Version 0.5

I don’t even know how to properly describe what has been done over the past 7 months.

Between previous updates, there were usually 10-20 tasks completed. This time, there were about 90 completed.

Let's start with the most important things:

• ːexpeditionː The second mission of the main story has been added

  You can select it in the main hub. You can simply start a new game, skip the intro cutscenes, and select "Hub" in the pause menu.

  

  ːshieldyourassː Shield now has the ability to do rocket boost up or sideways.

  

  

  ːgreen_tileː Reworked tile system

  There used to be two variations of tile sizes, this made it very difficult for other systems to work, so the decision was made to bring everything down to one size.

  Steam post image

  ːfbmiteː New enemies: an explosive RC-car and a taser-ball.

  

  ːR96_danceː Animated emotes / taunts for characters, activated via the command wheel.

  More animations will be added in the future.

  

  ːPlanetWaterː Water

  Changes movement parameters. Deadly to robots. Has oxygen mechanics with corresponding indicators and visual effects.

  

  ːSPRAYː Spray

  It is now possible to draw obscenities on walls, although it was originally intended that the spray may be needed for the player to help navigate by drawing marks.

  

  ːcommandingː Give commands to your partner to move and hold the position indicated by the cursor. And also the ability to call back.

  ːcybereyeː Game AI: Estli has learned to operate her energy shield to protect characters and disarm certain types of hazards.

  ːfilmː The player's game windows are collected in a separate UI bar on the side.

  ːcoopː Holographic hints on devices that interact with other objects.

  ːtime_not_muchː Time slowdown in some situations. For example, opening the command wheel, or transitioning the camera while changing the current character.

Small features:

• ːexplodingː Visual indicators when taking damage, healing, low health, dragging items.

• ːSK_Decayː A short period of invulnerability for the character when receiving damage.

• ːtimelyː Message with timer to return to previous screen resolution, when you set a new value in the settings.

• ːRCCubeː New usable items: a coupon, a battery, and an electric grenade.

• ːpcbs_hddː New metadata for save files: date, version.

• ːBeachTreeː New decorations, elements of the environment.

• ːtrap_lineː Outline for front tiles. A visual enhancement that helps distinguish the front layer.

• ːrr_basketballː I couldn't sleep peacefully until I made a basketball throwable. :)

• ːtiselementsː The command wheel can now be controlled not only with the mouse, but also with the numbers on the keyboard.

• ːsx2flagː Auto-save checkpoints are now visually shown on the location as beacons.

• ːCircuitsː New wiring components - timers, shield attack triggers.

• ːenergiumː Changed the logic of recharging depleted energy for weapons.

• ːgadgetː New traps.

• ːHAL_PaperPlaneː Controlled movement in the air.

• ːtd_sawː New animation for sideways melee attack.

Fixes:

• ːPlayItOutː Fixed some bugs in playback of sounds with active pause.

• ːcsgoglobeː Simplified mission start directly through the global map in the hub.

• ːRCRunː Route building and character movement have become more organized. But it still needs some tweaking.

I may have forgotten about some other minor improvements that were often made in parallel to the tasks described.

Overall, what was added was done to make the gameplay more enjoyable and fun, and to make some hidden mechanics more obvious and understandable.

-So I'll see you again in another seven months?

It's hard to say. I'm still pondering whether or not it would make sense to put the project into early access when the next couple of new missions are ready.

A full game would require a complete campaign with a set of levels, but that's not all I wanted to do. The game's design docs featured secondary characters that intersect during the main missions and have their own hubs and goals in this world. Moreover, the game already has assets for other biomes and some locations, but they are not used because they are not tied to the plot or gameplay in any way.

While I didn't intend this game to be a sandbox builder, I do want to add a level editor and Steam Workshop support. There is no more pleasant thing for a craftsman than to look at what other people create with his tools.

-When is the game planned to be released?

To be honest, it was planned for this summer.))0)

And I could have made a dozen samey levels with no cutscenes and no new mechanics to meet that deadline. But would you play another rock field simulator? I don't think so.

I would even say that it will take another couple of years at best, considering the pace at which a person who has set himself a dozen roles can physically work. It would have been many times easier to just try on a clown suit instead, and get over it if I wasn't stubborn as a sheep.

-Will there be tech blogs on development?

Maybe.

I mentioned in the last post that I was thinking about making a couple of these on the topic of generalized problem solving. In particular, I wanted to cover the topic of control of the game world, talk about the set of tools that were made for this project, and also tell a bunch of life hacks from not very good design decisions of the engine itself, on which the game was made, but decided not to rush with this.

My opinion about what and how I use it in my work often changes. Accordingly, it is better to write a blog about the solutions when the design has been reliably verified by time of use, or when there is simply no better alternative.

Some things are being replaced, the rest are accumulating, someday I'll have to make time and tell you about them.