Hey everyone! I’m Eldin, a software developer in the US. I am the solo developer making Those Who Rule, which is a passion project I work on during the nights after my regular 9 to 5.
Those Who Rule is a tactical RPG inspired by my love for Fire Emblem. The game follows a group of young recruits as they go from eager and starry-eyed to becoming veterans and develop a stronger understanding of the political systems at play around them. The combat takes place on a hex-grid where you will control 4-12 units while you try to complete the various main and side objectives during a chapter. You can equip characters with unique weapons and items, granting them new abilities. They will also grow throughout the campaign, eventually promoting into more powerful classes.
It came about as I became more wary of the direction Fire Emblem was going with their recent titles. I know a lot of people loved them, but the more “dating sim” aspects of Three Houses and Engage were both turn-offs for me (though I still loved the gameplay of both games). The game is basically me saying “what if Fire Emblem took place in a more gritty world”, with a storyline that leans more on political intrigue than good vs evil.
Oh man it’s probably been close to 5 years part time now. I will do anywhere from 5 minutes to 4 hours of work a night depending on the time I have. It’s something I’ve poured my heart into, and it’s been extremely fun and rewarding getting to know other devs in the gamedev community.
I chose Unity3D (version 19.2.17f1) because of the abundance of documentation available, and because the entity/component system really started clicking for me making development a whole lot easier.
Making content takes a long time. I’m someone who loves creating new mechanics where you can let your creativity flow. Having to stop doing that and make content has been extremely time consuming, but it’s just as important since the content is what really makes the game. Things like new levels, designing them, placing enemies, making sure the lighting is correct, balance feels good. Extremely time consuming, but also very rewarding when you get it right.
Coming at this from a hobbyist passion project I do on the side, just dive in and start making something. The secret to my progress so far has been consistency. Commit to at least 5 minutes a day. If you’re a developer do 1 commit a day. The hard part for most people is sitting down to start, so if you can “trick” your mind into doing “just 5 minutes”, I find that 5 minutes turns to 1 hour once you get in the flow. And if you only have the energy for a couple minutes, that’s okay too. Be kind to yourself or else the process will be miserable.
I think what you're doing is an awesome idea.😄
-Eldin
❤️
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