WB: Currency and the Lack of it.

August 15, 2013 in Development

So posting updates alongside the GMD posts on one of the RPG Maker websites I frequent didn’t really work out. It ended up feeling redundant and I got behind here, so they just kind of stopped. What I am going to try to do to give this site a purpose minus being an archive of our work is to post about some of the features of our upcoming game Winter Blossoms. I don’t have any particular plans on what aspects to talk about or how often I will make posts, so this will just kind of be major aspects of the game as I think of them or as a comment inspires me to write about them. With that intro taken care of, let’s get to actually talking about the game.

It became apparent quite early in the design process that gold/money had very little purpose in this game. Fairly early on, Hansel and Gretal start working for a blacksmith and gain the ability to craft new weapons, armour, and accessories for the party. In fact, with the exception of possibly some treasure chests, this is the only way in which you get new equipment. To top if all off, a large portion of your items for use are going to come from either Gerda’s Botany and Kai’s Chemistry, so there is even less incentive to buy. Gather spots are frequent and renewable, so there is no lack of resources you can acquire for yourself.

Combine the above reasons with the fact that your party consists of teenagers, a game with no currency makes sense. That’s not to say there aren’t “shops.” The town features a lively marketplace right in the center of town. Here you can make trades for items that maybe are not as readily available with those that you have loads of. This isn’t the only location you can make trades, however. Perhaps that neighbour of yours really wants that perfect flower for their garden, and they are willing to part with their favourite ring to get it. You might find that the stock and trades available in this town change with time, so that once smoking deal for healing potions is no longer what it once was.

You might be wondering what happens if you’ve completely exhausted your supply of basic items and can no longer take on the monsters required to replenish them. Fear not! Your parents will gladly give you a stockpile if you run yourself completely dry, but not before admonishing you for getting yourself into dangerous situations of course.

Like I mentioned in the opening, I have no plan currently for what I’m going to write about, so let me know if there’s anything you are curious about or want a deeper explanation of.