Rusted Moss News

Have you played any of the player-made levels for Rusted Moss? We had a lot fun checking some of them out over the weekend. (We were unfortunately not able to play ALL the levels so it is very possible we might have left some excellent ones out of this list.)

Here's some that we recommend in no particular order:

SPEED TUNNEL

LINK TO LEVEL



I think it is no surprise to anybody that having a level editor in the game will result in players making the most brutal painful levels you can imagine.

We felt SPEED TUNNEL is one of the few exceptions to that rule and we really enjoyed its take on custom levels.

As the name suggests, the level itself is a long tunnel and the challenge comes from trying to get to the end of the tunnel as fast as you can. It's a nice change of pace to have a level where the challenge is more about breezy moment rather than precise platforming.

Fax got: 10.79 seconds! What time can you get?

[hr][/hr]

HOPS

LINK TO LEVEL



And speaking of levels that are approached creatively...

HOPS is another that encourages speed rather than navigation of perilous terrain and brutally hard platforming, We found the stage very fun and clean.

It's also deceptively easy. While it isn't hard to get through the level, it is hard to do it fast.

The real challenge is getting below 15 seconds.

The mapmaker has a video of himself doing this challenge and makes some impressive platforming look so easy.

Check out the video here (or on the level's workshop page.)

We were very impressed with Hop's design as some of the hardest levels to make are those that might be easy to complete but take much longer to master.

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WEAPON SWITCHING

LINK TO LEVEL



Another thing we particularly enjoyed when playing custom levels is when we learn some new synergies we weren't even aware of when making the game.

WEAPON SWITCHING explored a mechanic that showed the synergy behind the jump crystals and shotgun that we did not know about.

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LEDGER

LINK TO LEVEL



LEDGER on the other hand features a mechanic that we did know about but many players either do not know about it or thought it was a bug.

To be honest, it did come up as a bug in QA but we thought it was really funny and decided to leave it in. We even added in a visual effect to make it more "official".

[hr][/hr]

YOU ARE A PIRATE

LINK TO LEVEL



And speaking of other things that started off as bugs, this level shows an interesting mechanic that was initially a result of bad programming.

Though it was unintentional, we found out about it during our demo and designed later levels to have shortcuts that revolved around it as we thought it was quite cool.

Fun use of a “secret” Rusted Moss mechanic that allows for creative level design and challenges.

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SLINGSHOT

LINK TO LEVEL



And now, this is the level that we found the hardest (because we were not able to complete it).... we think we were not able to do the very last part of it so we'll recommend it to as far as we got to!

It was really fun, very smart, and well-made. The tech it features is the horizontal slingshot you can do with the grapple. It was really neat to see that be the main gimmick in the level. Throughout playing it, we wondered how good at the game the creator. The level design really seemed like it was made by someone with a very good grasp of the game's mechanics.

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TOWER OF MOSS

LINK TO LEVEL



TOWER OF MOSS is one of the player made levels that is deeper in difficulty. It's a pretty map that requires some puzzley thinking to proceed.

Though it starts off mellow, there's a jump in difficulty and it is quite punishing with respawn points so a little mistake can set you back pretty far.

It is a really fun map with shows how fun precise ledge jumps can be. There's just something so satisfying about them...

If it is something you enjoy, you should also check out the player's other maps that feature this kind of ledge jumping.

Something to check out for those interested in pushing their limits!

[hr][/hr]

AT's [rainbow]fUnfair [/rainbow]

LINK TO LEVEL



This was a really unusual level.

This was a really funny level with some creative level design. We had a great time playing it and lots of laughs were had.

Can't spell funfair without "unfair". ;)

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SENTINEL SHITTY ASS MAP

LINK TO LEVEL



Speaking of creative levels... this one had a really cool concept that we enjoyed. The puzzle jumps were also really interesting.

We'd recommend playing the level blind but also left a spoiler below for those that would rather get spoiled of its fun surprise.

Don’t be fooled by the first flag

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AT's PROCESS

LINK TO LEVEL



Straight up just a really fun map to move around in!

A lot of the jumps are very comfortable with the timing and range. Not really about precise jumps but more a smooth flow and chaining jumps that are just so very satisfying.

Map with some great flow - some jumps carried over to other rooms quite smoothly.

Good map to chill out on. The use of room transitions being more vertical is also interesting.

[hr][/hr]

FLICK BREAKER

LINK TO LEVEL



A map to be patient on. It is very chewy and explores a lot of Rusted Moss' depth of movement. It's fun and quite open-ended with mobility options and level design.

It's always fun to try something that has more than one solution or approach to it.

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GRENADE THROW!!

LINK TO LEVEL


This was the only map we played where the grenade was the main star. It is a fun, short, and relaxing level that lets you experiment with the trajectory of the grenade.

It's also the only map we played that didn't really focus on the platforming and is essentially more of a shooting range (or grenade range I guess!).

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ROCKET JUMP WALTZ

LINK TO LEVEL



A level that focuses a great deal on the intricacies of rocket jumping.

It also included this mid-air rocket jump trick where after awhile the rocket detonates and lets you jump without a floor. This kind of subtlety and focus on rocket jumping isn't something you see a lot of in the main game.

If you enjoy this level, definitely check out the level creator's other works like "LOVE IS SO FALL" - a creative level that requires the use of a precise grenade throw.

[hr][/hr]

PLATFORM TRAINING COURSE

LINK TO LEVEL



Finally, this is a fun level that is a nice starting stage.

Fun open-ended level. Nice relaxing contrast to the punishing ones.

Good starting stage to try out the different mechanics of Rusted Moss.

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ROCKET JUMP AND SHOTGUN CLIMB

LINK TO LEVEL

This level isn't actually made by a player.

But decided to mention this here for those unaware!

Faxdoc (our main dev) actually made this one herself. It's a painful finger exercise that utilises rocket and shotgun jumps. No grappling!

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If you didn't already know, the next major update for Rusted Moss is going to be.... a level editor update! (Check out what our last major update was HERE.)

So we are looking forward to seeing what new levels players come up with!!

Visit the PLAYISM Website PLAYISM Publisher Page Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Join our Discord

[h2][/h2]
Build ID: 11880302

Thank you all for playing Rusted Moss!
After hearing your feedback and bug reports, we have rolled out a hotfix which fixes a crash bug that was affecting the playability of the game as well as some text issues.

[h3]Crash[/h3]

• Fixed crash bug that occurred when reading certain lore.
  

[h3]Miscellaneous Bug Fixes[/h3]

• Fixed several text issues
  

We truly appreciate everyone's support and we hear all of your feedback! We are currently working closely with the developer to try and squash more bugs and implement more QoL features to help you master the grapple! Stay tuned for more updates!

If you have any feedback or bugs to report, please post them on the forum:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1772830/discussions/0/3828664382481109031/

Visit the PLAYISM Website PLAYISM Publisher Page Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Join our Discord

We always wanted Rusted Moss to have flexible accessibility settings. The initial release did have an accessibility menu inspired by Celeste with ways for a player to customise their experience rather than the typical "easy", "medium", "hard" options. However, player feedback coming in pointed out that our "invincibility" option is very drastic without much in-between. Using that feedback as a starting point, we put together a list of changes meant to give players more ways to adjust their game experience.

This update expands the accessibility options to make them more than just allowing a player to finish the game. A player might be able to defeat a boss with "invincibility" on or complete a challenge course with "flying". However, there's still a lot of room to give the player the option to adjust the game to their liking. It isn't just about being able to finish the game; it is also about being challenged.

Our default difficulty is based on how we personally like to play the game as well. I don't think it is possible to have a "one size fit all" solution for every single player so we also added the ability to increase as well as decrease certain stats. We just wanted to be more flexible.

I don't think it is perfect and ideally it would have been nice to give more flexible grappling hook settings too. However, we didn't expect Rusted Moss to become such a big game and it was coded as though it were a two month long project. Some foundational code makes some of these settings impossible to implement without reworking the whole system.

Check out the Rusted Moss Accessibility Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqf6GvrmTNs

We also have some QoL stuff bundled in this update!

• Option to disable challenge course timer
  
• Players can now increase and decrease base starting health/mana
  
• Added health/mana regeneration option
  
• Players can adjust boss base health percentage
  
• Players can adjust enemy base health percentage
  
• Ability to turn off death pit damage
  

• Mana stones now heal player fully on use
  
• Added journal to keep track of lore found
  
• UI also has a way to look at trinkets when not at a save point
  
• Can view current upgrades a player has on the UI
  
• Added ability to rebind the grapple and shoot button
  
• Puck/Robin boss fight: Trinket combination now saves between tries.

• Added extra colours for custom Fern palettes (Changing Fern's Colour Palette Guide)

• Disabling screenshake now also removes camera movement caused by gun recoil
  

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SPECIAL THANKS:
Just wanted to also give a special shoutout to Riuku who helped us put this update together! Wouldn't have been possible without him.

You can check out his website HERE to see his game dev stuff.
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Thanks again for all your support!

Our Discord is a great way to keep up to date with events we might run, stop by and say hi: DISCORD

Follow our TWITCH! Last time we streamed we did a giveaway for some Fern + Puck enamel pins, talked about some behind the scenes stuff, and showed some never seen before deleted content! We are thinking of doing more development streams so follow our Twitch to know when we go Live!

Don't forget to follow PLAYISM's accounts as well! PLAYISM Website PLAYISM Publisher Page Twitter Facebook

Just a few of the amazing player-made palettes we have seen! (Palettes made by Izzy, Ukiyo, Blizihguh, Magic Mad Man, DarkOnyx171)


Rusted Moss was developed in a rather casual way. We aren't a game studio or full-time devs so often times things get added to the game more for "fun", just to try things out rather than as a fleshed-out feature. These additions are not made available by playing the main game; they exist somewhere and we are pleasantly surprised to see players discover them.

Early player feedback from our demo mentioned it would be cool if there were cosmetics for Fern to collect. While we knew we would not be able to deliver that feature as our team is very small, Faxdoc ended up playing around with a simple palette swap tool.

She placed it into the game files and we kinda felt that was that. (We probably should have told somebody about this feature even if it was made just for fun...)

In the end, we were very surprised by players who did discover this feature by snooping around in Rusted Moss' local files! It was super exciting for us to see it get used and see players make some really really cool palettes.


Here's how to get started if you're interested:



[h2]Navigate to Rusted Moss' local files[/h2]

Right-click on Rusted Moss in your Steam library and click on "Properties..."


Navigate to "Local Files" on the left navigation and then click on "Browse..." This should open up Rusted Moss' local files.


[h2]Find the files to edit [/h2]

The previous step should have opened up Rusted Moss' local files. You should see a folder called "Fern_custom".


The information on how to change the palette is in the "read me" txt file. But to go into a little more detail...

[h2]How to enable a custom palette[/h2]

[h3]enable_custom.ini[/h3]
Opening up this file in notepad should show this:


This file determines whether the game should use Fern's default palette or a custom one. Setting enabled to "1" will tell the game to use the custom palette.

This is what your file should look like after setting enabled to "1":


If you save this and load up Rusted Moss, you will notice that Fern no longer uses the default palette and she is using the example palette made.



The enable_custom.ini file also specifies which images to use instead of Fern's default palette. The image below shows that in Fern_custom, there is already an example palette that the enable_custom.ini file is referring to. Editing this palette will change how Fern looks in-game. You can also make your own images, place them in this folder, and edit the enable_custom.ini file to refer to your own palette images rather than just editing the example palette.


[h2]How to create a custom palette[/h2]

As shown in the example above, the image file used as an example is palette_data_custom_example.png.

It should look something like this:


Notice that it has a left side and a right side.


The left side are the default colours of Fern and they should NOT be edited.

The right side are the colours of the custom palette that will be shown in-game.

If you compare palette_example_reference.png to the file palette_unedited.png in the custom fern folder, you can see the unedited one has the left and right side of the image be the same as no changes would have been made to show a default Fern sprite.


This is a reference image of the default Fern sprite you can also find in the folder to help show which colours correspond to which part of the Fern sprite:


Reference image of the example custom palette (Note that the left side of the palette is the same as the default sprite's palette):


Note that the reference images are ONLY reference images so should not be used to change the palette. Making the notepad file refer to a reference image will not work.

Either edit palette_data_custom_example.png or create your own image in the same format and have the notepad refer to that.

[h2]Changing Fern's hair colour and length[/h2]

Custom Fern palette shown below is made by one of our players, Ukiyo!


Fern's hair is actually a gradient and made up of two different colours.

Again, it is the enable_custom.ini file that tells the game where to look for this custom palette.


The example inside the custom_fern folder is called: "hair_data_custom_example.ini"

You should see something like this when you open the file in notepad:


The hair length value tells the game how long you want Fern's ponytail to be.

The start_col and end_col values are the colour gradient of her hair.

The numbers are GML hex format, so it doesn't use RGB but rather BGR. You can use an online tool like this to convert your colours to GML hex format. In that tool linked, the number to use is the one labelled "GML RAW".

[h2]Very helpful tool to edit Fern's palette[/h2]

One of our players, blizihguh, made this really convenient tool you can use in your browser to create a custom palette for Fern.

blizihguh tool: http://udonge.reisen/code/fern/

They've mapped out what each of the squares in our palette's image represents on Fern's sprite and you can freely edit those to preview what Fern will look like. It's a huge help! As you can see, the PNG our code references breaks the sprite's colours down to just squares which makes it difficult to know what you're changing. With this tool, you can easily plan out your Fern's palette!



Now that the cat is out of the bag, we are looking forward to seeing more of your cool and unique color palettes!

Due to player interest in this feature, we also have plans on expanding the number of customisable colours for the palette! So keep an eye out :D

Don't forget to follow PLAYISM's accounts as well! PLAYISM Website PLAYISM Publisher Page Twitter Facebook

Hey everyone! Thanks for supporting Rusted Moss. You've made our experience with releasing our first major game on Steam a total blast and inciting dreams of hopefully one day being able to go full-time with this whole indie dev thing.

In the meantime, we have some exciting plans for Rusted Moss this year!

We have three significant updates lined up for this year.

1) The Accessibility Update

2) The Level Editor Update

3) The Content Update

[h2]The Accessibility Update (Early - Mid Q3)[/h2]
Rusted Moss was made with our own personal tastes in mind. We've always wanted our accessibility settings to be more flexible in allowing a player to adjust the game to their liking. While our settings already allow a player to individually adjust things like gamespeed and also allows them to turn on invincibility mode or flying, we felt those settings are rather extreme. There's a big jump between playing with the default base health and invincibility for example. We want to allow players to create an experience that is more personalised. The ability to both raise and lower the starting base health being just one feature we have planned.

We were able to complete the game with one HP in about two hours. Anybody else up for the challenge?

Aside from taking another look at our accessibility settings menu, we will also be addressing quality of life issues. We'll go into more detail later on.

[h2]The Level Editor Update (Late Q3)[/h2]
We are also planning on expanding the level editor to include more objects and have some decorative options. We've been having fun playing some player made levels and hope to see more! (So we can selfishly play more of our own game...... but it is still such a weird/awesome experience to be able to play a level we've never seen before.)

Some of the levels made absolutely kicked our butts!

[h2]The Content Update (Early - Mid Q4)[/h2]
We teased this a little in our latest Twitch stream! We'll be bringing some deleted content back into the game. (We uploaded the VOD to Youtube)

Rusted Moss actually had a decent chunk of content that was cut from the game because it was too difficult. For reference, and keep in mind we played our own game A LOT, we felt Juni's Challenge is about 5/10 in difficulty. We felt this cut zone was about 7/10. We're planning on including this extra hard zone (Juni's hometown ;)) as a content update. You can think of it like a Celeste b-side!

We weren't sure whether to add it to the full game but it seemed there were players up for the challenge!

We also have plans for a boss rush.

Not a fan of the hardcore platforming aspects? Don't worry, we also want to add a small little extra area of a more moderate difficulty.

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Thanks again for all your support!

Our Discord is a great way to keep up to date with events we might run, stop by and say hi: DISCORD

Follow our TWITCH! Last time we streamed we did a giveaway for some Fern + Puck enamel pins, talked about some behind the scenes stuff, and showed some never seen before deleted content! We are thinking of doing more development streams so follow our Twitch to know when we go Live!

Don't forget to follow PLAYISM's accounts as well! PLAYISM Website PLAYISM Publisher Page Twitter Facebook