July Development Update
This month the soundtrack for the colony was finished and implemented, so I figured it’d be a great time to take a look at the colony itself, the hub for your adventure.
I wish I could say that things have been moving fast, but that’s just not how game development works. There was a lot of behind the scenes stuff and little things that will have a large impact, like economy and balance changes.
The big change is that I got rid of save points entirely. They’re all gone, no more saving. Instead, the game now autosaves every time you change rooms. It’s a small thing, but not having to stop the game to save makes a big difference. Plus it makes things easier for me to test and fix as I play through the game. Surprisingly little broke when I made this change, but there are always a few weird fringe cases you have to account for.
As we approach the polishing stage, I’m slowly phasing out my (not great) art for higher quality stuff. Hence, there’s a mix of old and new art here, especially with regards to the characters and some of the objects seen here. Things will gradually start changing to better art, but for now there’s a mix that you’ll notice.
You’re not alone on this planet. A group of people were sent here to investigate the rifts a while ago. They’ll help you out on your journey.
You can stop by the item shop to buy and sell items. Selling things to the shop will add it to the supply so you can buy more. Plus you’ll get a few other goodies by filling up their stock, so try to collect them all.
The weaponsmith will let you customize your playstyle by equipping skill chips. Gathering stardust will let you equip more of them. How many are there to find?
You can also exchange skill coins that you get when you find a duplicate chip for chips of various rarities. When you do this you’ll also get a selection of chips that you can choose from instead of just getting one at random.
Unfortunately, most of the colonists have since been lost in various small rifts across the planet. Close the rifts and you’ll free the colonist inside.
Rescuing people will send them back to the colony, where they’ll each offer unique services for you.
Around the planet you’ll find translocator rooms. These can take you to and from the colony, so you’re never too far from home base.
Here’s a preview of the soundtrack for the colony. I really like this one, it just has a sort of homey feel to it.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
That’s all for this month. It’s been very exciting to approach the polish stage, but there’s still a fair amount to do. Expect to see a lot of visual changes in the coming months.
I wish I could say that things have been moving fast, but that’s just not how game development works. There was a lot of behind the scenes stuff and little things that will have a large impact, like economy and balance changes.
The big change is that I got rid of save points entirely. They’re all gone, no more saving. Instead, the game now autosaves every time you change rooms. It’s a small thing, but not having to stop the game to save makes a big difference. Plus it makes things easier for me to test and fix as I play through the game. Surprisingly little broke when I made this change, but there are always a few weird fringe cases you have to account for.
As we approach the polishing stage, I’m slowly phasing out my (not great) art for higher quality stuff. Hence, there’s a mix of old and new art here, especially with regards to the characters and some of the objects seen here. Things will gradually start changing to better art, but for now there’s a mix that you’ll notice.
The Colony
You’re not alone on this planet. A group of people were sent here to investigate the rifts a while ago. They’ll help you out on your journey.
You can stop by the item shop to buy and sell items. Selling things to the shop will add it to the supply so you can buy more. Plus you’ll get a few other goodies by filling up their stock, so try to collect them all.
The weaponsmith will let you customize your playstyle by equipping skill chips. Gathering stardust will let you equip more of them. How many are there to find?
You can also exchange skill coins that you get when you find a duplicate chip for chips of various rarities. When you do this you’ll also get a selection of chips that you can choose from instead of just getting one at random.
Unfortunately, most of the colonists have since been lost in various small rifts across the planet. Close the rifts and you’ll free the colonist inside.
Rescuing people will send them back to the colony, where they’ll each offer unique services for you.
Around the planet you’ll find translocator rooms. These can take you to and from the colony, so you’re never too far from home base.
Soundtrack Preview- The Colony
Here’s a preview of the soundtrack for the colony. I really like this one, it just has a sort of homey feel to it.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
That’s all for this month. It’s been very exciting to approach the polish stage, but there’s still a fair amount to do. Expect to see a lot of visual changes in the coming months.