March 21st Build V2.3

[Chrome Users: Webplayer support was recently removed from this browser. Due to this being an outdated build, I will focus on getting the up-to-date build working first.]

[unity src=”838″]

Use the full screen button ^

 

Progress has been moving along swiftly as a host of new features and items are coming together.

After a two week sprint, here are some details to report!

Improved UI

Throughout earlier play-tests I noticed several trends of player behavior related to the UI.

• Failure to notice item inventory & item durability (previously in the bottom left)
• Failure to notice enemy health & experience (previously in the top right)
• Failure to notice own health & experience (previously top left)

So pretty much everything but the crosshair wasn’t working. This had to be fixed. The new version of the UI features a cursor-centric layout for own health & target information. The item bar was also centered. The individual items have been accented with colors to further convey the idea of item durability. The player’s XP bar was moved to the bottom of the screen in line with common conventions in MMOs.

As a final touch, the XP & HP bars for the player and enemies are now animated so they adjust over time.

 

New Items

Hemotick – This deadly insect spews a short ranged bloody haze. Feed it some of your blood and it will grow in power. Be careful or it just might kill you.

Glacial Sling – An enchanted sling for quickly launching icy arcing disks. A simple keyword explosively shatters the airborne disks.

Warp Staff – Teleport yourself with an explosive arrival. Teleport your enemies to separate them from the pack. Enemies that can’t be teleported are spatially torn, suffering substantial damage.

 

New enemies

Towermaster – An observant eye with an extending clutch. Keep moving or it pull you away from whatever you were doing. A disruptive enemy that thankfully can’t deal large amounts of damage.

Nullgard – A ground navigating soldier of the Blightmind. It safely advances behind a projectile-negating tower shield. It’s sole weakness is when it raises it’s shield to strike with it’s longsword.

 

Meet the Team

Alex Lobl will be joining the project as an Audio Engineer. He aims to bring life to Ataraxy’s weapons, enemies and events.

Henrique Chaltein will be assisting as a Gameplay Programmer. He assisted with the initial concept for the Grappling Hook & the Towermaster. He designed and implemented the Warp Staff.

 

GeneraL Polish

• Health and experience bars are now animated to improve clarity.
• Increased the strength of the Gravity Staff & Bounding Staff to make them more viable navigation options.
• Adjusted weapon damage values.
• Ire Wasps have a better visual effect to convey that they are an enemy.
• Player can no longer grapple to melee projectiles. While fun it made no logistical sense. Don’t worry, this mechanic will return later!
• Loot tokens have received a visual overhaul to better convey them as a reward.
• Rocket flames have been visually improved.
• Enemy death transfer particle has been visually improved.
• GrimKeep body texture has been changed to allow players to distinguish between the different platforms.
• New Grappling Tower terrain feature.
• New rocks and hedges.
• Ground navigating entities have improved pathfinding. Not perfect, but improved.
• Web version scene bug fixes – mouse unlocking, pausing, etc.

Upcoming Development

• Game Audio!
• Enemy buffs as part of the Peril System.
• More edge case improvements to enemy pathfinding.
• Implementing the first boss
• Game story overview – What is the player? What is the Blightmind?
• The Transmuter’s Kit – Mainly usable to transmute internal bleeding into NOT internal bleeding. Secondary effect is a wild card, could be helpful, could make everything worse.
• More weapons – A spear? A whip? A short sword? Unidentified potions? Provide feedback to help me decide!

Play-testing Tidbits

As a final section, I’ll note some of the things players enjoy or were surprised by.

• Using the Grappling hook to grab a Beholder out of the sky.
• Rocket Jumping!
• Grappling Hooking a Top hat.
• How new clusters arrive on scene.
• Grappling Hook can grab tokens.
• “BEES, LEAVE ME ALONE!”
• Towermasters are jerks!
• Super speed using the Bounding Staff.
• Moon jumps with the Gravity Staff.
• Tophats having odd pathing moments.
• Flinging yourself with the Grappling Hook.
• “Dude, the Towermaster grabbed my token!”
• Using multiple mobility items together for high mobility.

 

Thank you for reading and playing!