Windward was a venture beyond the constraints of corporate structure — an indie project born from an innovative concept inspired by Sid Meier's Pirates!, with a distinctive twist. A colleague I collaborated with on DOTC had the vision; together we built it.
While he focused on core inventory and progression systems, I dedicated myself to incorporating unique visual features and game modes to elevate the experience beyond simple ship-to-ship combat. After extensive playtesting, we made the hard call to cut certain modes and focus entirely on the battle mechanics — which had emerged as by far the most enjoyable part.
This experience gave me valuable hands-on knowledge of NPC AI, networking, and the complexities of game publishing on Steam.