Progress report
Yesterday
Happy New Year, everyone!
Over the holidays, I've focused heavily on renders and animations, and I'd estimate I'm around 70% done in that area. Update v0.9 will be big in terms of visuals, both for quantity and quality. The teaser image I've included may not be the flashiest, but everything else is a bit too spoilery!
I've also written most of the planned scenes, and already implemented about 40% of them, which has been fun, as there is plenty of good stuff coming. Indeed, this update will be very impactful in terms of story, and those who have followed along can maybe guess some of the reasons for why this is the case.
Update contents (vague and minor spoilers!):
This update will be less focused on mission mechanics than the previous couple updates, and will instead be more narratively driven. That will be a trend going forward, as well, although missions will still play a role. This has always been the planned direction for the game. So, although this and future updates will include changes to missions, some of those changes will be mainly retroactive.
I've addressed feedback about mission difficulty. To tackle this, among other things, I've introduced two optional in-game items—one for Eva and one for Jon. These items, when used, significantly ease the effort needed to get through Alpha and Beta missions (for Eva) and Beta missions (for Jon). The idea has been to minimize frustration while preserving:
1. Associated narrative content,
2. A fair experience for players who complete missions in default ways, and
3. Immersion in the game.
These items will be available earlier in the game and won't directly affect the newest update, as it starts after a Beta mission. As always, these mechanics are subject to change, and there are additional options on the table to address other concerns about missions.
Finally, I've made several refinements to overall game mechanics and utilities. Most notable is the replacement of the 'Directives' menu button with 'Memories'. Directives can still be accessed in the world using 'Z' as before. This new 'Memories' window is a browsable list of all directives, renders, and animations you've encountered so far, making it easy to revisit something you've seen or track your progress. You can also filter to only show visuals, turning it into a gallery. I'm curious to hear what you think of this addition.
Thanks for reading these ramblings, and as always, your support is greatly appreciated. I'm aiming to release the update in about two weeks. Until then, take care!
Best,
Haldane