Devlog #2 | From Pre-Alpha To Demo

It's been a while since the devlog we released in early May. In that devlog, we explained our journey from the beginning to reaching the pre-alpha version, a path that had a beautiful ending as we managed to be nominated among the top 50 games out of 200 registered for the Digital Dragons event, allowing us to participate in the event's showcase. However, since then, we've faced events that were both hopeful and challenging. In this text devlog, we'll share those experiences with you. If you missed our previous devlog, you can watch it before diving into this one:

There was a harsh truth: we hadn't actually built a pre-alpha! We had created a vertical slice, meaning there were three levels with no cohesive structure, each showcasing a specific feature of the game. Characters would spawn at the start of a level and enter a doorway at the end, leading to a black screen and loading the next level.

Two problems existed in our vertical slice:

There were no cutscenes or narrative elements, which was a weakness as we claimed our game was strong in narrative.

The vertical slice contained elements that weren't usable in the main game, meaning we had to start building the pre-alpha from scratch. Some implemented systems were also inefficient and had to be discarded, setting us back significantly.

Additionally, our pre-alpha had noticeable bugs. After being accepted into the Digital Dragons event, our lead programmer, Arman, had to focus on fixing these bugs for a month. We couldn't ignore this version because it was the one seen by people and investors at the event. Thus, we began developing the main game levels with only one programmer.

Two months after completing the vertical slice, we found ourselves behind schedule and unable to add new team members due to limited resources. Additionally, new members would initially slow down progress as they acclimated to the team, a delay we couldn't afford.

Another unappealing issue with our pre-alpha version was its art style. Not that it was not lovely but , it didn't meet our high expectations because we were aware of our artists' capabilities. We decided to improve the art style, which we are now completely satisfied with and eagerly await sharing new images with you. This improvement, however, disrupted the 3D asset production timeline, extending it beyond our initial anticipations.

Starting in July, we had to be in crunch at the studio. This intense focus on the product meant we couldn't create new marketing assets, causing a significant drop in our social media activity.

Our next deadline, set by our publisher, is Gamescom 2024! Yes, we will be there with a new trailer showcasing new scenes and our progress, but that's not enough! We must also present a playable demo polished with all our graphical assets, music, and sound effects.

This is the most critical deadline we've had in this project, and we've never had the opportunity to participate in Gamescom before, even in our previous projects. This is our chance to showcase our abilities. This opportunity, while motivating, also increases our workload and stress as we are behind on our milestones.

However, through the hard work and unity of every team member, we've managed to catch up on many delayed tasks and are getting closer to our next deadline's goals. We are eager to participate in this event and showcase our progress. We will soon resume our marketing activities and provide you with new project updates.

Wishing success to all game development teams who work with their hearts for their games ❤️🍄

What mistakes did you make while creating the initial version of your game? Let's talk about them so no one else repeats them!

By the way, this little girl you see is from the Sentinel race of Weeny Wise. We will tell you more about her soon. Can you guess her story or name?