Still Alive: Major Game Updates

First off, I sincerely apologize for the silence. This being my first game, I quite underestimated the time and skills needed for game development. The complexity of blending multiple genres in one game, I've learned, is quite challenging for a beginner developer. I've also realized that I tend to get fixated on small details, which, while important, often led me to spend more time than necessary on certain aspects of the game. This sometimes resulted in less productivity than I would have liked.

A significant turning point came a few years back when my game engine, GameMaker Studio, received a major update. This necessitated a complete rewrite of my codebase, which, unsurprisingly, was a bit of a spaghetti mess. It pushed me to dive deeper into the world of programming – I've since been educating myself on game development, learning languages like C++ and C#, and even branching out into Unity. This journey also led me to redo much of the game's art.

In the midst of all this, I had to balance making a living, which naturally took up a considerable amount of my time. I also took on a contract job using my Unity skills, which lasted a few months.

Like many developers before me, I fell into the trap of feature creep. It's a tough lesson that I guess one has to experience firsthand to fully grasp!

Looking back, I see all these experiences as part of the journey. However, the weight of not having released the game after all these years is heavy on me. So, I've made a decision – the game will be released this year. I plan to continue updating and improving it post-launch.

Your patience and support have been invaluable throughout this long development process. It’s your encouragement that has kept me going, especially in times of doubt and challenge. Without it, I might have given up a long time ago.

I have never quit on the game and will never do so. I have always been active on discord and you can always message me there and I will answer you as soon as possible.

Let's move on to the changes I have made!

As there are quite a few, I will now explain them shortly and leave the details to further devlogs, which from now on will be frequent.

Revamped Visuals

I think the new trailer will feature this the best.

Mountain Terrain

One challenge with side-scrollers is the limited building space, which often leads to excessive scrolling. However, I've developed a solution that seems to be working well. The game now unfolds on a mountain or hill, featuring multiple levels. This approach not only makes the game feel larger but also significantly reduces the need for scrolling. Additionally, it cuts down on transportation time between buildings and provides players with more strategic options, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

I have got the idea from the japanese hill-top castles.

Smarter Villagers

I have always enjoyed the atmospheres of classic games like Settlers and Knights and Merchants, where watching villagers go about their daily lives was a joy. In shaping my game, I've aimed to capture that same essence. So as a result you don't control the villagers directly. Instead, you assign them to workplaces—which also serve as their homes—based on their traits, and they live autonomously, which also reduces the micro aspect of the game a little. Each villager has their own needs, such as hunger, thirst, warmth, and happiness. For