So we’re still plugging away at the prototype for our next game, and I guess this will be a kind of developer update/blog/thing to let you know where we currently stand!
The past few months I’ve been getting the basics of the engine set-up: all of the typical platformer abilities like running, jumping, dashing, shooting, etc., as well as other systems like teleporters, gates and switches, journals, and a save system. None of it is particularly glamorous, but I think it already has some better (and smoother) functions than Ex Vitro!
At the moment, I’m working on enemy AI, which is going to be a little more complex than Ex Vitro’s, with stuff like herbivores and carnivores and much more reactive ecosystems. As you can imagine, it’s a bit of a step up from enemies that just walk back and forth along platforms! One of the current main goals is to have the environment change in different ways when the populations of these creatures go up or down (either directly or indirectly due to the player’s actions). I’m experimenting with a few different ways of approaching this, but above all I want to make sure it feels fun and impactful to play with. There’s a bit of a balance between making it too much like a simulation versus having it more scripted, but we’ll see how it goes and which one works better. As this is still so early, things may end up changing completely if none of it feels fun!
Anyway, the prototype itself is probably still a few more months away, but it’s inching forward. To give you some idea of what things will potentially look like, here’s some of the concept art so far: