Graphite Knight is a 2D, platformer game with some melee, sword-based combat. I'm drawing the game by hand with pencils and paper (though I'm using AI-generated art for some objects until I draw them).
Concept Sketch: Before I explain the gameplay mechanics, I want to show you my general vision for this game. Included below is the first concept sketch that I made. This is only a basic concept sketch, and will likely not reflect the final game.
Gameplay: There will be two main forms of gameplay in Graphite Knight. The first will be a combination of light combat and platforming and will take place in the main levels of the game. The second is an exploration mode where you travel around a top-down map to find the actual game levels, as well as potentially some other points of interest, like towns. I imagine the exploration mode working similarly to that of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The current state of each gameplay form is demonstrated below.
Story: As of right now, I don't have much of the story planned out. I think I'm going to wait until I have a semi-complete level before planning it so that I have a better feel for the game first. I have already set up a basic dialogue system, though, which I will likely use to advance the story.
Goals And Final Notes: I have been learning to make games for about five years but have mostly kept it a hobby. This is my first attempt at a publicly available game (other than two small ones that got a couple of views on itch.io). My end goal is to make this a commercial game on Steam. In the case that I don't finish this game, I will publish it on itch.io, in whatever state it is in at that time.
As for my goals for next week, I hope to figure out an effective way to draw my levels (drawing entire levels with a pencil is pretty tricky!) and draw some art for the player to replace the current AI art.
Until next time!
-Dudemanem
