Firstly, please understand that this message has been written using a translation tool and may have issues with clarity.
Hello!
It has already been a month since the January update, and February is coming to an end!
How have you all been during this past month?
This announcement will cover the progress of the additional (epilogue) stage development, difficulty adjustments for the existing additional (epilogue) stages, and the addition of a loading screen!
Please check the details below!
[1. Additional (Epilogue) Stage Development Progress]
In the January development update, I estimated that the final field battle of the additional (epilogue) stage would be completed by mid-February.
However, as of now, it is about 85–90% complete, and the story of the additional stage (including the prologue) has not yet been worked on at all. I think I overestimated my abilities...
There are two main reasons for the delay:
1. The development schedule for the final stage was slightly pushed back due to the addition of the loading screen update, which is explained later in this announcement.
2. While you may not have noticed it significantly while playing, I have been adding new enemy attack patterns or mechanics with each stage progression.
For example:
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Base Stage 2: Introduced mechanical-type enemies
Stage 3: Introduced flying-type enemies
Stage 4: Introduced enemies that generate defensive shields
Stage 5: Introduced enemies that create fire hazards
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Something like this!
For the final stage, I planned to introduce three new attack mechanics. Two of them were already completed, as shown in the video shared in January.
I thought the last mechanic would be finished quickly, but it took longer than expected, causing further delays.
Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to create a video for the final mechanic, but I am sharing part of a related drawing instead!
[2. Additional (Epilogue) Stage Difficulty Adjustments]
Following the adjustments in December and January, I have made further difficulty adjustments to the additional (epilogue) stages.
I plan to continue making difficulty adjustments whenever I come up with ways to improve the balance!
1. Additional (Epilogue) Stage 1 Boss
- This boss was originally designed to be slightly harder than Stages 1 and 2, with the idea that "if you let your guard down, you'll get hit."
However, I realized that losing at the first stage might discourage players, so I decided to slightly increase the boss’s attack cooldown time to ease the difficulty.
2. Melee Attack Charge Adjustment
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2855660/announcements/detail/707725115500004670
In the December development update, I introduced the melee attack charge mechanic, but there was an incorrect piece of information that I want to clarify.
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Melee Attack Stage 1 Charge Requirement: Total damage dealt to enemies 80 (incorrect) -> 60
Melee Attack Stage 2 Charge Requirement: Total damage dealt to enemies 60 (cumulative 120)
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Additionally, I have added effects to reduce melee attack charge requirements for certain shop items of specific characters.
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OcherFrog: Ammo Increase Upgrade (Melee Attack Stage 1 Charge Requirement 60 -> 50)
Ryong Ryong: Violent Excitement Gauge Upgrade (Melee Attack Stage 1 Charge Requirement 60 -> 40)
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[3. Loading Screen Addition]
Currently, in-game frame drops can occur when a new type of enemy, attack, or effect appears for the first time.
This is likely due to how the game loads images and data. Instead of preloading everything at the start, assets are loaded when they first appear, causing temporary stuttering.
To address this, I have modified the game so that all objects' images and data are preloaded at the beginning of the first stage.
I have also created a loading screen to accommodate this process!
(My lack of experience makes the loading screen look quite crude...)
For reference, the estimated loading times on a PC are as follows:
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After the prologue before starting a stage: ~10–11 seconds
Starting without watching the prologue: ~15–16 seconds
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The loading screen only appears once per session, but if you restart the game, it will reload everything again. I apologize for any inconvenience caused by my lack of optimization...
Additionally, since this is a new feature that was not considered when I first developed the game, there may be unintended bugs.
If you encounter any issues, please report them in the community, and I will address them as quickly as possible!
That concludes this announcement.
Once again, I apologize for the delays in developing the additional (epilogue) stage...
If you have any suggestions for additional systems or difficulty adjustments,
please let me know! I’ll do my best to incorporate your feedback.
Thank you very much for your interest in the game I developed!