Struggling to find a way to start this dev log, so I'm just going to get right into it.
NEW ALPHA BUILD:
Development has taken a little longer than expected, especially due to me being sick, and going back to work. progress has really sped up again the last few weeks though.
But I have felt bad saying "it's coming soon" every dev update, and I didn't want to rush development...
So, to avoid worrying about that for the time being, I've released a Alpha build over on itch.io, which has a Free Demo!, it doesn't include Hunts or the New Map, but it's a big step up over the free build I released a few months back.
it'll be updated along with the Steam version all the way to full release.
When will the New Map and Hunt System come out for it? When they're finished, tested and ready. the new map is ~40% complete, it's the first map with Multiple Floors, and Floor 1 is complete. And the hunt system has all of it's prep work, and Ghost Models complete, Mainly just making it's AI now.
Everything below was done in around a month, from being sick, to participating in a game jam, to going back to work... I've been busy.
LIGHTING:
I've touched up the lighting across all maps, More color, and
I've tried to make things all-around look better and more realistic as well.
Here's a before and after with The Diner, and Ghost Ship
The Interactive lights (Ceiling lights) have also been optimized,
Previously, there was 2 light Sources / Blueprints for each light.
Now, there's just One per light.
there is some visual difference, especially on the Diner. but there should be a performance improvement,
And improvements to the ghost's interactions, Like the new interaction: Light Break
Very rarely, the ghost can now break all lights connected to a switch.
The ghost now 'physically' flips the switch instead of just turning off the light.
PLAYER CONTROLLER:
I've added in Direction based Movement speed, Physics based Animation,
New footstep sounds as well as reduced footstep volume.
a few new pause menu settings, like Shadow quality & resolution, and I've also added in drop-down menus for Quality presets, resolution, and Screen mode.
There have been lots of minor improvements and fixes...but no point in listing them since there wasn't a public build yet.
XP, PROGRESSION & GAMEPLAY LOOP:
XP & PROGRESSION
Previously, it would take around 2 successful full investigations to level up,
and you'd get one LVP (Level Point) for each level.
Now, it takes at-most 1 successful REGULAR investigation to level up, and you'll get 2 points per level.
XP per successful investigation used to range between 150 and 300, Now it's 200 - 350, And the XP cap now maxes out at 200 instead of 500.
Why make this change? The games progression felt very slow, and it could take over an hour of playtime just for a couple upgrades.
And, Maps are also unlocked with LVPs now too, so each time you level up you can choose between Upgrades, New equipment, or new Maps.
Regular investigation = Identify the Ghost Type
Full investigation = Identify the Ghost Type + Complete the Side Investigation
GAMEPLAY LOOP
I've made some changes to speed up the gameplay loop, as well as improve it.
pretty much every Main evidence is faster to obtain, as well as the Side Investigation tasks.
As mentioned earlier, i've made some changes to speed up gameplay,
Later in the game, past Level 10:
The old loop: Full Investigation 2X > level up > buy 1 upgrade > repeat
The new loop is:
Full Investigation > level up > buy up-to 4 upgrades, or 1 upgrade + new map or item > Repeat
THE GHOST:
The ghost itself has also gotten some new upgrades!
Player detection - The ghost can now detect when the player is in the room with them.
Light detection - The ghost can now detect if they're in or near light.
Door interactions - The ghost can now specifically targets Doors to interact with them (Previously, door interactions were part of the UV Spawn/Search system only)
Due to these changes, the ghost's Afraid of the Dark trait has been improved, now affecting behavior as well. And new traits: Afraid of the Light, Hates the Living, and Fears the Living (aka, the Player) are in the process of being added in. (Should be finished by the next update)
NEW ITEM: UV TRIPOD
The UV Tripod, a purchasable item has been added in.
Simply drop it in a room, and it'll spin, giving you significant UV Coverage.
You can also adjust it's speed - even turning rotation completely off - and light angle.
To go along with the new item, I've also adding in UV Upgrades! Longer Range, and Wider Radius, these will be added in the next update.
OTHER:
Sound Attenuation: 3D Sounds now get muffled behind walls.
Safe House Screen: You can now click Mouse Mode to navigate the screen with your mouse instead of the crosshair
Interactable Sounds: More sounds have been added for Thrown items, all sounds have been lowered in volume to more realistic levels.
Environmental sounds: All ambient sounds, including Drink machines have been Heavily Lowered
Footsteps: New footstep sounds have been added, and Heavily lowered (~50% overall)
A brightness calibration menu has been added.
Footsteps new play Faster when going up steps.
The regular flashlight Model now has a visual difference compared to the UV Multi-tool.
The wood on the front of The House is now a 3D Model instead of a 2D Texture.
Added in a Curved Wooden ceiling to the Visitor Center in The Cave map
CLOSING.
Overall, I'm very happy with how the game is turning out. Slower than expected, but also much more added than originally intended. And i'm happy to have a build how you all to try out too.
No release schedule just yet, but this IS the last dev log until release.
Thanks for reading, Until next time. - Hollow.
P.S: you can download the current build for Free in the discord server,
But that's the only free version i'll be putting out for now (Unless I decide to make a Demo!)
Or if you'd like to support me, you can buy it over on itch.
(Also... the itch version is 50% off until Oct. 31st!)
Actually... One last thing! here's a look at The School map
