Development Blog - Addressing Review Feedback with Chapter 2

[p][/p][p]Captains,[/p][p]Now that Selaco is 15 months old, we've had plenty of time to talk, discuss, and better understand our own game. It's been a refreshing feedback loop that has always felt both fun and productive. There's something quite special about talking with players who seem equally as enthusiastic about the game as we are, especially with those among you who understand the importance of interactable light switches in a videogame. [/p][p]With a clearer understanding of where we want the game to go, we’d like to take a moment to summarize the critical points raised in Steam Reviews and on our Discord server, and to share how we plan to address them.[/p][p][/p]

[p]At this time of writing, Selaco has been reviewed as Very Positive by 93% of our 4500 reviews. This is truly fantastic, and something we take pride in. But, as good as this is, it doesn't mean we can just stop what we're doing and not explore what the people are saying. No, no, if the game can be made any better, we want to take the opportunity because we are annoyingly obsessive when it involves the game’s quality. Just look at those ridiculously long changelogs we’ve posted in the past![/p][p]There are plenty of reviews both positive and negative that bring up some very solid points. Below is a summary of them, along with our plans to solve them.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Problem[/p][p]The most dominant critique in reviews is that players often get lost in Selaco’s levels. Whether it’s navigating its many corridors or returning after a long break from the game, the way forward isn’t always clear depending on the player’s current location. We want exploration to feel rewarding, but not confusing to the point of stalling progress for too long.[/p][p]The way we see it: Being lost for a minute is fine, being lost for 5 minutes is a problem.[/p][p][/p][p]The Solution[/p][p]We want to provide more meaningful information regarding navigation while still keeping the exploration element of the game intact. We have a lot of players who enjoy Selaco's hands-off approach in terms of navigation, and a good amount who prefer a bit more assistance. In order to strike a good middle ground, the following changes will be made in Chapter 2:[/p]

[p]The Map Screen will now display an icon marking the destination of your next goal, providing players with an anchor point to reference when navigating the world, without explicitly showing how to reach that destination. This still encourages players to explore the levels as they normally would, while making navigational mistakes much easier to recover from. Players can choose to disable this feature.[/p]
[p]The game will now tell the player what level they are supposed to be in in order to progress the Campaign, making it much easier to return to the game after a break, or to safely explore previous levels without losing track of where you should be later on.[/p]
[p]We’ve also improved green light cues further. There are now more instances where, once a task is completed (like flipping a switch to open a door), the related Green Lights turn off so they won’t mislead you, instead placing focus on your next goal.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Problem[/p][p]Weapon Kits are among the most popular unlocks, but missing them can feel like missing a core part of the game. This often pressures players to 100% each level right off the bat, slowing down the pace of the game when they really want to move on to the next level.[/p][p][/p][p]The Solution[/p][p]Missed Weapon Kits from previous levels now appear in the Weapon Upgrade Station, where they can be reviewed and bought with Selver Credits if interested. Exploring still pays off as it means getting the Weapon Kit for free, and saves credits that can be spent elsewhere. Players who want to keep moving can do so without fear of missing out.[/p][p]Note: Super Secret Weapon Kits won’t show up here, but they also don’t count toward 100% completion as they're often gags and not something that is meant to be used.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2][/h2][p]The Problem[/p][p]Some reviews note that combat feels too sparse with long stretches of gameplay not having any shooting.[/p][p][/p][p]The Solution[/p][p]We believe this comes mostly from players getting lost, which creates long stretches of searching instead of fighting. We anticipate that the improved level navigation will significantly improve upon this, as it will keep the pace a little faster than before.[/p][p]However, closer to our Full Release, Selaco will receive the Incursion Mode. This is a mode completely separate from the campaign and takes place in Deathmatch-style levels, with heavy inspiration from Rainbow Six’ Terrorist Hunt, Gears of War’s Horde Mode, and Unreal Tournament.[/p][p]Additionally, the Special Campaign that has been added a couple of months ago grants players access to a Randomizer where they control how many extra enemies spawn throughout the campaign. The Special Campaign is a really fun alternative when doing a second playthrough and we highly recommend it.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Problem[/p][p]Players praised enemy behavior overall, but also noticed flaws: jittery movement, poor use of cover, and instant spotting without a grace period. [/p][p][/p][p]The Solution[/p][p]Chapter 2 makes major AI improvements: better pathfinding, 'safe space' awareness allowing them to take cover while attacking, improved decision making regarding when to be defensive or aggressive, and a “Last Known Position” system that lets players break line of sight and reposition. Enemies also take longer to fully detect you, allowing players more time to make the first move.[/p][p]There is plenty in the works here![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Problem [/p][p]Mutators let players customize the game in fun and meaningful ways, but right now they can only be chosen at the start of a campaign. This often leads to frustration if players regret enabling (or disabling) a specific Mutator.[/p][p][/p][p]The Solution [/p][p]We’re adding the ability to swap Mutators in and out at Safe Rooms. For example, if you realize mid-campaign that you’d rather play with the Half-Like Mutator (or without it) to disable the Secret Counter, you’ll have the flexibility to change your setup without restarting the entire campaign.[/p][p]However, if Mutators have been added, changed or removed during a Campaign, it will be reflected on the Game Completion Screen. This only applies to Gameplay Mutators (Extra Ammo, Hard-Boiled, Hardcore Mode) and not mutators that have no bearing on the gameplay directly (Half-Life, Burger Flipper Start)[/p][p][/p][h2][/h2][p]The Problem[/p][p]A common critique is that Selaco can be very challenging. A number of players struggle in combat, largely due to enemies dealing heavy damage while navigating the battlefield in unpredictable ways, as well as the game’s combat style being somewhat unconventional for an FPS.[/p][p][/p][p]The Solution[/p][p]Difficulty is a topic worth addressing, but we also believe it’s one of Selaco’s core strengths and doesn't need any aggressive changing. Learning how to approach combat and mastering the game’s systems is a big part of the experience and, once it clicks, the game feels much more manageable. But getting there can take a moment for some.[/p][p]That said, there are improvements we can make to help players better read and respond to threats. Enemies should telegraph their actions more clearly as their sprite-based nature can make this difficult to parse (on top of the visual spectacle), and a number of ambushes come so quickly that they can end up feeling cheap. We want players to feel defeated because of their own mistakes, not because the game didn’t give them enough time to react. We are actively looking for these specific moments and will address them.[/p][p]For players finding Selaco particularly tough, we recommend experimenting with difficulty settings (which can now be changed during a campaign) or Mutators. For example:[/p]

[p]Armor Up allows your armor to absorb more damage before breaking.[/p]
[p]Defensive Enemies gives you more breathing room to plan your next move.[/p]
[p]Extra Ammo ensures you can rely on your favorite weapons more often. [/p]

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[p]On top of that, we're also further improving numerous aspects of the game that were already in a good place. Performance, hit feedback, audio design and general immersion will always be getting incremental improvements, it's the type of thing we really enjoy doing. We are also updating every single Chapter 1 level to utilize newer assets and look better than ever with a newly improved Lighting System.[/p][p]There's a lot happening behind the curtains, and we're confident that Chapter 2 will improve upon Selaco's frustrating elements while still staying true to its intentions.[/p][p]Chapter 2 still takes a good amount of time to come out, but we hope this blog post helps assure you that it's going to be more than worth the wait.[/p][p]If you have a question, sound off below.[/p][p]Oh. and yes, there's an update coming very soon that's also pretty sweet![/p][p]Talk to you all soon.[/p][p][/p]