With Ironwood being released a few weeks ago, it's time to take a look at what's next. And what's next is a milestone called Domus. [h1]Summary[/h1] Bearing in mind that everything is subject to change, here's a high level list of what's planned next. [list] [*] Buildings can be upgraded [*] More items available to decorate buildings with, and interface improvements [*] Change to buildings available, addition of new buildings [*] More importance given to Trade - Trade goods and items that are only available from trade [*] Clothing for the player [/list] [h1]Motivation[/h1] One of the primary things that I believe need improvement in Alone, is how the game-loop is combat-centric, and that's really not what the game's focus is. The main rewards on offer for hard work and success are being able to fight stronger enemies, and unlocking better materials to be able to fight stronger enemies. The next milestone is going to be focused more on making your island better, and giving you something else to aim towards. A second motivation is that some of the buildings stop being useful very early on. Once you have a metal industry in place, there's no reason whatsoever to use the chipping table any longer. Similar thing with the carpentry workshop. With the building changes, and with upgrades, there will no longer be useless buildings. [h1]More Details[/h1] [h2]Buildings can be upgraded[/h2] The upgrade system was introduced in the previous milestone with a limited scope - namely being able to improve the ship. This concept will be expanded in the next milestone, with the majority of buildings being able to support various upgrades to make them work better, unlock functionality, or give more bonuses. Craft buildings for instance can be upgraded to produce better quality items. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42309538/7edd5d950ae80597ad98a897cfe8248525e32f16.jpg[/img] Farms have also received an update, with upgrades effecting multiple fields, and certain crops requiring extra effort before they're unlocked. Also one of the upgrades unlocks a cat. Just thought I'd mention that. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42309538/6a603cd11a06fdff21cf160ce4a3be0a094885e1.gif[/img] [h2]Decorations[/h2] The ability to decorate buildings has been a feature for quite a while, but the interface is rather complicated, and there aren't many items available to decorate with. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42309538/1353f3e119ae2930bb2c1e14fd47eef134126c26.png[/img] In the next milestone there will be many more items that can be used to decorate buildings, including carpets and items to hang up on walls. Additionally, some items can be recoloured, and the interface has been greatly simplified - as one can see from these two WIP videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr7xmGKfIOM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdO0yJ_NqH4 [h2]Changes to Buildings[/h2] Craft buildings will change to support a more horizontal view of what they're used for. Instead of having a Stoneworker and a Smithy for instance, there will be a toolworker workshop which exclusively creates tools (and upgrades), of various materials. This ties into the upgrade system, where unlocking certain materials will require the building to be upgraded. This should result in buildings which remain in use across the stages of the game. Aside from buildings dedicated to crafting, other buildings will be added to tie in with the upgrade system - such as the farm (shown above), and the trader port. [h2]Trade and Trade Goods[/h2] Trade is set to become a bit more important. Tying into the decoration (and clothes) system, certain decorative items, exotic materials, or items used for high-level upgrades will not be available natively and will need to be purchased from a trader. On the other hand - certain new craftable items will give more money when sold to traders, so you can more easily afford to get whatever you find useful. Traders will also be a bit more predictable in what goods they bring. [h2]Clothing[/h2] And lastly, there will be changes to the player's appearance. Instead of wearing armour all the time, the player will wear civilian clothing when in a safe area. The player should be able to choose this clothing - keeping in mind that certain outfits might need to be crafted, or traded for before they're unlocked. [h1]Conclusions[/h1] As always, this is all subject to change, depending on what works, and feedback. If you want to keep track of development, I have a weekly dev diary here https://devdiaries.alone.epicllama.games/