Indie MEGABOOTH build
We're still hoping to submit a build for Indie MEGABOOTH late deadline. Having only noticed we could submit mid last week, it's a bit tight, but we've managed to make a lot of progress with major systems this week.
For example, combat, including reloading, and animations is well on it’s way - and this time programmed from scratch to be buildable upon for the rest of the game. As a result of adding ammo to the game, we now have stackable inventory done, too!
While we already had some basic combat in the EGX demo for a placeholder boss fight, this is all paving the way to be putting regular enemies in the school itself.
Alongside combat, we've also added a far more functional and attractive map system in place for the new build. We’ve taken some queues from Silent Hill and some from Resident Evil with the map also functioning as an objective tracker, of sorts.
Here’s the original, unmarked map you can pick up from school reception:
Over time, you’ll be scribbling notes and paths to yourself all over it.
Ghosts
Here's a new little feature that wasn't in any old builds - ghostly echos of the events in Summerford during the disaster:
We mentioned last week that part of the work being put into the MEGABOOTH build is reworking the school area, not just to improve the systems, but to fit into the wider plan for the game.
Part of that has been an effort to incorporate a little “show don’t tell” in our narrative. They should separate out some of the story that was previously told entirely in written notes into short, voice acted scenes of events happening before the disaster.
Admittedly they are voice acted by us, right now, but one thing at a time.
Outdoors
Here’s a quick before and after of the front of the school from maybe 5 days into development compared to now - quite a bit has changed!
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Although the camera still needs a lot of work, it feels like our third person, more open environments outside are progressing well. We’ve spent some time increasing the size of the area around the school, adding some realistic elements like a car park and football field, and working on lighting.
And let’s finish off with a few more shots of the school area:
Next Week
Hopefully a build will come together! Or, we'll submit whatever we have and pray.... Summerford Primary School is a Church of England school after all.
Still, with nearly all the systems from the EGX demo not only back in the game but vastly cleaned and improved, we just have to tie everything together and clean things up - hopefully possible in 3 days!
We’ll also be trying to plan out the very basics of the next area, and some of the wider environment of Summerford now we’re a bit more confident in the third person outside section being the way forward.