Very neat game idea! Few questions, since I like discussing game design and I'm always curious about game ideas:
- Do you have an idea yet what the puzzle-type knowledge will be for Curiosity?
- How will the knowledge from Curiosity connect to Strategy?
- Clarifying question: from what I read and interpreted, it seems like Strategy to Skill is essentially "you can employ these skills faster, thus allowing you to function in Skill". Is this correct, and if not, would you mind explaining the distinction?
- Is it one single save file thatgoes through all three areas in order, or can a player start again in Strategy on a new file after having reached it? (Question based on your description of Strategy being akin to a roguelike)
- Is there any story planned yet, or will there be a story? Or will the focusbe primarily gameplay?
- Is there significant replayability planned? Or is the game intended to be gone through once only?
And you don't have to answer all of these if you don't want to - I know personally questions help me design games, so I'm hoping this can be helpful in either thinking about this stuff, or putting it into words and getting some sort of feedback.
Q: Do you have an idea yet what the puzzle-type knowledge will be for Curiosity?
A: It'll be mainly environmental puzzles. the specifics of a mechanic, the behavior of some enemy, an important use case of some weapon you've had all game, etc. the idea is to have this apply to all three areas, not just curiosity.
Q: How will the knowledge from Curiosity connect to Strategy?
A: I haven't figured out the specifics yet... but my first thought is that a mechanic in a non-combat puzzle in Curiosity will have the player thinking "how can I exploit this in Strategy, where I have to fight things?" Portals are a very good example of this.
Q: Is it one single save file that goes through all three areas in order, or can a player start again in Strategy on a new file after having reached it?
A: The game is non-linear, with a single save file for all the areas. There is no planned particular order of the areas. The idea is that you could theoretically explore the entirety of an area, but you'll be gated by knowledge hidden in the other two areas. Perhaps brute forcing it would be possible, but it'd be a much better idea for the player to go elsewhere when they hit a wall.
When it comes to Strategy being similar to a rougelike, I can add in some mechanic where you go back to the start when you die, or add in fewer checkpoints, something like that.
Q: Is there any story planned yet, or will there be a story? Or will the game be primarily gameplay?
A: it's a game, so gameplay will come first when it comes to development and design. if/when there's a story, it'll be vague. mostly strewn throughout the theming of each area and obscure secrets.
Q: Is there significant replayability planned? Or is the game intended to be gone through once only?
A: I imagine it'll be a bit like Outer Wilds. you can spend a lot of time in an area, going over old things and learning something new, finding new things entirely. once you've learned everything, though... well, most people will probably only play it once.
