Well, my goal is to make a game with, at the least, the features I want in it regardless of how much content I have. I've always loved the old style RPGs and text games, and remember spending way too long playing Legend of the Red Dragon on a BBS (remember when those were cool?), so for this jam my dream is to make something in that vein: a text-based RPG.
I am learning Python almost from scratch to do this because I couldn't find a utility to make the sort of game I described. I figure learning a programming language is a good investment of my time anyhow, and Python was highly recommended to learn by people I respect.
My goals in making the game are:
1. A combat system with a couple different techniques you can do (not just "you hit it. it hits back" forever).
2. A "hub town" - more generally, something the player plays with that doesn't involve to the combat system
3. A means to make your character stronger, such as a store to buy gear, or a way to enable a new combat move.
Of course I need to have at least something for a game, but I'm wanting to focus on the learning more than the finished product here: if I can manage to code in all those things, even if there's just 1 enemy, 2 choices in town, and 1 enhancement, I'll consider it a success. Of course, if I can add more on top of that, so much the better.
I'm not sure how tall of an order this is (or even if I'm undershooting), especially with my starting-from-zero position and learning Python as I go, but on the bright side I don't have to mess around with sprites or sounds or collision detection or anything like that...