MY PLAN | Cyberscape City

DEMO RELEASE

For the past five years now I have been working on Cheropie.

Recently I have developed a demo for the project that I plan to release soon free of charge.

This is part of a strategy where I take a hit in the short-term to boost my exposure in the long-term.

By releasing a free demo, I hope to build a reputation for myself in the Indie Dev community and make a good first impression.

I've designed the demo specifically with fandom and theorists in mind.

The demo is full of mystery box and world building elements alluding to the story-lines in the final product.

My hope is that these hooks will catch people's attention and generate discussions and theory videos around the project, further increasing exposure.

I plan to release a free demo for Cheropie very soon (within weeks).

3 YEAR TIMETABLE

For more information on the work I've done so far, please visit: Demo Features, Game Modes and Other Features.

For more information on the features I plan to implement please visit: Planned Features.

CREATE MINIMUM VARIABLE PRODUCT

MILESTONE ONE

I will spend the first year and a half coming up with a minimum variable product for the full game.

The goals I intend to meet during this milestone are:

The completion of both HUB World Maps, with completion defined as: Modelling, Texturing, UV work and optimization of the maps with level of detail meshes.
The development of the five concept stages listed on: Planned Features, to be featured with the stage from the Cheropie Demo in the final product.
The implementation of keys being used to unlock stages in HUB worlds.
The completion of a save system for the game.
The completion of a system for character leveling-up.
Develop mechanics that were underdeveloped in the Cheropie Demo.
Implement additional enemies and boss fights into the game.
The completion of a store / merchant system where the player can buy / sell items.
The completion of my NPC dialogue tree system that will be able to work inside and outside of cutscenes.
Creating and implementing two additional vehicles.
A basic implementation of the Pet Simulator mechanics, partially finished already.
The implementation of at least 3 new game modes.
The creation of new character models for important NPC characters, as well as a series of generic NPC character models with randomly generated appearances.
The completion of the system for implementing the 7-day schedule for NPCs - allows me to tell NPCs where and when they should be certain places and what dialogue options they should have at that time in the cycle.
A basic implementation of the main storyline in-game from beginning to end.
A basic implementation of several NPC side-quests.

MILESTONE TWO

ADDING DETAIL AND DEPTH

If all has gone to plan, then the next year will be spent adding depth and polish where the game needs it most, as well as fleshing out the game's mechanics.

The goals I intend to meet during this milestone are:

Perform a level of refinement and polish on everything developed thus-far, adding anything I may of missed out while developing the minimum variable product.
The development of several more stages, as well as the development of one-off challenge stages.
Implementing a character customization system, allowing the player to change the cosmetic appearance of characters and their weapons.
Creating and implementing several new vehicles, including flying cars and motorbikes.
Implement new side-quests into the game.
Implement remaining planned game modes.
Implement the creative mode level editor.
Implement additional enemies and boss fights into the game.
Creation of new music for the game.
Completion of the game's animated opening.
Add any remaining mechanics I planned to implement.
Bug fixing pass.

MILESTONE THREE

SPLIT THE GAME AND FINALIZE THE PRODUCTS

For context, I have a unusual plan for Cheropie based on a precedent that exists in the music industry.

In the music industry, songs will often have two separate versions released: A radio version (intended for a more general audience), and an explicit version (intended for a more mature audience).

I would like to take this music industry precedent and apply it to Cheropie releasing two seperate versions of the same game, one targeted at a general audience (Cheropie), and one targeted at a more mature audience (Cheropie: Explicit).

Up until this point, the game would be developed with the family version in mind.

In the final 6 months of development, the game will be divided into two separate products: Cheropie and Cheropie Explicit.

Both products will then be finalized and preparations for the release of the game will be made.

The goals I intend to meet during this milestone are:

Differentiate the two products from each other by creating some unique content between each version:
- Create a car that is unique to each game version.
- Create character and weapon cosmetics that are unique to each game version.
- Change up some of the level design between versions, and make the Explicit version overall more difficult than the general version.
- Add one or more unique game modes for each version of the game.
- Change up the design of small areas of the HUB world maps and stages.
- Create unique dialogue options and side-quests between the two versions.
- Differentiate the content of books between the two versions, and add books that are unique to both versions.
- Create music that is unique for both versions.
- In the Explicit version, I plan to include a roulette mini-game, a slot machine mini-game and a bingo mini-game.
- In the Explicit version, I plan to allow the player to purchase alcohol and get their characters drunk.
- The explicit version of the game will have dialogue options with vulgar language where-as the general version will not.
Prepare the products for their final release.
Perform any necessary preliminary steps to getting the games released.