Methods: The Canada Files News

The latest French Canadian devlog...!



The past two weeks I worked on the Outfits system, which I announced earlier this week for the 12 Year Anniversary of LockedOn Games. I made a new background, and implemented all dialogue and expression changes along with it. But I was also working through my backlog of player-requested features, which will be retroactively added to File 01.

The mystery-solving sections will now have a scoring system, which will give you a final score based on the number of wrong answers across the entire mystery. "Confrontations" measure the amount of wrong answers during dummy interrogations, "Refutations" for during the Theorize sections, and "Deductions" during the final deduction section.



You'll notice the "Skipped Theories" counter as well. I've also added a hearts system — for each wrong answer, you lose a "heart". When all the hearts run out, you will be given the option to skip the Theory by auto-filling the correct answer if you are really truly stuck. Of course, this will impact your final rank, but it should be a relief for players who simply want to experience the story but are bogged down with a tricky or obscure puzzle.

Though I had my doubts about it at first, after implementing the scoring and hearts systems, I think they make the gameplay more fun and alleviate some frustrations.

That's not all of the changes coming with the release of File 02, but I hope you enjoyed this first look.

Until next time!

— LockedOn.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2063530/Methods_The_Canada_Files/

View the backlog of devlogs here on my website!

Support the game's development on Patreon!

Exciting French Canadian news this week!!



Chapter 6 has now been completed — that means it's all coded, and fully playable! This was a chapter with a few CGs and two backgrounds to make. Now that I've begun making backgrounds, progress should go much faster. There are quite a few backgrounds, and a lot of them are pretty elaborate.

This time I'm implementing everything as I go. As soon as I get a background done, I'm adding it to the game and coding all the expressions. That should speed up the process a little.

Character designs for the File are all complete now as well! So development is going strong. I definitely do not think I'll be able to meet my target of October for full release of all the Files, but I will keep soldiering onward!

Until next time!

— LockedOn.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2063530/Methods_The_Canada_Files/

View the backlog of devlogs here on my website!

Support the game's development on Patreon!

Checking in again with the French Canadians!



I spent a lot of time working on commissions the past two weeks, but I've also started creating all the new characters that will be appearing in File 02. I think I may have mentioned this, but there are six suspects this time — a big step up from the two that appeared in File 01, as well as some more characters you will meet. Hopefully this will keep you guessing about who the true culprit is until it is finally revealed ;)

Designing characters is definitely one of the parts of production that I actually look forward to and enjoy. Unlike writing, I don't have to literally force myself to sit down and start working. I am still getting through the remaining commissions, but since they are stopping in July, I'm feeling a lot less burned out.

I'm hoping July will be my most productive month yet.

Until next time!

— LockedOn.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2063530/Methods_The_Canada_Files/

View the backlog of devlogs here on my website!

Support the game's development on Patreon!

It's been a while, French Canadians... but I'm back!



I was on a trip for the whole month of May, working remotely to write File 02. I'm very pleased to say that all five chapters in File 02 have now been written. This one was very difficult to write, and I'm eager to finally be able to focus on what I enjoy way more: creating and implementing all the sprites, music, backgrounds, etc.

My progress has been slower, partly due to taking on art commissions this year. So I will be pausing commissions from July onward, and hopefully that will let me invest more time and energy into progress on the game. It's definitely taking longer than I estimated — what else is new?

This week, I have to get through my queue of commissions, but I will also be coding expressions and implementing what I can. Work on backgrounds will start very soon.

Until next time!

— LockedOn.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2063530/Methods_The_Canada_Files/

View the backlog of devlogs here on my website!

Support the game's development on Patreon!

Bonjour, French Canadians!



Chapter 2 is finally complete — that might have been the most difficult chapter I've had to write yet. Partly because I'm still planning out the mystery. This File is proving to be a tough one, but I'm excited about it.

This week, writing continues.

Until next time!

— LockedOn.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2063530/Methods_The_Canada_Files/

View the backlog of devlogs here on my website!

Support the game's development on Patreon!