Video Update

So many new things to show!

I'm not going to try and fit everything on this post, so expect a bit more frequent updates from now on. A lot of technical aspects have been sorted as well, meaning there will be more tangible things to share in the future. 

Let's start with this quick teaser video I made to show off the new visual style:

     Shut in Panic | Intro

        

The style has gradually developed as I've experimented and learned new things. I'm quite happy with how the game looks now, it's not even half bad.

The dither filter I used earlier (visible in my previous post) turned out to be unusable because you couldn't really compress it, meaning video attempts were super blurry and had banding issues.

To get this new look, I started experimenting with color ramps, and eventually created a color grading editor to have precise control over the gradients. I worked on textures as well of course (though they are still lacking in variety, along with interior objects).

So, what else is new?

I think it might be good to just list all the biggest additions here:

• The Alien (fully modeled, textured, and mo-capped)
• Behavior tree based AI (created my own node editor)
• Level editor (players can use this, and it's quite user-friendly)
• Psyche system
• Music by Markus Niemi

I will be covering a number of these in future posts, but for now a general view will suffice.

Here are some screenshots:

The AI runs on behavior trees

Level editor (with placeholder UI)

The psyche system and inventory (work in progress)

New plans for game mechanics

I've had a bunch of ideas for new mechanics and changes to old ones. (Still trying to limit myself to what is practical and possible though, especially with a couple years' time frame.)

Psyche system (the panic system)

The panic system remained unresolved for some time. I wanted to somehow connect it to the players actions; to make a system where the player would gain panic if they had to do things in a hurry (open doors while being chased etc.).

I realized that my previous implementations of the mechanic were quite shallow, and came up with an implementation in a broader gameplay context. I gave the player a focus meter to "buffer" the panic. The gist of it is that all actions use varying amounts focus which is gained from collecting items. If you run out of focus, actions start giving you panic. So, the focus meter is a resource optimized in the short-term, while panic needs to be managed in the long-term.

This gave me the idea for a psyche system, which consists of panic and focus, but also includes senses and actions. These four elements are logically connected and can be seen and manipulated by the player (through the use of occult magic). The basics of the system are already in place. More on this in later posts.

Enemy interaction

The major change here is that I got rid of the idea that the alien throws you outside when it catches you. The logic of the mechanic was fiddly gameplay-wise, and it reduced the threat of the creature. Now it will just try to kill you. (And you are still defenseless.)

Win condition

I now have a few design axioms jotted down which include "no weapons". The player sees the world through the tools at their disposal. Weapons trigger the wrong schemas in the player's mind, creating a target out of the enemy. The creature should not be something you have control over. Thus, killing the creature is not the goal of the game, but banishing it. The aim is to find or create certain ritual items to complete a banishing ritual which casts the alien back where it came from. And while I might create some last resort self-defence items, the creature will be unkillable.

The gameplay will focus around a sort of "item quest" system where the player will be lead through different steps to obtain the ritual items, while following a map of the house which highlights what can be found in different rooms etc. This creates predictability and structure that enables planning for players, which is crucial for engaging gameplay. Just searching for random items from random places isn't enough for an engaging gameplay loop.

Occult magic

The game features occult items, such as the Seals of Solomon (as seen in the video). They will be used for different magical buffs and as items to insert into the psyche system to change the workings of the psyche.

Next update

In the next post I'll probably go into more detail about some things I've only briefly showcased here. I'm not setting anything in stone, but I do want to start making more frequent updates.