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[GarBenjamin]

Looking great! Glad you are sticking with it til completion. Be cool to see a video. Screenshots are nice and all but at this point I think people would get a much better feel for the game from a video. Just a suggestion!

[darkhog]

Sure, will think about that. The problem is that there's little to show right now, only main menu and one level. Probably will do one after the predemo #2 will be ready.

[darkhog]

Yeah, don't tell me about it. I'm barely containing fits of rage as it is. Please keep this topic about the game, okay?

As a reminder, you can download predemo #1 in this post: https://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=45904.msg1252969#msg1252969

Then I'd appreciate if you fill out this short survey after playing to help me improve it: http://goo.gl/forms/DkIbYqhgePO66i2o2

See? I'm actually listening to my (potential, since you can't buy the game yet) customers, unlike forum design team of a certain game engine that shan't be named.

As for game news, I'm working on implementing destruction gun powerup right now, but first want to create actual bullet shooting logic.

[gimymblert]

Hi fellow unity residents!

[darkhog]

Hello!

How do you like my game? Have you played the predemo #1? If so please fill this short survey!

I've created basics of bullet code. There are some bugs in it that I can see without actually running the code, but will fix it today.

[gimymblert]

I don't have to play anything really, I even opt out of rain world's alpha 

[darkhog]

Shooting logic is created, at least for the destruction gun (shotgun variant and other gun types still needs to be implemented), you can even kill stuff that requires gun, now all I need is to implement a pickup that would give you shooting power. I'm thinking about doing it Contra-style, modeling one kind of a pickup, then putting letters inside it denoting gun type, like this:

D - Destruction gun
DS - Destruction shotgun
I - Infection gun
IS - Infection Shotgun
F - Friendliness gun
FS - Friendliness shotgun.

What do you think?

[darkhog]

Having a minor setback here. Seems like I've broken project somehow and Unity has problems with it. Working on a solution. In worst case I'll do a rollback, but hopefully it won't come to that.

[GarBenjamin]

Just noticed your reply and that you have a demo out. Cool. I will try it out as soon as I get off work and fill out the questionnaire.

[darkhog]

Thanks. As for the issue I've mentioned, I've managed to fix that. Now need to restore few things and I'll be on the right track to taking over the world mwahahhaha making this awesome game.

[GarBenjamin]

Just an FYI here... the Dropbox link gave me this message:

Error (429)
This account's links are generating too much traffic and have been temporarily disabled!

So that seems like a good thing. Lots of people must be trying out the game.
Congrats on getting the project loading/working again!

[darkhog]

Yeah, it's been that way for a while. Shame that only one of these downloaded filled out the survey that is located here: http://goo.gl/forms/DkIbYqhgePO66i2o2 - with only one person filling it out it's hard to tell what's really wrong and what can be discarded as white noise.

And thank you! Still, need to reinstall few extensions that I've thought gave me that issue but it turned out they didn't. Will do it today after some sleep. And on Monday I'll start working on it again.

Protip for indie developers: It's important to take weekends off so you can regain creative juices. Spend it on some hobby projects or activities. For example I'm planning to learn some C64 programming over this weekend, other times I play Boundel, great MMO made by great Turkish dev (I hope he's okay) or draw. Point is do nothing directly related to your game. Don't do graphics for it, don't code it.

Yess, it'd be hard and you'd feel that itch of wanting to get back to your game, especially if it's a labor of love. Let it grow. Let it consume you. You'll be twice as effective on Monday when you actually start working on it again.

[GarBenjamin]

You should have two now because I left fairly detailed info when I filled out the questionnaire. Hopefully it will help out.

[darkhog]

Thanks! Will check it out for sure! Again, for any people who played the predemo, please fill out the survey! It's really important to me. http://goo.gl/forms/DkIbYqhgePO66i2o2

[darkhog]

It seems like you've went straight for the download links, not reading the post. It would help alleviate some of the issues you've encountered. I'd suggest giving it another go. Those numbered things are level selection of which only 4 works in this predemo. You're supposed to touch the button with your character.

I'll see what can I do about making it more clear, both movement and how to proceed in the predemo #2 as it seems I've failed here.

[darkhog]

I've finished the gun pickup powerup for now (as more gun types are added will have to modify the code) so I can get back to working on game's levels. Will put up some shooting gif shortly.

[darkhog]

Here's the promised gif. Sorry it took so long, but had few bugs to work through first, still there's one here that isn't fixed.

[darkhog]

Working on new level. I have a pretty cool idea for it and now that I've finished shooting and the enemy of the level is done, I can work on this thing.

I've also made controls less floaty in mid-air. Now when you let go of movement keys (incl. jump key), the virus stops nearly instantly.

Next up: Need to get one visibility bug fixed. For some reason in main menu the level numbers aren't showing. Need to track down why it's happening and then fix it.

[darkhog]

It turns out that visibility thing is an Unity's bug. Fortunately it seems like one of patch releases fixes it. Installing now, will see how it goes. If it works then I can start making some real progress as I was kinda going mad why it wasn't working when it technically should.

Will keep you posted, you deserve the info how it goes. Without you, I can't do jack shit and I know it. Would like to see what do you think about the game.

[darkhog]

Usability improvements in the starting area (playable main menu)

Because some people weren't realizing what they should be doing after game was started, I've decided to change playable main menu a little bit so you'd get basic info straight away. For that end, I've created a billboard with basic control info and created path made out of red arrows to the level selection area:


Another thing I've done is making only buttons capable of actually launching a level red, making other gray. That won't matter after predemo phase is over and actual demo is released, but for now it will help avoid confusion:

Now, level #3 isn't launchable in predemo #1, only level #4 is, but since predemo #2 will contain the level #3, I didn't change it color to gray so I can avoid having to change it back.

As you can see, Unity's patch also fixed visibility thing.

//edit: Any other stuff I should be doing to make it even more accessible for new players? As the game's creator I've pretty much memorized how it should be played and really need feedback from people who struggled with it and what went wrong. Such feedback is invaluable for making this game best possible experience.