Update log
Full DYSPLACED update
The complete published notes, normalized for clean reading and source attribution.
Repeated intro
Hello! This is our first dev diary for this year. As should, we’ve been busy developing the game, and it is progressing quite nicely. There have been some nice new additions to Dysplaced. While I cannot offer a comprehensive package on a singular set of features this time, there are still some interesting things to discuss. As always, everything shown is considered a work in progress, so if something looks janky, that is why.
Extracted changes
- Gameplay
Horse
What would an adventure in a fantasy setting be without a trusty steed? People hoped for a mount in our last game, Dysmantle, but we could not get the mechanic working properly. We had an internal “demo” of the feature, but it looked too goofy to release.
In Dysplaced, you can tame a horse at a certain point in the game. First, you need to learn how to accomplish the feat of taming, and then you need to find a suitable equestrian buddy to tag along with your adventures. After that is said and done, you will gain access to the “Horse Whistle,” which will almost magically bring your new buddy to where you need them.
While riding is already implemented, there is always some fine-tuning regarding animations, so consider this visual work in progress. It would also be fun to add some additional mechanics to your horse so it wouldn’t just be a four-hooved taxi, and we are open to listening to your suggestions.
Talking mechanics
With the addition of NPCs comes the necessity of conversing with them; otherwise, they are just background fodder. We aren’t trying to aim for the level of complexity in dialogue choices seen in large blockbuster RPGs such as the Baldur’s Gate series, so don’t expect deep moral choices. A good comparison would be how the Legend of Zelda series handles conversations. You engage in the act of speechcraft with any given NPC, and a text box containing the vital information pops out.
You are free to read the text at your leisure, and as with Dysmantle, we have some keywords highlighted in different colors depending on the context. As a bonus, there is a small portrait of the person you are talking to to give some added depth as you watch longfully into those big, loving eyes… Ahem. We won’t likely have multiple dialogue options for the player. Still, at some points, the player character will have a preset answer to guide the conversation, giving the dialogue more structure.
Primary Attacks & Secondary Attacks
In the last dev diary, we talked about combat a bit, and since then, we have made some additions. In Dysmantle, you had two attacks: the basic attack and the power attack. The basic attack was a repeating swing, and the power attack was a stronger attack you activated by holding the attack button down. This time, we separated the two attack types into different buttons and renamed them “The Primary Attack” and “The Secondary Attack,” wild stuff, I know.
The primary attack is the "standard" set of swings for a weapon, the basic option, so to speak. These are utilized both in combat and for breaking objects. There's a three-part combo animation for each weapon type so the attacks flow together more seamlessly. We might add some parameters and added value for the player on executing the combo fully, but this possibility is still under review - we try to avoid too much complexity with the combat as this isn't a fully combat focused game.
The Secondary Attack usually has an added effect
Source