With demo patch 1.3 I have aimed to heavily improve the onboarding process. Feedback from playtesters and content creators have made it clear that this was lacking. This update should give an new and returning player a better explanation of how the game works, as well as what is in the demo and what may come after!
Changelog
Major Changes
These changes will be explained with further detail down below!
Default difficulty adjustment.
The fish menu now contains all fish to be added at release.
UI has been added to indicate if an area can be enchanted.
When applicable, music correctly loops now.
SFX and music volume settings will now be saved.
UI has been added to show active attack abilities while fishing.
New player experience has been improved.
Minor Changes
Bugs and smaller adjustments
Text has been modified for clarity.
Shell color has been adjusted for visibility, new tiers of shells have been added.
Corrected an error where having a shiny fish would block you from selecting it's basic form unless you toggled it on first.
Enchantment rates have been adjusted.
Detailed Changes
Default difficulty adjusted
All three available levels have had their spawn rates changed, and the crayfish have been slowed down a degree. Previously there was a big issue, especially in the second level where crayfish would appear too early, putting a huge strain on the player as they searched for a catch. Crayfish still spawn after some time, and they are still very fast, but now they will spawn later, giving the player time to build up their defenses.
All fish have been added
While the demo only contains 4 catchable fish, the full list of 65 is visible. Certain details are kept hidden, their shadow and base area are revealed for now. Please look forward to their full appearances later on!
Enchanted UI
Enchantments exist to alter the difficulty and increase shiny probability for fish. Enchantments are only available on a level if every fish in that level has been caught. UI has been added to show whether that is the case or not.
Enchantments are available.
Enchantments are active.
Music looping
Most music in Fishing Mega-Game was meant to loop. The composer has made adjustments to the existing songs so that we can loop them properly. This creates a better auditory experience while fishing.
Sound settings can be saved!
Previously when adjusting the music and SFX volume levels, they would revert to 100% after restarting. Now they will save and reapply automatically to save player's the hassle or re-doing it.
Active attack UI
While fishing, you may select 3 attacks in addition to the base attack. This was not very clear originally, so UI has been added to display all active attacks.
New player experience and tutorial windows
While the core gameplay loop of Fishing Mega-Game is similar to popular survivors-like games, there are unique differences that were not made clear. To combat this, tutorial windows are now available. When beginning Fishing Mega-Game for the first time, tutorial windows will automatically display to nudge the player into catching their first fish. Once they have, these tutorials can still be read from the pause menu. Additionally, tutorial windows have been added to the fish, shop, and enchantment menus under the "?" button. These should answer all questions related to the mechanics.
What's next?
I have one more planned demo patch. Currently the demo is lacking "treasure" that will appear while fishing. These treasure chests will contain more powerful upgrades for the player.
I will also implement minor changes such as:
Skipping level up upgrades when you do not like the selection.
Damage scaling to make some upgrades grow in potential faster than their stronger counterparts.
After that, I will continue solely on the remaining zones, levels and fish! I will still be updating the demo based on feedback, so as always, feel free to join the discord!