game dev concept
I've been playing Stardew Valley, and like.
I enjoy just, wandering the foresty areas and cleaning it up, like, clearing loose rocks and branches, plants that are overgrown. While the main content is... Actually pretty stressful for me. Feeling rushed to meet daily, monthly, yearly timetables, keeping more things in mind than I really have the mental bandwidth for.
game dev concept
So I was thinking, how cool would it be to have a game where you're some kind of woodland protector? You're of some kind of naturalistic group or race, and you have a stretch of forest to tend. Taking care of the vegetation, looking after animals, protecting it from hunters and loggers. Maybe something bigger going on over the course of things.
game dev concept
But the key is, there's nothing you *have* to do. The forest can survive on its own, as it does. It's all just, things you can do during the course of just, enjoying a natural environment.
game dev concept
With this overall thing of just, living off of the land, experiencing deep nature, and having copious amounts of time to either relax, or seek the ways to improve the space that you wish to. Kind of a sandbox, but no rigidly defined progression. "Progress" is nothing but seeking what you want out of it.
game dev concept
Like, Stardew Valley, you're seeking to make every aspect of the game experience maximized within a 3 year time span. Sim City, you're constantly encouraged to expand the city in all ways to the max you can reach. And so on.
I want to see something where there are many different content avenues you *can* approach, but none you *must*, and no overall loss condition or penalty for not optimizing.
game dev concept
@atinyfairy Yeah. AC isn't a series I usually think about, but it's pretty well on the train of thought. Like, you're driven in that you're presented with needs, but it's still up to you what to do or not do.