Hey everyone! I'm posting a quick status update to let you all know what's up with version 0.5 of Baldi's Basics Plus! First though, I'd like to say thanks to all the support and feedback I've gotten since the release of version 0.4. I'm so glad so many people are enjoying the new update and loving the new character, Dr. Reflex!
Now regarding 0.5, I want to keep expectations in check so I'll say now that this update will be on the smaller side. With how long and how intensely I was working on 0.4, I was putting off a bit of personal business for a while that all added up over time. So, since releasing 0.4 and a few patches, I've taken off more time than usual to take care of things. Taxes, property maintenance, Basically Games business/legal stuff, etc. Add to that a few days of time off to spend with friends and family and I haven't gotten as much Baldi's Basics dev work done as I normally would, but don't worry! My work life imbalance will correct itself with all this stuff done and future updates should be a little bit more substantial in terms of content.
0.5 Info
There are two main things you can expect in 0.5: A new item and big changes to item and You Thought Points balance.
New item
I'm not going to reveal what the new item is just yet, but as I mentioned on my Twitter a few weeks ago, I think it will be the most versatile item to be added to the game so far! It has one simple mechanic, but can be used to great effect in a variety of different situations. It's also pretty funny! I'm looking forward to seeing how you all slip it into your strategies once 0.5 releases!
Item balance
The other big new change is to item and You Thought Point distribution and balance. First, the way items are placed into randomly generated levels is getting overhauled. Currently, each room has items spawned inside separately from other rooms. This makes it very hard to control item balance as more rooms always means more items. In 0.5, each level will instead generate its own loot table, a selection of items that are then to be distributed into the level. This means I can more easily control how many items and what kinds of items will be found in a level, regardless of the level's size. Expect the game to get a little harder in 0.5 as I reduce the number of items in each level a bit. Hopefully this will make the game a bit more interesting to play as really powerful items won't be quite as prevalent, meaning you'll have to get more creative with other items! Of course, I'll be monitoring player feedback to continue tweaking the game balance.
New way to collect You Thought Points
You Thought Points are also getting some big balance changes. First off, YTPs will be able to be earned by collecting plus icons!
These plus icons are unique items that immediately reward you some YTPs instead of going into your inventory. They can be found in green, silver, and gold variants that add 25, 50 and 100 YTPs respectively. If you want to get as many YTPs as possible, you'll want to make sure you fully explore each level to find as many of these as you can!
Power Bonus
There's one more big change coming to the YTP system though, and that's the Power Bonus! Now when you finish a level, all the YTPs you earned in that level will be multiplied by the number of power tubes you have. So 3X if you beat the level on the first try and 2X if you finish on the second. If it takes you three tries, you get no bonus. I added this multiplier to tackle a game design issue where it was technically advantageous to intentionally lose and replay levels after nearly finishing them to grind YTPs. This isn't something I've noticed players doing, but I still want to make sure the optimal way to play is fun! The Power Bonus eliminates this issue entirely and rewards better play.
With this change comes increased prices in Johnny's store of course, as the average number of YTPs earned per-level is much higher now. My goal will be to balance prices in the shop so that it's a bit harder than it currently is to afford items, which will make it more important for players to try and get as many YTPs as possible. Again though, I will be monitoring feedback and adjusting accordingly!
In the future, there will be more things to spend YTPs on, but I'm not ready to talk about any of that yet. Stay tuned!
And a little more!
So far, those are the two most notable things I'm certain will be coming in version 0.5, but I'm still working on the update! There will be other small changes and additions as well. I've been thinking about adding more posters lately, and I will probably throw a few new room variants into the update as well. I'll have all the final details when 0.5 releases! When does 0.5 release, you ask?
Release date
I plan on releasing the 0.5 Pre-release to Kickstarter Demo backers on April 29, followed by the public release on May 6. Mark your calendars!
New ANGRY Baldi Plushie!
Last year I teamed up with Makeship to release a Happy Baldi plushie. This year, we've created an ANGRY Baldi plushie with a detachable ruler!
The campaign is almost over. It ends this weekend! So don't wait too long if you'd like to grab one. There's no guarantee that this plushie will ever be made again after this!
Each purchase will also include a Steam code for Baldi's Basics Plus. I'm sure many of you already have the game, so you can share the code with a friend! The codes will all be sent out some time after the campaign is finished.
That's it!
That's all I've got to share right now. Thank you all for the support and see you when 0.5 is ready to release!