped. More details in the postmortem, but I'm amused by the number of "no really final commit but I still have time left" comments.
Those tasks over the year were quick-fix, high-certainty/reward type things. Meta-commands (about/credits/verbs) and shutting off default verbs were the big ones. There were typos (thanks Notepad++ and the DSpell plugin that copies all suspicious words to the clipboard!) I forgot to add the walkthrough to source control. And so forth.
Having the pressure off with more time to focus on the last thing to fix helped a lot. And I realize that in the meantime, asking questions for Fivebyfivia turned up an answer to something I figured "no way this slips in under the Petite Mort time limit." The change to allow apostrophes ([apostrophe] threw an error in an I6 compiler bug, and I still use the old version, to be sure I get a z-file and not a blorb)
https://github.com/andrewschultz/weary-eerie-way/commit/75761a0725f16a4eb86898ee...
Was based on information from here:
https://intfiction.org/t/disabling-g-for-again-in-inform-6g/51611
So I was thrilled to reuse that information!
I also found a bug where you could complete the game without doing everything I intended. There was some iffy code design. I'll fix it post-comp.
Once I submitted the game to Itch.io and made it public, I realized stuff I'd missed. I don't think it's anything where less iffy code design would've let me slip it in. It's more general staircase wit. I feel happier I thought it up than that I missed it before the deadline. The main stuff is in, WEW works, and the post-comp release will have good features that will be challenging and fun to program.
Issues 9-11 were inspired by fellow competitor Amanda Walker's review capsule(s). Her entry is here: https://amanda-walker.itch.io/your-death-in-two-acts
Again, you can see the current issues at https://github.com/andrewschultz/weary-eerie-way/issues
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Weary Eerie Way
EctoComp 2021 game, in the vein of Under They Thunder
Status | Released |
Author | Andrew Schultz |
Genre | Interactive Fiction |
Tags | Comedy, ectocomp, parser, Text based |
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