New Gameplay Update #2
Dear beta testers.
This update is a result of your great feedback. You helped me identify which bits of the gameplay are most fun and valuable. I followed the fun to deliver this gameplay update.
Once again many thanks!
Combat design changes
- Glory-kills: Use your jump drive to instant destroy a stunned enemy for extra health.
- Enemy tiers: In addition to three enemy species three enemy tiers have been added: Bronze, Silver, Gold. In addition each tier can have a threat value from 0 to 100%. So the weakest enemies you can fight are hordes of Bronze 0% Threats and the toughest elite enemy you can encounter is Gold 100% Threats.
- Enemy waves: Reworked completely the combat encounter, enemies will appear in waves, each subsequent wave will have increased intensity, which means higher tier enemies with higher Threat%.
- Varied combat: Number of waves, the number of enemies in each one, species composition of the wave, formations they fly in, weapon choices - all of these things are carefully randomized. This way you never know what to expect from the next wave.
- Huge fights: Fights can be get really big now. You will have to start using terrain for cover, especially if you get swarmed by Natives with their long range hailguns.
- Push forward combat: Overcharge extra healing decays much slower. If you store enough of it via high dps and glorykill utlization you can become unstoppable, your healing rate will be higher than enemy dps and you can keep pushing forward.
- Pick your pace: After each successful fight three new combat encounters will be available, one with the same maximum threat level as the previous complete one, one 20% lower and one 20% higher. You can pick your pace and get into harder and harder fights or decide to tune down the difficulty.
AI changes
- Reworked AI towards aggression, the enemies will fall back to defensive strats much less often and just focus on destroying the player.
- Enemies will now use jump drive and dashes to chase the player relentlessly.
- Enemies got much better at avoiding collisions with the level geometry.
Graphic changes
- Added overcharge VFX, the energy discharges will get the stronger the more extra substance you collect.
Audio changes
- Added much stronger lower tones to all gun SFX, weapon fire should sound more powerful and threatening.
New bugs
- A lot has changed so expect the unexpected in the bug departament.
- The total fame can get ridiculously high as the fights got quite big. The scoring system will be updated next.
I think this is it, the game became really fun!
We have all seen that the core design was really solid before.
All the tools were there in the toolbox. A lot of the game design in SPL is unique, but how do you make something unique fun? I struggled with the answer, stuggled with using these tools to deliver a consistently enjoyable experience with good pacing.
Again, I think this is it. See it for yourself.
Have fun,
-pew