Hi everyone !
I recently updated the game with the promised conversion, so I wanted to let you know :
!!!!!! -- Start a new game ! Your old save files will no longer work. -- !!!!!!
Sorry for the inconvenience, but there's no other way; the entire save system has been modified.
In short, I'm summarizing the major changes made here as I announced in the previous devlog :
Back to the original gameplay system: you freely explore the levels and collect the items for yourself, The game saves when passing through certain checkpoints.
The quest system returns, with improvements; quests are more dynamic, with items to collect, areas to investigate, people to eliminate, and much more storytelling. NPCs will now be able to speak to you via radio. However, I kept the hub system for certain levels (you always return to the starting base and you will have to go to the cart to access other areas).
The gameplay is more focused on survival; you'll need to find specific materials to build your weapons and equipment, and you'll have to carefully search your surroundings. The merchant is back to buy and sell your items with gold.
Search the surrounding area thoroughly to find the specific elements needed to build essential equipment.
Some locations have been replaced by new ones, with secrets to be discovered. I made these changes because it was causing a pacing problem (for example, the capital city has disappeared, now there is only the museum).
The musical and graphic atmosphere changes; the beach levels are more apocalyptic and melancholic. The abyss, on the other hand, is darker and more oppressive.
While remaking the open levels, I took care to increase the details, less empty space, more litter and debris, dust and lighting effects.
The AI behavior of goblins has changed; they will be more mobile, weapons have become less accurate, and firing from the hip will be much more penalizing.
The return of semi-open levels, with side quests.
new enemy : the explosive plant, So be careful where you go !
Added an epic closing cinematic for Act 1 !
I'll post a small update if any problems are reported. In any case, I hope you'll enjoy this return to the roots, even if there isn't much new. It took some time because we had to recreate a quest system, rewrite all the quests and characters, the save system, and recheck all the levels and the AI.
Now let's talk about the future !
Going back to the roots has significantly impacted the timeframe for finalizing the early access version, so I'll have to postpone the final release until next year. I imagine you're all eager to see the sequel, which is Part 2, and what I had planned for the end of March is now being pushed back to the end of summer. Returning to the semi-open world version has raised my ambitions again, and Part 2 promises to be rich and detailed in content.
I'll also have to allocate time to marketing because if I can't sell the game by then, I'll be missing features (particularly regarding the acquisition of new music, AI, and improved functionality) to complete Part 2. I might have to get Claude to help me code the game, because I currently don't have the budget to continue with my freelance programmer.
In any case, my motivation remains strong, and I thank you again for your patience and trust ! Even though I'll be making do with limited resources for part 2, believe me, it will be worth it! I'll be able to really let loose with the level design and art direction. For those who have just finished the recently updated game, you may have discovered the ending cinematic which shows the scale of the future levels to explore. The gameplay will truly evolve with the use of the jetpack; you'll be able to climb into immense, magnificent architecture and experience the sensation of floating in a dream.
My computer crashed 3 times while making this plan but it was worth it !
I'm aware that part 1 is still lacking in content, but I think everyone wants to see what happens next. I think I'll go back and enrich the first part once I've finalized the game.
I initially planned to include a survival system (hunger, stress, bleeding), but I haven't had time to work on it. I preferred to focus on creating the ending cinematic for Part 1, which took me all of December. I'm not sure if this survival system would work with the current gameplay. The game is still very much an action-adventure game, and I can't risk adding features that would be too drastic yet.
The biggest challenge for part 2, apart from creating large, aesthetically pleasing, and animated levels, will be creating an air navigation system for the AI. Indeed, we will be more exposed to traversing the air with the jetpack, and this will require time to create specific enemies, to test, verify, and optimize.
You'll also have noticed that I've brought back environmental obstacles; you can choose to explore these paths rather than confront the goblins, and some areas hide treasures and secrets. In the future, I would like to explore this further and create impressive environmental obstacles such as massive floods or volcanoes, but this requires a lot of optimization.
I also mustn't forget to mention that if you simply want to go to the end of Act 1, there's a cheat code that lets you enter a "special" area. You'll have access to all the game's areas, weapons, and equipment. However, be aware that some places are inaccessible if you haven't activated the quests in the previous map.
To do this, you'll need to press Right Alt and E simultaneously. A console will appear; then type "SampleScene" (with the S's in uppercase). This will teleport you to the specified area.
I promised you this code in the previous devlog. For those who don't want to restart Act 1 from scratch, be sure to grab the gold and weapon bundle! I think I'll remove this code when the game is nearing completion.
The command to type to activate the cheat zone
I'll keep you updated for the next devlog in mid-summer, to tell you how things are progressing, but be aware that you'll be seeing me more often on social media, as I'll be starting to promote the game to attract new players and show off the upcoming locations and gameplay for Part 2. I had held off on doing it until now, after you were disappointed that the game had taken a linear and action-oriented turn.
If you have any questions, feel free to share them on the Steam forum or on Discord.
Thanks again and see you very soon !
Syd