Hello everyone, it's Byte Barrel again with another DevLog. Today, we're here to discuss one of the core gameplay mechanics in Forgive Me Father 2 – the one and only Madness System.
THE ORIGIN OF MADNESS
Insanity is an integral part of the Lovecraftian mythos, and we were certain from the very beginning that it had to find its place in Forgive Me Father. The decision was plain and simple. Why not build an entire gameplay system around it?
The Madness System did not always work and looked like the version you know from Forgive Me Father 2, or even its older brother. It was a long process to find the best option that would suit our vision of the game. During that journey, we had to find a middle ground between Lovecraftian aspects of insanity, the retro FPS feeling of the game, and the distinctive comic-like visuals that the Forgive Me Father series is well-known for. We experimented with different colors and effects to create a system that would connect the completely different worlds mentioned above.
One of the very first iterations of the Madness System made the player’s screen greenish with a chromatic aberration effect to escalate a sense of overwhelming insanity. It looked really cool, but there was simply too much happening on the screen, so we had to find something different.
The final choice we made was picking the variation where the player's screen goes all black and white with red, juicy splashes of blood popping whenever you shoot the enemy. The main goal of this version was to add more flavor to fights with active madness effect and to accent the brutality of the game.
Lastly, before we start to descend even further into the madness of the core game mechanic in the sequel, let’s talk about how it used to work. The Madness System in the first installment of Forgive Me Father was built around an aggressive play style, making you stronger as long as you continued fighting. But as we started working on Forgive Me Father 2, the system simply had to evolve.
THE CURRENT MADNESS SYSTEM
So, why the changes? We wanted to give players more freedom when it comes to the way they utilize madness during the game, especially when the sequel has a more tactical approach to fighting enemies than the first installment. So, how does it work now?
Madness is a resource that enables players to enhance their power with unlockable power-ups, ranging from double fire rate to life steal and additional damage. As the game progresses, players build what we like to call “ultimate skill”, tailored for the challenges that lie ahead. In short, with one click of the button, you become a killing machine fueled by madness!
But of course, everything has a cost. In order to use your special ability, you need to kill enemies to fill your madness bar. Another thing is that this powerful effect is limited by time, but as long as you have the resources, you can hold the button to prolong its duration.
That would be everything when it comes to the basics behind the madness system. Keep in mind that the mechanic is still being developed and nothing is yet set in stone. You have an impact on how the game is shaping up, so let us know what you think about the current Madness system.
SOMETHING SPECIAL
We are almost near the end of this DevLog, and we want to show you a glimpse of the insanity that awaits you in the next content update for Forgive Me Father 2. Here’s an icon of the Dark Tome's page that you will be able to unlock in the near future. What do you think this power-up does? Take your guess in the comment section or join Forgive Me Father’s official Discord server and let’s chat about it there.
That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and make sure to get yourself a copy of Forgive Me Father 2 if you haven't done it already and if you did, leaving a review of it here on Steam would be really nice! And don’t forget to drop by our Discord to chat with us and other players!
Until next time,
Byte Barrel Team