Hey everyone,
Filthium Zero Playtest v0.1.5 is here! This is a bigger update and focuses on more freedom of movement, improved game feel, better visual clarity, and a couple of new features.
This is a big stepping stone on my way to the first public demo which is coming very soon! Any new feedback for the playtest would be incredibly helpful, as the goal is to give the demo as much polish as possible.
The current playtest is public so if you'd like to play, simply click "Request Access" and you'll be able to download the game instantly.
Here's the full list of changes:
New features, gameplay changes:
Filthium Collectors: the game starts with 0 collectors on the map. Each time you fill up the barrel, a collector will be sent in from the sky.
Endgame boss: After 100% zone purge or 10 minutes survival, a final boss will spawn. Game ends only after defeating it.
“Select Zone” is now replaced by a “Prepare” screen, where the player selects the zone and builds their loadout (class, main weapon, ultimate, perk) - all in one place;
Perks. Special modifications that add extra gameplay mechanics. Perks are equipped pre-game. Only one perk can be equipped at a time. (Future idea is that new perks could be discovered in the game world, or unlocked by achieving Filthium Extraction milestones)
Dash / Slam cooldown is reset every time the player steps on a slime;
Dash cooldown is reduced to 1 second;
Picking up barrel is now instant;
Pushback is reworked into Air Boost - works both as a small jump (upgradable) from the ground or air boost in the air.
Chaining slime jumps increases height with every jump, with max height after 5 jumps
Environment kills are simplified into Kill Combos, any kill counts toward the multiplier.
Various changes to balance, upgrade values.
Abilities, upgrades, combat:
Ultimate. Powerful abilities that can be used when charged to 100%. Charging progress is gained through various actions, such as extracting and depositing Filthium, performing slime jumps, airtime, kills; (Future idea is that new ults could be discovered in the game world, or unlocked by achieving Filthium Extraction milestones)
New auto-ability: EMP Totem;
Spider Mine reworked into a simpler Land Mine;
Removed Rocket Launcher ability;
Enhancements are now Mods, with multiple new Mod upgrades available;
UI / UX:
Visual update of HUD for better clarity and less obtrusion;
Added a simple damage meter to pause menu (excluding Ultimate damage for now) and recap screen
Jump meter added to HUD, which measures current height, airtime and slime jumps in a row;
Shop: instead of showing ranks with numbers, now they show up as boxes for better visibility;
Shop: items fade out if resources are insufficient for purchase;
Re-organized Pause menu to show perks, ultimate, and fit more upgrades;
In recap screen, added a text to remind about shop;
Various additional visual changes and improvements;
Improvements to mouse & keyboard controls (still some work to be done);
Upgrade Reroll button that works for mouse.
Bug fixes:
Resolved issue where enemies would get stuck in walls (on rare occasions some still get stuck, will improve)
Resolved issue where boss wouldn’t spawn.
Misc:
Changes in total score calculation;
Increased prices in shop;
Reduced currency earnings;
Increased Filthium Vein and drop amounts.