What we currently have with PROXY is a fairly simple arcade game where you go from one level to the next till you reach the end (buggy) boss. The goal of this first version of PROXY was to show how smooth the game engine runs as it is now. Certainly, there are bugs. But you have to admit, the game runs pretty good, very stable for the first version of alpha release.
I have been watching people play PROXY on streams to watch HOW they play it without much explanation of the systems that are going on (even though in the Information section of the game contains some basic info on how to play). But there are a lot of small details that people aren't aware of right away.
For one. Shields. People seem to either forget to turn them on or don't realize they exist at all. Pressing E will certainly turn on the shields. The Shield is your friend in a heavy fire situation. When I play, I run with Shields ALL the time. If my shield is down and I have a few moments I turn them off. This is because shields (and energy) recharge faster with the shield off.
Also. People seem to be unaware of the Stealth mechanic. It essentially boils down to a very basic system of not engaging the enemies and making noise. Whenever you fire your main or secondary weapon, your stealth rating turns off and enemies can then detect you at their fullest range (on average 10-14 spaces away). Stealth is still fairly a primitive way to play since it will give you a lesser score rating at the end. This will change in the future with the addition of some power ups and add ons such as the Silencer for the Agent Optic, or more rare upgrades like the Holographic Camouflage and Cloaking Devices. In future versions, stealth will have a more viable score rating system as well.
I will be adding some in game help to introduce new players into some of these details at some point. Getting people to understand how to play without disrupting play by constantly popping up meta-information or heavy-handed tutorials. This is important to me that the play experience is not interrupted the fun begins from the moment you press BEGIN!.
So what is coming to PROXY then? The next update is huge indeed. It will change the basic play of PROXY.
The largest chunk of the update is dedicated to two things. The first is the random level layout along with the mission format. A little on that in a second. The second is a graphical update.
When you load up the next version of PROXY and start a game. The first thing you are going to get to choose is the "Classic Test", which is a more 'enhanced' version of the current version of PROXY where you go from level to level to a fixed boss. The other option is "Mission". Choosing "Mission" will allow you to select from one of three test bosses in the rogue AI gallery. These are the early predecessors of the total gallery of antagonists you will face. After selecting the end boss antagonist of your mission, you will then proceed to the PROXY set up as you remember and then on into the mission.
The gameplay will change on a mission as you will traverse a facility of up to 12 levels deep. Every 3 levels or so the theme and graphics of the area change. Some themes include Warehouse, Factory, Bunker, Mines, Data Center, and so on. On each floor you must unlock the way down and face a mini-boss or a challenge room which may include waves of various bots. As you descend deeper into the facility, bots hit harder and take more damage and you will start encountering a wider variety of bots.
At the bottom you will encounter the boss you selected.
But the boss is not just going to sit in his lair. Each boss is designed to have a number of facility control advantages. Some may make the bots under their command tougher or faster, or even more aware. Hacking nodes may be more difficult or cause an alarm. Some can command squads of bots to seek you out and try to destroy you, hunting from room to room on a floor. Some may even change what you see on the screen or fight with you over control of your PROXY unit.
I will be introducing a few more enemy types in the game as well. This round will introduce the bots "Shield", "Blade" and "Banshee". The Shield runs around and gives other bots shields, and will also repair damaged devices and defenses it encounters. The Blade is much like the pusher, but it charges you to do damage. Consider the Banshee a roaming alarm, which will actively try to dodge your shots while it alerts other bots to your position.
Included in this update will be a number of active and passive power ups not seen in the game yet. These will include missile upgrades, different weapons and handy gadgets.
As you can see, this update will set the precedence for how the game was meant to be.
After that, more surprises yet in game features! So stay tuned! Help support us by buying the game or getting the word out.
-Gary
