Devlog Updated #345 - 12/12/2017
I'm back with another update.
I've actually changed the project's progress bar to 90%. It was 70% before. I probably could have changed it a a few months ago. But then again, at the start of 2017 I thought I was at 95% and would be done in a few months. Yet here we are...
As I've mentioned before, I've mostly been sharing development via
Twitch,
discord, and
youtube, so I haven't been as active. It's just much easier for me to post there, as I can do it while I'm working, whereas writing devlog posts actually take me quite a long time.
That being said, I've been keeping this log going for so long, it's a shame to let it fall aside near the end.
Development Update Video 9
Been doing a series of these development update videos. Here's the latest one:
TechAt this point with tech, we are featured-locked (thankfully). We're not adding anything new gameplay-wise, just focusing on optimization and making the game more stable.
Lots of edge cases with the game saving and loading system, but it's mostly stable now. Saving and loading games has been a big pain to get right. In Manifold Garden, there is a timer in the background running to save the game regularly. The player can also press "Save Game" to save the game, as long as it's not during specific moments where it's disallowed (during transitions, etc). At the same time, neighbor levels are loaded in and unloaded dynamically. Getting all the systems to play together nicely has been a real headache, but it's more or less there.
It's a huge relief because previously playtesters would have to leave the game running on the computer if they wanted to take a break. Now, they can close the game, and not lose all their progress.
We're working on Mac build as well, but having some problems with this as we don't have a mac machine to work or test on.
Sound DesignI've integrated FMOD into the project to begin sound design (more news on that soon). It was pretty straightforward and took much less time than I had expected.
Starting to focus on the PS4 version once again. Lots of issues initially, but this was expected as we hadn't touched the build in months.
Photography Mode
We've added photography world back into the game.
Had to disable this feature while I did a major refactor last year. We had to switch between two cameras, and it was just kind of a pain to maintain at the time.
It's currently using the new graphics pipeline that Arthur implemented, and I've brushed up on the UI. It's still pretty basic at the moment, but we're not going to add anything until everything else is done.
Here are some shots taken recently:
New Art AssetsBeen working with a few artists part-time to improve various assets in the game. Mostly focusing on replacing place holder items with final assets, and also adding animation. Here's a selection of the improvements:
Level DesignI'm continuing to focus on level design. In development update #8 (
), I talked about how there were a few design challenges we were facing and some proposed solutions. These have been implemented, and it's definitely an improvement. Players get a sense of their purpose much earlier in the game, which really helps establish where they are going and what they're working towards.
ProducerI've started working with a producer to stay on schedule, and it has been incredibly helpful. I've gone from thinking "what does a producer do?" to "how can anyone get by without one?". We check in on a weekly basis, and I've found it really helpful in establishing realistic milestones and staying focus on what's important (shipping).
Release DateStill can't give a firm release date, but I'm looking at early 2018. I will of course announce here once I have all the details.
Community
