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[c023-DeV]

I think it may be time to try this again, now that a few years have passed.

I'm still here and the game is almost complete. (again)

The main protagonist is still the same, not giving a ***** about cloths. She can instantly respawn and I have no scientific proof that she might be affected by temperature. But I am open to opinions and insights to why it would be a bad idea to stick to my initial concept. So please! Now is the time to mention your concerns!

About the worries that I have heard of until now: My characters profile may be inspired by comic heroines like TankGirl and Aeon Flux and not from porn - even though I found Heavy Metal FAKK 2 pretty entertaining too...

For those that see sexual abuse in every movement: that preconception may formed by different matters and I ask for a fresh look.

SO: If you feel uncomfortable playing as a barely clothed female, you may leave now or discuss the subject here. However don't expect me to be willing to blindly appeal to your cultural matrix.

Development:
I've done a ton of polishing and built cool new things that I will be showing off soon!

[Zorg]

I don't feel uncomfortable playing as a barely clothed female, but what's the benefit for the character to run, jump, shoot around without clothes? The environment looks like you would need a protective suit and armor instead of uncovered skin.

Sex sells, but you will (or won't?) probably have to deal with players who ignore your game because their first impression is that you are trying to sell a bad game with (hi-res shots of) a barely clothed female as main character. Do you want players to play your game, because she is naked?

[c023-DeV]

I don't feel uncomfortable playing as a barely clothed female, but what's the benefit for the character to run, jump, shoot around without clothes? The environment looks like you would need a protective suit and armor instead of uncovered skin.

Sex sells, but you will (or won't?) probably have to deal with players who ignore your game because their first impression is that you are trying to sell a bad game with (hi-res shots of) a barely clothed female as main character. Do you want players to play your game, because she is naked?

Thanks for the input! Very much appreciated!

The benefit of bare skin is: INSTANT Respawn! (One hit kills )
And that first impression helps to keep parasites off my back!

How I came to it is a long story. Short: I used to be a 3D Artist and she was my anatomy study that I then wanted to turn into a game. So to me the coolness is more important than the sex appeal. I wanted a sci-fi iron man type of look without covering up the anatomy. Then I found a similar concept in an artbook and went with it. I see controversy and provocation as signs that I am leaving the mainstream track, so I embrace them. I've worked in AAA Companies for ~10 Years and got sick of following ignorant rules.

Again, I'm not trying to sell sex! It helps do attract an audience that goes beyond judging a game by it's cover art. By throwing out trashy trailers I deliberately try to toy with public perception. I was also trying to "fly beneath the radar" for a while. Hype makes me uncomfortable. I wasn't ready for public responsibility and by discrediting my work I have had a harder struggle but at the same time more artistic freedom.

Some developers try to make their work look good from the start on and advertise it and be commercially accepted and then fall into the same railroad... I am doing the exact opposite. I've had my share of commercial "success" and have found out that I prefer the trash, the low life, street art, grunge rock and wastelands.

I am new to this side of the biz though so I would not verify that I know what I am doing.
I am trying to find (and I know there are some) those that like what I do.

Once I release the game I will let it be known that the game itself is actually a pretty solid bundle. So more like giving out something that looks like trash at first glance but then may reveal a nice game that prefers being underrated.

Oh and this maybe played a little role in forging that opinion (Valve's Hlaf Life Snacks):

 (the part about keeping food in a ugly package)

[c023-DeV]

Here are two animated Gifs of the sabotage arena: (one broke so I removed it)

New features:

-Double resolution! (from 480x270 to 960x540)
-Dynamic sound and music (Stereo positioning of sound effects and interactive music mixing)
-Rain!
-updated lots of different AI types (patrolling, path finding and naturally flying etc...)
-More splatter feedback.
-More levels!
-Updated weapon 'physics' (+2 new weapon types - railgun and plasma - weapon arsenal is inspired by q3a)
-...

Today I'll be further decorating the later levels.

[c023-DeV]

I am still spending a lot of time optimizing the level creation pipeline.

I started out placing all the tiles by hand using DAME but since I've switched to GML I've changed a lot to speed up the process. Now I only define the material of the main layer that then gets auto tiled at runtime using a few scripts. I want to save those auto tiled results once the content is final to reduce loading times (even though it is pretty fast).

Same with a lot of the decoration. To avoid placing all the different variations of decoration by hand I just place the object and let a random choice provide the variation.

The gameplay itself is driven a lot by random choices to make speedruns a greater challenge because you can't predict the enemy movement or reactions.

Another element of gameplay that I haven't talked about is the weapon of choice. In the first versions you had to find the weapons and could freely switch them any time. In the current game mode you can only carry one weapon at a time and can change them at dispensers that are scattered across the levels. So you also have the opportunity to complete the game using only a certain weapon (or non at all) to get rewarded with STEAM achievements for doing so.

The STEAM achievement system and leaderboards in general provide a good way to suggest different playstyles without forcing it on the player (like I did by using countdown timers for example). This way players can experience the game at their own pace and in their personal playstyle.

To me it is still the movement, interactive elements and exploration that drives my personal commitment.

If you want to give the game a spin, don't hesitate to contact me! I'm willing to share and learning how to do so.

[c023-DeV]

Released an update.

Still wondering if there is any interest in opening up the project for Early Access here too?

Here is a little promotion I made today:

[c023-DeV]

Just released version to download here: (without steam features)

ENYO Arcade Website

And this is my steam capsule cover art:

[c023-DeV]

I've just released ENYO Arcade to the Steam Store as Early Access title! 

Get a version here:

ENYO Arcade Website

Or from the STEAM Store

This Steam Early Access game is currently not a finished game and may or may not change significantly over the course of development.

Yey!

[c023-DeV]

HORRAYYYY!!! Keyboard control re-mapping for ENYO Arcade works! *dance*

Still a bit ugly but it works:



Next up Gamepad remapping and m00re musik ... here is one track I made recently:

https://soundcloud.com/dev-zoo/enyo-arcade-ost-bitstomp01

LOUD! With subwoofer!

[c023-DeV]

Updated title flyer with the 'controversial' image of the Protagonist.
I have had recent lengthy discussions about it and I won't hide from further discussions.
Hate me if you want or get over it. There are no logical arguments for any side of this debate. It's just how it is.
I'm currently working on the flight scene of the game.

[c023-DeV]

Here is a little gif to give you an idea of the parts that I'm working on right now:



This part of the game will not be easy. But it will be rewarding.

[c023-DeV]

Big update...



Here is the list of changes:
-Worked on the music - still not quite there yet but getting closer
-Music volume slider in the options menu now actually manipulates the volume in real time (still doesn't save cross session yet since the options still need some work in general)
-The initial scene has had a little update.
-Blue orbs now give some information.
-The air friction is tweaked back abit again so she doesn't fly off that much.
-The HoverMines now also get you in ball mode.
-To finish the sabotage mission you now have to drop down in the center sewers (doors open when all targets are hit)
-Exploding barrels and crates now also damage the player.
-Reworked a few backgrounds in the first segment.
-Jet flight scene is now playable but might still grow. (You have to shoot down the other ship and avoid proximity to the mines)
-Weapons have been adjusted. (The SawGun did too much damage over time)
-Kick is now working as intended. (Had the same issue as the SawGun)
-First Boss fight is now playable but not finished (Enemies are still pretty dumb etc.)
-Started the 3rd Chapter - not too much there yet but I'm on it and you can have a look.
-Added a bunch of new Enemies (Rocket Turrets, Lazers...)
-I've also started to work on a few things that might be added after release... not going to spoil them...
-Hotfixed background and of game area glitches. (Let me know if you still find some!
-Again, some fixes I might have missed.

[c023-DeV]

currently working on the level-end screen and the stats.

The levels are now locked until you complete the prior section.
Also been reworking some of the AI and lots of details.

And built a mobile sleeping place into a Citroen Berlingo this weekend for my girlfriend and me so now we can work and travel. =D
Cant wait to finish off this project so I can get on with the rest of my life again. But I'm getting there.

[c023-DeV]

FUUUUUUUCK!

I've lost my V-ray usb dongle  

probably dropped it on a bus ... I work mobile from all over the place... Soon living out of the trunk of a car...

Most of this game was rendered with v-ray - now that's € 750,- that I never had down the drain. And that's when I can barely afford food and am living with ~ €200/month and less. I had that thing from my last work because my boss had resolved the whole company at the time so I got the software I was working with and thought I could make a game on my own...

Now I'm demotivated as hell. The game sells like a sickness in early access and flatlined since a few weeks. Close to no backing from any community nor friends (they don't play games in general). But giving up isn't an option.

Most of the game's art is finished. A few things like the boss fights that I wanted to re-render probably will just have to be a bit ugly but that's something I'll have to live with. Was currently polishing things like menu flow, difficulty levels, ingame menus for death and level complete. Was pimping and adding further content to the first levels, reworked some of the AI... damn... this sucks... AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!  

Stupid dongles, why do companies still use those things anyway. Fuckinhatemyworkrightnow... gonna play some guitar ... v-ray was nice and speeds up to get great results... but its not the end of the wo.r..l...

           

-Give me things that won't get lost...

[c023-DeV]

Enough of the whining, here is my latest update:

List of changes and additions:

• Added difficulties: Easy, Normal, Hard and Training with corresponding UI elements and game mechanics
• Restructured the Main Menu flow: Level selection now is called training (since it will later not be possible to progress or earn achievements in this mode)
• Added a few more rooms to the first chapter.
• Pimped the flight scene a bit.
• Reworked the savegame functions. (Progress automatically saves)
• Added death screen
• Reworked the chapter ending screen
• Added sound fx to the menu
• Again, some fixes I might have missed.

I am seriously thankful for all the support that I get from you folks reading this and caring about my work! Reviews here on Steam, sharing on social media and anything else that helps others find this game is very welcome! Because I must admit that currently the visibility of this game to the public is close to non-existant! ... I guess you are all familiar with that here... But I'm getting better and learning not to care about those that don't care... ha, sounds funny but might be my best advice of the month!

Heres a gif:


Here is the: STEAM ANNONCEMENT

Oh and I've started reworking my website a bit again... but more about that soon!

Kind regards,
James

[c023-DeV]

Another large push. I hope I can remember all the changes and additions since there have been quite a few. Most of all I've redesigned the www.Dev-Zoo.net logo. And I'm pretty proud of it. Here is the pixel version of it:

It is meant to be a mix of yin-yang and the empathy symbol and that it turned out to display a 'Z' was rather a coincidence.
Back to the game:

As you may tell from that gif, I've finally added a PAUSE MENU again. So no more worries about hitting the 'Esc' button by accident. Another new feature is the weapon selection. When you step on a weapon dispensary you can now choose what weapon to pick instead of waiting for the right one to pop up. I might be limiting the arsenal in some places depending on game play. Also the 4th Chapter/Stage has now got a bunch of new levels. And the other Chapters/Stages have had a few changes as well as the difficulty settings and Menu flow.

Here is the list of changes and additions:

• Difficulty Automation: When you start the game from the first stage then it starts as 'Hard' and as soon as you die and choose to respawn it automatically switches to 'Easy'. When you choose a different stage that you have unlocked then you can complete that on 'Normal' - respawn switches it to easy again. The little level selection boxes in the main menu currently hint the difficulty in witch the levels have been solved. I'm thinking adding the hard/normal respawn options as configurations in the options menu ... maybe.
• Restructured the Main Menu flow - again.
• Added Weapon selection menu at weapon dispensaries.
• Quite a few level design changes.
• Added some more background music to the sewers.
• Added Pause Menu.
• Reworked the chapter ending and death screens.
• Added new bitmap fonts.
• Added new Dev-Zoo logo - Yeah!
• Again, some fixes I might have missed.

I am seriously thankful for all the support that I get from you folks reading this and caring about my work so: THANK YOU!

Regards,
James

[marcgfx]

I really like the logo!

the purple one here is fine at really low res, but I dislike the one on your website. maybe because of all the smooth text next to it? it does not look low res but low quality. it would nicer as a vector-graphic for sure

the game is looking great, I was a bit astonished about the "enter your age to proceed" thingy on steam. Is that for nudity or gore?


edit: for some reason I felt compelled to make you an svg version of your logo, do what you like with it (I know its not entirely accurate, done in inkscape)

[c023-DeV]

I really like the logo!

the purple one here is fine at really low res, but I dislike the one on your website. maybe because of all the smooth text next to it? it does not look low res but low quality. it would nicer as a vector-graphic for sure

the game is looking great, I was a bit astonished about the "enter your age to proceed" thingy on steam. Is that for nudity or gore?

Yeah the website still needs a ton of work. I have created it as vector image so all freedom granted. I guess the 'Low quality look' there is due to the gif re-scale and a white matte... I'll polish it in time. Thanks for pointing it out.

The age thing is due to comic nudity (although there is none beyond the 32² pixels of the main character sprite - so no sexual titillation or objectification, however there are one or two disturbing HR-Gieger like enemies) and violence, as well as to narrow my target audience. Another thing is that I live in Germany, probably the strictest country for 'youth protection' ... We have a rating service called USK and it costs about €1200,- to have a game rated. Along with a ton of tedious restrictions. And if you have no rating then it's automatically equal to 'Youth Endangering Media' and that means it's on the index - so it's not allowed to be advertised publicly.

Long story short: I feel better when putting up the age barrier for now.

[edit]Thanks for the effort, you are pretty fast! Like I said it originally is a vector image. Here is a higher resolution glitch version:

(It's just the glitch stuff that I was playing with that makes the quality look so ruff =)

[marcgfx]

for some reason, I assumed you would be a pixel artist. you've definitely proven me wrong! after reading a bit of your devlog, I see that the v-ray issue is pretty big for you. I'm not so well informed, but if I understand correctly its an add-on and not a full program. if so, I'm pretty sure you can get similar results without it?

I'm sorry to hear the game has not been doing well on steam. I don't think the promo video is very good. does your game not have any sound-effects? its just a pretty repetetive background tune the whole time and it's not one that gets you excited. from a plattform shooter I would expect more explosions. the most interesting part is where you show a large boss-like creature in the background, but I dont even know if I could fight him. just jumping around and shooting standard enemies might not be interesting enough to capture an audience.

germany? well hello neighbour, I'm from switzerland. can't you avoid age related issues, by making blood green and changing the skin-tone? not that I think that 32*32 pixels could ever be considered youth endangering nudity.

[c023-DeV]

Yeah the V-ray issue sucks. And sure I 'could' get similar results. Problem is only that all my assets up to date are set up with v-ray. So Id have to remake all the materials and render setups and even then it might break the style.

I used to be a 3D artist/Animator for a couple of 'AAA' studios. But things changed in the industry and I felt that it was time to make my own rules. =)

Well to be honest I guess early access is what scares customers on steam atm. There are almost 1k players that have the game on their wishlist, so it cant be soo bad. I might only be able to tell that once it is finished. The video was a quick creation and is quite out of date, yes. The soundtrack is something I am working on right now. You are right about the video being rather 'boring' - it was meant to be an honest presentation of the content at that time. I want to stay away from 'luring' customers into buying something they might not like. The next video will be more appropriate to the current state of the game, that has become a lot cooler.

The content doesn't matter if you have no rating then it's treated as youth endangering material, even if you just pick flowers, since it hasn't been officially rated. However this is only relevant for retail and advertising in Germany. And like I said, my audience is rather 18+ anyway.

Greetings to Switzerland! I'm in Munich! Freistaat Bayern and fighting for an unconditional basic income here, enduring torture and discrimination - Schikane!  =)