Skydeck Swords News

[p]Hello, Pirates![/p][p]A massive THANK YOU to everyone who jumped into the playtest and shared their feedback! If you haven’t had a chance to set sail yet, head over to the main store page and give it a try. It’s free, it’s fun, and it helps me immensely. A win-win-win for the whole crew![/p][p]
[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Visual Overhaul[/h2][p][/p][p]Based on your feedback, I’ve spent the last month upgrading the art and feel of the game. I wanted the world to feel less static and more like a living, breathing world.[/p][h3]
Before[/h3][p][/p][h3]
After[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]As you can see, the new visuals are much more dynamic. The colors pop, the sails catch the solar winds, and dust drifts through the air. The background now has a sense of motion that hopefully makes the whole experience feel alive.[/p][h3]
What do you think?[/h3][h3]Is this the right direction for the game?[/h3][p][/p][h2][/h2][p][/p][h2]Patch Notes[/h2][p]While the focus was on "Art and Feel", I’ve also snuck in several gameplay improvements and bug fixes.[/p]

• [p]Added ship animations[/p]
• [p]Improved map visuals[/p]
• [p]Added Seagulls[/p]
• [p]Ships now sway and wobble and move more[/p]
• [p]Added gravity to ships[/p]
• [p]Reworked how enemies look[/p]
• [p]Each enemy has its own attack animations[/p]
• [p]Removed Intro cutscene for now[/p]
• [p]Dialogue is now much shorter[/p]
• [p]Improved screen shake[/p]
• [p]Improved/Added new Visual Effects[/p]
• [p]Enemy Attack Power is highlighted[/p]
• [p]Improved Upcoming Attack visuals[/p]
• [p]Important tooltips are now highlighted[/p]
• [p]Units now react to being hit or buffed[/p]
• [p]Ranged ships have their own Sky Attack[/p]
• [p]Improved wording on cards/keywords[/p]
• [p]Added Mute Music in Options[/p]
• [p]Improved Ambient sounds on both maps[/p]
• [p]Added new cursor icon[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Hand is properly locked after playing lots of cards at once[/p]
• [p]Fixed delay between units movement[/p]
• [p]Fixed “Power Link” card: no longer copies enemy attacks[/p]
• [p]Fixed “Asteroid” removal after switching maps[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]What’s Next?[/h2][p][/p][p]Hopefully I’m done with the visuals, and I can shift my focus to the next major milestone - content! Expect new cards, new enemies, new maps, and plenty of other-new-stuff. In the meantime, if you like the direction the game is heading, please add it to your Wishlist - it’s the best way to support an indie dev![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]Hello, I'm ArtroDev, a solo developer working on a new game called Skydeck Swords - a game about pirates, sailing ships, space, massive swords, treasures and planets![/p][p][/p][p]If it reminds you about “Treasure Planet” - that’s not an accident! I'm a fan of the world, low sci-fi, pirates, huge galleons, adventures between the stars, sword fights and, of course, loot! But I’m also a fan of “Slay the Spire” and deckbuilding games in general! So why not make a game about it? Mix in a bit of movement and positioning from “Into the Breach”, and you get Skydeck Swords![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Day 1[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]I’ve started developing one game, but it never felt right or fun. So I had to change one thing, then another, then change art, then change all of it again..[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Time to learn[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]I spent weeks just learning how to draw ships, how to properly do pixel art, how to use Aseprite, how to animate... and it was fun! Making games is fun![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Today[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]But it’s hard to make games without anyone telling me if the game is too slow or too difficult or if the boss is too mean! That’s why I’m starting the Playtest! Tell me what I can fix, improve, or add to make you feel like a true Space Pirate![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Playtest[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Just join the Playtest, download the game, and send feedback my way! First, go back to the main page of a game, scroll down, and click "Request Access"!
[/p][h3]What to expect from the Playtest:[/h3]

• [p]Short tutorial[/p]
• [p]One level with a Boss Fight[/p]
• [p]Around 30 min of gameplay[/p]
• [p](NOTE: “Save” button is under development, so please finish your run in one go)[/p]

[p][/p][h3]What I’m still working on:[/h3]

• [p]Capture new ships to build/switch your team[/p]
• [p]Star map with more levels and meta progression[/p]
• [p]More cards, more enemies, more boss fights, more of everything![/p]
• [p]And even a proper Main Menu with options![/p]

[p][/p][p]Leave a comment on what else I should add to the game![/p][p]And don’t forget to Wishlist! It helps a lot![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]