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[Christian]

Good news! Talking to James, we decided that I'll do some creatures on half speed on the side of level editor overhaul. I tend to get into big structural projects rather than create content, and the game needs some content, so this time around we'll try doing structural stuff and content in parallel. Definitely more fun!

Update 379
This is going to get spoilery! I won't bother keeping the devlog spoiler free, because then I will be able to post less and less stuff, and the devlog will become worthless at its purpose, a log of development 

James is working on the sky region, and I've started sketching on a flying predator to go with it.




The idea is that these arms/tentacles double as wings and it can walk/climb or fly depending on the situation. Seems difficult... We'll have to see how it develops in the actual implementation!

Looks terrifying. I could envision that thing reaching into vents with its wing tentacles.

[DarkWanderer]

That creature design is fantastic. Definitely a rather unique design, almost defies what I've come to expect from this world of rain. If creature designs become more abstract like this you're definately going to have to leave some out of the devlog! Imagine the horror when a player encounters a monstrosity for the first time that they have no idea how to strategize around.

[JLJac]

Thank you! Yeah this one is certainly venturing into some more alien territory. It's also pretty technically ambitious, even more than the lizard animation-wise, but it doesn't have the multiple breeds like the lizard does so it should be a bit easier to handle. I don't really have a solution for the devlog spoiler issue, as I kind of use the devlog as a tool for my personal motivation as well - if my progress is recorded somewhere else than just on my own computer it feels more like I'm moving forward...

Update 380
Started setting up the framework for creature codename SKY KRAKEN. There's a creature template and all that now, as well as an actual physical representation that can move around a room with path finding. Everything is as usual just slightly more complex than what I can hold in my head at a time, but by breaking the problems down I keep getting around them. This time around I'm also making a little "setting up a creature instruction manual", which will hopefully speed up the process later by keeping me from doing stupid mistakes like spending 15 minutes debugging why the critter is just lying there, until I realize that I didn't spawn the AI module, etc.

The tentacles will need some physics fiddling. Currently we have lizard tails, but those are completely limp and only 7 segments or so. These tentacles will be way bigger, and as they're not purely cosmetic they're going to need to be a little bit more robust in their terrain interaction. It can't be hand waved that two segments end up on opposite sides of a wall and the like. So now I'm doing a thing where each segment is forcefully kept in the line of sight of the previous one - no terrain can be in between them. I'm veering into Actual Physics Engine stuff here, and I'm a complete amateur, so wish me luck lol! We'll see how it goes, worst case I'll have to simplify stuff a bit to get around the physics issues.

[Crispy75]

Would it make any sense at all for the tentacles to be independent "creatures" in their own right? The "tips" would do the hunting and flying, and would drag the body around. This could result in behaviour like each tentacle taking separate routes to the target, or one tentacle being damaged/severed, leaving the creature disabled.

It could also be a can of worms best left sealed, of course

[JLJac]

hhrrrrrrurrrgh this better be worth it!

Yeah, some independent AI per each tentacle will definitely be necessary - not that they're completely autonomous, but some hunting grab positions etc. Lizard feet already do actually, but here it'll be more visible.

[Christian]

My only concern with a flying predator is that I kind of feel it might be overpowered compared to the slugcat. I mean, you're already feel outgunned and outnumbered with the lizards but there you can use your agility to outmaneuver them. A flying creature seems like it would negate the advantage your agility provides. How do you escape something like that?

[akryl9296]

With lizards in "alpha", once I got to know the map and movement and where spears are, there's no more feeling outgunned or outnumbered. Actually, I like to stay in areas where I can see one lizard around as a handy warning for when the rain comes (they react to rain before it even gets dark, they immediately seek out shelter to despawn). So this might actually be a good idea to make something like that - almost impossible to kill, maybe slightly slower than slugcat to still give a chance of running, or some other clever scenario. Still... I'd probably nail it to the wall and watch it flail its tentacles around.

Unless it could get the spear out, free it self, then throw it back at me... :B It would be pretty cool actually to see monsters use objects scattered around to their advantage. Imagine that thing land somewhere and start raining stones on you, waving madly with its arms

[jamesprimate]

With lizards in "alpha", once I got to know the map and movement and where spears are, there's no more feeling outgunned or outnumbered. Actually, I like to stay in areas where I can see one lizard around as a handy warning for when the rain comes

NICE! This is sort of exactly the intention: when you first encounter creatures they are terrifying, but as you learn their individual behaviors, they can become an asset.

My only concern with a flying predator is that I kind of feel it might be overpowered compared to the slugcat. I mean, you're already feel outgunned and outnumbered with the lizards but there you can use your agility to outmaneuver them. A flying creature seems like it would negate the advantage your agility provides. How do you escape something like that?

Flying creatures will have a massive advantage in certain terrains thats for sure, but will be unable to go through tunnels and tight spaces. Basically once you are below ground they arent really a threat. Lizards have much more terrain in common with the slugcat, so the more dangerous of the lizard breeds should actually be way more overpowered than the sky kraken, at least in terms of relative danger to the player.

I mean, to clarify: this creature itself will be a complete terror. Sky Kraken is supposed to be Death From Above. But were thinking that clever level design and some as-of-yet unmentioned game mechanics will be the determining factor in keeping it manageable. (Sorry trying to keep the spoilers down!)

[JLJac]

Yeah, as it's turning out the sky kraken needs a 3 tiles wide space to go in, so as long as James gives the levels some pits and corners to dive into it should be possible to tune the difficulty quite nicely.

[akryl9296]

I wonder if it will be able to drag unlucky slugcat out from the tunnels with its tentacles x) So many possibilities

[JLJac]

Update 381
Tentacle Hell sounds gross/exciting depending on your preferences, but is actually just standard tedious, fun, demanding programming work. I feel in my element, and am at the same time not sure if I can do it. A nice challenge! After wasting half a day trying a proper physics engine solution that ended up glitching in infinity I decided to try something else, and am now doing the tentacles in tile space instead of float space, with the intention to overlay them with float space physics later. We'll see how it goes. Still nothing much to show, though progress is steady, so no gif yet. Hopefully I'll have some images for you tomorrow! Grabbing tentacles seems totally viable, although I think this critter might use them mainly for locomotion. But by this point I've spent so much time on tentacle code that if this actually does work out, we'll definitely explore some other tentacle critter down the line. Will see how it pans out though, maybe sky kraken ends up grabby as well!

[jamesprimate]

since Joar is all wrapped up in tentacle/code hell, ill drop some screenies from the wrap up of the Heavy Industry region:

a little transition aesthetically towards the Garbage Dump

detail: https://i.imgur.com/7rT5WVi.png

and this one transitions directly into the next region, Chimney Canopy

detail: https://i.imgur.com/CogqqMo.png

over the past few days ive been finishing up the rooms, getting the whole region connected and placing creature dens. one big aspect of this region is that unlike the last two that we did, this one lizards totally run the show. they have access to everywhere here, so it was the first real test of the large scale terrarium AI vibe and... im actually super impressed right off the bat.

Whereas the previous regions were more room to room (intentionally) and platformy, this one finally we get to see Joar's AI work in action with multiple lizard breeds churning, fighting, snapping at each other while chaotically chasing you all over the map. it is DANG fun, and hopefully just a glimpse at things to come!

[akryl9296]

 
That looks damn awesome. Minus the obligatory wall-jumping in first screenshot...

[jamesprimate]

some day young padawan, you too will possess such magnificent wall jumping prowess:

[akryl9296]

 
This looks too fast to me x) Still nicely done

[BurningBright]

That is so darn awesome!  Look at 'im go!

[AxezDNyde]

Woah!

This thing makes my head go blurry! I can see some line intersection going on but other than that I'm clueless what this is supposed to show! Could you elaborate a little?

[eigenbom]

Wall jumping woo :D

[tortoiseandcrow]

I definitely want to second the idea of the Sky Kraken being able to reach into small spaces with its tentacles, if that winds up being a feasible solution. My first thought was that I could lure it down to a tunnel, and have it be occupied trying to reach for me (or where it thinks it last saw me), while sneaking around to another opening and running away! Plus, having it stick its tentacles into a tunnel after you would just be plain terrifying, especially for a player encountering it for the first time!

[akryl9296]

(...) Plus, having it stick its tentacles into a tunnel after you would just be plain terrifying, especially for a player encountering it for the first time!

Especially after you've learned its too big to squeeze into the tunnels after you. Surprise
Also! Imagine the surprise when you throw stone at Kraken, and it gets angry and is like "oh you want some ballistic ranged combat? Well guess what, i got more arms than you do!"... and then goes rain of stones and spears your way... (but ability should be triggered after player throws something at it :B )

There's one other thing I've been thinking about. Does slugcat have fur?
When angry/scared/whatever, does it go