It is about time to catch up with development updates. One reason is that our planned release date is approaching quickly. The other good reason (if not a better one) is that the last update has been written for January. Even if you count the summary of the Alpha testing (this post right here, includes a nice infographic with the results), it has been a long time.
So let me sum up what is new and what has kept us busy:
- AI - basically, the whole AI has been written anew. Not that there was something wrong with it. Let's just say it was too simple for where we ended up with the game, the gameplay outgrew it. After the Alpha testing, we felt that we need to offer more interactive possibilities with enemies to players. Not only can they spot you and start chasing you (which you should still be able to escape), they will now also change their previous guarding patterns and pathways. This brings a bit more randomness after each encounter. In combination with the alarm (which can be triggered by e.g. crossing laser array scanners or by the enemies themselves), you will have a challenging escape ahead of you. And that is just one example.
- New assets - when we finish a new game object, we usually post a picture of it right away. Last months were a little light when it comes to new assets. We modeled, textured and placed those last few that were originally planned. In most of the cases these are only decorations in the corridors. Various barrels, hazards (e.g. recently announced Tesla Coil - here) or Info Signs are just an example. The underground mining colony yet again feels a bit more alive. Of course I keep the best pieces unrevealed for a surprise to be found in the game :)
- Collectibles - Woblings - I bet you have noticed these small robots already! Now, they are in the game and exactly in the way we meant them to be. When you find them (not that straight forward in every level as you might think), you can save them by a simple tap. They will then find the nearest exit automatically and you may have a good feeling about yourself for saving another (robotic) life. In the replay level menu you can see how many you have successfully saved in each level. And with each retry, you can save more Woblings.
What is still ahead of us?
Mainly beta testing & bug fixing. This one will take a shorter time but will be more intensive and more thorough. Other than that, there are small things like dubbing, optimizations and promo videos. Yes, the release date is right around the corner!
Stay tuned for the next update and announcement of beta testing (we will include nice rewards to the testers again)!
-- Matej & team gamificc games
