Beta 22 - Interactive stories, AI, and savefile overhaul

Finally, the beta version 22 is here!

After the version 21 it slowly dawned on me that if I wish to implemented all the planned features, some of the game core logic needs to be  upgraded.  I decided to do it, instead of downgrading the plans. That was a lot of work, but I hope that now there is a solid foundation to build on. So, what of these changes are visible to the player;

The save file format is completely re-worked. If you happen to have an save from an older beta version, it unfortunately is not compatible with the version 22. This version saves most of the data in human-readable XML format. Which also means that those who wish can go and edit their save, changing items in the inventory, or adjusting stats and so on.

Every item now has unique stats. The inventory looks mostly the same as it was, but if you click on an item row, it will display a list of every item of that type, each having their own quality and decay values. And some of the items are assembled of parts, those parts have their stats as well, so you can have a low-quality shaft attached to a high-quality axe head. (Most of these stats don't yet do anything. But they are there, so in the coming versions these numbers will be put into use)

Hunting now gives you an interactive story, where it describes the situation and gives you a few options to choose from. Later on there will be more such stories. And, just like most of the other game content, the stories too are fully moddable, so anyone can customize or add their own small text adventures.

And then there is a very minimal AI. At first I thought that the AI is needed once the player clan has more families, so that while the player controls one family unit the AI would run the others. But, as I was developing the AI, based on user feedback and suggestions I realized that there are more ways to use the AI. So, now there are two new starting scenarios:

1. Start as an adult child still living with your parents - here the AI first simulates the history, and when the game starts the player is free to continue either with the parents, or leaving to start a homestead of their own.

2. Start as a child at your parents' home. The player can't control anything, just watch the AI run the household. It is still very simple, but in the future I plan to add some way to get verbal feedback from the AI, so that the player can learn what and why the AI is doing. That would be an alternative to the tutorial - learning the basics of the game play by watching the AI play, instead of following the text prompts of the tutorial.

Ah, and there is also an option to construct a burial site. Should any of your family members die, you can cremate them at the burial site. That will help the dead soul to transition to the Manala - the Finnish netherworld. And if you wish, you can also play as the dead family member, which means just watching the living ones run their daily lives. This feature is also waiting for possible future updates - I'm not yet sure if there will be some ways to interact with the living ones, or if the "play as a spirit" is just a way to pass time, hopping back to the game later on.

There might be some other minor additions as well, which I just don't remember now. All in all - after such major changes I wouldn't be surprised if there still is a wild bunch of bugs lurking around. So proceed with caution, and it greatly helps if you report any bugs you encounter!