README.md.old

Arco Postmortem
====

Arco is a card-based roguelite fighting game, using a unique combo resource system. It will be developed in Godot and is currently being prototyped.

The Story
---

What you see here is an initial and naive attempt at developing this project in the alpha version of the [luxe](https://luxeengine.com/alpha/) engine, by a younger and more inexperienced me. I'm keeping this here as posterity.

I poured many hours into this project while working a full-time internship position, and simultaneously overworking myself with [yet another over-ambitious project](https://www.github.com/ekliot/conangen).

The project began with an idea: why are resource systems in card games, most games really, so static? Why can't there be a card game where resources are a something more to manage than just "don't spend all your mana in one place."

Then I considered, what kind of game could model this sort of system? Immediately, I turned to one of my greatest passions and inspirations: martial arts. A momentum system, where raising a 'momentum' level will unlock more interesting choices for moves, representing the versatility and energy of martial combat. There is value in manually lowering your momentum, too -- combo finishers.

I began with a physical prototype, using just a deck of standard playing cards. Then, I moved on to what I knew best at the time -- a command-line interface to play against the computer.

And then, I took the plunge, and immersed myself in a new engine, still in its own alpha stage at the time. I tried to apply everything at my disposal from my classwork, and everything became a nail for the plethora of excitingly shaped hammers I had been given. This overengineering and enthusiasm led to a lack of focus and neverending refactoring. Predictably, I didn't get very far, and burnt out.

The Future
---

Has Arco failed? In its initial iteration, I believe so. However, this failure has taught me a great deal in everything from game design and development, project management, and my own limits.

Where does this go next? Well, to begin with, I still believe in the game. But the game has changed and evolved as I have, with a more refined scope.

I'm starting from scratch. Moving to a new engine -- [Godot](https://godotengine.org/), one that shares my values and can allow me to build better things faster. Prioritizing prototyping and gamefeel, staying within my limits and treating the project with a greater respect to scale. And most importantly, keeping sight of the bigger picture -- meaning, letting myself grow into Arco, rather than the other way around. There's no way I can expect Arco to be any greater than the game development expertise I have right now.

So far, my physical prototypes have had strong positive feedback -- evidence for me that the project is worth continuing. First, however, I'll be focusing on building my game development skills with Godot before tackling Arco again.

And so, one day I will be back. Until then, I'll be building momentum before facing an opponent as worthy as Arco, again.