Simulacosis
Kickstarter milestone countdown
THE PLAN
Welcome! This page is dedicated to tracking the Milestones, monthly goals and Kickstarter date for our game Simulacosis!Each milestone leading up to our Kickstarter release will take roughly a month to complete, You can keep up to date with our progression here, as well as view public and Patreon specific devlogs over on our PATREON.
setbacks
Setbacks are likely inevitable. In the instance that a feature takes too long, or doesn't work out the way it's planned, there's time to reapproach any issues. Features and design points can be completed to a lower quality without impacting following goals.The priority is completion, not perfection, and we're prepared to face any setbacks while still meeting our intended goals.
Patreon rewards
> Access to the Simulacosis demo after each successful milestone.
> Access to evented systems and resources for your own projects.
> Steam keys for beta game access / early launch.
> 100% discount codes for ITCH.IO game asset/tiles/UI bundles.
MILESTONE #1
(August)
The Mobility Showcase
(week 01) Basic Movement
• 4/8 Directional movement + sprite
• Idle Animation Placeholeder
• Walk / Dash toggle with visual difference and speed change.
• Mobility impacting regions.
• Terrain modifiers for regions.
• Assign Sprint Button
• Footstep sounds based on regions
• Dust, splash particles/environmental response based on regions
• Sprint stamina drain(week 02) Swimming
• Detect swim zones via region
• Switch to swimming sprite + animation
• Splash sound / particle event on entry/exit
• Breath meter and drowning conditions(week 02) Climbing
• Detect climbable tiles via region.
• Switch to climbing state + animation
• Lock movement direction to select regions.
• Add movement modifiers while climbing
• Climb stamina drain.(week 03) Crawling
• Detect crawl zones via region
• Switch sprite to prone sprite + animation.
• Switch sprite to Crouch sprite + animation
• Assign Crawl State Button
• Assign Prone State Button(week 03) Jumping / Falling
• Jump sprite + animation.
• Jump distance modifiers.
• Fall damage modifiers based on region start/region stop.
• Fall damage / knockdown for excessive heights
• Landing sprite + animation.
• Escalating screen shake / motion for hard landings/falls(week 04) Terrain Interaction
• Slippery tiles (ice/mud) with sliding movement
• Quicksand/soft terrain that slows/stops movement
• Reactive tiles that damage or debuff the player over time
• Pressure detection.(week 04) Additional Modifiers – Expanded Goals
• Wounded Idle
• Limping sprite + animation.
• Shielding face idle (against sand/wind) sprite + animation.
• Shielding face walk (against sand/wind) sprite + animation.
• Shivering idle + animation
• Shivering slow walk + animation
• Unstable walk + animation (when near collapse)
• Speed modifiers.
• Templates for additional modifiers later.
• Glitch effect animations.
• Noise level variable based on speed/movement type/region.
MILESTONE #2
(September)
The Medical Showcase
(week 01) Physical Needs
• Create variables for needs
• Implement passive drain and other modifiers.
• Add visual/auditory feedback as thresholds are reached.
• Implement recovery methods
• Add status effects at thresholds(week 01) Medical/Body
• Set body parts and track states, functionality, HP for each
• Create variables for BloodVolume, PainLevel, and BleedingRate.
• Implement damage, resistance and limb-specific modifiers.
• Trigger bleeding, collapse, or limb loss at thresholds.
• Create treatment items and logic to restore damage.
• Add modifiers and visual/auditory pain feedback
• Track condition duration and infection / tie to Hygiene.(week 02) Personality & Emotional States
• Create variables for Emotional States.
• Create variables for Personality Gradients.
• Set interconnected emotional modifiers.
• implement post-crisis/death personality modifiers(week 03) Crisis Mode
• Define: InCrisisMode (true/false).
• Set critical thresholds for all applicable needs.
• Disable selected direct player control during crisis.
• Event auto-behavior for each need/crisis type.
• Addvisual/auditory feedback for each crisis type.
• Implement recovery logic, exit crisis when needs stabilized.
• Apply crisis/post crisis modifiers.
• Track most recent crisis and duration.(week 04) Death & Resurrection System
• Define conditions for death, BloodVolume, Oxygen, Health.
• On death trigger death/resurrect/mother
• Log DeathType variable for post-death modifiers.
• Moddifiers for trauma, emotion, physical debuffs on resurrect.
• Implement Resurrection Penalties.
• Track persistent effects of multiple deaths
• If respawned on hazard tile, apply temporary immunity/relocate.
MILESTONE #3
(October)
The Crafting Showcase
(week 01) Inventory
• Design inventory UI, define grid size, bag layout, and slots.
• Create structure for item size, quantity, and stack rules.
• Implement item drag/drop logic.
• Implement logic to block item placement if space not available.
• Add hover tooltip/inspection for name, type, weight, and use.
• Connect item usage to the gridded item.
• Add sorting/tagging filters. (maybe)
• Setup basework for future bag upgrades/modular storage.(week 01) Containers & Storage
• Create basic storage objects with defined grid sizes.
• Allow drag/drop between player and containers.
• Track container contents persistently across sessions.
• Implement decay modifiers.
• Add support for locked containers.(week 01) Item Effects
• Implement tag system for item effects.
• Set up basic modifiers, buffs, debuffs.
• Add visual/auditory feedback for activation and aftereffects.(week 02) Equipment & Wearables
• Design equipment UI
• Create equipment slots.
• Link gear visuals to player sprite and portrait.
• Apply gear-based stat modifiers.
• Implement degradation logic for worn gear.
• Allow crafted gear to support variables.
• Create tool-based gear.
• Add durability stat and decrement logic per use.
• Create visual/auditory feedback for wear state.
• Require tools for specific building/crafting actions.
• Add breakage/failure events.(week 03-04) Crafting & Building
• Define core crafting resources.
• Implement inventory variable tracking for basic resources.
• Design crafting menu UI.
• Design building menu UI
• Add Crafting categories.
• add item recipes using conditional checks.
• Implement building/map placement logic.
• Implement pick up/destruction logic.
• Add basic workstations.
• Implement station-based crafting.
• add key buildables.
• Add visual feedback for building status
• Enable decay logic for structures for ‘unsafe’ environments.
• Track player-built objects for map/state persistence.
• Connect crafted/placed objects to player needs
MILESTONE #4
(November)
The Self and Skills Showcase
(week 01) Skills & Abilities
• Design skill UI
• Define core skill categories.
• Define skills per core.
• Create base skill variables and XP trackers.
• Design individual skill cards.
• Design skill card ability trees.
• Implement usage-based leveling.
• Set Skill tiers/thresholds.
• Establish passive bonuses per skill tier.
• Link skills / levels to PC modifiers.
• Set skill boosting interactives.(week 02) Perks System
• Create perk registry and modifier templates.
• Design UI for perk display and descriptions.
• Link perk unlocks to modifiers/variables.
• Incorperate stacking/branching
• Create template events for perk activation/unlock(week 02) Traits & Flaws
• Design personality UI
• Design trait/flaw UI
• Define baseline traits and flaws.
• Incorporate personality gradients.
• Implement trait/flaw acquisition templates.
• Connect traits and flaws to PC modifiers.(week 03) Character Overview
• Design player character inspection UI
• Unify needs, health, traits, skills, Atts and Personality.
• Link variables/events to bars and status displays.
• Design and establish holdover mini hud.(week 04) Memory UI
Define memory structure.
Create master list of memory entries.
Design trigger conditions.
Implement unlocking, overwriting and corruption.
Design memory UI
Add visual/auditory feedback for unlocking/corruption.
Apply modifiers and conditionals.
Implement text logging.
Implement search and keyword lookups.
MILESTONE #5
(December)
The Combat Showcase
(week 01-02) Combat Basics
• Create player and enemy hitboxes and collision detection.
• Implement melee attack logic and directional swing/range.
• Add ranged attack/projectile logic and ammo handling.
• Define damage types and tie to resistances.
• Track limb-specific damage from attacks/bleeding.
• Implement triggered states, crippled or limb loss.
• Implement knockback, stagger, and stun mechanics.
• Add player and enemy health, pain, and blood loss bars.
• Create basic enemy AI templates.
• Link combat actions to modifiers/variables.
• Implement weapon equipment and switch mechanics.
• Connect abilities from the skill system to combat.
• Add environmental interactions.
• Implement visual/auditory feedback.
• Connect memory logging and emotional/trait updates.
• Design combat HUD UI
• Design mini combat overlay UI(week 03) Stealth
• Implement noise and visibility mechanics
• Add light/shadow detection logic
• Implement enemy detection cones and alert states.
• Connect mobility to stealth.
• Add stealth UI indicators
• Enable stealth takedown and bypass interactions.
• connect skill/perks to detection mechanics.
• Create templates for caught events/modifiers.(week 03) Cover
• Define cover tiles/ tagged map objects.
• Implement cover detection logic.
• Add lean/peek system.
• Implement enemies to use cover.
• Add cover-breaking attacks or destructible/environments.
• Design UI components for stealth and cover.(week 04) Weapons
• Define core weapon types.
• Create base weapon stats.
• Build crafting recipes and upgrade paths for weapons.
• Implement status effects from special weapons.(week 04) Tactical Positioning
• Implement directional modifiers.
• Add movement-based interaction templates.
• Implement terrain elevation modifiers.
• Implement AI positioning.
• Trigger skill/abilities based on position.
• Implement positional data for minimap expansion later.(week 04) Resurrection
• Implement resurrection triggers and logging.
• Create resurrection outcome variables.
• Create scar layering.
• Add post-death event templates.
• Implement Mother commentary.
• Implement death scarring.
• Add scars to character UI
MILESTONE #6
(January)
The NPC Showcase
(week 01) Factions and Ideology
• Define Core Factions/ideology/internal structure/enemies.
• Assign Regional Influence/ faction zones/influence templates.
• Implement tracking for global and local reputation/standing.
• Implement subfactions standing/tracking
• Design UI, visual tags and bars.
• Create factional influence and reaction templates
• Implement locks/unlock templates based on faction standing.
• Implement faction-specific perks, tech, skill trees
• Implement dynamic splintering of factions
• Design faction overview UI
• Implement faction specific character modifiers.(week 02) Social Menu
• Implement Look for quick surface-level info
• Implement Examine for unlocked/ observed data
• Implement Chat history/logging
• Implement keyword lookup.
• Implement relationship tracking
• Implement relationship bias modifers.
• Design social interface UI
• Design topic tracking/keyword database page/UI
• Implement bio tracking for player-deduced data.
• Design NPC bio overview UI
• Implement tagging of conflicting dialogue/traits. Lies
• Implement auto-tagging notable NPC behaviors. Reactions. Lies.(week 03) NPC Interaction
• Design Social branching UI
• Implement advanced Socialize → Chat / Discuss / Query
• Implement advanced Trade → Trade / Give / Request
• Implement advanced Romance → Flirt / Share / Commit
• Implement advanced Interact → Touch / Action / Assault
• Add NPC reactions modifier templates.
• Add Rejected queries modifier templates.
• Add templates for interactions based on NPC preferences.
• Add templates for Romance options locked/unlocked/modifiers.
Midway Review
A time to review our current content, go back, revise, update, refine. February is all about taking stock of where we're at with our goals, making adjustments to our plans, reviewing our systems and anything we missed. Maybe even adding some things to help tie it all together before moving to the next phase of realization.