next »

[McMutton]

I'm anticipating the video showing the specials off. I'm also anticipating finally getting around to the final animation for the Lizardman.

[Chris Pavia]

I'm also anticipating finally getting around to the final animation for the Lizardman.

Man, I hope that's some sarcasm, since all the enemies have been done for months!

[Chris Pavia]

New interview just popped up: http://futileposition.com/2012/08/you-should-read-this-interview-with-the-developer-of-dungeon-hearts.html

[Chris Pavia]

All the player character's specials are implemented now. Just gotta add the enemy specials (designing them right now), and boss fights (editor for creating them is ready for testing), then all the gameplay will have been implemented (but still in need of extensive tuning and visual polish).

[Chris Pavia]

There's an internet radio station doing a online listening party thing for Dungeon Heart's metal soundtrack: http://www.facebook.com/events/166196580183669/

[Sam English]

Here, have some Dungeon Hearts BGM: Scarlet In Pitch Black

[Chris Pavia]

Finished designing the enemy special abilities, and the progression for who gets what/how many specials. Note that these aren't mini-game based like the character's specials, I've decided to save those exclusively for the bosses to set them apart more. These are more like status effects:

-Weak: Reduces attack damage
-Poison: Character takes damage over time
-Blind: Character has a 50% miss chance
-Armor Pierce: Character takes extra damage from attacks
-Web: The affected row can't be used by the player for a while
-Silence: Character can't use any special abilities, and their currently active specials are all drained
-Haste: Speeds up the token scrolling speed for a short time. Doesn't stack, but will reset the duration timer.
-Restore: Enemy gains HP, and any status effects are removed
-Critical Strike: The same as a normal attack (character on that row takes damage), but also hits the characters above and below.
-Freeze: The character cannot attack or use special abilities. Wears off over time
-Life Steal: Similar to poison, but occurs more frequently for less damage and enemy gains life
-Wall: A barrier pops up in front of the affected character, he must drain its HP before his attacks will affect the enemy


The list isn't that big, but may get pared down further after play testing. The basic gameplay requires a lot of attention/focus as it is, so I'll only be keeping the ones that have a noticeable impact. Random notes:
-A character can only have one effect on them at a time. New effects will replace old ones.
-All effects are removed at the end of each battle. KO'ed characters are also revived between battles (but with low HP).
-The Healers healing special also cancels negative effects in addition to normal HP gain.

[Chris Pavia]

Check out the chiptune alt soundtrack:http://billkiley.bandcamp.com/album/dungeon-ep

[Calum Bowen]

I am confused about these alternate soundtracks? Are they metal & chip arrangements of the in-game music or are they present in the game as well?

[Chris Pavia]

You unlock 1 of the 4 alternate soundtracks each time you beat the game, and each alternate soundtrack replaces the original in-game music. In the main menu you can set which soundtrack (out of those you've unlocked + the original) you want to listen to when you play. Does that make more sense?

And each is completely original music, not arrangements of the main soundtrack.

[Calum Bowen]

Oh that's so cool! I like it :  )

Kinda reminds me of old games where you could go to a "jukebox" kind of level where you could listen to the music from the game - in kirby's dream land you could play the sfx as well.

Props on going all out on the music front ; )

[McMutton]

Do I hear Ganon's laugh from AoL in Acro Circus?

[Chris Pavia]

Heh, I don't know if it's a direct sample but it does sound familiar!

[Chris Pavia]

Finished adding all the special attacks mentioned previously. Now I just gotta finish the bosses and tie up some loose ends and all the gameplay will be implemented. Hoping to have it done by the end of the month.

[Chris Pavia]

Metal including music from Dungeon Hearts is being played now at http://areciboradio.com/

[Chris Pavia]

Took me a while to get some bugs with the boss fight editor sorted out, but I finally got to start on the first boss last night. In normal fights, I as the designer specify a pattern in which tokens spawn, but the tokens in the pattern are pseudo-random based on variables unique to each encounter. The puzzle stream (currently called the FateStream in-game) for the bosses however is completely hand designed so that they can play like a more directed puzzle experience.

Also started on the interactive tutorial a couple days ago. It's a long slog since there's a lot of custom code, but I'm slowly making my way through it.

Added some physics via configurable joints to all the puzzle pieces so that they jiggle around when interacted with, and I can control how much force is imparted on them based on the size of the attack combo.

[Chris Pavia]

(Art by Ian Olympia)

Dungeon Hearts should be gameplay complete in a couple weeks. You can play through the entire game right now, but I've got a bunch of little things that need to be fixed/implemented, and the end game animation. All the soundtracks are done, and sound effects are starting to trickle in.

[Dom2D]

(not drawn by me)

Drawn by who? 

[Chris Pavia]

Haha yeah, should have included that  

Post has been updated.

[McMutton]

Lagomorph ass again, eh?