Quick Update

It's nearly been a year since my last post here, so I felt like I should post something...

Basically, we've been working on the game at the same pace as usual. It's just hard to find the right time to make a post about anything, since things are ever-changing, and I'd like these posts to actually be accurate to how the game will be. But we all know that's impossible. Still, Industrious Flair is currently in such a state of fluid transformation.
So, instead of going too in depth with anything, I'll just make this post a quick list of things we've done or are currently working on.

-switched to GameMaker Studio-
This was one of the biggest and most time consuming things we had to do, but it was worth it. A lot of things didn't carry over exactly from the old version, so it was frustrating, but we kind of had to switch. Studio offers way better options for a lot of things, and it also could make getting the game on something like Steam a lot easier, but that's something to worry about later.

-controller support-
This took a long time as well, but the game works with controllers now. We mainly use 360 controllers while playing, but it should work with any kind, though we hadn't had the chance to test too many. We'll also be adding customizable controls, even for keyboards.

-better camera system-
We've made a new camera that follows the player more smoothly than before. It should also make the scripted scenes easier to "direct".

-more gun types-
In the last post I went over a few different kinds of shot types for the gun (referred to as Mod Clips). There are now over 20, and we plan to at least have 50 for the final game, each with upgraded versions as well. It should be interesting having so many different options for play styles.

-energy meter for the gun-
In order to balance the different kinds of Mod Clips, and to add some more depth to the game, we decided to add an energy meter to your gun. It works a lot like the stamina bar in A Link Between Worlds for anyone who's played that. Each Mod Clip will drain a different amount of energy depending on how powerful they are, and your gun's energy meter slowly refills while not firing.

-dashing works differently-
Rather than instantly being at max speed by holding the dash button, you now accelerate to that speed. It's similar to the dash mechanics of Super Metroid or 2D Mario games. Before this change, it felt too overpowered being able to dash forever without even having start-up time, so in a way this is a nerf. But it's better for the gameplay and should promote better decision making. Your speed gets reset if you turn around or hit a wall, so you'll need to keep that in mind if you want to go fast.

-smoother look of player animation-
We added a start-up frame before your character begins walking, like in Mega Man games. That should help with platforming. We also added landing frames when your character lands, which is only a visual thing, but it feels more solid.

-many more enemies-
Goes without saying, but there are lots of new enemies. There are even kinds like these big guys here who have way higher HP and deal way more damage.


-improving old assets-
This is something that's definitely constantly evolving as we get better, but I think we're finally getting an idea of how far we can push the visuals. Here's a simple comparison of the old background vs. the new one from the first area of the game:


-upgrading character portraits-
We plan to have larger portraits for the characters during conversations. This is undoubtedly going to be more difficult, but the payoff is clear.

-completing the entire game scenario in writing-
The story and all dialogue are nearly finished, which is nice because that's something that can then be set aside to focus on more important things. I do want to present a story that's at least somewhat engaging for those who are into that, but I know that's not what most people play games for. And, on that note, you'll also be able to skip back-to-back dialogue boxes by just pressing start anyway.
Also, this means that the structure and flow of the game is organized properly as well, now.

-levels-
And here's what's really most important to the game: making the actual levels. We've worked a bit on some new maps, but with the story almost out of the way, that will definitely become a big focus for this year. We've also finally got moving platforms to work--well, horizontally moving ones--which opens up lots of options for level design, along with all the new enemies we created. Although, I'm glad that we figured out the core gameplay mechanics before doing most of these levels, because things like that would obviously change how levels would be made.

So yeah, that's about it for now. Maybe it wasn't all that interestinng, but that's what we're up to. I wish I could've posted more images or some screenshots, but like I said, things are constantly in motion. Hopefully I can post again sometime in the near future with a nice video or something.

Till then, I'm out.

Industrious Flair's New Aspects

Hey everyone. Firstly, don't get too excited because this is not a post revealing a new playable demo. That will come soon! But until then, I thought I should write something here for the poor people who, for some reason, still check back expecting news... Well, here's a post for you people. And yes, we are still working on Industrious Flair. In fact, unless we directly state otherwise, we will still be working on it until it's finished, even if months go by without any word from us. Amazing... So first, check out the new update video below if you haven't already seen it.

Things look different, right? One of the major changes was actually to Rust, the playable character.

His color scheme and design was updated to help him stand out better, and it just looks better in general. He's got metal boots now which gives his legs more definition.

The biggest thing, however, is the aspect ratio change. In pixels, it used to be 480x360, but now it's 480x270. Yeah, this means it's technically smaller, but it's the same width. So really, it's chopping off unnecessary vertical space and "zooming" in the "camera". This also removes black bars when the game is full screen, at least on most modern displays.

This is how it looks now.

This is how it used to look.

There are some changes to the game mechanics as well. If you remember, we had given Rust a dash ability, but it was very limited. It worked like Megaman X, where you only go fast for a short while until you have to tap the button again. Well, now it's more of a run button. Think: Super Metroid, Donkey Kong, Mario, etc... As long as you're holding the button down, Rust will dash. Double tapping either direction works as well. 

He's got a new animation to go along with this, of course. He used to just awkwardly slide along the ground in a single frame pose. Now he starts sprinting at full speed, which looks intense in motion (see above video).

Another thing that was relatively new was wall jumping. It felt kinda flimsy because you couldn't grip and slide along walls, so you just fell down the side. Well, that's not right, so now Rust positions himself correctly and falls slower as long as you're holding the direction of the wall. It feels way more solid this way.

You can also shoot from this position which should be handy.

Alright, now apparently the game didn't have a gimmick, and people love gimmicks (they won't stop asking for them!), so here's the gimmick. Rust has a gun, right? Well it's not just any gun, it's an Adaptability Blaster (or whatever). Instead of only being able to shoot normally, you can insert different Adaptability Chips that change the way the gun shoots. Rust finds these chips throughout the game from NPCs, shops, or in hidden areas. Here are some of those chips in action:

This is the standard chip. It's what you start the game with. You're limited to 3 shots on screen, and each one does 4 damage.

This is the liquid fire chip. It shoots rapidly as long as you're holding down the shoot button, but the first bullet doesn't go very far, and each successive bullet travels farther until it reaches the max distance. (What, it's not a Mighty Switch Force 2 knock off, those bullets are blue!). These only do 3 damage each. And each bullet takes away one energy point, and if it reaches 0, you have to wait. It recharges as long as you're not shooting.

This is the mega triple chip. It shoots 3 powerful shots, with the biggest doing 24 damage. And it powers through walls and enemies, unlike the others. The catch is that after firing, you must wait for its energy to refill back to 100. This only takes a few seconds, but not being able to shoot is a huge drawback, so you're encouraged to use your sword in the meantime (you'll always have your sword ready no matter which blaster chip you use), or switch to a different chip. By the way, switching chips is as easy as pressing one button at any time.

This one has to be the coolest chip. They're like little buzz saws that travel along the ground, building up speed as they go. Walls are no problem, as they'll just climb up those. Also, they deal 6 damage each, making them quite useful (see above video for the sick strats you can do with them).

This one is kind of silly. It's basically a popcorn chip. Each shot only deals 1 damage... Wow, that sucks! But wait, if it splits open before contact, it creates 3 "popcorn" pieces that deal 4 damage each. And each of those pieces randomly bounce around until they hit something. So as you'd expect it can be pretty powerful, but because of how random it is, it can also be slow and weak. But whatever, it's popcorn, so that's cool.

Hey, you probably want to see some random screenshots.

This is Flair's Base. It serves as the game's central hub, so you'll go to all the other major areas from here.

These shots below are all from the newest area we started working on. It's Industrious Flair's obligatory "snow level".

 Damn, that aurora is huge!

 

All these face sculptures are made by the native people, based on a crash landed InfiniSpark robot that they found long ago, and worship because they don't know any better. Haha.

Basically we're trying to finish this place, and have that done for a new playable demo, in addition to all this other stuff, and more (Making a competent pause menu is one thing. Oh yeah, and the entire text system had to be re-coded from scratch, allowing characters to still animate while text is on screen.). So it's taking time, but Industrious Flair continues to improve in almost every way as we understand more and more about making games. Thanks to all of you who still stop by to read these updates, whoever you are.

Treading New Water

Hello everyone. I thought it was finally time to make another one of these posts. We've done a lot since releasing the first demo a few months ago, so I'll go ahead and show all of that off now. No, there isn't a new playable demo yet, but that will come soon enough when it's ready. For now, enjoy this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilEdUeHmosc

There were complaints about not having enough control of the character, so there are four major things that we've added. These are:

Dashing - You can press A, S, or double tap either direction to dash. It makes you go twice as fast for a limited amount of time. It's basically just like Mega Man X dashing, because that game got it perfect.

Wall jumping - Just be facing a wall while holding the same direction and then press the jump button to jump off walls. This isn't like Mega Man X wall jumping, since you won't be able to go straight up on just one wall. You have to go back and forth between two walls to keep gaining height.

Crouching - Yes, you can finally crouch in this game. You just hold down. Your hit box is way shorter like this, so you can dodge enemies or bullets. The dashing hit box is also the same as the crouching hit box, so dashing can dodge attacks in the same way. You can shoot out of crouching, but you can't use the sword or move.

Sword attack - There was a secret unlockable sword at the end of the last playable demo, but since then it has been reworked. The animation is changed, and looks a lot smoother. Basically, the sword does more damage than your gun, but it isn't long range. You can use the sword and the gun at any time using two separate buttons. This allows for smoother gameplay, and you don't have to fumble with menus to switch between the two.

Here's what we won't be adding:

Angled shooting - This simply isn't what we want for this game. After adding those other abilities, we feel that this would be over kill. It's as simple as that.

You'll notice in the video some of the sewer area we've been working on. A lot of the maps are filled with water, so you'll have to make it to the next air pocket to refill your air meter before you drown. It's pretty simple. You just have to not waste time.

There's also rushing water all over the place. Standing on these areas will make you move in the direction the water is flowing. They're kind of like conveyor belts. Also, crouching on these will prevent you from being pushed by the water, so that's a trick to keep in mind if you're trying to fight.

This next area is like a big junk yard, and the humans who live there have it rough. They're basically hobos.

Then there's Magnilda, the overseer of the Junk Yard who works for Machine Corp. Her helper, Olvent, is next to her. They'll be the bad guys for this section.

And that's about it for now. Check back later for more updates(well don't expect TOO much, I'm lazy when it comes to updating this...). Once we finish the next chunk of levels, we may release a new playable demo so people can test out all these new changes.

Industrious Flair - Alpha Demo Release!

DEMO REMOVED

The time has come, folks! We're a bit late, but at least we delivered, huh? Let's jump right into it. Go ahead and download the game demo right here!

This is Industrious Flair - Alpha Demo 1.0 version.

Rather than trying to talk about everything that's new, I'll just turn this post into a bit of an image dump.

I should probably make this clear by stating again that THIS IS ONLY AN EARLY DEMO. That means that we have a long long way to go until the entire game is complete. But don't worry because we show no signs of stopping. The rest of the game is already planned out, so we'll be able to jump right back into development soon!

Soon

UPDATE: We got Twiiter: https://twitter.com/uebo7
(yeah, we finally got one. Follow us there as another way to get updates!)

Yes, it has been a while. But we have been hard at work. And now we're just about ready to release the first playable demo for everyone to try.

You can expect to play Industrious Flair this week!(or at least this month! We promise!)

We're Not Dead

Yeah, so I haven't made an update post in a long time. This isn't gonna be a big post either, but I wanted to let everyone know that we haven't stopped working on the game. However, we have been been greatly distracted by the Wii U, particularly with MiiVerse. If anyone wants to find us on there, here are our accounts.
I'm Logan with uebo7_U as my Nintendo Network ID.
Eddie's ID is sseddie13.
But on top of that, my laptop has finally entered its final days of functioning, making it hard to do much on it. I'll hopefully be getting a new one within the next two weeks.

So anyway I haven't got a video, but here are some pictures to look at.

These are all of the enemies that we've made so far that are also fully functional in-game. The enemies that were previously shown now have improved AI compared to how they were in the last video you've seen them in.

 

Here's some shots of them in-game.

That's about all I can show for now. I probably won't be doing strictly week-by-week updates anymore because at the point we're at now, it's becoming hard to always show progress. Lots of stuff gets done behind the scenes in the code and in the planning, but trying to blog about that kind of stuff becomes a chore.