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[BlueSweatshirt]

So, at first I was going to refrain altogether from posting a DevLog here.
But at this point, I figure the game could use the attention.


(I actually made this logo just before posting.)




In Messenger Boy, you take the role of an unnamed protagonist, whom is usually referred to as 'Letter Boy' or 'Messenger Boy'. In this game your are a post man of sorts, your job is to get mail from one place to another as quickly as possible, while evading and retaliating against the harsh dangers of the world.

Messenger Boy is a completely non-linear adventure.
About 15 minutes after you start playing, the game will be yours to do whatever you'd like, no strings attached.
With that said, more content might be unlocked as you complete certain quests or gain new abilities.

The game's design is not completely done. I decided from day 1 that I would make a simple guideline for myself in the beginning, then just do what felt right as the game progressed. The game won't have a complete design until the day it's finished, in fact. The game has recently hit it's 4-month development mark.

Messenger Boy was originally slated to be released on June 26th, 2010. But, due to me figuring that I wanted to do a much larger, fuller game, I opted to remove my deadline entirely. With that said, development speed has not slowed since I removed my deadline.(well, save for the two week break I took! haha!)




So, aside from delivering letters, there's combat. In this game you have two ways to fight: with your Morpho, a weapon that can change form, and with your ManaDrive.(possibly temp name, since I technically stole it from final fantasy 13)(a machine that uses artificial magic)
With your Morpho, you can fight with a blade, bow, spear, and other potential weapons. With your ManaDrive, you can cast and unleash spells. Both have variations of attack range, and the ManaDrive creates many strategic opportunities with spells that have other functions than attacking. Using Morpho and ManaDrive moves in harmony with each other is the key to fighting in Messenger Boy.

The battling in this game is primarily defensive, with few exceptions.

A main motivation of Messenger Boy is and always has been to explore! To see the world, and to find new things. To find things that, normally, would not be apparent.



Closing up now, I'd like to say thanks for reading all this, and I hope you're looking forward to my game's release this year, to be sold at $4.99 USD by me.(I'm thinking about selling special edition hard copies with a case, cover art, and manual for a higher price. Tell me what you think.)
I'd also like to announce that this game will be 100% DRM free.

Please tell me what you think of Messenger Boy! The more feedback I get, the more inclined I'll be to post updates on the game with screenshots, videos, etc.

I'm hoping to generate some interest in the game through this topic, and in turn boost my development stamina.

Thanks, and good night!

Videos of Messenger Boy






New videos always on their way!

[UnemployedVillain]

Sounds like a really cool idea. More games need just pure exploration and non-linearity

[BlueSweatshirt]

I've got a new video up! It's a short, relatively 1-minute video of me developing Messenger Boy.

[fraxcell]

Looks very cool. I'm not sure I like that backwards B in the logo though.

[BlueSweatshirt]

Honestly, I don't even know why I drew it backwards.
 

[Sir Raptor]

I want to know exactly how the Morpho is meant to work. Does it start off with all weapon possibilities, like sword and bow and whatnot, or do you start off with the sword part or something and have to find the other weapon add-ons? Are there stronger variations of the existing weapons that can be applied to the Morpho?

Otherwise, I like the way this is shaping, keep it up.

[Hangedman]

I like the idea of a massive exploration game with nothing to do but explore and do what you will, with puzzles to solve here and there.

I would say, the art needs work. Not necessarily because it's bad, but if you're going to be showcasing a huge variety of varied environments, they have to have unique characteristics and a greater sense of depth.
Otherwise, they're just a series of interchangeable and unmemorable flat backdrops.

[BlueSweatshirt]

@Hanged-G-boy

Personally, I know the art could be better. It was either I have my one-shade graphics and simple lines, or I spend 3/4 of my development time trying to do graphics.(it does concern me that the worse graphics may deter people from my game)
Stressing varied environments is something I stress, indeed. I do think my environments could use more variety to make it more interesting-- and it's something I'm actually giving attention to right now.  
One of the things would be scrolling backgrounds, I think they're much more interesting than my currently static ones.
[EDIT]I feel like I partly did not answer your comment, so I'll say personally that I might improve the graphics a bit at some point, but as it is it's not my foremost concern. I understand what you mean with the unmemorable nature of flat graphics, which to an extent I agree with, so I might want to address it by revamping my graphics at some point.  

@Sir Raptor
You start off with only the sword,(Morphoblade) and you can find other add-ons(game term is 'Trigger') for different weapons as the game goes on. There're mechanics built into the game that encourage using more than one Morpho-Trigger at once.

To an extent, there are stronger variations of weapons. There are more than one sword, which do have differences, but still handle like a sword.

[EDIT 2]

Also, I'm working on the first dungeon in the game. The game isn't dungeon centric, but there're going to be some.
Oh, and, it's hidden.