Greetings, Friends!
January was dedicated to structuring what is done to this point, setting important milestones for important updates for Hidden Pass and many other administrative work. Nonetheless, the development is thriving and improving.
Global Map.
We finished fine-tuning the global colour scheme and conceptualised the visuals for the Eruption.
Overall, the main gameplay revolves around the Gates, which the player is to conquer in the end. As in all classic 4X strategies, the player’s goal is to explore the Elyrium Belt and journey to its core while claiming new Eolites expanding your influences.
There are two main obstacles to overcome.
First - the Eolites are well-guarded more often than not. Thus, you should prepare for battles, while managing your economy. Better economy means more automotons to use on the frontlines. Why would you need a better economy? Nothing In the world is free, as well as in Averon.
You were sent with a spirit-rising mission to explore the Elyrium Belt for the betterment of the society! Buuuut there is a small sub-goal - extract Elyrium and send it to the Mainland. Your faction won’t appreciate your valiant efforts if you fail to meet your goals. They need you, but you need them more. Remember that. You will need all the help you can get.
Second obstacle - the Gate itself. Not only do they wish to not be conquered , but it has the will of its own. It will try to hinder your progress in any way it can. From lowering your income in general , to doing such sacrilege as attacking your Tower directly. Stay sharp, don’t throw all of your resources into exploration and think about the rear. The enemy is sly and cunning.
We have already talked about the Eruption, but just briefly. In many aspects, it’s similar to a mechanic from Against the Storm. It’s a difficult time when the player has to battle against hordes of monsters, further exploration is hindered by better protected Eolites. Thus, yeah, you can definitely chill and do nothing… but not for too long or else you will pass a point of no return where the Gate will accumulate too much power.
Combat.
After a major rework of the combat we continue to develop our mechanics and to enhance the gameplay in general. We do not plan to change it in the future and we hope that it will be dynamic and engaging. “Into The Breach “ is a huge inspiration for us: you can complete the goal in many different ways and combinations.
Thanks to its compactness , you can interact with every point of the map. Unused and unnecessary spaces were removed. Small obstacles, like rocks, are now interactable - you can push or throw them. Some tiles now have special effects like poisoning. So watch your step and walk carefully or use it to your advantage and push enemies in that direction.
As we already said, each class will have specialisations and you can build your character to your preferences. There are no restrictions on expertise so you can combine abilities from different fields. You chose a character's class and specialisation while recruitment.
GG😎😎
Thanks for reading our January DevDiary! We hope you found them interesting.
If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, feel free to leave your comments on our Discord or X (ex-Twitter).
Visit our Website and you can follow us here on Steam.
P.S. Don't forget that we're planning to launch a Kickstarter campaign and we finalised the month: it is May 2024, so you can sign up on our Kickstarter page.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2430170/Hidden_Pass/