It’s 2023! Welcome back to the Pity Please! Game Development Log. If I am reading the title correctly, it looks like we’re on number 8 now! So, what have we been working on since our last devlog?
New Icons
We’ve been hard at work creating a huge catalogue of items that will be available in the game. Either via purchase, foraging, crafting, or as rewards or requirements for quests! Currently there are XXX, but there are plenty more to come, so be sure to follow the development on Twitter!
Character Generator
We’ve made significant improvements to the code of our character generator. We can now generator NPCs at random, as well as “presets” that spawn with their own unique features like hair color, giving them more personality!
We’ve also optimised how the characters are generated in relation to the player. We can now tune how many “aesthetic” NPCs we want to fill out an area and make the game feel alive, and how many actual mechanic driven NPCs there are that the player can interact with.
Map Updates!
Industrial Zone
We’ve relocated the Factory to a more logical location, at the top of the island near the train station. Along with the factory came the shipping dock, as cargo can now be centralized as it would in real life. This helps build a more believable game world and creates an industrial zone, adding unique areas to the island town!
New Buildings
With the new industrial zone comes new buildings, increasing the variety of architecture on the island of Blessland!
The scrapyard is definitely an area that you will want to visit while playing Pity Please! Perhaps there may be an important NPC, or maybe just a place to spend the night?
The self-storage lot has so many units. I wonder how often their owners forget to pay for the storage, and I wonder what the landlord does about it?
The Mall, which has a parking lot that dynamically changes based on how busy it currently is, great for gauging how popular an area might be for potential panhandling!
Particles
Along with new buildings comes some fancy new lowpoly particle effects! Like the smoke plumes featured in the Industrial Zone and the light from the lighthouse, which interestingly enough was achieved using a single cube! We’ve applied a fancy material to it so that one side is dimmer than the other, while also having it fade off into the distance. We then just made it rotate on a point and here’s the result:
Finally, while not part of any building, though still fitting into the “Particles” header, a lowpoly fire pit for campsites and cooking! It gives off a nice atmosphere, don’t you think?
Equipment Window
We’re excited to introduce a new equipment window, which will allow you to manage your items more effectively with just a few clicks! This new window will provide you with a better understanding of what’s in your inventory and help manage your equipment more efficiently. We’re looking into more customisation options in the future, so be sure to keep following development.
Weather & Metabolism
Last, but not least, we’d like to announce that we’re currently testing new weather, body temperature, and metabolism systems that will add a new level of depth and immersion to the survival aspect of Pity Please!
We’re hoping to include conditions such as light drizzle, heavy rain, and snow, which will affect how you move around and interact with the world. Your body temperature will require you to change your clothing depending on what the weather is, in order to avoid risk of hypothermia or hyperthermia. While the metabolism system will require you to keep track of your food and water intake, directly affecting your health and stamina!
Thanks For Reading!
With that, we conclude devlog number 8.
We'll be sharing more updates on these systems in future development logs. Be sure to follow us on social media and Wishlist the game on Steam to stay up to date with the latest news and updates.
Thank you for your continued support of Pity Please! We can't wait to share more with you soon.
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Been following for a while looks like a cross of Stardew, Zomboid and Hardlife. Cant wait!