FusionForge - What’s Next? (Part 3)

Right then, for the grand finale of this FusionForge trilogy – or, you know, part three – I’m laying out what’s next. Less 'epic conclusion,' more 'here's the actual to-do list before I nervously shove v0.4 out the door.' For the truly committed (or just incredibly curious about my descent into madness), the nitty-gritty design doc for v0.4.

My grand plan for FusionForge involves a 'hackathony' sprint to wrestle it into shape for what I'm optimistically calling a 'launch.' Or, at least, getting it to a state where I won't immediately apologize when you play it.

I want to get this chunk of work done in a week. Why? Because apparently, I find the looming shadow of an arbitrary deadline incredibly motivating. Additionally, I know that hard limits will keep me from endlessly tweaking an already good enough project. I’ll have an update post for yall then, but until then, feel free to follow along with the Kanban I’ve created below!

Now I’ve categorized the requirements for 0.4 in 4 categories:

1. Technical Debt, Code Health & Refactors: Improve Codebase Health & Maintainability, Enhance Development & Testing Workflow, Refactor Core Systems.
2. Non-Gameplay Features: Designing a Start & Options Menu.
3. Artistic Direction: Implement Core Gameplay Feedback for VFX & SFX, Enhance UI Aesthetics, Clarity & Uniformity.
4. Gameplay Features: Refine Existing Gameplay Mechanics, Expand Core Content - Elements & Fusion, Introduce New Active Gameplay Mechanic

So, that’s the battle plan. Check back here on Wednesday, June 4th, for the post-mortem – either a triumphant declaration of 'v0.4 is ALIVE!' or a detailed account of how I accidentally taught my computer to demand more RAM in exchange for its cooperation. Either way, should be a good read.