Developer Diary #3

Intro

Hey again,

It's time to go over some content we've been working on! (and some thoughts about balancing...)

It's been a little bit since we released the latest patch for the Demo build. We're committed to refreshing the demo where possible, keeping it as an accurate game representation. However, less content will be added going forward. We've finished adding animations and UI changes now - our focus is mostly on upcoming areas, weapons, gadgets and fun.

The Screaming Caves

This town is functionally complete, which is very exciting for us. We've been working on it for a couple of months now and we're very proud of the outcome. Animations and sound effects are still on the to-do list, but the new enemies such as the Petrighoul, Oxidised Miner, Cave Ganderer and Petrified Pincer are all complete!

Of course, being a major town, all the usual staples are included. A new set of bounties, a new minigame and a couple of hidden secrets.

Sonic Weapons

Well, not weapons exactly...

Fighting through the caves has taught you something quite valuable. Ghostly enemies are vulnerable to Sonic emission. Defeat the Horseman of Famine, Psyanite, to receive your first Screeching Grenade. This is a gadget which can break Resonant Objects and allow passage into Banshee's Bluff.

We'll show off more of the caves at a later date as we don't want to spoil everything. One thing is for sure - this town is full of surprises!

Up Next, Banshee's Bluff

Set in the Icy hours of the cliffside morning, Banshee's Bluff is a minor town similar to Wraithwood. What it lacks in cornfields + warmth, it gains in beauty and exploratory value.

Banshee's Bluff is a former mining town and the design reflects that. Buildings aren't quite as fancy as Stickstead, they're built for purpose. However the Gorehouse Saloon is perhaps the finest source of soup for miles around. You'll have to fight your way past the Encroacher first.

Visuals for this town have only just started, so we cant share the soul-fuelled steam bridge, the icy river or the brutal strength of the Frosted Foreman just yet.

This location as always will provide new gadgets, enemies and weapons. But more notably than that, it'll give you the first Ascension Runes.

Ascension Runes

Ascension runes are ancient scriptures capable of improving your weapon's performance. They allow you to bring older weapons up to standard and keep them viable in your fight against the corruption.

These can be applied similarly to Runes, which are more mystic and add otherworldly abilities to each weapon.

For simplicity and .. fun, we've made it so that all effects are applied directly to the weapon itself and not the item you're holding. In other words - you can drop it and pick it up from somewhere else later, you don't have to hold on tight to your beloved rusty revolver.

Music

Marshs has been hard at work creating more amazing music for Defiled West, keeping our boss fights exciting and making Banshee's Bluff feel like it isn't full of bloodthirsty undead.

While these new tracks wont be in the Demo version, all of them will be uploaded to Spotifty and Youtube eventually :)

Future Work & Balancing

So that concludes the exciting bits for this Devlog. But we've been discussing the idea of reworking ability damage so that attacks are percentage based. Later in the game, enemies have more health and more damage. This is fine as your weapons get stronger, but it does mean that abilities fall behind. Spectral Pulse loses it's edge, and spinshot becomes little more than a scratch.

Alternatively, we may reduce enemy health as levels get harder. This would grant the same effect really, but reduce the need for Ascension runes. Either way, we're still trying to make sure the balance feels right as you become the western god of the undead.

Upcoming

As we look to the months ahead, we're aiming to get Banshee's Bluff up to scratch by the end of May. As it's a minor town, no bosses are needed. But as always, it has to feel worth exploring. One of the key points of Defiled West is the lack of reskinned weapons and enemies. The Machete isn't just a bigger knife, it causes bleed. The Gilded Spectral Pickaxe doesn't just look cool, it also casts an ancient spell that does huge damage around itself under the right conditions.

So in line with that, the Chain Sickle is a weapon introduced in this new town which you can throw at enemies, and pull back toward you to rip them apart. It's quite fun to use! Our priority when designing weapons is that they are fun, interesting and fit in our world. There's no "meta weapon" to defeat all others. Weapons are situational. Your OP double barrelled shotgun isn't going to help against a teleporting ghost or a rabid rat skittering through the caves.

We'll see you in a few weeks.

• The Mindmoss Team