This is the first of hopefully many dev logs that we'll be posting to share the process that brought you 'Dragua' -- a short rogue-like inspired by Balkan mythology. In this log, I'll be talking about what inspired aspects of the design, the lore, and the music.

The Theme (Every 10 Seconds)

When we started brainstorming, we wanted to avoid implementations with a mechanic centered on the timer itself. We really liked the idea of implementing a rogue-like, where the point was to become as strong as possible but eventually lose. Our lead developer (@tempest-smh ) mentioned an idea inspired by some of the other potential themes, where vines grew from the ground and spread across the map -- every ten seconds.

The Music - An unnatural time signature

We considered ways that we could give the player cues (about the vine growth) without placing a countdown somewhere on the screen. It seemed a good idea to add a 10-second "motif" to the music, something that repeated and would become associated with the recurring event.

The morning after the theme was announced, and we had begun prototyping, I woke up with some inspiration: if I chose a signature with 5 beats per measure, that would make the 10 second timer occur right between measures instead of inside of them. I started researching examples of music that employed 5/4 or 5/8 signatures (the "Mission Impossible" theme is a famous example). This video by Adam Neely is a great introduction to this topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6kPKtix4

The Lore - A Balkan Myth

In my search, I quickly came across Balkan folk music. To ears steeped in Western signatures like 4/4, the folk music is immediately arresting and intriguing. I wanted to bring some of that character to our game. So while my teammates worked out mechanics, I delved into Wikipedia articles, searching for a story.

I came upon their ideas of the heroic Dragua, a warrior destined to fight against a destroyer figure. This was a perfect backdrop for the core mechanic of "vines overtaking the forest."

Hindsight - 5/8 is tricky

Remember what I said about certain people being used to certain time signatures? Adam Neely describes this perfectly as being able to speak "a language", and boy, I did not feel at all fluent trying to write and perform music in a 5/8 time signature. I eventually kept to fairly simple patterns in order to produce something that sounded clean--far from the complexity that I had dreamed of. But those are the kinds of quick judgements that have to be made on a short timescale ...

If you're interested in hearing the composition, check it out here.

"Follow the Fun"

In the next dev log, I'd like to share a major pivot in our design that came from inspiration following the adage "Follow the Fun". Look for a post during the week!

In the meantime, if any of this intrigued you, we'd love for you to stop by and enjoy our entry 'Dragua'! https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/51/dragua

- Hawkin