Forgive Me Father 2 News

Greetings, Cultists!

Praise be to the Great Old Ones; the time of long, dark, nights filled with restless anticipation is here again. So let's celebrate, shall we?

Even the inmates of Forgive Me Father 2's mental institution feel the spirit of the season, and have been moved by it to decorate the hub to mark this festive time of the year - now, you can take your between-levels break or change equipment next to colorful lights and a Christmas tree.:



And while this is not one of the planned big content updates yet, we would like to present all fans of our game with a small Christmas gift - we have patched many of the issues you've reported, tweaked gameplay balance in some areas and made several visual improvements as well - check the full changelog below!

And if you would like to be a part of Forgive Me Father 2's development journey, have your voice heard and impact the final form of the game, please, share all your feedback here in Steam discussions, leave a review or better yet, drop by our Discord!

Happy holidays, and have a wonderful and crazy New Year 2024, everyone!

[h2]Full Changelog:[/h2]

[h3]Weapons[/h3]

• Bullets fired from non-projectile weapons now have visual tracers
  
• Shooting a single bullet with some fast firing weapons is now easier
  
• Fixed explosive projectiles sometimes disappearing when fired
  
• Hitting enemies with shotgun-like weapons is now a bit more lenient
  
• Improved weapon muzzle flash brightness and bloom
  
• Pump Shotgun - Increased firing speed
  
• Grenade Launcher - Increased firing speed
  
• Rocket Launcher - Fixed second firing frame position on screen
  
• Fixed weapon stretching on different resolutions and aspect ratios
  
• Fixed weapon disappearing when using Flashlight or activating Dark Tome with
  
• precise timing
  

[h3]Enemy Tweaks and Fixes[/h3]

• Enemies can now see through windows and shoot at them
  
• Enemies can no longer start an attack while they are in the air
  
• Enemy blood will no longer appear stretched near corners and walls
  
• Enemies’ wake up sounds will now play properly after changing difficulty
  

[h3]Levels[/h3]

• When replaying a level, all found secrets, tokens, dialogue and picked up weapons
  
• won’t appear anymore
  
• Added new window glass textures on all levels
  
• Now after pressing the “Restart Level” button, a confirmation popup appears
  

Asylum

• Fixed bug with unresponsive enemies in the canteen and the dark section
  
• Fixed gap between textures in the first cell
  
• Moved part of the wall that player could walk on in the first corridor
  
• Moved the first lever a little bit lower
  
• Added wooden scaffolding above the canteen door, which prevents player
  
• from skipping parts of the level
  
• dded two more Civilians in the canteen
  
• Covered the window that was showing the end of the map (in the last room)
  

Port

• Added the missing wall in the staircase
  
• Now, enemies next to the hostel are spawned when the player is close enough
  
• Fixed bug with enemies blocking between beds in the hostel corridor
  
• Blocked all the windows to the rooms that shouldn’t be accessible (in the hostel section)
  
• Removed access to the boat’s chimney
  
• Walking across the bridge on the outer side of barriers and skipping the whole bridge section is no longer possible
  

Shipyard

• Added wooden frames in the destroyed building in the first section
  
• Fixed bug with unresponsive enemies in the big warehouse
  
• Blocked a window near the red key
  
• Fixed bug with Liquidator not being able to go above the small space between containers
  
• Added new music in the final fight
  
• Removed access to the boat’s chimney
  

Sanctuary

• Fixed low frame rate when the tombs are moving
  
• Fixed bouncy movement on some stairs
  
• Fixed an issue with player not being able to jump after destroying an explosive barrel
  
• Added an additional layer to the dynamic ambient at the end of the level
  

Cathedral

• Fixed enemies spawning and staying out of arena’s bounds during the last fight
  
• Fixed bouncy movement on some stairs
  
• In the second room of catacombs, Liquidators have been replaced with Civilians on the higher platform; one more Liquidator was added on the ground floor
  
• Added collision for the cathedral’s roof
  
• Increased wall height near the destroyed statue
  

Trenches

• Player can no longer bypass the trigger spawning enemies before arena fight
  
• Fixed a levitating rock near the red key section
  
• Added some wooden beams above the first door
  

Front Line

• Fixed glitchy movement on the boxes in the first secret area
  

Villa

• Added new stove and burner meshes in the kitchen area
  
• Jumping through the ledge in the library room is no longer possible
  
• Added missing poster texture in the secret area
  
• Fixed glitchy movement in the barrel area
  

Abandoned Tunnels

• Added a hole with water to remove fall damage when player leaves ventilation
  
• Fixed bouncy movement on some stairs
  
• Fixed an issue where train door could open before killing all enemies
  

Sinking Station

• Added sounds of footsteps in shallow water
  
• Fixed a bug when players were able to trap themselves between rocks in the first tunnel.
  
• Fixed blurry blood on the wall
  
• Moved a wooden box which was colliding with steel construction
  

Court of Sanity

• Fight now resets properly after player’s death
  
• Readjusted attack damage for all phases
  
• Saving is now unavailable during the boss fight
  
• Removed collisions of meshes in elevator which could block the player
  
• Fixed player taking damage when damaging the boss with certain explosives
  
• “Finish Level” text is now more visible
  

[h3]Graphical Fixes[/h3]

• VSync now locks framerate to the highest available refresh rate (bear in mind that VSync only takes effect in Fullscreen Mode)
  
• Door padlocks’ color now change depending on the key required
  
• Framerate limiter now has more values available including all found refresh rates
  
• Pickup frame now matches screen aspect ratio
  
• HUD frame now looks properly on super ultrawide resolutions
  
• Fixed some textures appearing blurry
  

Dark Tome

• Better screen visibility while Dark Tome is active
  
• Dark Tome screen effect no longer removes outlines while active
  
• Fixed some blood particles not being colored properly while Dark Tome is active
  
• Increased blood color fading distance
  
• Screen effect now fades in when Dark Tome activates
  

[h3]General Fixes[/h3]

• Added epilepsy warning
  
• Fixed an issue with buttons not being focused after finishing a level using gamepads
  
• Menu UI & UX improvements (including ultrawide resolutions)
  
• Fixed some cases where loading the game could result in unexpected behavior
  
• Flashlight radius is now larger on higher FOV values
  
• “Big Game” achievement now requires killing the enemy directly
  
• Improvements to audio when returning to main menu
  
• Music now pauses when pausing the game
  
• Shooting the traffic sign to make it spin now works with directly hit explosive projectiles
  
• Improved light flickering in some places
  
• Fixed an issue which could lead to player receiving falling damage when landing in water on low framerate
  
• Fixed an issue with player not being able to jump in some cases
  

Greetings, cultists,

We made it to the TOP 100 of IndieDB Awards 2023, and that's only thanks to your support - you guys are the best! This nomination alone is a tremendous accomplishment for us, but let's finish this fight and push Forgive Me Father 2 into the Top10! ːsteamthisːːsteamthisːːsteamthisː

Voting is possible until December 20, and every vote counts - so tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell random people on the street*!

Spread the word of the Great Old Ones, cultists - just make sure to click that nice red "vote" button next to Forgive Me Father 2 on the voting page!



And of course, it's worth checking out the rest of the Top100 list - as in the previous round, you can vote for more than one title and there are some tremendous games worthy of your attention there; including all of Fulqrum Publishing releases from this year! ːsteamhappyː

Thank you, everyone!

*unless they carry a bigger or more Lovecraftian-looking weapon than you, in which case we would advise against approaching them

Hello, Cultists!

It's the Byte Barrel team again, and we’re here today to shed some light on the Forgive Me Father 2's flashlight system. If you’re interested in how it was designed and want to learn more about the way it enriches the dreadful atmosphere of the game, then dive in.

Design and purpose explained

When designing the flashlight system, our goal was to fit it into both of the two main cores of Forgive Me Father 2: dynamic, action-packed gameplay and a horror atmosphere straight from the myths of H.P. Lovecraft. So, creating a tool that allows players to see in the dark is one thing, but delivering a system that connects these two worlds is an entirely different story. So how did we approach it?

The flashlight system is all about building tension and the feeling of dread, but also creating as immersive experience as possible. That said, we wanted to make the flashlight an integral part of the gameplay and not something that the player would use once or twice just to read runes scratched on a wall.

Another goal we set for ourselves was to make it satisfying and fun to use. From smooth animation with additional camera shake to sound effects that are not repetitive, but actually change depending on how long you charge the flashlight for.



Okay, but how does it actually work?

Much like the lantern in the previous installment, the flashlight is the primary source of light for the Priest in Forgive Me Father 2. It’s activated by pulling the cord, which spins a dynamo inside that powers the tool.

Each pull charges the flashlight for a short amount of time, allowing you to prepare for longer fights in a darker area or another round of exploration. The effect stacks up to a total of two minutes, but that’s not always enough during the longer battles - so don’t forget to refresh it if you don’t want to be left in the dark.



How does the flashlight enrich the atmosphere of dread?

We said before that the system is designed to connect the dynamic gameplay and horror aspects of the game, but let’s focus on the second one since that’s where the flashlight truly shines. Imagine it unexpectedly going off in the middle of the fight because you were too absorbed in fighting hordes of enemies and simply forgot to charge it. And did I mention that the arena was completely dark?

Another mechanic affecting the dark atmosphere of the game is the flashlight’s fading light, which begins to flicker when it's close to running out of power. With the diminishing light, the players’ field of vision is getting smaller and smaller, playing with their minds and making everything around them a potential threat. Oh, and don’t forget about jumpscares when a zombie or a cultist suddenly appears before you just after you activate the flashlight.



That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and make sure to get yourself a copy of Forgive Me Father 2 if you haven't done it already; and if you did, leaving a review of it here on Steam would be really nice! And remember to drop by our Discord whenever you want to chat with us and other players!

Oh and don't forget that you still have time to nominate Forgive Me Father 2 for this year's IndieDB Awards! This link will lead you there!

Until next time,
Byte Barrel Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2272250/Forgive_Me_Father_2/

Hello everyone!

The mightiest indie game awards are here yet again and we humbly ask for your help with the nominations!

Forgive Me Father 2 has launched into Early Access this year and thus it can be nominated for "Indie of the Year 2023"!

All you have to do to push the game through the first round is head to its IndieDB store page and click VOTE NOW on the shining green banner!

This voting decides if we make it to the Top 100 and if we do, we're going to need your help once more, so stay tuned! You can vote until the first round ends on December 10.

Thank you all for your support, don't forget to stop by at our social media accounts and join the official Forgive Me Father 2 Discord!

Hello Cultists!

It’s time for another DevLog, and today we’re here to talk about... weapons! In this piece, we would like to shed some light on the process of designing tools of destruction in Forgive Me Father 2.

When designing weapons for the sequel, we have that one little advantage over the first installment, which is players’ feedback. We want to take what we’ve learned from the exciting journey Forgive Me Father was, and once again give players the experience they deserve by creating weapons that are creative, look stunning, and most importantly, are fun to play.

Speaking of stunning looks, if you like the way we portray guns, enemies, environments and, well, everything, please consider nominating Forgive Me Father 2 for the Steam Awards in the Outstanding Visual Style category - details can be found here. But we digress; let's get back to all the things that go BOOM!

[h3]What can players expect from weapon design in the sequel? [/h3]

Forgive Me Father had some really awesome weapons, like a Spitter shotgun (the one covered in tentacles), which felt fun to use, looked badass, and sounded powerful. And when it comes to the sequel, we won’t settle for less. You can expect weapons to paint the room red and to produce tons of that sweet, sweet gore, and all of that with style — comic-style, to be exact.

We are trying to create an arsenal of balanced weapons that can be exchanged depending on your preferences and current needs. We want players to be able to use the weapons they like for more than just one level, to use them throughout the whole game if they want to. Let’s take a starting pistol, for instance. There are many games where well-designed pistols can be used for most of the walkthrough or even the entire experience, to take care of weaker enemies or just to finish the wounded ones.

In Forgive Me Father, variations of the same weapon archetype differ significantly. Some of them are designed around completely different play styles, so everyone will be able to find something for themselves. When one gun is perfect for obliterating Lovecraftian monstrosities in close combat, the other is better suited for landing a killing shot from afar, for example.



[h3]Here’s a sneak peak at creative process [/h3]

Concept:
It all starts with asking the right questions. What weapons would players love to see in the sequel? What is the purpose of this particular weapon? Is it Lovecraftian enough?

Our goal is to make every weapon unique and have a different vibe. Let’s say a revolver feels like it has weight while you hold it. It's ancient but reliable — it’s your old friend. On the other hand, weapons may look like the newest technological achievement (remember that it's the XX century) that has just left the production line. And let’s not forget about weapons straight from Lovecraftian horrors, covered by tentacles and powered by unknown forces. Lots of guns, lots of possibilities.

Art:
As soon as we get the idea of the weapon we want to make, the process of creating sprites begins. Based on everything we have gathered until now, our artist creates several drafts to finally pick “the one” together with our creative director. After that, we’re working on detailing the chosen variant. Some tweaks here and there until we achieve a version that matches our needs.

The process is quite simple, but it’s definitely better to show you how it actually looks, than go into detail in writing. Take a little peek at the Revolver’s concept graphic.



Animation:
Okay, so we have the looks, now it’s time to bring these weapons to life, and that’s when our animator steps in. The whole process revolves around making smooth and fun-to-watch animations while maintaining a distinctive comic-like feel. So, how is it done?

Weapon animations use a combination of two animation techniques: frame-by-frame and rig animation. In the sequel, we’re taking weapon animations to the next level by adding depth to them with custom-made camera movements for every weapon. The advantage of animating frame by frame is that you have total freedom over how the weapon looks or moves. Essentially, we combine the strengths of the two approaches, and as a result, we can make stylized and smooth-looking gun animations much faster.

Another thing completely new for us is creating reload animations, since there simply were no reloads in the first installment. Those of you who played classic FPS games from the 90s will understand. As the final step, we’re working on small but important details like adding muzzle flashes or their substitutes.



[h3]The final phase![/h3]

It’s testing time! As for the last part of designing weapons, we simply take them for a spin to look for glitches and possible defects. The testing loop looks something like this: gameplay-looks-gameplay-looks, and that’s until we’re completely happy with the results.

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and make sure to get yourself a copy of Forgive Me Father 2 if you haven't done it already and if you did, leaving a review of it here on Steam would be really nice! And don’t forget to drop by our Discord to chat with us and other players!

Until next time,
Byte Barrel Team