Dev Journal #3 - Player-Based Changes
Hey inmates!
It's time for another update on the developments within the confines of Space Prison. We've been hard at work incorporating your feedback and suggestions to improve your experience within our facility. We wanted to let you know the biggest changes made since the Steam Next Fest demo, the various playtests we held, and our latest demo this year!
[h3]Before we start, your opinion is important to us, so feel free to share your ideas and suggestions with our upvoting tool! We take all your feedback into consideration, thank you for your commitment![/h3]
As you can see, the rats are very popular!
[h2]Tactical depth[/h2]
[h3]Hazards and obstacles[/h3]
Thanks to your requests, we’ve added a new feature for combat encounters for more tactical depth during fights. Say hello to hazards and obstacles! Combat arenas along the prison have objects that can be dangerous for you, but that you can use to your advantage if you play around them smartly. Exploit the terrain strategically to your advantage and fight your way out with more diversity.
[h3]Party member loadout management[/h3]
Your fellow rats and allies are now fully manageable in one convenient location: the party menu. Equip them with different gear depending on how you want to play. From weapons and armor to specialized combat items, equip your companions with the tools they need to be your partners in crime! Oh, even the rats have their own gear with Tiny Knuckles or Rat Capes (yes, they wear their dead comrades as armor, that's a thing).
[h2]Rat healing mechanic[/h2]
We know you formed a special bond with your rodent companions, we all do! Because you requested to be able to keep them longer and care for them, rats can now heal during the night. But why stop there? We're working on a dedicated area within your cell equipped with cozy beds for your rat friends.
[h2]Outer ring exploration[/h2]
Want to explore beyond the familiar corners of your cell? We've added a whole new part of the prison that is restricted to inmates, with new locations like Labs, Power Hub, or the out-of-order Prison Yard. You need to get a special keycard to get there. And even if you do, you need to be extra careful, as you will be attacked at sight by merciless guards, drones, and guard dogs.
[h2]Adding a second gang[/h2]
Fulfilling a long-awaited request from the community, you will have the freedom to choose between two gangs and explore the unique narratives and quests offered by each faction and its members. So, that means you’ll have twice as many interesting NPCs with their own stories and chain quests to discover, depending on your run! (And a special gang hideout for each gang!)
[h3]Other important changes made since the Steam Next Fest Demo and playtests:[/h3]
We thank you all for taking part of this journey and participating in our demos and playtests. The feedback you provide is invaluable to help us in the continuous improvement of the game. Your voices shape the experience of Space Prison, and we're committed to delivering the best one possible!
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to develop Space Prison!
See you behind bars!
Wooden Alien Team
It's time for another update on the developments within the confines of Space Prison. We've been hard at work incorporating your feedback and suggestions to improve your experience within our facility. We wanted to let you know the biggest changes made since the Steam Next Fest demo, the various playtests we held, and our latest demo this year!
[h3]Before we start, your opinion is important to us, so feel free to share your ideas and suggestions with our upvoting tool! We take all your feedback into consideration, thank you for your commitment![/h3]
As you can see, the rats are very popular![h2]Tactical depth[/h2]
[h3]Hazards and obstacles[/h3]
Thanks to your requests, we’ve added a new feature for combat encounters for more tactical depth during fights. Say hello to hazards and obstacles! Combat arenas along the prison have objects that can be dangerous for you, but that you can use to your advantage if you play around them smartly. Exploit the terrain strategically to your advantage and fight your way out with more diversity.
[h3]Party member loadout management[/h3]
Your fellow rats and allies are now fully manageable in one convenient location: the party menu. Equip them with different gear depending on how you want to play. From weapons and armor to specialized combat items, equip your companions with the tools they need to be your partners in crime! Oh, even the rats have their own gear with Tiny Knuckles or Rat Capes (yes, they wear their dead comrades as armor, that's a thing).
[h2]Rat healing mechanic[/h2]
We know you formed a special bond with your rodent companions, we all do! Because you requested to be able to keep them longer and care for them, rats can now heal during the night. But why stop there? We're working on a dedicated area within your cell equipped with cozy beds for your rat friends.
[h2]Outer ring exploration[/h2]
Want to explore beyond the familiar corners of your cell? We've added a whole new part of the prison that is restricted to inmates, with new locations like Labs, Power Hub, or the out-of-order Prison Yard. You need to get a special keycard to get there. And even if you do, you need to be extra careful, as you will be attacked at sight by merciless guards, drones, and guard dogs.
[h2]Adding a second gang[/h2]
Fulfilling a long-awaited request from the community, you will have the freedom to choose between two gangs and explore the unique narratives and quests offered by each faction and its members. So, that means you’ll have twice as many interesting NPCs with their own stories and chain quests to discover, depending on your run! (And a special gang hideout for each gang!)
[h3]Other important changes made since the Steam Next Fest Demo and playtests:[/h3]
- Animations: Following your feedback during the Steam Next Fest demo, we've reworked the NPC and environmental animations to make them more impactful and smoother.
- Sound Design: You outlined the room for improvement of Space Prison music and sound design, and that is why we heard you (get it), you can listen to some of the changes in this video. We have also added new sounds for our NPCs. Music is an important topic for us as well, and we're exploring the musical atmosphere of the game. We shared one of our experiments on our Discord!
- Storyline & lore: You suggested that it would be nice to learn more about the Space Prison and have more lore to discover throughout the game. So, we focused on expanding it by creating unique race and crime backgrounds for NPCs, and more. Get a glimpse of the Space Prison lore in our previous Devblog.
- Combat balancing: Since the first public demo feedback, we have worked more on balancing out the combat and making it more interesting for you. Gear, including weapons and usable items, are not the only additions, we also implemented new abilities and created new and varied enemies.
- Difficulty: The Space Prison is a tough place, but some of the areas seemed either a little too harsh or too easy, from what we understood after reading your comments. That is why we worked especially hard on evening them out. Based on the latest playtests and the demo, the difficulty was better handled. We'll keep on balancing the game so that it remains a challenging experience but is still approachable for the new fishes in the tank.
- Tutorials: Some of you felt lost at times and requested more explanation of various game mechanics. We added new tutorials and improved some of the previous ones. Recently, we had some new ideas for in-game information display, we are currently working on improving the information system even further.
We thank you all for taking part of this journey and participating in our demos and playtests. The feedback you provide is invaluable to help us in the continuous improvement of the game. Your voices shape the experience of Space Prison, and we're committed to delivering the best one possible!
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to develop Space Prison!
See you behind bars!
Wooden Alien Team
