Zordak
Devlog - 86 [NEW DEMO UPDATE]
Okay, so uuh..... it's been a while.
Things happened and as usual, nothing went as planned.
But the new demo is finally done, the sad part is that it's 95% the same content as before as this was only supposed to be a GMS2 port.
However, a lot of things have changed in many aspects of the game so while it may not be new content, the demo has been updated to more accurately reflect the final product.
I know this might not be very exciting but as I've mentioned a long time ago, this port had to be done for multiple reasons.
Anyway, now that this is finally done, I will be declaring this the *FINAL* demo release until the full game is complete.
(with the exception of this demo being completely broken and unplayable)
I just have to stop caring about the demo and get on with the full game, especially since my IRL situation always seem to get worse, making everything harder and harder to do, but I won't get into that.
So, that's it, this is the final demo for the foreseeable future.
As for the old "Changes" list I've always used, I'm going to take a new approach now:
To combat the changes list being too long and having to rewrite it multiple times for each website since every website has different limits for unknown reasons, I will be hosting the changes list as a text file on my dropbox instead like this:
v0.54 Changelog:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nik2ktaeeshh9en/v0_54_Demo.txt?raw=1
This changelog only includes changes since the last devlog, for all changes since the last demo, you have to look through devlog68 until now.
And this will make these devlogs a bit more boring I guess but I have to save time and brainpower here.
So now on to some notable changes for the new demo:
1 - Windows now uses DirectX11 instead of DirectX9, so DirectX9 is no longer supported.
2 - This change (among others) also means that Windows XP is no longer compatible at all. (not that it really matters)
3 - Windows executable is 32bit for now but it will move over to 64bit only the next release whenever that is.
4 - Linux executable is now 64bit only.
5 - Linux now has mixed controller support, most things work but a keyboard may be needed to customize some controls and some controller buttons may not be detected, this all depends on controller type.
6 - Linux now also comes with a YYC (c++ compiled code) version for better performance.
7 - Linux now supposedly only require 2 dependencies when using the YYC version, otherwise there should be no need to install anything.
8 - The game no longer uses %appdata% on Windows or equivalent on Linux for saving, it now uses the Data folder in the extracted game folder.
That's mostly it I think, there may be other significant changes but I'm drawing blanks right now.
So I think that's about it for this devlog, hopefully I can return to more frequent updates soon but I still have to work on other stuff alongside Zordak so it likely won't return to the same frequency as before.
The plan now is to try and get going as fast as possible with the main game (although I have less time and every time I say something everything goes wrong) in hopes to finally get this close to being finished.
Let me know if there are any issues with this new demo.
If any major / critical issues are found within, I don't know, maybe a week then I will fix them and update the demo again, but after that I will leave this demo as it is until the full game is done.
So yeah, that's it, see you next time.
Comments
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I haven't played the demo in a while but gee it looks good!
If you get any Ubuntu 22.04 users complaining the game doesn't load, they can install libssl1.1 from Ubuntu 20.04.
I am not sure if the demo reflects the main game accurately, but it might be a good idea to gate suit progress so it can't be skipped. My first time I ran right past the helmet without picking it up, then you can't get back to it.
Not sure if the demo is broken as in un-completable, I could only get the red suit but didn't find anything further.
Looking forward to this being completed one day!
Hey, thanks. ^^
I'll put the Ubuntu 22.04 fix on the list in case it's ever needed.
Is this on the current new demo?
Surviving all the way through when running past the helmet is not supposed to be possible, so if it is then something has changed.
But on the other hand, if everything works fine even when skipping the helmet, then maybe I'll just leave it in as an additional harder way to get through that section.
And the demo does not end after getting the red suit, assuming everything works because of the helmet thing, if you can shoot then I think it's fine.
Anyway, let me know if I'm right or wrong on any of these points.
Yes, on the new demo.
I could shoot but couldn't get any further, evidently I'm missing something, I'll try again :)
That's what I mean about the helmet. You can't survive without the helmet, however if you miss it (because you're rushing to get away from the meltdown) then you can't go back and get it. The door locks behind you So you're locked in a situation which you can't survive.
It would be better to require the player to get the helmet before going outside. If not, then at least don't lock the door behind the player so they can go back and get the helmet.
Think of how Super Metroid handles the suits - sure, you can go into the lava without the Varia suit, but you can always go back and get it. You can enter Maridia without the Gravity suit, but you can't get very far, and you can always go back and get it.
Okay well then I misunderstood what happened, and yeah if you can shoot then you're not softlocked, at least I don't see how it could happen.
So the door right beside the helmet locks when going outside?
If that is the case then that is not supposed to happen, you should be able to go back in as long as you haven't fallen down the room with the sentry enemies, because then you wouldn't be able to jump back up.
The hint here is supposed to be that the screen goes all, I don't know "smokey", and you start taking damage indicating that this is not what you're supposed to do.
And then I'm hoping that the player would "instinctively" run back, but if the door is locked, then.. you know, that doesn't work too well. ;)
I could make the helmet required before leaving the room but I think this way is more fun, because if you just run past it / miss it or whatever, then you have to think a little bit extra.
And sure, the player could think there's a softlock there or that the game is broken or whatever but to be honest, with the way I'm making the game, if this "barrier" can't be broken then there's not much hope of the player getting much further anyway.
But if the door locks as you said, then that is incorrect and will be fixed.
Oh and I just realized you might mean the left door in the room with the helmet?
If so, that door is supposed to be locked and does not prevent the player from anything, it's the left door in the room right after the helmet I'm talking about.
And for the Super Metroid way of doing things, this is exactly what I'm trying to do, except a tiny bit different depending on what item it is.
Like what we're talking about here for example:
You can leave the room without the helmet, but you can't get very far and you can return back (if you haven't fallen down the sentinel room, this is something I probably will change so you can go back), assuming the door isn't locked that is, which it shouldn't be.
Sorry for the reply getting way too long but I'm just trying to explain what is supposed to happen here.
No worries about the large reply :)
Keeping the door back to the helmet unlocked would solve that problem.
I see the "smokey" air but it's pretty subtle, you could definitely make it more obvious that the air is harmful (and that the oxygen meter is ticking down, something we discussed a long time ago).
Yeah, I don't really know how to solve that problem.
Heavily considering adding a beep that beeps faster depending on oxygen level, but we all know how people feel about beeps.
There's already a beep in the game right now but it's very subtle, I'm talking *almost* a "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" low health situation for the new beep.
And there's also the fact that oxygen has not really been implemented how I want it yet, so expect there to be less oxygen drain overall and more specific rooms with heavy oxygen drain in the future.
Except for the no-suit part of the game, that will probably not change that much.
You are working hard! Dev log 86
Awesome! Thank you very much!
I'll download it soon and try it on steam deck. :)
Edit: The Demo runs amazing on the deck so far with proton experimental. I really really love all those effects like the lighting, reflections and dust etc. Keep up the great work, I´ll gladly preorder the day it goes live! :)
Just take all the time you need. This game is going to be amazing!
Hey, thanks, glad you like it.
Nice to know it runs on the Steam Deck as well, I'd test it myself if I had one but I don't so, yeah.. :)