I want to start this update with an apology, as I was originally planning on getting another playable build of the game out sooner. Unfortunately, the update I am working on is not ready to be posted in a publicly playable state and these dev log updates have been posted at a slow pace. I can attribute this to personal errands beginning to pile up (school work, my part-time job, etc.), however I did promise I would show progress every two weeks. To make up for my error, I want to be fully transparent about what I am currently working on and what exactly I have planned over the next month or so.

Pictured below is the development roadmap/timeline for the remaining portion of Alpha 1 development. I have not assigned any dates for when these will be finished, but I aim to get these done as soon as possible (without sacrificing quality). You may have noticed that some things that were listed for Alpha 1 in the first development roadmap do not fully align with this roadmap. Unfortunately, Itch.io has a limit on how big games can be and Unsung Heroes 1898 is getting really close to that limit. Therefore, I want to focus on fixing the major issues with the game (that being the AI, visuals, and other quality of life improvements) for Alpha 1 and leave the other elements, such as letting players play as Spanish soldiers and additional game modes, for Alpha 2. I'll have more information on this at a later date and will be posting an updated development roadmap when said information becomes available.

This all being said, what have I already worked on? 

The biggest mechanic I am working on is a complete overhaul of the AI infantry. Currently, I have a good majority of the regroup behavior states implemented and have redone the input controller for the commanding officer unit. Already the AI is much smarter when it comes to following orders from the commanding officer. Soldiers will now run to their objective when far away and will scan for enemies if there is any along the way. There is still a little bit more work needed for the regroup behavior to be feature complete for Alpha 1, but progress is going by steadily. One thing to keep in mind is that the charge behavior shares many of the same AI behavioral actions, which means that making the charge behavior should be as quick or even faster to develop as the regroup behavior. With version 0.1.115, both behaviors will be feature complete and fully playable. I have also taken the time to rewrite how AI strategies are made. For those unaware, there are fully editable files in the game that allow the player to edit what strategies commanding officers can follow, which of course directly contributes to what actions the AI infantry will act out. This system will be modified to work with the new AI infantry system and to allow for greater control of strategies (one of the biggest changes is defining "how long" a troop of units should wait/defend at a certain objective).

The other major addition is the complete reorganization of the museum map. The museum map before was very uninspired and did not leave much room for further expansion should the (still empty) halls be filled with enough historical information and assets. The new museum is more interesting to traverse and is much bigger (having larger wings for each section and with some sections having multiple floors). The "first draft" of the new museum map will be available and playable with the next update, but improvements will continuously be made to the map through Alpha 1 and beyond. 

That is all I can share for right now. Again, I do apologize in advance for the lack of updates, I aim to get as much done as physically possible within the next few months. Thank you all who have been patient with me during the development of Alpha 1. I'm beyond excited to share progress of the new AI when it is ready and I hope to give you all some major updates soon.

This post is also available on the Venomic Games website: https://venomicgames.com/?p=677