hi,
as everyone has probably done this: how do you stop adding so many features to your game? how do you decide what features make the most sense for your game?
for example, i want my game to be exploration but i also dont know if i should include more like combat/economy? i feel like just exploration isn’t good enough as there’s no real core game loop.
i also dont want to add a hundred features as a solo-dev because everyone knows that means the project wont be completed.
Step 1: Find something that’d improve your game
Step 2: Add it
Would combat improve your game for the amount of time it would take to add it? If so then you should add it.
First, take your idea of what you want to add. Will implementing it take away from the rest of your game? Will implementing it be possible? Does it even make sense in the first place? If it seems as though it would be mostly positive, consider adding it.
For your specific example of adding combat and economy to an exploration game, if you do decide to add it, have it tie into the rest of the game smoothly so it feels natural and not like a separate thing. Examples could be getting rewards from combat, possible unlockable skills, selling items earned from combat, trading money (maybe even valuable items) in for better weapons and exploration gear, so on and so forth. It really depends on the style of game and how much time you’re able to put into it.