I've hesitated posting anything until now because I really don't want to make promises I can not keep. But the words of encouragement from friends, this community and the press have been so positive that I think it's worth taking a chance and spending more time on Bomb Squad Academy. And so, I have decided to continue development on the game. I want to take it further!
I don't know yet how much time I'll be able to spend, or what features I'll be able to implement, but I know there are several things I'd like to try:
- I have a few ideas for new components, such as for instance the latch above, an edge detector or a multi-position slide switch.
- I'd like to create a circuit board editor and a way to share designs. Like most reviewers, I think there is good potential to really add value to the game. It is going to be a lot of work, not just for the editor, but the backend as well (to save, share and load boards) and then the workshop integration, so I still have to figure out exactly how much time I need.
- Of course, making an editor will help make it faster for me to create more boards, which I know is the main complaint about the game right now. So I would like to take care of that too!
- The thing I would like to do the most, if I'm honest, is a random board generator. Of course that's way easier said than done, but it is also the part that really tickles my programer brain. It's a difficult problem (genating interesting boards) but with an enormous potential. Because once I can guarantee that players never encounter the same board twice, I can do all sorts of things! I can add an ironman mode, then add leaderboards, daily challenges, etc... But the devil is in the details: if you've played the game, you've probably noticed that each board is carefully put together. And it is entirely possible that if that feeling is lost, the game won't be nearly as much fun. It's a gamble...
- I'll also take some time to add achievements, cloud saves, and better options. Those things are pretty straightforward. I don't know abou trading cards though, I'm not sure I can create the art requried.
Anyway, like I said, I'm not sure yet which ones of these goals I'll actually achieve, some are easier than others, but I really want to try. The good news is that there is a good amount to work that would be common to several features, so I'll probably start with that!
Thanks again for your support, I hope you'll keep up with me and the game!
Happy defusing,
Jean
