Hello everyone, here is the news from the front!
The last few months have been very productive, the development of Neverlooted Dungeon has progressed well. The new features are complete and integrated into the game, and bring the hoped-for richness to the gameplay. Let's see all of this in detail.
Monsters
Still at the prototype stage during the last devlog in February, they are now complete and integrated into the game. From now on, beware of the lurking monsters when exploring the dungeon.
There are several types of monsters, each with their own ambush specialty, to better surprise you. I won't reveal them all so as not to spoil the surprise, but here is at least one: the giant rat, a monster essential to any self-respecting dungeon.
The most interesting thing about these monsters are the new game possibilities and situations they bring, thanks to their interaction with all the other game systems, especially with traps and physics. Your sword is broken, are you running low on health? There are many ways to get rid of these monsters ...
Fights
The goal of adding these monsters is not so much to add combat like in all classic RPGs, but above all to add a different type of trap, the living traps, where the monsters wait in various types of ambush.
This did not prevent me from further improving the weapon and combat system to make them interesting, in the event that a fight takes place with one or more monsters.
The combat has therefore been reworked. It is based on dodging and endurance management, while remaining very dynamic. The different types of weapons have been enhanced, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Kicking
Kicking, a feature that I wanted to do for a while and that I finally took the time to do, and pretty quickly too! Now that it's in the game, I wonder how the game could have been released without it. For a game where all of the gameplay is physics-based, being able to kick things is a must have. It is therefore a new way to interact (violently) with the world, in particular to push obstacles, open doors, or push monsters into holes.
Style
I finished reworking the graphic style of the game, in particular by completely redoing all the textures of the floors and walls. I also reworked the lights and colors. I must say that I am very satisfied with the result. When I compare the current game with its previous versions, I'm glad I did, as the graphic and artistic improvement is important.
Dynamic music
The game's composer, Alexandre Sciré, continues to create great ambience tracks for Neverlooted Dungeon for exploring the dungeon. I made him a rather particular and difficult request on these tracks. The idea is to have dynamic music, using tracks played on several layers, with their intensity depending on the location and the context.
For example, a basic track sets the mood, a little melody is added when you are near a campfire, a dramatic track is played in particularly deadly places. The changes in the game are very subtle, but they help to subconsciously reinforce the tension or on the contrary to release it, to avoid monotony and to make the experience even more intense. And you, did you notice these changes while playing the demo?
Demo and playtests
Thanks to everyone who tried out the new private demo which featured monsters, combat, and kick. Thanks to the feedback I continue to improve the game in its entirety.
The next public version of the demo should be released soon. I still have to decide on its content, because the first level alone seems a bit short to me, but the first two levels seem a bit long for a demo.
In the meantime, if you are interested in testing the latest alpha versions of the game, do not hesitate, join the discord and join the playtesters!
Roadmap
In the last few months, an important step has been taken, I find that the game has finally reached its maturity in gameplay, narrative, visual and audio. My efforts having been mainly focused on the first levels, especially those of the demo, I now have to rework the rest of the game to offer a rich and interesting experience on all levels. A first full alpha release should go to testing in a few weeks, and I'll be working hard to get the game released before the end of the year.
See you soon,
Arnaud.