I have laid out a foundational framework for OpenEVA in the Database, Api and infrastructure articles. We may now begin to look at some of the gameplay elements which will make use of those systems in a more granular way. Now that we have some idea of our environment and constraints we will be working with, we can start to design gameplay and interfaces which will make the game fun and enjoyable to play.
One of the main aspects of OpenEVA gameplay will be be crafting, modifying and maintaining equipment. I envision a system where the player can modify existing equipment, swapping, adding and removing parts, as well as build new equipment from scratch. Mechanically, the feature will be fairly simple: When the player has a part selected they will be given the ability to repair or remove the part, they may also select from a list of compatible parts to swap in. Players will also be able to add new parts to existing equipment anywhere in the part hierarchy as long as they are compatible with the parent part. Finally players will create new pieces of equipment, either from a template with associated parts or from scratch allowing them to build custom equipment from the ground up.
Templates
From the player’s perspective Equipment templates are simply blueprints which define what parts are required for specific pieces of equipment. The player will keep an inventory of known templates which allow them to construct the Equipment it describes. Players will acquire templates in order to enable the construction of special Equipment from contracts and events. Additionally the player will me able to save customized equipment to templates for future use.
Fabrication
The player will start the game with equipment which will allow them to fabricate new parts and equipment from raw resources. Certain parts and equipment will require special equipment to unlock. Once all the conditions have been met, the player will be able to build their new equipment automatically from a template or manually, part-by-part in the fabrication interface.
Interface
Equipment fabrication will need a good deal of interface design to be successful. I have a vision of a fairly simple menu with an interesting interactive cutaway view. I am currently working on ui concept and mockups for the game so we should see some fleshing out of this idea in the coming weeks.