I have decided to rework the game where Layna is no longer the main character, Instead, the player will create their own light spirit avatar.
I have also added visual novel and dating sim elements, which I think will heighten and change up the metroidvania genre.
Hope everyone had a fun April Fools Day!
+ Added elevator object
Currently, this little platform can be controlled with up and down movements while the player is standing on it. I might change this object though once I have all the floors made, moving to set positions instead.
I unfortunately will not be able to create a demo for the month as I had planned due to work and sudden class assignments. This will also be a reminder to just never state a time frame without 100% certainty. I will continue working hard though!
+ Added locked doors
+ Added keys
Current artwork for the doors is temporary. The counter also only goes up to 9 currently, as I do not have any dungeons planned that would go beyond that count (of course, that could change, who knows), so if it’s counting beyond that, you are probably cheating…
+ Added graphics and interactions for a station of some sort
+ Working on environmental hazards
+ More rooms and tiles added
Can’t reveal too much, but I’m getting closer to finishing this area. There’s still some interactive assets left to make, a few more enemies, and some further contextualization of rooms, and then the boss of the area. If I’m lucky, I should have a new demo out by the end of this month (but don’t count on it happening because life is at it again trying to inhibit me).
It’s just a bouncing wheel enemy, what could possibly go wro-
+ Added damage numbers for both the player and enemies
+ Enemy names now display on screen when attacked
+ Sub Menus now have transparent backgrounds
+ Added Map Screen
The map screen was incredibly challenging for me to figure out, but I managed to get it working. I also added the names of enemies as well as damage numbers to give it a bit more of RPG flair. I’ll also figure out how to do leveling up later on, especially if I can get that juicy frame freeze that happens when the player does get enough XP.
On a side note, I like how when you build your application, the game just runs like 10x faster. I was having some recording problems so I figured to just make a build and everything just operates so smoothly.
+ Two mansion rooms created
+ Based Mansion tileset complete
+ Added gradient filters
> Reworked the way room transitions are coded (hard coded XY positions)
> Reworked frame transitions (hard coded frame alpha channel)
> Minor Bugfixes
Creating so many rooms is a bit daunting, so I might reevaluate the amount of rooms I have as well as if I can merge some together. This will help make the area more interesting.
I’m also experimenting with gradients to add a bit more atmosphere, but if players prefer to only view the vanilla pixel art, there will be an option to turn it off.
+ Added two more outdoor frames
+ Added transition room
+ Played around with environment properties
+ Attempted to learn how to make shaders
- Didn’t really understand how to make shaders
+ Added outdoor and indoor tiles
+ Finished custom keybinds option
+ Equipment menu now opens in-game without hiccups
+ Added rain and temporary environmental sfx
+ Added more npc dialogue sfx
+ Player avatar can now be controlled with simulated inputs
+ Began working on second demo’s level design.
I have a lot more left to complete, but I hope to finish this area by the end of January. I also may go silent for a bit as I work on this.
