Hi everyone!
It's been over a month since the last update and we know how eager you are to get your hands on new content and play the end of the adventure helping Daphne to finally escape from the island ( or not ? ;-) ).
Unfortunately production times, as sometimes happens in game development, have expanded a bit.
We realized that In the past, sometimes when we released gameplay modules and levels that were not completely finished, this had a negative impact on some users and we do not want this to happen again.
Take combat system for example. Current implementation, as many of you know, is only a draft that does not represent our current vision of this aspect of the game.
What we have in mind ( and what we are building right now ) is something deep, supported by an engaging artificial intelligence.
Releasing such a complex software module that affects so many aspects of the game (main character, animations, AI, energy etc ...) one piece at a time, would not make sense.
As we have seen with the current basic draft now in game, releasing basic iterations of a module only gives users a wrong message about our final vision and would not completely convey the vision we have of this aspect of the game.
It's the same for the fauna, for the new enemies and especially for the new levels.
For this reason, we will only release this content when it is ready.
By 'ready' we don't mean 'battletested', there may be bugs, rough edges, and room for improvements ( isn't it the purpouse of EA after all? ;-) ) of course... but the main core of key features must be present and fully functional.
That said, this does not mean that you have to wait for the summer (when we expect to complete the story and get the game out of the early access) for the next update, ;-)) Not at all.
Here is what we are working on and that we expect to release in the SHORT period (5 - 10 days from now):
Rich and Complex fauna
As already widely anticipated in the last announcements, we are working on a complex and rich system of fauna. One of the aspects of the game we ( and also many of you ;-) ) felt the game had to improve was about feeling the emptiness exploring the great outdoors of the island. Our vision has always been to recreate a vibrant world with many things to do and Npcs to interact with. We will shortly introduce an abundant fauna including:
- foxes
- rabbits
- wild goats
- wild boar
- sheeps
- various species of birds
Each NPC will have different characteristics (an angry boar will pose a threat to Daphne, a helpless rabbit can become a precious resource with the loot of the corpse etc ...) and will generate a different loot if killed.
Later on in the new areas we will add additional species, mostly domestic animals.
New recipes and senses
New receipes will be added and also new senses.
For example, Daphne will be able to amplify her senses and sharpen the perception of enemies and animals.
Improved AI Patterns
We never liked AI pursuing you indefinitely or attacking you continuously (even looking a little stupid ;-)). Animal predators and human enemies now will adopt attack patterns that involve a shrewd approach. They go around and if they are attacked they retreat, they fight back or they are stunned. Soldiers now will act properly and will have both ranged and melee weapons.
Parry and new melee moves
in line with the evolution of the AI, the complexity of Daphne's movements will also increase.
Parrying hits ( both with weapons or bare hands ) will now be possible and various combinations of heavy and light attacks will be introduced.
New Enemies
We will introduce a new category of human enemy: THE JUNKIES. they will have also an important role in the main story but we don't want to spoil anything now ;-)
Parkour system improvements
Being the movement module a big part of our game, this is an area where development never stops. We are working on an auto-aim feature for climbing, so to make the climbing part less stressful and also the fall damage has been revised again.
Here is what, instead, we are working on but is expected to release approx. in 2 - 3 months:
Fire Weapons and fire dynamics
Do you like Molotov bottles? Do you like firebombs? We like it as well!
The integration of fire dynamics ( which include burning foliage ) proceeds quickly. We are very satisfied with the results and hope to meet our schedule!
New playable zones
last but not least, we are building the areas that will be the scene of the conclusion of Daphne's story. They are, as mentioned, large areas, rich in life and gameplay and in which all the modules on which we are working now are integrated.
At the moment we can not confirm any date in which we will release the new levels (after missing the February deadline we prefer not to make any prediction) but we assure you only that something very nice is coming out.
Die Young is a journey that, if will meet release date scheduled for this summer, lasted four years.
For this reason we ask you to trust us and wait a little longer. We can sometimes make mistakes but we have a plan ;-)
As usual, we wait for your feedback in Discussions area of the Community Hub and
Official Ideas and Suggestions Thread .
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Thanks to everyone for your support, help, and ideas!