#manapotion

[manapotionstudios]

ManaPost 18 - The Return!

Hi. It's Y. ...Has it been over a year since the last you've heard from us? ...Yes. If you haven't joined our discord server, that is. (Shameless plug) I realized over that time that I really do a lot better without the pressure of making something presentable so quickly! I've been doing a lot of work on Manaport this whole time, and I'm very excited to share it all with you! So... Enough with the serious greeting! This is the 18th ManaPost, and it's stuffed full of nerdy stuff I've been waiting to show off! I'm happy to be back! :D

Switch 2 Godot or Something

Of course, as we explained in ManaPost 14... A majority of our efforts in Manaport's development around the end of 2023 was dedicated to essentially translating Unity scripts (usually C#) to Godot (usually gdscript). This took a lot of time (especially for a rather novice programmer such as myself...) Rewriting what we had in Unity took a good few months alone. Combine this with my last year of high school and burnout... The first iteration of our port to Godot took quite a while.

"First" Implies a List...

...Let me tell you a bit about Manaport's rather turbulent development over the past... Almost 5 years. Manaport started development on the 25th of May, smack-dab in the middle of the 2020 pandemic as an idea I had to take my mind off of the woes of staying in my room all day. I gathered a few of my friends and we started throwing ideas at each other.

This was the culmination of our efforts! I didn't even code this. I had no idea how to code. I had only done the spritework. Manaport originally started as... A Sidescrolling RPG. It was so cool to me to see an idea that I had come to life. I had spent a lot of my childhood making stuff in games like LittleBigPlanet, always wanting my next project to be my next magnum opus or whatever. I dream big, if that wasn't obvious.

This was... after I got my hands on actual programming for the first time. Manaport was now a proper traditional Action RPG. I remember trying to sort through every little bug I found... Giving up practically hundreds of times only to remember how stubborn I am and just keep trying. We had restarted once before this video, however there is a distinct lack in media from that era, unfortunately.

This... This era felt like the start of something proper. I was proud of this title sequence alone, and there was practically no game behind it! I had coded a lot of the stuff from this era myself, and it was the subject of my high school computer science final exam, actually. I did pretty well on that.

Three Dimensional!

Starting from the first ManaPost EVER is the start of Manaport's journey as a 3D RPG. Now... you may have noticed that we've definitely changed the definition of Manaport as a game over the years. Started as a Sidescrolling Turn-Based RPG, then a Top-Down Action RPG, then a 3D Action RPG... What's another change, right?

Fourth Time's the Charm!

This will hopefully solidify this era of Manaport as the last one. Development may be turbulent, but... I've learned not to set expectations. I do this for fun! It's fun to make stuff and see what sticks. Without further delay... Here's a compilation of my work on Manaport from just this month alone. On the Manaport Github repository... you can actually see how much work I've been putting into the game in this stage. Of course... a lot of this stuff is quite technical, so here's the first major change.

Try Taking Turns; Sharing is Caring!

Manaport has returned to its roots as a Turn-Based RPG! Hopefully for the final time... We ultimately decided that Manaport would be better off doing away with all of the feature creep that unfortunately claimed us for the last couple of years... When I, Y, first came up with Manaport, when it was just a little idea in my tiny brain... I wanted it to be a fun, story rich Turn-Based RPG, something akin to Paper Mario and the like. It's been almost like some kind of nostalgia trip going through old ideas I had and applying them with this new knowledge I have about games. I started off by playing a bunch of games that have been on my radar... Honkai: Star Rail, Persona 5, Undertale (if you can believe I haven't even finished the game yet...), heck, even a bit of the Paper Mario series. I wrote a bunch of stuff down, drew up a bunch of design documents, and got to work! This was the first time that I felt like I was doing game development the right way. I always felt like I was sort of... mashing stuff together without any kind of method to the madness, but with 5 years of (hobby) experience behind me, I could properly see what the next step was. I've been planning everything out... Consulting friends for their input... Heck, I even built the game a few times to send it to friends for actual playtesting. The first item on the agenda was getting a battle prototype made.

Finishing this part of development alone was a lot more satisfying than I thought it would be! I mean, these are definitely just A-Posing cats and red beans, but this is something magical! I can build off of this, but it still works so well! Not an error in sight! :D This took about... a month start to finish! You could call this a game, I think! It's great! When it comes to combat in Manaport, you can chose your Basic Move, which will likely be a basic attack of sorts... Two Skills, or use an Item. All three of these acts will end your turn, so sometimes you might have to actually choose wisely. One thing I did see in a lot of modern Turn-Based RPGs is an auto mode... I'm still considering adding that, but for now, this is the basics of battling. Kill the red beans... Simple as that! Next up was the Overworld!

Admittedly, this does look quite rudimentary right now (Mainly because a lot of my work recently has been on bug fixing and refinement), but hey! This is more than impressive to me, and that's what matters! Obviously... in turn based games, the overworld is the space between battles. Nothing major here. You can walk around... with your A-posing trio of feline friends. Oh, and there are Party Formations, essentially defining a way for your party members to follow the leader. With Laurie, they're walkin' single file! With Mirabelle, the others take up a more protective position... And with Winsley, you can find Mirabelle and Laurie standing back. That's it. Not the biggest update, but it gets the job done!

Then... heh. Then was making the game look a little nicer!

Manaport was foretold to look like a PS1 title... so it's gotta look the part! There's a great deal of new customization options for how crispy crunchy absolutely retro lookin' you want your game! From PS1 resolution and the funky looking affine mapping, to crisp, 1280 by 960 gameplay! Stylish. Slay. So demure, I think.

Thought I Was Dead

In honor of this wonderful update... I have prepared an accompanying Demonstrational Showcase video! Of course... tossing a bunch of pictures in your face is nice, but hey, who wouldn't like watching a short presentation! Pretend I am a small child... showing you a silly project on my tablet... Hanging this up on my fridge and saying I did a good job.

And I'm Gone!

Aaaaaand that's it! A short Manaport retrospective... and now a Manaport prospective(?)! This month has been amazing for development, and I can't wait to see what I get done in February! I'm excited to be back sharing my progress updates with you, dear Reader! What I've learned from all this time is that I will no longer overpromise and underdeliver! Expect absolutely nothing from me! But please, do remain support of us in the future. Thank you very much for reading.

Y

[artsyevy07]

I got nothing. Was supposed to be updating my server's combat thread. But instead took a detour into a side quest for it via updating my old potion bottle art work. ✨

[synsio]

Not sure how addiction works for other substances, but for mps, id assume it works like this:

It starts at a literal dependence on the mp. Manapotions allow you to absorb more mana than your body has the capacity for, meaning it lets you do things out of your rank. This is purely physical because the person still only drinks as needed (that being: in life-or-death situations) however for junseo, he needs more mana to get daily stuff done.

This leads into the addiction and the first time "overdosing" on manapotions. Mana potions stop becoming a lifeline and more "yeah ill drink this to get stronger" and you already know how easily people get drunk off power. Sjs is worrying about his mana capacity near constantly in the recent arcs, then of course hed grow dependent on the thing. After drinking 3, his body is worn out (its like eating 4x the recommended amount for your body mass), but now it gives you a taste of a significantly stronger power

Again, obsession with power.

So i dont think knockoffs would get the job done the same way real, potent mana potions do. They wouldnt give you nearly the same anount of mana (due to the processing of the mana crystals, probably), so it would take you SOO much more potions to get addicted.

If youve got other questions im down to help you research and theorize, especially while im working on the wiki (!!!) right now

Mana Potions

So I recently reread Weapon Creator (the webtoon version, because I don't know where you guys are getting up to ep 29 at) for characterization notes for my fic, and in ep 10 when they're fighting Arachne, SJS drinks a mana potion and thinks about how drinking more than one a day could lead to addiction.

Things are rarely mentioned when they're not in some way important, and it could just be world building for consequences of magic the same way weapons and gear break, but what if it's not?

There's a couple ways I can think for this to go. SJS drinks too many mana potions (unlikely now that he can get mana gear through his contract w YTH, who'll probably just gift smth to him), or, they uncover some sort of black market knock-off potion scheme or smth. SJS isn't the only low-rank around, and as unclear as the timeline is to how long ago the gates appeared, when did they find out the mana potions are addicting?

Actually, do they know this yet, or is this SJS's future knowledge talking?

I don't know, the thought's maybe half-formed, but I think there might be something there.

[wannabedragon-yep-lumenemporium]

Ethereal essence

Another potion is now on my shop: the Ethereal essence is one of the variation of the main Essences project, along with the Vitality Essence, the Essence of Mana and the Essence of Rejuvenation. What’s your favorite color combination? :D

[droidmonkey4]

My #stickers from my @redbubble store . DroidMonkey.redbubble.com . #illustration #cute #original #rpg #borderlands #borderlandspsycho #logo #manapotion #healthpotion #skull #grephone #griffin #cute #illustrationart #instagramart https://www.instagram.com/p/CEkEVamjhxH/?igshid=1wmmydui9zicz

[ruya-krasimira]

Mini Gift Potion Necklaces. Choose your potion. CUSTOM ONES TOO. Resin. #resinart #dnd #props #resin #glass #potions #harrypotter #dndpotiondice #dndpotion #potionnecklace #necklace #dndnecklace #manapotion #mana https://www.instagram.com/p/B9NhlwpHGO1/?igshid=1qdpq9ym4szkl

[meglettetart]

Hi guys! I finally got my potion bottle keychains made and available for sale! <3 I’m super excited and they are super cute! 

I have 2 types available.  Potions of healing and Potions of mana

They are made with 100% recycled acrylics.  Each potion bottle is 2.5″ and includes the potion bottle as well as a potion tag with instructions for use <3.  __________________________________________________________

These were really fun to make and they are the first products available in my shop.   I plan on having quite a few more types available in the future including, rage, luck and poison.  

You can check out my my shops on my link tree! <3

https://linktr.ee/meglette

[crookedcoffin]

Potionseller, I need your strongest potion!

[bardickittyart]

Things have been a bit busy/weird lately, so sorry for the absence. I will try to post more often again in the future! In the meantime, please enjoy these pictures of my latest chainmail creations. They were a ton of fun to work on! #chainmail #chainmaille #potionbottle #potions #potionbottles #healthpotion #manapotion #magicpotion #magicbottle https://www.instagram.com/p/BqAhVN1hrGe/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=qnigwczp4vuy

[thesameasbefore]

These MP and HP potions make a great duo! If you’ve had a particularly difficult week you might need a little of both! I know I could use some recharging 🥴 You can get both of these pins in my Etsy shop! The links in my bio 🥰 . . . #enamelpins #mana #hppotion #manapotion #magicpotion #potion #rpgitems #sparkles (at Oakville, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq0qaPrBPXk/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ure83d5s7n4s

[manapotionstudios]

ManaPost 17 [BONUS] - About That...

Hi. It's Y. I don't want to drag this intro for too long, considering personal things will be conversed in today's bonus ManaPost. If you don't want to see that, here's your warning.

WHERE'S PPP!?

As you should know, PPP! was originally created for Ludum Dare 54 back at the tail end of September. I was incredibly sick over the weekend of the event, but I tried my best, and came up with some (albeit subpar) prototype. The team decided we'd just make it a Halloween title, and I took a break until October 20th.

From the start, PPP! was NOT a game we had wanted to make.

I thought I'd be able to adjust and we'd make an amazing game for you to play! Unfortunately, I really don't even want to see PPP! anymore 😭😭

PPP! was a neat game in the context it was originally intended for: Ludum Dare. It would've been nice to release it yesterday, but right now, development is canceled. Apologies from everyone here on the Manapotion team. We didn't want to let you down.

Now, on to the personal bit.

WHAT HAPPENED???

I (still Y) had a "situation" the afternoon of the 27th. I'm not going to get into it here, considering I'd like to keep a (somewhat) professional appearance on our platforms if that's okay.

Usually, I can push through events like what happened the 27th (will herein be referred to as "The 27th" for simplicity). When we wrote and posted ManaPost 16, I thought I'd be able to "lock in" and just get PPP! out of the way. I was starting to feel disappointed in my work though, and that was one of the contributing factors as to why PPP! isn't releasing.

Two days later, on Sunday, the emotions from The 27th just hit me like a train and I honestly didn't want to work on anything. Luckily, I did get to visit most of our team, including a few friends, and it brought my mood up. We had an awesome time 💙

But it didn't improve my motivation!!! I felt like a failure. I don't like to let people down, and in writing this ManaPost for you, I feel like I have. I have my own personal flaws, but I still want to keep up appearances and deliver good stuff! I've been the amateur programmer for our team for three and a half years! I'm only a senior. Sometimes I get caught up in comparison. I hope you can forgive me.

For now, I don't even want to TOUCH Godot!!! PPP! has genuinely drained the life out of me and I want to just take a break.

Thanks for listening to me ramble.

WHAT NOW???

Since this ManaPost covers this week, just know there may not be a proper ManaPost this Saturday. We need a break. PPP! has truly caused a Pumpkin Patch Panic here in the green elixir.

Again, we're sorry for the empty promise. Please forgive our blunder.

We'll have something better for you in the coming months.

See you soon. 💚

The Manapotion Team (C, R, L and Y)

[imthend]

Day 29 #inktober #inktober2018 #manapotion #potion #mana #attack #defence #magia #pozione #manga #mangawarrior #mangagirl #mangart #mangadraw #mangadrawing #fantasy #fantasyart #fantasydrawing #fantasymanga #fantasypotiom #illustration #illustrazione #sakura #sakurapigma #pigmamicron #harrypotter #harrypotterpotions #nikatober https://www.instagram.com/p/BpxBc5nACND/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=turth0q7msb0

[wannabedragon-yep-lumenemporium]

Adventurer’s Wondrous Distillate

Health or mana restoration? Why to choose when you can have them both! You can wear this double sided necklace as a red health elixir or a deep blue mana potion. What will you need on your adventures?

[lioneldiwald]

040118•HYPOVITAMINOSISBLUE•

[ruya-krasimira]

Mana Potion. Choose your dice. Choose your potion. CUSTOM ONES TOO. Dice Rolling Potion Bottles with Resin. #resinart #dicerollingpotions #dnd #props #resin #glass #potions #harrypotter #dndpotiondice #dndpotion #manapotion https://www.instagram.com/p/B89T7mKB_JD/?igshid=1qj9debwmn99b

[ismaeljsmidia]