The Zone: Stalker Stories News

[p]As I mentioned in the last update, I spent most of this month away from home and pretty much unable to work on the game. That said, going two months without an update doesn't feel acceptable, so I decided to upload a small one to keep the improvements flowing.
[/p][p]Obviously work is continuing on the Cinema and we've got an artist working on something new that I find personally pretty exciting -- proper 8-way animations for the player character, not to mention running and death animations. Behold a preview![/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p] (WIP obviously!)[/p][p][/p][p]I'm hoping to have more concrete advances to show you in November. For now, take care, and I'll see you in the Zone...[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]v0.7.7.7 Changelog:[/p]

• [p] Fixed Chapter 3 story crash
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• [p] Projectiles now recognise barriers better
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• [p] Added controller support to world map
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• [p] Death by harmful anomalies will no longer erroneously go to starvation
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• [p] Engine upgrade to Godot 3.6.2
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[p]Implementing an environment as huge and visually fancy as the Cinema is taking a while, not to mention I'm having to deal with a few weeks of emergency travel and taking care of business -- this very update is being written several countries away from home.[/p][p]
Still, I can keep showing you sneak peeks of progress like in this video. Just don't mind the static tanking the bitrate.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
[/p][p]We're now complete on the level art and one of the bosses. I plan to do some more hiring in October to keep the art flowing in.[/p][p][/p][p]As always, the game is getting done, bit by bit. I truly hope to see you all still here when it's finished![/p]

[p]This month we get some nice QoL features and important fixes. However, most of the hours have gone into implementing the new Cinema biome. Behold![/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]https://www.youtube.com/embed/TGTiWSY0-IM?si=1P3W1vpADWxB_tBf[p](Just a tiny sneak peek. There's going to be a lot to see!)[/p][p][/p][p]The art assets are 95% complete, and I'm well underway with the collisions and visuals/lighting. Just a matter of putting in the work and getting the art finished for the TWO unique bosses in this biome.[/p][p][/p][p]I wasn't kidding when I promised this would be our biggest, most complex isometric environment yet.[/p][p][/p][p]This brings me to a question I'd like to ask you guys:[/p][p][/p][p]Would you like the game better if it were fully isometric instead of part-isometric, part top-down?[/p][p][/p][p]It's a change I've been thinking about for a long time, and I would like the levels to be more consistent than they currently are. But of course there's work and expense involved recreating the early levels... So if you guys are really passionate one way or another, you could sway me.[/p][p][/p][p]Let me know in the comments. For now, I wish you happy Stalking, and will see you in the Zone![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]v0.7.7.4 Changelog:[/p]

• [p]Running (Shift key/Left Trigger) now costs Stamina and reduces starting Stamina if caught in combat (No proper running animation yet but someday)[/p]
• [p]Animated Stamina readout for running[/p]
• [p]Updated & improved Research UI[/p]
• [p]Unique deck view UI during research[/p]
• [p]Closing world map without selecting a destination no longer breaks scanning[/p]
• [p]Rewrote Opportunity handler for reliability[/p]
• [p]New (WIP) background & battle scene for Snake Fang intro fight[/p]
• [p]Fixed other issues with world map[/p]
• [p]Fixed Stash sprites not working properly[/p]
• [p]Battle UI tweaks[/p]
• [p]Fixed inventory Storage container placement[/p]
• [p]Starting a new game with intro no longer gives double starting money[/p][p][/p]

[p]Working with human artists is both a delight and takes a long time. Still, the results speak for themselves![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p](A smattering of finished art and works in progress.)[/p][p][/p][p]There's a lot more to show than this, but I can't spoil everything. Suffice it to say we've got new art for one of the best-looking environments in the game nearly completed, and I'm replacing lots of nasty temp stuff together with the new team members.[/p][p][/p][p]Things are progressing on the writing and implementation front too. This update's got new conversations, important fixes... But the focus right now is on the art, which has been our biggest bottleneck for far too long. I need to get the new environments done in order to be able to progress the main story, and August promises to be the month where we finally get another one of those implemented.[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks again for your support all this time. Even if progress seems slow at times, I'm keeping things rolling as best I can.[/p][p][/p][p]Enjoy the new update, and I hope to see you in the Zone.[/p][p][/p][p]

v0.7.6.9 Changelog:[/p]

• [p]New story scenes with Dominica & Louis[/p]
• [p]Several new enemies[/p]
• [p]New cutscene in Wharf[/p]
• [p]Redrawn & animated Louis sprite[/p]
• [p]New expressions for Louis[/p]
• [p]Inventory improvements[/p]
• [p]Updated and improved shop UI[/p]
• [p]Improved game performance in Wharf[/p]
• [p]Fixed data being improperly saved & loaded[/p]
• [p]Fixed some background size errors[/p]
• [p]Fixed colours and water not lining up in Wharf[/p]
• [p]Fixed potential crash in Sending a Message quest debrief[/p]
• [p]Improved Louis UI sprite[/p]

[p]The next version is on the way but not ready.[/p][p][/p][p]In semi-related news, my new job is going very well, and the lifting of financial stress been very good for my mental health. Working (both at the day job and on Zone) has become fun again.[/p][p][/p][p]In extremely-related news, our new artists are creating at a good clip, and we're working on gradually replacing the game's current crop of non-hand-drawn temp art with nicer stuff. I'm actually in the process of hiring even more people right now to keep things moving forward. Definitely excited for the future.[/p][p][/p][p]In closing, a sneak peek of something which you will be able to encounter in the upcoming new biome...[/p][p][/p][p][/p]