Anima Flux News

Hey y'all!

We've been off radar for a while, and for a good reason! We showcased our game on DevGAMM Moscow 2019 last week, and the upcoming week will give us another great opportunity. Casual Connect London will also see Lost in Sky! So as you can imagine, the whole team has been fixing bugs, hunting glitches, polishing things, and improving the demo version.

Here's the list of major fixes and improvements:

• Suicidal enemies now blow up if hit by an arrow
  
  
  
  
• We improved the looks of the Sewers
  
  
  
  
• Double-checked if avatars grab and hold as intended;
  
• Fixed the situation when characters failed to detect a cage platform;
  
• Improved the AI bot's movements (previously it ended up falling off platforms instead of landing on a higher one; it also fell off the moving platforms while following the player);
  
• Fixed the controls in accordance with your feedback to the demo version.
  

Today we're working on the feedback we received during DevGAMM in Moscow. We're also putting your previous vision to good use!

New updates are coming very soon!

Hi all!

Today we're going to tell you about Lost in Sky's new mechanics and visual updates. Let's start with the visuals.

User Interface


The UI has faced the most notable changes:

• we overhauled the character panel:
  
• we brought out the active character;
  

• HP and armor bars are now larger and better readable;
  
• we also moved the stamina bar to the character panel and changed its appearance.
  

Shortcuts

We added a tooltip in the lower left-hand corner. Now you can see the control keys (or gamepad shortcuts if you're playing on a console):

• tab — switch between the characters;
  
• Q — order the partner to follow the active character;
  
• H — use health kit;
  
• G — drop a health kit for the partner.
  

We're refining all game visual effects and animations. Eileen the archer received a few upgrades.

Upgraded arrows


She shoots faster, sharper, and the arrows leave a clear bright "trail" behind them.



Fan shot


With the new animation this shot looks even more spectacular, and its lethality is beyond any doubt.



Power shot


Since we're on the subject, let's talk about the new mechanics. Eileen's power shots are now able to pierce through targets. The new ability allows you to shoot a pack of monsters, unfortunate enough to stand too close to each other.



Grenades

Normally they would bounce off the walls and explode with a short delay. We've made them smarter than that. If you aim carefully and throw it precisely into a cocoon, it'll go off right away! Leave nothing to chance!



That's all for today. We'll see you again soon!

Hi all!

Today we are going to tell you about our work on the combat system in Lost in Sky.

In this update, we stuck to several basic ideas:

• Making the combat more realistic and spectacular;
  
• Making the battles more dynamic and aggressive;
  
• Encouraging player's quick reaction and turning down the reluctant playstyle.
  

Here's what we implemented:

Characters' basic and power blows

The new animations made the combat even more realistic. Roy puts all his bodyweight in a sword blow, and Eileen bends her bow with all the might. Attacks look sharper, swifter, and more threatening than before.



However, we wouldn't want to turn the game into one big hack-and-slash no-brainer. Characters stop after dealing a blow or shooting an arrow. This encourages the player to watch the attack timers and choose the exact moment to deal another blow. We'll be monitoring this mechanic and fixing it if needed.



Stamina

We had to redesign the stamina system to support the rapid combat. Now characters consume stamina very quickly, but it restores in no time.

Dash

Each character now has a unique, specific blow:

Roy makes a short dash to zip between the targets in combat



Eileen's dash has become longer. Now she can jump forward and shoot the enemy that's following her.



In addition, all dashes now consume less stamina, and you can use them more often.

Monsters

We speeded up the gameplay and the characters, so we couldn't leave the monsters behind. Their cooldowns and behavior were upgraded and enhanced. Now they can run faster and hit more accurately.



Moving is living. With the new rapid gameplay, our players have a real reason to live up to this slogan!

We'll see you soon!

Hi all!

We're currently working on another big update. In the meantime, here are a few small but significant changes we made.

New main menu


Let's start from the main menu screen. We completely redesigned it.



Improved visual effect of suicidal worm explosion


The new animation reflects the impact of the explosion: chunks of monster's body fly in all directions, and a poisonous cloud appears to affect everyone in the area.



Redesigned flying fish


We also overhauled the fish from the Sewers. Previously they aimed at biting the characters. Now they prefer attack from a distance, darting caviar that explodes and deals damage.



New grenade explosion animation


We've already told you about Roy's new weapon, the grenade that bounces off on impact and explodes with a short delay. The explosion now comes with a bright blue flare and a handful of shrapnel scattering everywhere.



New control levers


We completely redesigned them and highlighted their indicators in color (ON/OFF).



Item pickup visuals


Previously you could miss how a character picks up an item. Now when an item is picked up, its icon bounces and gets highlighted in the inventory.



Armor

We placed pieces of armor throughout the levels: you can loot single plates (1 Armor point) from monsters and cocoons, whereas full sets are stored in lockers and boxes.



These are the most glowing examples of the latest changes. The complete list is way longer and a whole lot more interesting! Stay tuned for our superbosses in the upcoming news!

Hi all!

Our protagonists are descending deeper into Ark's underlying structures to understand how massive the damage was. Today we'll have a look at a location called the Sewers, with the new scenery, new mechanics, and, of course, enemies.

The Sewers. The undercity. It has never seen a lot of visitors, apart from patrols and maintenance staff. This influenced the way the location looks. Unlike Barracks, it doesn't have much gore or dead bodies. A complex structure of pipes, pools and puddles in the corridors, flooded rooms—that's what the characters see when they first get to this location.



Water is a great basis for some new mechanics.

Puddles on the floor.


They're pretty shallow, ankle-deep, but they slow down the characters' movement speed, making them more exposed to danger.



Flooded rooms.


Whole sectors were flooded after the mutant attack, and life-support systems went out of order. Such rooms are impossible to walk through without special equipment. First you must drain them with special pumps. Sometimes the obstacle is too big, and you need to drain it in several rounds to be able to pass.



The sewers collected excess water and ARK's sewage. Water purification system allowed to filter out clear water and waste and reuse them. The attack put the purification system out of order, and contagious water flooded the premises. All this affected the monsters that dwell in the Sewers.

Flying fish.

Large specimen, whose fins mutated into some sort of tentacles.



Exploding bugs and worms.

Toxic liquid had an unexpected impact on bugs and worms. The survival mechanism was replaced with uncontrollable rage and an urge to kill. As soon as a mutant spots an enemy, it goes berserk and makes a suicidal attack, its toxic blood explodes and contaminates everything in the area.



As you see, water isn't only a source of life, but it also may cause big trouble. Can it get any nastier on ARK? Stay tuned, and you will find out! See you soon.