Hey everyone! I hope you all are doing well!
First of all, it's been a while since I've posted any anouncements. Sorry about that!
Anyways, I have something significant to say about the game's future. To begin with, no, I'm not abandoning the game! Don't worry! Now, I've taken a bit of time to think about the game's current state (like performance and level design, with only a few to mention), and I have come to the conclusion that I will be rebuilding the game from scratch.
The original version (or, as of me posting this announcement, Kenophobia Legacy) was built using Unity, with the use of the HDRP (High Definition Render Pipeline). What that means is the game had much better graphical capabilities out of the box. However, this also meant that performance would be limited, and with every update, the performance would worsen. Another thing that I wasn't particularly proud of was the game mechanics - they weren't designed very well, and thus resulted in various bugs (like the inventory system bug, where it wouldn't close properly, or the camera would zoom unintentionally). The level design also wasn't great - the majority of the levels lacked details, atmosphere and interaction. I've decided that instead of trying to fix the issues in the legacy version, which would be extremely time-consuming, the best solution would be a full rebuild, one that will become what the game was originally meant to be, and one that will improve everything you all know about the game.
What will change?
- The game will utilize URP (Universal Render Pipeline), a lighter and more optimized renderer, ensuring better performance without sacrificing visual quality.
- Gameplay mechanics will be rebuilt, and will provide a significantly better and less buggy experience.
- There will be a public beta branch for the game, allowing players to test upcoming builds and help minimize bugs before the official release.
- Support for more platforms, not just Windows.
- Overhauled level design.
...and a lot more! This update won’t be easy to make, and will likely take a lot of time. However, this will be a fresh start for the game, that will make it into what it was meant to be from the very beginning. I'll be sure to share more details as development progresses.
Now, you might be wondering if the legacy version will be replaced - I've decided that I will keep the legacy version. It will most likely be moved to its own, designated branch. It will most likely not be maintained, or it won't include the changes mentioned above.
With that said, if you have any questions regarding the game, please do not hesitate to join the official Discord server, where I'll do my best to answer them!
Take care, and stay tuned!