Hey everyone,
after more than a year since release, I'm happy to share a new update of the game with you.
As I shared with you last April, I was at the point where I said that Dead of Darkness is finished as is. However, while working on my next project and recently revisiting Dead of Darkness, I noticed a few things that I felt needed improvement. Some of these have been mentioned by players as well, so maybe some of you will be pleased with the new changes:
1. Additional itembox in the mines
One of the most frustrating moments of likely having to backtrack is when entering the western part of the mines. Not only is it required to bring a special key, but also the lantern for the dark area behind it. So in a worst-case scenario, players had to backtrack two times to the save room in the Graham Memorial basement. To prevent that from happening, I've placed an additional itembox very close to said door. This also allows you to quickly get resources to handle the enemies in the area behind it.
2. Fewer obstacles in the cistern
Already when designing the game on paper, it was very clear and intentional that this would be the most uncomfortable place in the game. However, the intention was to create a feeling of discomfort and feeling underpowered, not a feeling of (angering) frustration. When replaying the game recently, it became clear to me that a lot of obstacles in this area aren't necessarily needed to convey that feeling. So I have decided to remove almost all of the obstacles in the area. What remains are two large pools of water, and those are now marked on the map with red Xs. So when you open your map and plan your path to the next room, you can now be sure not to run into any unforseen dead ends on your way. You will still have to deal with Creepers and Danielle, of course, their numbers and movement speed depending on your chosen difficulty setting.
A player marker on the map still isn't available and also won't follow in future updates. However, this is something I plan for my next project.
3. Obstacles marked on map (cistern + mines)
Pathways that are blocked in the cistern and mines are now marked on your map, so you can plan your routes accordingly.
4. Minor bugs
There have been some minor bugs, like typos in documents or clipping issues, which have now also been fixed.
I hope these changes make these areas more manageable while keeping the atmosphere.
More news on my next project will hopefully be revealed this summer, so stay tuned!
Kind regards,
Markus