First of all, I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has downloaded and played the NULLPTR demo over the last few weeks! Since the release of the first version of the demo, I've received a lot of feedback and suggestions for improvements that I believe will make the game better and better, starting with the update I've just released!
Let's see what's new:
1. The game has a slow start
One of the points addressed in this update has to do with the start of the demo. Many people felt that the game starts very slowly and that the first few stages aren't that interesting. Based on this, I've changed the order of some stages, remade others and tried to bring some important lessons to some of them. A side effect of these changes is that you may have trouble unlocking the levels if you're still at the beginning. As a solution, I've left a command in the demo to unlock any level by selecting it and pressing the H key on the keyboard. If you prefer, you can also reset your progress and everything should work normally.
2. Quality of life
Some people have suggested adding a sound effect to indicate when time is running out. As an experiment, I've added a sound warning when there are 10 seconds left and another when there are only 5 seconds left. These sound effects are synchronized with the visual effect of the edge of the screen and should help you keep in mind the right time to disconnect.
Another request that I thought was valid and that has been added to the demo are the warnings about dangerous entrances. Whenever there is a risk of being hit by a sentry when you enter one of the server's ports, it will be marked with a skull icon. This doesn't stop you from trying your luck and entering through that door, but it does serve as a reminder that you probably need to reconnect through another door and try to find a safe solution. I'd like to take this opportunity to emphasize that all the stages have been designed so that you don't have to rely on luck to solve them. There is always a way to guarantee your success.
Finally, when I watched some videos of people playing the demo, I realized that it's quite common for people to walk very carefully so as not to make involuntary movements that could cause them to lose a run. To help a little with this, I've added a command so that you can always walk one grid space at a time. You can hold down any of the [shift, space, control] keys on the keyboard or any of the shoulder buttons on the gamepad so that movement is restricted to step-by-step mode.
3. Adjustments to some stages
I took the opportunity to make some small adjustments to some stages that required very fast movements. In some cases, this allowed for unforeseen solutions that eliminated the puzzle aspect. As an example, level 407 was a rather cruel level because it required the person to mentally solve a complex problem with many states and execute it in too short a time. What's more, in this level it wasn't possible to return to disconnect because of a trap that blocked the way back. The adjustment I've made here is quite small, but I believe it will make this level much less frustrating.
If you've already played the demo, I invite you to revisit the levels and try out these small changes. Also take the opportunity to recommend the game to other people you think might like it!