Happy Steam Summer Sale everyone!
In the last update I had mentioned that I wanted to have the Arcade update ready by the end of June, specifically for the Summer Sale, but I hate to say that this unfortunately will not be happening. So I wanted to give another update about what is being worked on.
Course Creator
As I said in the last development update, I am overhauling the Course Creator, rewriting many parts of it from scratch and drastically improving all of the other parts.
I am building the Arcade course at the same time I am working on the Course Creator itself. As I am building the course, if I come across anything that needs fixing or improving, I fix it or improve it right there, even if it is a minor issue. I feel like this is a good way to ensure that no part is left forgotten.
Some of the improvements that I currently have done or will be working on are:
- Green pieces will automatically join together when placed next to each other. Green piece edges and points will also join together automatically when moved.
- The ability to undo and redo is being expanded to all aspects of the Course Creator.
- Behavior editing is being improved to include helpful gizmos and handles to make editing behaviors easier.
- An in-game Course Creator tutorial will be created.
- You will be able to select a pre-made environment when creating a new course, such as snowy, tropical island, etc. There will still be the option of a "Blank Canvas", which is the same as what loads for a new course now.
- Across-the-board visual improvements, including updated UI graphics (like I showed in the last development update) and more visual and sound effects.
Gameplay
The gameplay won't be receiving as much love as the Course Creator, however there are still some things that I am improving:
- Updates to our netcode to a much newer version that should be more stable.
- Ability to select a power control scheme: Two Clicks (current style), Hold & Release, and Hold & Drag.
- Ability to freely move the camera around the course on your first shot.
If I am feeling frisky I might add a new power-up or two, of course not doing anything that would delay the update too much.
Arcade
Finally, I don't want to leave without posting something to look at, so here's screenshots of some of the Arcade course holes in their very early prototype stages:
At this point, I don't feel comfortable giving a time estimate for when this update will be done because I don't want to make more promises that I don't keep. What I can promise is that this update will be worth the wait.
- Kevin