Dev Log Update v0.22

August 16th, 2024

Another week, another update! We’re making great strides as we approach our goal of launching on Steam, and I’m thrilled with how things are shaping up. Here’s a rundown of what’s new and improved:

Playtest Insights

A big shout-out to SirJamesFanciest for spending 3 hours playtesting the game and providing valuable feedback. Here are some key takeaways:

• Drag & Drop: Players wanted to drag and drop items between inventories, which we’ve now implemented for the Merchant's Store and Player's Stash. Note that this feature isn’t yet available for the Imbuer or Treasure Chests, but it’s on our radar for future updates.
• Trap Visibility: Fancy struggled with not noticing trapped crates and barrels. I’ve added visual cues to alert players before they fall into traps.
• Camera Zoom: I’ve improved camera zoom functionality to make the player semi-transparent when zoomed in closely.

Fancy also noted a concern with weapon durability decreasing too quickly when hitting breakable objects, so we’ve made adjustments to balance this.

Quick Fixes

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the changes made:

• Combat Adjustments: Enemies' attacks are now interrupted when taking damage. We’ve also reduced the health of a few overpowered enemies, including the Blackguard.
• Visual Improvements: Colliders have been removed from stalactites, and we’ve replaced various map icons for clarity (e.g., Pin replaced with Scroll, Lock icon in the Wardrobe replaced with Coin).
• Gameplay Enhancements: Added warning indicators for trapped crates and barrels, stabilized the crosshair, and improved Sneaking capability.

New Features

• Shift + Click: This new feature allows you to bypass the confirmation popup and transfer items instantly when trading with a Merchant. You can now buy, sell, or auto-transfer full stacks with ease.
• Forced Imbue Rewards: To ensure players have a fair chance at finding imbue items, we’ve updated Treasure Chests. Each dungeon floor now guarantees at least one imbue item, making it easier to enhance your gear.

Walk & Block

We’ve improved the Block feature based on feedback. You can now block while moving, with a visual cue of your character holding up their arm or shield. This change also comes with increased stamina consumption, so use it wisely. Additionally, we’ve refined animations to prevent shield graphics from penetrating the character’s body. If you spot any issues, let us know!

Another recent addition is the shield icon that appears in the center of the screen while blocking. This icon now shows a colorized progress bar in the shape of a shield and displays a percentage to indicate how effective the shield is as you continue to hold the button.

What's Next?

Yet another round of playtesting is still required. My goal is to minimize player complaints before officially publishing the demo on Steam. If you’re interested in helping, please message me. I’d love to meet on Discord and hang out while you play the game.

Thanks for your continued support and feedback. As always, keep an eye out for more updates and improvements!