Hi to Dev Update #7. If you missed the Dev Update #6, you can find it here. In this Dev Update I will talk a bit about the sound in the game, as well as the updated Wilderness area.
Insight into the development process
I got some feedback, that some of you enjoy the insight into the development process. So, I will try to incorporate it more in the future.
Godot Engine
Godot is the game engine of my choice. Now, I won't go into too many details here. I will just say, that the way one works with Godot is quite unique and I really like it. Plus it is completely open-source with an awesome community which is also a major advantage in my books. It is a really powerful tool, that gives you unmatched flexibility, even compared to the top dogs on the market, since 100% of the game engine itself is customizable. If you yourself are a dev and hear about Godot the first time, make sure that you check it out here!
Sound Design plays a major role in every game, even more than most people think. Ever played a horror game without sound? Pff, suddenly it is for babies. Some epic boss battle without sound? Well, it is not really epic anymore, is it? No matter the game, the sound is very important. Still don't believe me? Well just think of a game you used to play a lot in the past. Now go and look at some screenshots. Does the nostalgia hit? Well maybe a little, but not so much. Probably looks kinda outdated at this point. Then go and play that title screen music or some other iconic track. What about now? Chances are, you would want to stop reading this Dev Update and start up the game right now.
So, I don't consider myself to be an expert, but I understand how important sound is, and I give it extra attention. I have a few different sound sources at any given point in the game. For example here in the harbor: These colored sound sources are 3D sounds, and depending on how close you are, they will change in intensity. Green would be Seagulls doing their thing, red is the jarring of the ship and blue would be waves in this example. Then there is also the background music, where every area has its own (hopefully fitting) track. Additionally, there will be smaller sound effects, as you interact with the world, objects, and characters in the game.
You can check out this video, to see how it works together in this scene:
Now, it is not perfect nor final yet and I still plan to polish it up, but I think is not too shabby either.
Wilderness overhaul
I also made a general overhaul of the Wilderness area. It got a lot tenser in terms of trees and bushes and starts to look like a deep forest, which is what I am going for.
As I said in the last Dev Update, don't mind the rainbow, I don't plan to keep it in the game.
Most details are still missing, I will add them later down the road.
Well, hopefully, you liked Dev Update #7. Check out the last one in case you missed it and please consider wishlisting the game, it would help me out a lot.
If you want to hear more you can also follow me on various social media platforms (find all of them here on my website).