Hello all,
We have been through quite a lot together, haven't we? This is my first game I have ever put up on the Steam Store, and simply put I have had a lot of learning to do.
My initial plan for BallBastic! was to have an "arcadey" style gameplay loop to it: you would play, die, gain lives, play, die, gain more lives, play again. There would also be an option to pay to increase your maximum life count to give you more attempts each time before hitting a Game Over, while still being perfectly beatable on a single life if you were skilled enough. Simply put, this system was found by players to be frustrating, struggling to reach a level and then having a handful of attempts at their latest opponent before having to start again.
Well, no longer! I hope to, by the end of this year, implement the changes I have made to BallBastic! since I started working on the mobile version of the game, and merge it with Steam. Changes include (but are not limited to):
- Levels being changed to be more fair or more challenging, depending on each level.
- Faster loading times when a player wins, dies, or exits to the main menu.
- Reduced sheen on the balls and platforms to make it less obtrusive to see.
- New ball types.
- Infinite lives, unless on Survival mode.
- Raised water levels so if the player falls off they can get back into the action sooner.
These changes however mean that I will be making a change to the pricing model of the game, requiring users to pay $4 and play to their hearts' content. The money will help me fund my next big endeavor.
In the meantime, enjoy the game as it currently is. If you have already downloaded the game, you will be getting the paid version for free! Isn't that lovely?