A week of interface improvements as I redesign the “mission/tutorial” structure making it (hopefully) more clear, but mainly more flexible on the code side. So that it will be easier for me to setup some guidelines for the player during the game. Originally I designed all that as a “mission” structure, but it’s now more setup to help the player ease into the game at the start, and I figured having a bunch of missions later on pretty much goes against the whole concept I originally had: let the player explore the world!
Missions are now more tutorial/tips, which are mainly there to help the player understand the functionalities and what can/should be done. I really JUST finished the whole new mission system, and right now it will take you through the phases of building and deploying mining devices. More tutorial steps to come, hopefully next week!
I will also add an option to “disable” the tutorials after you’ve seen them once, and a reset-all-tutorials option. Just to make it more flexible – and since I start the game 50 times a day, I really NEED that option ASAP!
I also redid some interface areas, making the dialog more colorful and bright, as I think the previous one was just a bit too gloomy and doomy. This changes the mood of the whole game a bit towards what I originally set out to do: a fun, (relaxing) exploration game. So out with some of the darker tones in the interface, and in with the more bright colors !
This weeks update also comes with a set of fixes, as it does every week.
Last Thursdays video talked about getting inspiration, the wind system, and the creatures I added last week:
Full changes list:
- added: wind effect to vines
- added: Improved mission system
- added: Various HUD changes
- added: removed the big “notification” events.. they don’t add much and too confusing
- added: PDB (Pedey) avatar in dialogs – to show it’s Petey talking not the player
- fixed: remove the “twirly” things above devices when in sleep mode
- fixed: resting at fires doesn’t increate HP fast enough
- fixed: Wind making flowers rotate
- fixed: another bug in the “getRoomAt” code – fixing various triggers/switches/technology combos not working
- fixed: bee-hive (blockades) vanish when hit once with a torch – only after pushing
- fixed: slurpers now burn up if only near a heat-spot (as in 3-4 tiles!) – need to only burn when touched by fire
- fixed: flowers/trees/vines do weird 360 degree rotations at times
- fixed: rain/snow particles don’t have a correct random start
- fixed: rain and snow also fall when inside the ship