Hey there, fellow gamers, and developers! Welcome to the very first entry of our development diary for Urban Harvest. I'm hxc_hermit, a new indie game developer on a mission to create a unique and engaging experience that blends tactical combat, farming, and base-building. Today, I'm thrilled to share the early stages of our journey with you.
Designing the Look:
Before diving into coding, I've been focusing on designing the overall look of the game and improving my pixel art skills. As someone who’s confident in coding but new to pixel art, this process has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding. I'm dedicated to mastering these skills to ensure the visuals of Urban Harvest complement the gameplay.
The Story So Far:
Set in the near-future dystopian city of New Arbor, Urban Harvest revolves around a mysterious event known as "The Bloom." This event has accelerated the growth of plants and animals, creating a beautiful yet perilous environment. You will step into the shoes of Alex, a former botanist and survivalist sent by a caravan of survivors to explore the city, uncover the secrets behind The Bloom, and gather crucial resources. Throughout your journey, you'll build and defend a base, cultivate mutated plants, and battle against hostile creatures known as The Blighted.
Art Progress:
Here are some of the early assets I've been working on. I'm excited to share these with you and hope they give you a glimpse of the vibrant world we're building:
Grass, Flowers and Trees: I’m trying to go for simple, yet charming tiles that will form the starting foundation of our game's environments, I'm still working on making the grass look more alive.
Character and enemy sprites: This is going to be a work in progress but here’s the front of the sprites I have made so far.
Challenges and Learning:
One of the biggest challenges so far has been balancing my time between designing and learning pixel art. It's a steep learning curve, but with the support and feedback from the community and with practice and perseverance, I believe I can create assets that truly bring the game's vision to life.
Next Steps:
My immediate goal is to continue refining my art skills and start integrating these assets into the game. In the coming weeks, I'll begin writing the core code for Urban Harvest, focusing on the movement, collisions and the basic enemy A.I. I'm eager to share more updates with you as I make progress.
Early Development Stage:
Please note that I'm still in the very early stages of development. Elements such as names, story details, and designs may evolve over time as the project progresses and as I receive valuable feedback from the community.
I invite you to join me on this exciting journey. Your feedback and suggestions are invaluable, and I look forward to building a vibrant community around Urban Harvest.
Follow our IndieDB page for the latest updates, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. Your support and feedback means the world to me!
Thank you for being a part of this adventure. Let's create something amazing together!
