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.