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[Fainz]

Become a champion of the godlike Dragon and travel deep underground to defeat your master's nemesis. Fight your way through 15 levels with unique bosses and over 30 basic enemies. Abilities are tied to equipment instead of classes, so start experimenting and build an unique playstyle using the available 80+ gear pieces.

Dev team:
Dragonpath is an Unity game by two dudes from Finland. I do 3D art, coding and Unity stuff while my buddy does 2D art and writing. We have been working on the game for about 1.5 years thus far.

Videos:







Demo (with 4 levels):
Download from IndieDB

All comments on the game are appreciated.

-Fainz





Screenshots:















Edit 29.10.-15:
-New demo, changed topic title and description

[Highsight]

== TITLE ==
Title could use some polish.  Tons of wasted screen real-estate.
  - Perhaps a flythrough a randomly generated dungeon?  Buttons on the bottom.
Love the music

== OPENING ==
Let me click to move through the opening narration, not just spacebar.
Would be cool if this could be a voiceover
  - Maybe even a comic?
"Prime, ironically, fell second," - Strange tonal shift, from serious to quippy.
"The rest of us tried to fight our way back to the Hole, as we had no hope of unlocking the Seal and entering the compound for safety." - This sentance needs breaking up.
  - Suggestion: With no hope of unlocking the Seal, we were forced to fight our way back to The Hole.
LOVE the dragon picture, that's a badass picture right there.  The sketchy style on the muddied texture with just a hint of color on the hero is a BEAUTIFUL style.
"The Dragon looked directly at me and its thoughts filled my head, its "voice"..." - Put a period between "head" and "its" instead of a comma.
"I then realized that, due to whatever reason,..." - Nope, cut that shit out right there.  Nuh uh son, there's no need for that.

Overall a solid opening.  I'd take a good long hard look at that script though.  I love the concept, but some rewrites could really help make it shine.  If at all possible a voiceover would really help this shine.  If you're not great at voice acting, you could always higher someone cheap. Another dev I helped out mentioned he got a REALLY great voiceover done for $5 at Fiverr. It might be worth concidering for that extra little bit of awesome.

== IN GAME ==
Mouse controls don't work?  This game BEGS for point clicking movement.  It doesn't feel natural having my hands only on my keyboard, and switching to my mouse when I need it.
Super speed button?  Good idea!
Combat movement feels super clunky with a keyboard.  It really detracts from the enjoyment.
I got a new skill for killing someone? Sweet!  Firebombs, time to blow some people up!
Transition to the markets feels wrong.  Switching for 3D to 2D and back to 3D so quick broke the immursion bubble for me.
  - Maybe instead stay in 3D mode and flyby the camera to switch perspective to 1st person or nearby 3rd person?
Oh, books!  Neat, I love lore.
I am LOVING this Runeblaster.  So far the weapons are a huge plus!
Loving that your equipment determines your abilities.

Oh cool!  You went first person for the cutscene!
  -Keep doing this, but conciser adding a flyby to the camera instead, when you enter the room.  This will make the transition less jarring.
The boss felt a little flat.  He didn't seem to really have a vulnerable state, he kept on just firing the same spells in the same pattern non-stop.
  - It would be cool if his spell pattern had a moment that left him vulnerable for alot of damage, instead of just pinging him down while dodging.
  - I liked that he broke out a badass spell near the end of the fight.
    * I don't like that I couldn't figure out how to dodge it...  Do I need to shield it?  Cuz I had a range weapon at the time.  
  
== INVENTORY ==
Can I have a side by side comparison to see what I already have equipped?

== SHOP ==
Don't make your shop need me to press "enter" on an item before selecting it.
  - Using the keyboard to move up and down the list of items should select them automatically.
  - Pressing "Enter" while having them selected should buy them.
  - Same with Mouse controlls, mouseover should select, click should buy.

==========================

OK, that was my notes for my playthrough of the first level of your game.  I apologize if any of these sound rude or conditioning, these are just my literal thoughts written down as I played.  Overall I really like this game alot, it's a throwback to a genre I grew up with ever since Darkstone on the PS1 (yes yes, I never had Diablo til III came out, don't be hatin').  I really look forward to seeing this game grow.  If you're interested in more feedback than this, I'd be glad to have your game in my show.  Details in sig.

Best of luck with your game!
-Highsight

[Fainz]

Thanks a lot for the feedback Highsight, you brought up many important points and good ideas

Some comments:

==TITLE==
-That's a good idea, I'll try changing it to some kind of dungeon flythrough which could include showing enemies, items & stuff.

==OPENING==
-I agree it needs rewriting (I'll forward the feedback to the 2D artist & writer of my 2-man team).
-A good voiceover would be very cool. Gonna have to try voiceacting it myself or getting someone else to do it.

==IN GAME==
-Mouse movement option coming soon. I've gotten too used to playing the game with keyboard so I pretty much forgot mouse is usually used for moving in this genre.
-First person view for the market could be good, I'll test it out.

-A couple of bosses have channeled spells which leave them open for damage for a while. I'll add that kind of mechanics for more of them to create windows of vulnerability in their attack patterns.
-Theres a total of 4 ways to avoid damage from the big spell (move out of range, block it with melee weapon, interrupt it, evade with temporary damage immunity from dash). I agree it is unclear what to do when the boss uses that spell though (especially when using a ranged weapon), and I'll try to clarify it somehow.

==INVENTORY==
-I'll add the side by side comparison feature soon.

==SHOP==
-I agree the shop navigation is currently kinda bad. I'll try to improve it soon.


---

It would be great to have the game in your show! I'll submit it there today.

-Fainz

[Highsight]

It would be great to have the game in your show! I'll submit it there today.

-Fainz

Wonderful!  I probably won't be able to get to your game immediately, so if you have a new build by that time, feel free to email me and let me know.  Otherwise, I'll be shooting you an email the week I am showing off your game.

I'm glad my feedback could help you out!  To clarify, for the shop thing, I was referring to just having the 1st person mode be a temporary thing to replace that 2D cutscene thing.  You should go back to normal perspective when it is done.  Best of luck with your game!

[Fainz]

I updated the demo to add some features, most importantly the option to use mouse for movement in a Diablo-ish fashion (though keyboard movement is still available too).

Other notable additions:
-Shop UI & navigation have been improved
-Item comparison feature added to inventory screen
-Attack patterns of some bosses were changed to have windows of vulnerability
-Title screen has been redone




-Fainz

(Edit 30.03.2015: Removed outdated demo link from this post)

[Highsight]

Holy crap!  That tile screen is so sexy now, I love it man.  Looking forward to trying out the update on my show. (not this Tuesday, but the Tuesday after)

[Fainz]

A new demo for Dragonpath is now available
Download from IndieDB


I've always wanted to make patch notes, so here's most of the changes from two weeks of development:

Build v0.17.0 - Patch notes
Bugfixes
-Fixed bug which made the game unplayable after clearing first 3 levels (that appeared in 15-03-20 build).
-Closing inventory by pressing the X mark (instead of using Esc/X key) no longer leaves the inventory character view visible.
-Fixed an issue where handles of game settings sliders were in wrong place.
-Fixed an issue where enemies didn't have weapons in new title screen

Small improvements
-Player now always turns in the correct direction when starting a spell (this only matters out of combat when player is randomly spamming skills. Because who doesn't do that all the time?)
-Player idle animation has been updated so that weapons will no longer go through his leg.
-Click-to-move target position is no longer locked when casting skills which don't allow movement.

Mouse control
-Mouse controlling added, click-to-move (move target is continuously updated if mouse button is held down).

Weapon switch
-Changed so that the switch is always between melee and ranged weapon.
-The hotkey and active choice are now shown in UI

Inventory
-Item comparison improved (also now requires holding shift to see the comparison)
-The item type that's being viewed is shown more clearly
-Inventory browsing area has been redone
-Player 3D view can now be rotated by dragging with mouse

Vendor & shopping
-Vendors are more talkative
-Item selection can now be changed with mouse scroll.
-Keyboard navigation also improved.
-Item comparison feature added to shopping UI
-Shopping window now slides in.
-Camera zooms closer when shopping.

Title screen
-New version with a dungeon flythrough done.

Opening
-Opening has been rewritten

Dialog GUI
-More transitions are now smoothly faded.
-All dialogs can now be advanced by clicking

Action GUI
-Healthbars are now circular ones which are at the enemies' feet.
-Floating text is now slightly transparent
-Screen's edges flash red when player takes damage
-Combo finisher is now shown with a particle effect instead of floating text.

Items
-Vendor price of many items have been changed
-Runeshot and Dorven Runeblaster models updated
-Obsidian Dagger added (late game small weapon)
-A few spears added (new melee weapon type with slow attacks and long range).
-Shield Trinket skill changed to a weak interrupting projectile which grants absorb shield on hit.

Skills
-Dash Attack added to some enemies and items (Bandit Blade for example).
-Some skills used by enemies can now temporarily stun them. Primary purpose is to add windows of vulnerability after big spells used by bosses.
-Most trail effects (melee swing, dash for example) have been updated

Enemies
-A few bosses have been changed to have some windows of vulnerability, either by skills which stun them after casting or lengthy channeled spells.
-Bandit Machinist added (tanky enemy at lvl 3&4 of first chapter)
-Master Machinist boss added
-Shieldy bandits can now have spear as a weapon


-Fainz

Edit 21.4.2015
-Changed download link to Dragonpath's IndieDB downloads page

[Fainz]

A new Dragonpath demo is now available!
Download from IndieDB

Major changes:
-One enemy type added to first levels (for a total of 4)
-Music added to first 4 levels
-HUD improved (health & mana bars and skill icons)
-Levelup mechanic changed, player now gets to choose one permanent bonus from 3 choices
-Base health regen nerfed. Melee attacks now give a stacking regeneration buff
-Mana regeneration has a short delay after using abilities (that cost mana)

-Fainz

[Fainz]

The time has come for another Dragonpath demo.
Download from IndieDB





New in this demo:
-Tutorial added
-Enemies sometimes split to meat chunks when killed (chance increases with the amount of overkill)
-Ground gets stained with blood during battles
-Screenshake added for combo finishers and explosions
-The hero now breathes and occasionally blinks (visible when inventory is open)

-Fainzeraier

[Fainz]

A new Dragonpath demo enters the fray.
Download from IndieDB

Now also on Greenlight

New in this demo:
-Player is returned to map start point on death, but doesn't lose progress
-Dual-wielded Fist Weapons added as new weapon type
-Difficulty affects enemy aiming skills (how well they predict player movement)
-New models for boots and armors
-A bunch of new attack animations for player
-And more...

I'd like some feedback on the short starting tutorial, and how dying in the game feels. All other feedback is also appreciated.

-Fainzeraier

[Fainz]

New demo: Download from IndieDB

It's been a while since I posted a demo here last time, so there's plenty of new stuff including but not limited to:

• Local 2-player co-op added
• Improved controller support
• Intro is now a playable event
• New tutorial which happens before intro
• Several post-processing effects added to rendering
• Selling items is now possible, and equipment can be upgraded
• Levels in first chapter now consist of roads
• The hero has several new animations

I'd like some feedback on tutorial&intro scenes, difficulty, and overall visuals. All other feedback is also welcome.

-Fainz

[fingerman]

Hello Fainz,

I downloaded Dragonpath and had a go at playing it, but it didn't really work out for me. Probably my machine is too old. I played it to the first enemy in the training room 3 times but couldn't get past him due to technical reasons I think.

The stuff I could see looked really good i.e. the models, lighting, effects and the overall look. It reminded me allot of games that my friends used to play! Clearly a lot of work has gone into this project!

So here is the stuff I noticed:
-the logo is cut off at both ends, part of the D and H in dragonpath are outside of the screen, I tested in fullscreen and windowed mode in 1024x7xx
-how about a more obvious placement of the button to start playing (it's cool the way you already see a dungeon at the start and the buttons all fit the visual style, but that big obvios start button would help haha)
-by the third time I wanted a way of clicking through the dialog faster xd
-the second time the enemy in the training room attacked me the gameworld dissapeared (and never came back), all I could see was the hud and the red damage flash around the frame of the screen (fullscreen)!
-i also had some funny movemet bug when moving with the mouse in (windowed and fullscrenn) where the player character ran too and fro betwenn his original position and the position i ordered him to move towards with one click... what was going on there?

Oh no, what's happening? Time for a new machine?

The gifs are 10fps, the game was running a lot smoother!

2x T3400 @2.16GHz, 4GB RAM, GeForce 9300M GS 512MB

I'm sorry for being so useless, as I say the game looks nice, clearly a lot of work has gone into it, the technical difficulties occured at my end I think.

Take care, fingerman

[Fainz]

Hello Fainz,

I downloaded Dragonpath and had a go at playing it, but it didn't really work out for me. Probably my machine is too old. I played it to the first enemy in the training room 3 times but couldn't get past him due to technical reasons I think.

The stuff I could see looked really good i.e. the models, lighting, effects and the overall look. It reminded me allot of games that my friends used to play! Clearly a lot of work has gone into this project!

So here is the stuff I noticed:
-the logo is cut off at both ends, part of the D and H in dragonpath are outside of the screen, I tested in fullscreen and windowed mode in 1024x7xx
-how about a more obvious placement of the button to start playing (it's cool the way you already see a dungeon at the start and the buttons all fit the visual style, but that big obvios start button would help haha)
-by the third time I wanted a way of clicking through the dialog faster xd
-the second time the enemy in the training room attacked me the gameworld dissapeared (and never came back), all I could see was the hud and the red damage flash around the frame of the screen (fullscreen)!
-i also had some funny movemet bug when moving with the mouse in (windowed and fullscrenn) where the player character ran too and fro betwenn his original position and the position i ordered him to move towards with one click... what was going on there?

I'm sorry for being so useless, as I say the game looks nice, clearly a lot of work has gone into it, the technical difficulties occured at my end I think.

Take care, fingerman

Hey fingerman, thanks for the feedback!

It's unfortunate that the game didn't work properly on your machine. There's still many good points that you brought up.
-I'll make the logo change scale on lower resolutions to prevent it from going outside the screen
-The start button shall become more bigger (perhaps also redder) soon.
-The start dialog is intended to be viewed only once per playthrough, maybe I'll allow the player to move around sooner so it will be less annoying to wait in this kind of situation.
-The game world disappearing sounds really weird. I haven't heard about anything like this happening before.
-The movement bug was probably because the hero moved too far over the mouse target in one frame, then moved over it again in the other direction next frame (and repeated this endlessly). This should be easy to fix though.

-Fainz

[fingerman]

Ok, glad to have been of help.