Sunday, sunday.

I told myself I wasn't going to work on anything this weekend and relax given that I was starting to dream in code, wake up early to work/learn, and at the same time seeming to not get rid of a bug that's made me feel pretty meh for a week now (Like a mild lingering flu, probably something Dan unknowingly took home from the studio).

Even though I set down that rule for myself and had every intention of keeping it, I found myself sitting here at 5pm, notes open, wiki open (the wiki is the work-in-progress Andicuri game design doc) and attempting to get something done. I don't understand what's wrong with me. In any case I've discovered whole areas of the doc that still need to be fleshed out and corrected, or translated into something I can use code wise. While I would attempt to close my notebook and stop, I know I'd just go back to working in some shape or form- whether it's cleaning/ house-making/ chores, modelling/ creating store assets, or working on the game. It might as well be the one I want to do most.

As for the code thing, I've discussed, thought, and researched ability systems for RPGs. For the game I'm doing I believe the simplest thing to do would be the classic rpg turn style, but the monotony of such a style isn't really something I want. I've looked into the tactics style turn based vs the classic style in terms of fun, and tactics - also being my favorite type other than real time - wins out when pitted against the classic style. The problem is that the tactics style battle would be much harder for me to code considering my current level. SURE I've gotten better by leaps and bounds in like... a week, but who knows if that'll continue. I may just peak out at intermediate to junior type levels and never be able to get any better. In any case I did actually research the tactics battles more. I know what I would need to do, but I don't know how to do what I need to do. I also don't understand the why behind some of it as well, but more on that later.

Currently as it stands I need to figure out abilities regardless of classic turn style or tactics turn style. This is what I have so far:
I want the player units (dragons) to have two sets of abilities.
One set is a constant unchangeable set, though the abilities inside the set can change.
*Second set I either want the player to be able to assign or the unit inherits the set from the parents.
Abilities can be leveled
Abilities will earn experience for that ability when used
Abilities will need to be learned either by leveling another ability to unlock
**Special combo abilities will be unlocked and learned @ leveling two abilities from different sets
More abilities may be added later

* - This I think I'd need opinion on

** - So far I know that most abilities will be able to be stored in a database, with the level and current experience being stored somewhere else. Say maybe something like having a small table or list for an individual unit/dragon that stores the ability information, but adds an ability to that list dynamically, as it's learned. The other idea is having a list that's already there, as in technically the dragon "knows" all the abilities in the entire game but what the list stores is the level and experience of the abilities- then only displaying the abilities the unit can actually use based on the current sets and the current levels.

If I go with inheriting the abilities so that the secondary set of abilities never changes, then the list of potential abilities is much smaller and I can probably store that somewhere more easily perhaps? If I want to add more abilities later, it would be more difficult to add them as each table that holds abilities would then need to be added onto, and it would be a rather large table. Should I break down that information even more?

These are just some of the things I'm running into that I know I'll need to come up with a solid design for that just isn't there right now. Anyways I'm off to try and figure it out.