There are many ways you can help the project:
- Report bugs and issues
- Suggest new features
- Improve documentation
- Submit code changes
- Help with balancing
- Test new systems
- Provide gameplay feedback
- Contribute artwork, sounds, or writing
Before making large changes, please create an issue or discussion to make sure your idea fits the direction of the project.
When reporting a bug, provide as much information as possible.
A good bug report should include:
- A clear title
- A description of the problem
- Steps to reproduce the issue
- Expected behavior
- Actual behavior
- System information
- Screenshots, videos, or logs if available
Example:
Title:
Game crashes during castle sieges
Description:
The game crashes when entering a large siege battle.
Steps to reproduce:
1. Start a siege mission
2. Enter the battlefield
3. Fight for several minutes
4. The game crashes
Expected behavior:
The siege should continue normally.
Actual behavior:
The game closes unexpectedly.
Feature suggestions are encouraged.
When suggesting a feature, explain:
- What the feature does
- Why it improves the game
- How players would interact with it
- Possible challenges or limitations
Features should support the core goals of Bound in Iron:
- Medieval realism
- Meaningful choices
- Political conflict
- Survival
- Player freedom
- Immersive world-building
Examples of fitting features:
- Improved combat systems
- More faction interactions
- Expanded economy mechanics
- New survival systems
- More world events
- Additional quests
When contributing code:
- Keep code clean and readable
- Use descriptive names for variables, functions, and classes
- Add comments for complex systems
- Avoid unnecessary dependencies
- Test changes before submitting
- Keep changes focused and organized
Prioritize:
- Performance
- Stability
- Maintainability
- Player experience
Before submitting a pull request:
- Create a new branch for your changes.
- Make sure your changes work correctly.
- Test affected systems.
- Write a clear commit message.
- Explain your changes.
Pull requests should include:
- A summary of changes
- Why the changes were made
- Testing information
- Screenshots or videos when needed
Large changes may require discussion before approval.
Use descriptive branch names.
Examples:
feature/new-combat-system
feature/faction-reputation
feature/economy-expansion
bugfix/fix-save-system
bugfix/fix-ai-pathfinding
docs/update-contributing-guide
Avoid unclear names:
test
stuff
changes
mybranch
Write commit messages that clearly describe what changed.
Good examples:
Add directional sword combat system
Fix merchant economy calculations
Improve companion AI behavior
Add faction reputation tracking
Avoid vague commit messages:
fixed stuff
update
changes
work
Keep the project consistent by following existing code style.
Guidelines:
- Use consistent formatting
- Remove unused code
- Avoid duplicate systems
- Keep functions focused
- Document important features
- Do not commit temporary files
Bound in Iron focuses on creating a grounded medieval experience.
The game emphasizes:
- Feudal politics
- Warfare
- Survival
- Reputation
- Economy
- Player decisions
- Consequences
When suggesting gameplay ideas, consider how they affect the realism and atmosphere of the world.
The goal is to create a believable medieval world shaped by people, kingdoms, and conflict.
If contributing artwork, music, sounds, writing, or other assets:
Please make sure:
- You own the work
- The work has the correct license
- External assets are properly credited
- Source files are included when possible
Do not submit copyrighted material without permission.
All contributors are expected to:
- Be respectful
- Give constructive feedback
- Communicate professionally
- Accept criticism
- Help maintain a welcoming community
Harassment, discrimination, or harmful behavior will not be tolerated.
If you have questions about contributing, create an issue or discussion in the repository.