u/Dukashou

It's been a while since I played, and aside from unlocking the mechanics, I don't remember what I discovered about the plot or what I was looking for when I stopped.

I've reached room 46 several times, opened two sanctum rooms, but I don't remember any clues about how I found them or how to find others.

Not to mention the red letters I've read and forgotten most of (I got four of them). I also have all four permanent additions. Should I start over from scratch, or should I recover what I've forgotten somehow?

Other stuff:
I'm on Day 81, starting with 70 steps, 2 gems, 14 allowances and 14 stars

I'm an indie developer and I've already shipped few little titles. However, every time I start a project, after a while I find myself adding unplanned mechanics or finding myself unprepared for some design, programming, or even artistic choices.

Every time I promise myself to write everything down on paper before even opening the engine, but what I write is always incomplete, not enough, or unclear.

So my question is: how do I do preproduction right? What I need to know before starting a project and what I can decide along the way? Should I use UML or diagrams to create the skeletons of the programming part of my game? Should I write the whole story and lore before starting? Do you have any tips?

Besides the marketing implications, should I avoid to change to RTS to Fps or going from a Visual Novel to a 3d adventure?