This month went by quick! Lots of juicy additions this time around, lets get into it!
New Weapon Category: Melee
This is something that I've wanted to try out for a long time and it's been one of the most requested features to add. Here's a quick look at a sword which does huge damage up close. I'll continue to add various melee weapons and ensure that they have a viable role in the game.
Main Menu
UI work continues, with a focus on keeping everything as simple and minimal as possible. Have a look at the redesigned main menu:
Knockback Damage
This is a fun new mechanic that allows players to deal damage to enemies by knocking them back into the environment. Check out the new Gravity Cannon: this weapon freezes and blasts enemies away, dealing damage each time a frozen enemy ricochets off something.
More Player Choice
While playtesting, I felt that Survival mode could have more player choice. For those unfamiliar, Survival mode takes the player through a series of islands set on different biomes, each island containing a number of randomly chosen levels with enemies to defeat in order to progress. Previously, after clearing each level the player was given a random piece of loot and had no control over what kind of level came next. This could feel like they were relying on getting lucky in order to advance rather than being skillful and strategic.
To combat this, I've added choices in every place it makes sense in order to let the player strategize and focus on a particular build rather than just being forced to play with whatever random loot was given.
Multiple Choice Chests
Now all chests spawn a number of pickups, but only one can be chosen!
Multiple Choice Portals
Playing the same kind of levels over and over was starting to get repetitive when playtesting: clear waves, move to next level, clear waves... repeat infinitely. Now, players get a selection of different level types via portals that spawn after each cleared level which have varying rewards and levels of difficulty. These new level types really change the pace and flow of the game, and enable the player to make important decisions: "do I have enough health to take on this challenge level or should I play it safe and go to the shop instead?"
Greed Totem
This totem is occasionally found in the world and allows the player to gain a powerful passive upgrade that comes with a downside. These choices can quickly end your run so watch out greedy players!
Some of the potential rewards offered by this totem include:
- Brute Force: Increase damage by 50% but lose 25% max health (can be chosen up to 4 times in a row)
- Leap Of Faith: 50% chance to gain 25% max health, 50% chance to lose 25% max health (can be chosen up to 4 times in a row)
- Glass Cannon: Gain 100% more damage but take 100% more damage
- Hoarder: Get an extra chest after each level but double the amount of enemies spawn
- False Confidence: Normal enemy health is halved but boss health is quadrupled
- High Roller: 50% chance for 2 chests to spawn after completing a level, 50% chance for no chests to spawn
- Instant Gratification: Instantly spawn a chest of a random rarity but lose 33% health (can be chosen up to 3 times in a row)
- Impatience: Upgrade a random perk tier but lose 25% health (can be chosen up to 4 times in a row)
New Enemy Category: Elites
Between a boss and a hard enemy lies the elite enemy: with more damage, health and attack options than other enemies, they are a dangerous foe to face.
New Perks
I've added many perks this month to further increase variety from run to run. This brings the total number of perks in the game up to 60 with more to come! Names are subject to change.
Common
- First Impressions: The first 3 enemies on a level have 1 health (doesn't affect bosses)
- VIP: Purchases are discounted at the shop
- Special Delivery: An additional 2 items are on sale when visiting the shop
- Gifted: Damage needed to move to the next combo level reduced
- Autoload: Reload instantly when swapping weapons
- Safety Net: Bullets are only spent if hitting enemies, missing enemies uses no ammo
- Uppercut: On every 6th shot fired, deal 300% damage
- Painkillers: Take 50% less damage when at low health
- Leafy Greens: Increased movement speed when at high health
Rare
- Danger Close: Deal 50% more damage to enemies up close
- Wisdom: Damage increased after clearing each level
- Assassin: Damage increased when eliminating enemies in one shot
- Oil Can: Deal more damage to enemies on fire
- Ice Cube: Deal more damage to frozen enemies
- Acid Vial: Deal more damage to enemies covered in acid
- Metal Rod: Deal more damage to enemies being shocked
Epic
- Adrenaline: Increased movement speed and fire rate for 3 seconds after eliminating an enemy
- Earthquake: Increased knockback damage + strength
- Medic: Max health increased when eliminating enemies in one shot
- Gambler: Chest rewards can be re-rolled (once per chest)
- Restock: All items in the shop can be re-rolled (once per shop)
- Bargain Hunter: One random item in the shop is free of charge
Legendary
- Charmed: There's now a chance for unchosen rewards in chests to not disappear
- Combo Breaker: Damage is multiplied by your current combo (up to a max of 4x)
- Gearhead: Fire rate increases with your current combo
- Hot Iron: The amount of crystals dropped per enemy is multiplied by your current combo
New Entrance Level
As work on the visuals continues, I've added an entrance level and short cinematic at the start of each biome: here's a look at the Sand biome entrance level at night (work in progress):
Survival Mode Updates
- The combo meter from the gameplay trailer has been re-added to the game. The higher your combo, the more crystals enemies drop when eliminated. If you take damage, your combo is lost.
- Nightmare difficulty can now only be played when the game has been beaten on Normal or Hard difficulties.
- Elemental enemies now take more damage from the opposite element (for example ice enemies take 2x damage from fire based attacks). Conversely, they are immune to damage matching their element (for example fire shotguns will still deal base damage but won't ignite fire enemies)
- Load times have been improved dramatically between each level
- Secret areas have been added to many levels with collectables that count towards challenges
- Enemy attack speed now increases alongside health and movement speed after each level is completed
- Added a slomo effect when the last enemy in a level is eliminated
New Duel Map: Crust
This map is located on the buried shell of an ancient crab. 1v1 me on Crust, swords only!
Beta
I'll be hosting a small closed beta via the Crab Champions Discord server in the future: https://discord.gg/crabchampions
The beta will start when Survival Mode is complete in terms of core content. Participants will be hand chosen based on their interest on Discord + Twitter. If you'd like to get involved, be sure to let me know!
That's it for this month, now back to work to get closer to shipping the beta!
Join the Crab Champions Discord server: https://discord.gg/crabchampions
Follow Crab Champions on Twitter: https://twitter.com/crabchampions
Join the Crab Champions subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CrabChampions/