Unity Lethal Fantasy (Giantess, Rougelite) [Game Dev Diary + Alpha v3]

[LadyEbony]

As for the enemy, I have an idea. When the statue is destroyed by some way. There will be a smaller blue twins giantess . She will patrol within a certain range，And she can grow by eating food.

It's a nifty idea but I'm not so sure. I don't want a scenario where a girl gets crushed. Maybe if it was skinned as a ghost giantess then maybe. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I very much like the idea of starting her off smaller, along with giving her more room to "grow", i think it would make interactions with her feel more dynamic and interesting if she had more stages of growth early on. Could always test something with us by making it a modifier or a separate test level.

I also want to ask, any chance we can get a sneak peak at the new GTS model? or is it a surprise? im so curious. Honestly, i really like the tabi girl in game right now but im really looking forward to seeing what was cooked.

I'm waiting for the new GTS model to be fully setup with all the textures, shaders, and such.

 

[LadyEbony]

My idea to spawn crafting crystals throughout the map besides just the giantess' steps. The crystals can spawn throughout the map naturally but they spawn more frequently in these new quarry tiles. No special equipment or anything, just grab them.

I want to add some bigger crystals that require an explosion (or giantess impact) to destroy for even more crafting crystals, which I hope will make the player feel happy seeing the giantess destroy stuff (gameplay wise) and provide more value using tanuki explosion for your own benefit (besides just destroying statues).

With that, I'll add a few more good-to-destroy obstacles, and I'll see what that does gameplay fun wise. And also add an upgrade that greatly increases the tanuki's explosive timer.

Spoiler: Crafting Crystal Spawns

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[LadyEbony]

Progress report

I still haven't received the fixes for the giantess model so I been going through the checklist of things that need to get done.

• More quarry variants
• Large crystals that require an explosion or a stomp to get its contents
• Throw trajectory
• Rework the house trap to be a generic outdoor landmine (nerd talk below if you into that)
• A variant of the stairs-in-between-tiles that require the most basic of jumping skills since it's a tall wall
• And a bunch of other small polish stuff

You probably notice the different skybox as well. I added some variations to the skyboxes and grass colors so each level has a slightly different visual look.

Today I have a plan to implement a minigame with the small lobby giantess within a day of work. This is an experiment to see how quick I could add extra content to the lobby room for no other reason but to do something quick and fun with the giantess. I have neglected the purpose of the lobby room (a place to interact with the giantess for fun) for a long while, which is why I'm adding some content there.

If I don't receive the fixes to the giantess model, I'll be doing them myself. The new model + new animations will come out this update.

Spoiler: Pictures

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Spoiler: Nerd talk about the very simple outdoor landmine

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[Bafffouille]

As a bit of a nerd myself, I often struggle shaders too, so well done for completing it.

By the way, I would recommend Claude.ai rather than ChatGPT for help with programming. I don't really like the look of AI generated code, but being able to talk with something to solve undocumented problems can help !

I can't wait to see what happens next !

 

[aas544341477]

Wow! When will the update be released? I can't wait to keep playing!

 

[LadyEbony]

Wow! When will the update be released? I can't wait to keep playing!

End of this month. I have the model now. I got the animator for some new animations. I just gotta incorporate the new giantess and put everything together.

The house shrinking event (besides some bugs) has came along quite well. I was afraid that it would come out alright after all this work, but overall I like it. Of course y'all are welcome to disagree and tell me how to make it better later.

As a forewarning, I will be the replacing the current main giantess with this new one. This was always my goal but looking back, I don't think I ever mentioned it proper so apologies if that disappoints you. I will also no longer be directly hosting the previous demos/alphas at the end of this month. Y'all free to share the demos and do what you want with them, just don't post them in this thread. The updates still free don't worry about that.

Despite me removing the current giantess', I'm still very open to idea of creating a system for the average gamer to import their own giantess model into the game. I brought up this feature at the first demo, but understandly so, the overall game needed more attention. I'll poll the idea in the game's survey so I can get an overall opinion.

Spoiler: Ranting about feet

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[PvtRyan96]

If that one furry grow-and-destroy game that had a flash of popularity like a year or two ago was any indication, size lovers will shove just about any model into a size game that they possibly can, given any remotely easy way to do so. So, more than just being a feature to appeal to your audience, I think model-importing will probably help with exposure, too.

If you end up deciding to focus dev time on that later on, you'll probably also want to make at least some kind of simple personality system to apply to whoever you import. Just so when people put their giant waifu into the game, they at least have a veneer of acting correctly.

 

[Garben75]

Despite me removing the current giantess, I'm still very open to idea of creating a system for the average gamer to import their own giantess model into the game. I brought up this feature at the first demo, but understandably so, the overall game needed more attention. I'll poll the idea in the game's survey so I can get an overall opinion.

Pretty sure giving players the option to replace the giantess with whatever model they wanted would be one of the best and well received features that could be added to this game. Pawperty Damage (the game the person above me is referencing) had its steam workshop practically explode with replacement models for the giants in no time, and managing to add that process here would definently help with exposure and the popularity of your game. If you can make it work, I'd say go for it.

 

[CattyFruit]

Spoiler: Ranting about feet

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I have actually been trying to learn game dev stuff in unity as of the last month or so. funny enough, i just started looking into feet models the other day and experimenting with blender. i found some great models online from Ralzelk, some Kusoga's feet model revamps, TheSigmaArts, and some on 3d model websites. like i said im a complete newbie with this stuff but i know some models are not suitable for certain game applications. anyways ive been having fun on this venture and your game dev logs have been a great inspiration and resource. I love that you share your progress and I implore you to share more of the "nerdy" stuff because it helps me understand the process behind how you create games better.

When you figure out what model to use do you think you can direct me to some of the models you came across that you think would work well. It would be nice to see what works well in the gaming environment cause im kinda in the dark right now. Also, if you have any other quick tips about game creation that would point one in the right direction feel free to share, if your not busy of course.

And for the GTS import system, definatley a good thing but i would say to hold off on it for a while until more of the core systems with the GTS are added and refined. might be annoying if you keep adding mechanics to the GTS after its in place depending on how you made it and more features first would be good.

 

[LadyEbony]

I have actually been trying to learn game dev stuff in unity as of the last month or so. funny enough, i just started looking into feet models the other day and experimenting with blender. i found some great models online from Ralzelk, some Kusoga's feet model revamps, TheSigmaArts, and some on 3d model websites. like i said im a complete newbie with this stuff but i know some models are not suitable for certain game applications. anyways ive been having fun on this venture and your game dev logs have been a great inspiration and resource. I love that you share your progress and I implore you to share more of the "nerdy" stuff because it helps me understand the process behind how you create games better.

When you figure out what model to use do you think you can direct me to some of the models you came across that you think would work well. It would be nice to see what works well in the gaming environment cause im kinda in the dark right now. Also, if you have any other quick tips about game creation that would point one in the right direction feel free to share, if your not busy of course.

And for the GTS import system, definatley a good thing but i would say to hold off on it for a while until more of the core systems with the GTS are added and refined. might be annoying if you keep adding mechanics to the GTS after its in place depending on how you made it and more features first would be good.

When it comes to models, honestly any model is fine.

If you really want to use that model, you'll find ways to use the model regardless. For example, the current giantess, her model has huge arm flaps. They often clipped into animations so I made her flaps much smaller. Her shoe isn't one perfect enclosed mesh for optimal collider calculation. Whatever doesn't matter, I'll split the mesh into separate parts for added accuracy, just make the code faster to handle multiple meshes. Just now, the bottoms of the new giantess' shoe is not perfectly flat. It's curved which broke my code. Whatever lock in and fix it. Many hours of pain over, it's been solved.

If you like the model, use it. Much better that you use a model that you love over a model that's just alright.

Spoiler: Foot in Question

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[LadyEbony]

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I consider this update a test build as I still haven't finished what I wanted to add/fix (became very busy with my work this past week, lost a lot of time). That being said, the update should be mostly stable. I rather the update be completely stable when I release the update publicly. I ask kindly if some people play the test build and report any bugs you find, as well as any balancing issues.

I'll upload the very stabilized build in a few days.

Spoiler: What I plan to fix in the next few days

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[luccilotus]

Gave the test build a try.

I didn't have any glitches aside from doing the 1st level and when I got the second orb, she just happened to be right above it and stood there not moving. Her growth meter hit max and she didn't do anything, nor did she react to a statue alerting her.

The quarries are a solid addition because they add the option of risk+reward and when the timer is ticking that's always a fun element.

I like the red crystals being used for items, but I have to say that just by circumstance it's not often I get more than 1 in a good while even when trying to lead her. That map is valuable on the 3rd difficulty. Also, once I had a red crystal get stomped and break, but then the collectible floated up and disappeared?

The shrink house is fun, though super obvious with the blue door and all (intentional?). I agree 100% you shouldn't be able to go in there when she's mad, but if she's at all close to the house or 270m or taller she gets there so fast and even if I jump well I feel like I can't do it in time. If she's 180m I feel I'm cutting it close. If she's 90m I have plenty of time. Maybe adjust the time she waits on you based on her size? Or add an animation where she leans in to check for you or something? Would be really fun to see her get close and stare inside to make sure it's you in there.

I can't recall if you've mentioned it before, but this game would benefit greatly from voice lines. Not oversaturated with them, but just on key events like growth, orb collection, shrink house, when she's mad, level completion etc. I think games like these are best when the player feels like the gts is interacting with them (noticing you, mad at you, teasing you, etc.).

Also, it would be nice to have some option that lets the player view the gts from that angle the game shows when completing a level but during gameplay somehow.

Will unlockable outfits be an option? I understand that shoes give problems because colliders and meshes etc but outfits don't affect gameplay, do they?

This is a game with huge potential, so I'm going to try and give as much feedback as possible through your new releases.

 

[YukinoLover01]

Gameplay wise i havent found bugs yet, i just cleared 1st and 2nd levels. But did find some animation glitches.

1- When grabbing player, head is not following movement, just her eyes do(no blush nor smile, like old model?).
2- Random shoes/socks when starting up game (i dont know if this was intended since its test build, i thought it was meant to be unlocked).
3- Cloth body/mesh not working properly while animating, sometimes ends up clipping, even more with her arm flaps (now smaller thanks to new model).
4- When hit by a turret, her face animation doesnt work properly.
5- When being thrown in the air, if you land on top of her ankle you can get inside the model.
6- Shrink house gets harder the bigger she is. (maybe adjust timer or animation speed/time)
* (doubt) After finishing a level and watching her POV... Is she going to keep moving/playing or just a pause menu?

Besides these small bugs, your game is doing great. Keep up with this great work!!

 

[yequalskx]

I have been playing this test version for a while and have some suggestions:
1. These outfits are all beautiful and great, but I think the barefoot models could be refined a bit more? (Barefeet are awesome for me.)
2. "Shrink House" feels rather difficult in the experience. When the height is over 180m, the time to find the key is extremely short (especially in the book elevator, where the margin for error is very low). It is suggested that when stepping down, the descent could be slowed down to reduce difficulty while maintaining a sense of pressure.
3. The overall levels are challenging, especially Map 3 with many feeding points—when it gets dark, it's easy to lose one's way. 4. Rubies are too scarce, making it hard to craft auxiliary items like maps. Could ruby items be set to not drop upon taking damage?
This is a great game, and I hope it can get even better!

 

[LadyEbony]

Gave the test build a try.

I didn't have any glitches aside from doing the 1st level and when I got the second orb, she just happened to be right above it and stood there not moving. Her growth meter hit max and she didn't do anything, nor did she react to a statue alerting her.

The quarries are a solid addition because they add the option of risk+reward and when the timer is ticking that's always a fun element.

I like the red crystals being used for items, but I have to say that just by circumstance it's not often I get more than 1 in a good while even when trying to lead her. That map is valuable on the 3rd difficulty. Also, once I had a red crystal get stomped and break, but then the collectible floated up and disappeared?

The shrink house is fun, though super obvious with the blue door and all (intentional?). I agree 100% you shouldn't be able to go in there when she's mad, but if she's at all close to the house or 270m or taller she gets there so fast and even if I jump well I feel like I can't do it in time. If she's 180m I feel I'm cutting it close. If she's 90m I have plenty of time. Maybe adjust the time she waits on you based on her size? Or add an animation where she leans in to check for you or something? Would be really fun to see her get close and stare inside to make sure it's you in there.

I can't recall if you've mentioned it before, but this game would benefit greatly from voice lines. Not oversaturated with them, but just on key events like growth, orb collection, shrink house, when she's mad, level completion etc. I think games like these are best when the player feels like the gts is interacting with them (noticing you, mad at you, teasing you, etc.).

Also, it would be nice to have some option that lets the player view the gts from that angle the game shows when completing a level but during gameplay somehow.

Will unlockable outfits be an option? I understand that shoes give problems because colliders and meshes etc but outfits don't affect gameplay, do they?

This is a game with huge potential, so I'm going to try and give as much feedback as possible through your new releases.

Spoiler: Response

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Gameplay wise i havent found bugs yet, i just cleared 1st and 2nd levels. But did find some animation glitches.

1- When grabbing player, head is not following movement, just her eyes do(no blush nor smile, like old model?).
2- Random shoes/socks when starting up game (i dont know if this was intended since its test build, i thought it was meant to be unlocked).
3- Cloth body/mesh not working properly while animating, sometimes ends up clipping, even more with her arm flaps (now smaller thanks to new model).
4- When hit by a turret, her face animation doesnt work properly.
5- When being thrown in the air, if you land on top of her ankle you can get inside the model.
6- Shrink house gets harder the bigger she is. (maybe adjust timer or animation speed/time)
* (doubt) After finishing a level and watching her POV... Is she going to keep moving/playing or just a pause menu?

Besides these small bugs, your game is doing great. Keep up with this great work!!

Spoiler: Response

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I have been playing this test version for a while and have some suggestions:
1. These outfits are all beautiful and great, but I think the barefoot models could be refined a bit more? (Barefeet are awesome for me.)
2. "Shrink House" feels rather difficult in the experience. When the height is over 180m, the time to find the key is extremely short (especially in the book elevator, where the margin for error is very low). It is suggested that when stepping down, the descent could be slowed down to reduce difficulty while maintaining a sense of pressure.
3. The overall levels are challenging, especially Map 3 with many feeding points—when it gets dark, it's easy to lose one's way. 4. Rubies are too scarce, making it hard to craft auxiliary items like maps. Could ruby items be set to not drop upon taking damage?
This is a great game, and I hope it can get even better!

Spoiler: Response

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[PvtRyan96]

Pretty good update. I really, really like the new growth animation (although where the heck did the fresnel shader go). It's really powerful while remaining super cute and showing off the actual *SURGE* of growth she gets. Two thumbs-up.

As for a bug report, the one and only bug I have for you is the fact that I got stuck behind a now-uncloseable door at some point for like 30 seconds before the giantess stomping around shook me loose. This is actually a fairly interesting concept philosophically, but I can't say it should quite work like this, haha. The screenshot might be a bit tough to interpret, but here.

Random commentary/feedback/criticism:
>I miss the gently-smiling expression of the prior giantess, although you said something wasn't set up correctly about that, so I'll just assume that'll get changed
>Also, in a lot of the new girl's animations, her skirt blocks the view of her panties. Very unfortunate. Maybe some pre-baked physics could solve this.
>The very first growth spurt from 90 -> 180 is just perfect. Thank you for adding the "start at 75% filled gauge" modifier.
>The shrink house is a welcome addition, and honestly the way it breaks up the gameplay is pretty refreshing. It actually ended up being more of a gameplay improvement than a thematic improvement, which is the opposite of what I expected. However, I have to say you can't really "feel" the shrinking very much, because it happens while you're held up in mid-air by the spell. You just kinda blink and go, "woah, I'm suddenly tiny!" I think being able to walk around as you shrink in little spurts over the course of five or so seconds would be superior (and skilled players could use this time to pre-emptively get up onto some of the geometry before the cure pieces spawn)
>Blue gems are in a good place. Red gems are so rare that I never craft anything other than the flashlight and keep the rest in reserve in case I need to rebuild my flashlight due to getting stepped on and it going flying out of my hand to parts unknown.
>The more I think about it, the more I think that the giantess's gauge fill speed should level up each time you complete a drop zone.
>Since you've commissioned this model and more-or-less have control over it, how about giving the giantess alternate equippable panties that have different effects? That could be really neat, not to mention fairly simple with some texture editing.
>I was confused and thought the crafting stone bonus modifier was bugged by not giving two stones per pickup, but I think you changed it to boost spawns instead, right? Might want to reword that for clarity.
>I ran through the game on different difficulties and didn't seem to unlock any other modifiers; just for future reference you should probably post a screenshot with every build you upload showing off the full set of them just so we can make sure we unlocked everything.
>Two different modifier suggestions: A modifier where taking shield damage of any kind makes that used-up energy flow into the giantess and help fill her meter. And then, relatedly, a modifier that makes your shield regenerate 3x faster (and makes shield repairs 3x as effective).
>More testing required for the tanukis, but I think they're in a better place now (aside from still being a bit hard to pick out).

And as of now, I think that's more-or-less all the feedback I have for this one. Good job.

 

[juzisyrup]

It's absolutely perfect to have her start growing from 90 meters! The first time I was hit by the turret, it would chase me with this very size, and its speed was just barely slower than mine. It was such an exhilarating experience!

 

[Zhang114514]

I think her eyes... It's a bit strange.

 

[LadyEbony]

Pretty good update. I really, really like the new growth animation (although where the heck did the fresnel shader go). It's really powerful while remaining super cute and showing off the actual *SURGE* of growth she gets. Two thumbs-up.

As for a bug report, the one and only bug I have for you is the fact that I got stuck behind a now-uncloseable door at some point for like 30 seconds before the giantess stomping around shook me loose. This is actually a fairly interesting concept philosophically, but I can't say it should quite work like this, haha. The screenshot might be a bit tough to interpret, but here. View attachment 5001937

Random commentary/feedback/criticism:
>I miss the gently-smiling expression of the prior giantess, although you said something wasn't set up correctly about that, so I'll just assume that'll get changed
>Also, in a lot of the new girl's animations, her skirt blocks the view of her panties. Very unfortunate. Maybe some pre-baked physics could solve this.
>The very first growth spurt from 90 -> 180 is just perfect. Thank you for adding the "start at 75% filled gauge" modifier.
>The shrink house is a welcome addition, and honestly the way it breaks up the gameplay is pretty refreshing. It actually ended up being more of a gameplay improvement than a thematic improvement, which is the opposite of what I expected. However, I have to say you can't really "feel" the shrinking very much, because it happens while you're held up in mid-air by the spell. You just kinda blink and go, "woah, I'm suddenly tiny!" I think being able to walk around as you shrink in little spurts over the course of five or so seconds would be superior (and skilled players could use this time to pre-emptively get up onto some of the geometry before the cure pieces spawn)
>Blue gems are in a good place. Red gems are so rare that I never craft anything other than the flashlight and keep the rest in reserve in case I need to rebuild my flashlight due to getting stepped on and it going flying out of my hand to parts unknown.
>The more I think about it, the more I think that the giantess's gauge fill speed should level up each time you complete a drop zone.
>Since you've commissioned this model and more-or-less have control over it, how about giving the giantess alternate equippable panties that have different effects? That could be really neat, not to mention fairly simple with some texture editing.
>I was confused and thought the crafting stone bonus modifier was bugged by not giving two stones per pickup, but I think you changed it to boost spawns instead, right? Might want to reword that for clarity.
>I ran through the game on different difficulties and didn't seem to unlock any other modifiers; just for future reference you should probably post a screenshot with every build you upload showing off the full set of them just so we can make sure we unlocked everything.
>Two different modifier suggestions: A modifier where taking shield damage of any kind makes that used-up energy flow into the giantess and help fill her meter. And then, relatedly, a modifier that makes your shield regenerate 3x faster (and makes shield repairs 3x as effective).
>More testing required for the tanukis, but I think they're in a better place now (aside from still being a bit hard to pick out).

And as of now, I think that's more-or-less all the feedback I have for this one. Good job.

Thanks for feedback. Lots of text, but generally I agree with it all.

I think her eyes... It's a bit strange.
View attachment 5002680

It's an unfortunate outcome with how the eyes were modeled. The iris and eye sockets are 3d models and not a 2d texture. It makes creating expressions easier (as I been told), but I learned that it looks really weird and bad from below. I tried my best to hide it but I'm going to need to find a better solution for it. And a better solution I found.

 

[CattyFruit]

So first thing i realized was how reliant my immersion was on her expressions. her constant deadpan expression really sucked the life out of her. I really miss the cute smug smile she has when i look up at her and see her stomping around. I know your working on her expressions and animations so im not worried if they are messed up right now but now its got me thinking how a few more expressions would go a long way when she interacts with things.

I ran into a shrinking event "bug" where i think a fail safe went off because i went into a shrink house just after i completed a near by drop off and soon after, when she approached, i regrew but the door was still shut (at least visually, i didn't have time to touch it), then i was promptly flung out of the house when she crushed it and was trying to stand back up but she crushed me when she adjusted her foot to absorb the orb lol.

Another scenario in the shrink house i found a bit rough around the edges was this
i couldn't jump on the barrel from the box on the left or the table im on or walk across the black brick lining. i did survive by jumping up the barrel but it felt kinda weird to do. I could be missing something, not too used to this event yet and im rushing to find the key pieces.

One more shrink house problem i had was she placed her foot inside the house with me when she was done walking over and i was stuck confused why i couldn't see anything until i backed up and saw her foot was covering half the house. This was the best pic i could get, she was just lifting her foot up to stomp the house but you can see what it was covering.


Other Comments:

I really like the new quarry tiles and crystals, they look great and fit the magical energy theme nicely. it makes it feel like this a magical town founded on this magic crystal supply, where they set up mining operations and experimented with the different uses of the crystals power (the crafting and house rebuilding systems). Now the GTS discovered this bountiful source of energy and is exploiting the villages findings to take the power for herself. at least that is what im going with for now .

I dont have a strong opinion on the new model as of now as its hard to in its jank state. Im looking forward to when shes fully implemented and cleaned up. the new growing animation is real nice although a lil wack at the end when she moves her foot back but i think it will look great when its fixed. The orb crushing animation is cool too.

I think the 90m start feels much better.

The shrinking is coming along good. i do agree that the character should be shrunk differently rather than floating in. like when you touch the door it walks you in then rapidly shrinks you bit by bit sounds good. The jumping also feels a little weird with how fast it is.

that's all i got for now. ill see if i can play some more later and give more feedback thank you for the update!!!