Hello everyone!
Last months we have been working to improve the current state of the game, and today we are launching an update for it. This update does not contain every mechanic and system we have been working on, in fact most of them are not present, but we are polishing and enhancing these systems, so you can enjoy the game at its fullest.
Having said that, here is the list of improvements and new features that are present on this release, and later you can find a list of all planed features that will come in a latter release:
- Bug fixing: We have fixed most of the bugs that were discovered and reported by the players, as well as improving the core framework of the game to provide a more robust and error resilient game.
- Performance improvements: We have changed a lot of the settings used by Unity to increase performance, together with many optimizations in the game, such as occlusion culling, mesh optimization, level optimization, global illumination optimizations, post process optimizations, etc.
- Menu improvements: We have improved the main menu of the game, adding some transition effects and updating some of the options, such as filtering the games in the lobby.
- Visual Effects: We have improved and enhanced some of the visual effects of the game, such as the volumetric fog, illumination, post-processing and certain gameplay visuals such as the camera effect. There will be more improvements on the visual effects in a latter release.
- Networking: We have made several enhancements to the multiplayer gameplay to reduce lag and reduce bandwidth, as well as enhancing the character selection menu in multiplayer games.
There are also minor changes made to the game such as level design improvements, general assets optimizations,
Here is a list of the future improvements and features of the game:
- Gameplay User Interface improvements: We are enhancing the HUD and in-game user interface to bring more information, enhance its visuals and animations, and reflect the changes and new features.
- World Interaction: We are greatly improving the world interaction by adding several new mechanics
- More interaction events with the world objects, such as examination, dragging, dynamic object interaction using the user input (such as lowering levelers or opening doors).
- Adding more items to the game, such as different healing items, different keys, quest objects, etc.
- Enhancing the world interaction interface, such as adding a dynamic crosshair, a better interaction menu, better item
- Enhancing the current 3D models of the world items
- Limiting the number of certain items that can be carried at once
- Adding a number of interactive items to provide a story backend to each chapter
- Quest-like system: Implementing a quest-like system to better inform the players about their tasks, provide a better play through feedback.
- Navigation and Minimap: Implementing a non-intrusive navigation and minimap system.
- Puzzles: Adding different procedural puzzles to each level, some which must be completed to finish the game, and some which will enable certain advantages or add to the lore of the game.
- Environment: Adding more features to the environment, such as traps, hiding spots, being able to open / close certain doors, etc.
- Input Controller: Enhancing the input system to allow key rebinding, as well as support different controllers, such as joysticks.
- Character customization and attributes: Some of the aspects of each character will be customizable, such as the color of its Jacket. Also, each character will have a list of "traits", both positive and negative, to improve the gameplay and give it more dynamism, such as carrying more items but running slower.
- Gameplay Modes: Implementing different gameplay modes for each chapter, such as endless mode where the player will have to continuously do whichever task is required (such as collect Pharaoh's Staffs), and rush mode, where the player will have to go counterclock before the time runs out.
- General AI improvement: Improving the overall AI systems to be more challenging, more intelligent, leverage the new mechanics (such as hiding), and enhance the fear they induce.
- Visual Effects: Enhancing and improving the game visual effects
- Better head bob effect
- Implementing camera shake effect
- Environment modifications on gameplay events (such as turning the fog red on chase)
- Player movement: Improving the player movement mechanics, such as a better footstep system, a stamina system, a third running speed, faster but tires quickly, a leaning system, etc.
- Equipment: Adding an "arms" point of view for a better feedback of the current equipment, as well as adding different equipable items, such as a lantern, with a lower illumination range but infinite use.
- Interplayer interaction: Adding features to leverage the multiplayer use, such as item sharing, player status on the HUD, player name above the player's head.
- Health system: Implementing a health system where each player will take damage from the enemies and environment, improving its influence on the player.
- Secrets of the Nile gameplay improvements: There are several upcoming features on this chapter
- Improving level design, greater map and more dynamic
- Adding a gameplay feature where players need to find different keys to unlock certain parts of the map.
- Improved the Pharaoh's general AI, as well as added new mechanics to it such as reacting to the player events, such as running, having the flashlight on, interacting with the world, etc.
- Adding a secondary enemy, the mummy, to the game, which will not be limited to one and will have a different AI than the Pharaoh.
- Dolls' Island: We are currently creating this level and its gameplay, so once it is ready it will be uploaded, so you are able to play it.
Many of the mentioned features are ready, so we will be doing regular updates to the game to include this updates once they have been properly tested and polished!
Thanks you for your support, and stay tuned for the new updates!