It’s been a number of months since my final replace. I’ve been laborious at work, making an attempt to complete every thing for the sport. Though, nothing is coming straightforward. Each day looks like a drop within the bucket with progress. It looks as if there’s nonetheless a protracted approach to go. It does, nevertheless, really feel prefer it’s coming to an in depth, like I’m over the hill. That’s a reduction, since for a really very long time, it felt like the sport had no path, no finish in sight.

Here are some notable updates.

New Themes

I’ve added just a few new themes to maintain the look fascinating and contemporary.

Overworld

Progress by means of the sport now occurs by means of an overworld map. In the demo I launched a 12 months in the past, you progressed linearly by means of levels that consisted of a variety of sub-levels. That is changed with a overworld the place you may select which degree to play subsequent. It’s nonetheless largely linear, however sometimes you may select a distinct path.

Dialog

At first I attempted to work the story in with none phrases or dialog. That proved to be fairly difficult, to obviously talk the story and motives of the characters. So I gave it a go and add in some dialog, as minimal as attainable, and it felt proper for the sport. The first act is totally redone and feels prefer it units every thing up effectively and offers you some path. I introduced this to indie recreation evening and bought a optimistic response out of it and some good laughs as effectively.

New Weapons

I’ve been experimenting with new weapons and weapon modes. One that works rather well is proven above.You can cost your flamethrower and launch a robust blast. It’s nice for mowing down bushes.

New Demo Coming Soon

There might be a brand new demo popping out someday in the summertime. I’ll maintain you posted.

The greenlight marketing campaign has been working for about six months, and it is run out of steam at this level (no pun supposed). There have been just a few errors I made with it, resembling utilizing a poor branding picture, that in all probability contributed to poor visitors. I tried to up my advertising and marketing and did lots with social media and different shops all through the final couple weeks, but it surely’s very tough to get steam customers to the greenlight web page to vote at this level. Greenlight does not have a lot of a filter system, so video games are straightforward to get misplaced within the noise as soon as they drop off the radar. But if anybody studying this has any recommendation, I’d admire something that might assist the marketing campaign.

So for these causes, I made a decision to reboot the marketing campaign with a greater presentation, and hope for the very best. I additionally put collectively a brand new trailer. Check it out:

So far the response has been optimistic. It hasn’t fairly been 48 hours but, and I’ve nearly collected the variety of views in your entire six-month stretch of the final marketing campaign, 50 extra “sure” votes, and the next ratio of “sure” votes to “no” votes.

The new greenlight web page is now right here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=938296974. Please take a second to vote. Thank you.

I’ve been spending a while making an attempt to enhance the core gameplay. I’m not fairly certain methods to outline what that’s, however the strategy I exploit is easy: generate a random map with enemies, bushes, power-ups, and so on. The extra enjoyable it’s to play, the higher the core gameplay is. Since, in spite of everything, that is what you’ll be doing more often than not, is hopping round and capturing at issues. That’s my present principle, anyway.

One hiccup has been on methods to differ the weapons and power-ups. Do I let the participant choose weapons doom-style, or do I’ve the participant pickup power-ups that present an improve, just like Contra? If I am going with power-ups, then how lengthy do I let the power-ups final? Do they final till the top of the extent, till the participant dies, or is it a timed restrict? So many decisions, and every one makes a significant distinction in how the sport feels and progresses.

I’ve a stable thought of how I’ll go about it, however that may change sooner or later. However, I wished to point out off among the power-ups I applied these days that add some spice to the gameplay.

Power improve (yeah it is kinda sorta like a rocket launcher)

So I name it a “energy” improve, as a result of every thing fired from the flamethrower needs to be a type of fireplace. Instead of a rocket, I’m making an attempt to go for a really feel of a robust, condensed, explosive, fireball.

That purple flame above the toad’s head is a timer. The flame seems if you purchase a power-up and can diminish when the time is up. The flame will shrink when you’ve gotten ten seconds left, a visual warning to the participant that their time with the power-up is sort of over.

Spread (triple-fire) improve

I attempted a sprig first, the place it fires each straight and diagonally, however for some motive that did not really feel proper. It was additionally a bit off-putting. Instead, I went with what you see above. It’s extra like a triple-fire power-up. It’s appears to be like nice, feels highly effective, and can be rather more enjoyable than the previous spray-like model.

Rapid-fire-power-triple-thingamajig (and fireplace protect)

Yep. Probably the very best power-up you will get. It’s the facility improve plus triple-spread-fire. Total carnage!

Also in that gif, you would possibly discover a bunch of fireballs circling across the participant. That’s one other power-up, the fire-shield power-up. It will harm any bushes or enemies that are available in contact with it.

Bringing all of it collectively

Now I simply have to implement these into the degrees in an excellent method. In some instances, it’s going to require modifying the degrees to permit for extra space to wreak havoc, which I feel is an efficient factor. I’m hoping it’s going to permit for a extra participating expertise.

Bug fixes! Bug fixes! Bug fixes!

In prep for releasing a brand new demo, I’ve been working by means of the sport lots, fixing what bugs that come up. There all the time appears to be one thing to repair. That’s why I haven’t got a demo for this month; there was rather more to repair than I anticipated.

With this replace, I’ll simply spotlight just a few issues I’ve been engaged on, while within the midst of fixing bugs.

New theme

I’ve been engaged on one other theme. This one has mushroom bushes and mossy partitions. I nonetheless want to regulate the palette so it is not the identical inexperienced/blue really feel as different themes.

The Farm

At the very starting of the sport, you begin on a farm. I added some flowers to present the look extra selection and rows of corn stalks so it appears to be like extra like a farm.

Finished a degree

I accomplished one of many sky ranges. Well, all ranges are continuously being up to date as I progress on the sport. I suppose I imply I’ve a path from the begin to end, and that it largely feels full. Near the top you could fly by means of a gauntlet of mines and spiked balls.

New! Purchase armor and swimsuit up.

You can now purchase armor from the outlets for cover. I wanted some extra issues for the participant to spend cash on, and this turned out to be an excellent funding of time. While worn, you solely lose a half-heart as a substitute of a whole-heart when hit. After sufficient hits, the armor will break and you will lose it. You all the time have the choice to buy extra armor afterwards.

Ditched the palace/wizard ranges

R.I.P palace ranges. These have been slower ranges to present the participant a break from all of the motion. Mostly it concerned simply going by means of just a few rooms till you discover the wizard, upon which the wizard provide you with a present by casting a spell. Mainly it was only a approach to level-up the participant’s max HP.

Why’d I do away with it? As the sport progressed, the pacing of those ranges began to really feel off, they usually not felt wanted since I added the store ranges (which additionally act as a break between the motion).

The relationship between Smokey and the wizard stored getting extra advanced. There was much more to work on to get it feeling excellent. I used to be about so as to add some extra complexity and have creep to it, however man, that will’ve been an excessive amount of. I’m making an attempt to complete a recreation, not maintain this one happening ceaselessly. Sometimes, I feel, you need to spend time discovering what to take away as a lot as you spend time on including issues. It’s a continuing curation course of. This was one thing that wanted to be eliminated. It wasn’t a straightforward resolution, however I feel it was the correct one. Here’s just a few screenshots for souvenir.

The palace entrance.

Earlier model of the wizard room, with him casting a spell to extend vitality.

Newer model of the wizard room.

That’s all of the updates for now. Fingers crossed for a demo in July.