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[Gamephasenet]

Hey Friends!

Phew. It's #screenshotsaturday in chilling Finland. Brr.

Working on Tournament mode for Thy Sword! Face your friends (or foes) in duel mode where the last one standing...wins. So we're thinking now the game will have standard campaign, the duel mode and maybe some hardcore mode where you practice dying a lot, maybe with more strict permadeath rules...

FIGHT!!!  

Edit 3.12.2016:

Here's a glorious GIF with chopping action.






Take care!

[Bahototh]

Some new screenshots!


Get that loots!
We're currently increasing the amounts of loot from monsters and chests - because more is MORE!!!
It went long without updates, but now the treasure chests will yield lovely handfuls of precious materials.




Of course, every now & again you have to stock up on weapons, potions and all that good stuff.
You could also gamble away your money. I mean get the chance to WIN some money. Your choice. House usually wins though...



That's one big mother. Queen. Whatever, let's kill it! "Insert epic rude Boss response here)



Stay sharp!

[Gamephasenet]

Sea Monster coming along nicely. It won't behave so nice though! 



Also: working on the intro and storyline:

Trying to keep it relatively simple, just enough to get the idea of the game
and what the player is/are trying to accomplish.



Happy Devdays!
//GamePhase

[Gamephasenet]

Hello Friends!
Hope your weekend is epic and grand. 

Thy Sword gets a crunch-a-tron...





Fixing Tiles and backgrounds for the levels and areas.

Adding more blood and loot! Taht's why we're playing bloody platformers right!?


New areas looking all right.






Of course, we can't show you all the secret within.
However, Bosses are starting to appear...




Stay strong and trust the Steel!

[Gamephasenet]

#screenshotsaturday and it's getting hot in here...
What's lurking among the lava pits? (Fire Spa jacuzzis)

[JobLeonard]

Haven't commented here in a while, but I'm loving the new direction this is taking!

[Fat Pug Studio]

This is mega cool.

[Gamephasenet]

Thank you guys! Stay tuned for more. More! 

[Gamephasenet]

Competition Time!!!  

Thought you might be interested in this oppertunity to play the fancy, custom way!

Up your retro gaming with this custom made, Thy Sword themed, Snes-like, USB plug & play gamepad
for Windows/Linux/Mac.

All you need to do to enter the competition is:
1. Like our GamePhase facebook page.
2. Like the competition announcement post.

https://www.facebook.com/gamephasenet/photos/a.559893290760503.1073741828.442915639124936/1332452443504580/?type=3&theater

Competition closes May 1st 2017.
The winner is chosen at random and announced on our page.

Good luck to all who wish to enter!

[Gamephasenet]

Hello!

I think it's fair to say some good progress has been made since we started out! 
Some of the best changes have come when we've actually reduced or scrapped stuff 

Graphics-wise it's coming along nicely, what do you guys think?
We're trying to make the different levels and areas unique but still following the gameplay pattern set.

Some times it can be a challenge to get the background "landscapes" suitably dark (behind the solid platforms & stuff),
different monitor settings etc...how do you guys handle it?

Quite the difference, right? (New version on the right, We actually decreased the screen resolution)



/Later!
...and thanx for reading.

[Gamephasenet]

Row call for the baddies, or at least some of them:



Currently implementing these different bad boys. We want them to be somewhat different from each other,
not just graphical variations. That way the player encounters different attacks and has to try out ways to defeat the monsters.

Also trying to come up with a smooth way of including a tutorial. Any tips guys?
Something quick to show the basics the first time around, but which the player doesn't have to go through again.

We did a little fan competition with a custom gamepad as the prize: 
(Congrats to winner Philip Andersson!) 



Have a great day/weekend and stay sharp.

[Bahototh]

Hello!

I found the old logo from long ago, in a fantasy land far away...
I like it when I see it again, what do you think? More going on for sure I'd say  



Screenshot from "Moonforest" area.




Still revamping the logo, this one's close!

//Bahototh
@GamePhase

[Bahototh]

------------------------------------------
Update: #screenshotsaturday and whatnot
------------------------------------------

Trying out a new enemy type, the Wraith:



Either he flies around taking lives swiftly, or he appears after you run out of time...
(What do you think about limited time for levels?)




Plus, The Dragon doing his business!!! #toast



Question: Can you name a game or two where you thought the bosses actually were good and fun to play?

[airman4]

On 2d games ?
Cause on 3d , i'd say Shadow of Colossus , okami ,

On 2d action rpg , valkyrie profile , castlevania symphony of the night , megaman games
I forget some more for sure

[Bahototh]

Yeah, thanks! 2D is most relevant here, though.

Also, feel free to name specific bosses from any game!
Nothing wrong with classic moves, but a little bit of fresh stuff is
always good to bring.

(Although not that easy to come up with.. )

[Dave_C]

You could try searching youtube for boss fights from these games:

Ninja Gaiden 1-3 on NES
Mystical Ninja on SNES
Super Castlevania 4 / Castlevania in general
Cave Story
Megaman series

[Gamephasenet]

Thanx Dave_C!

Missed some of those, so checking them out.

Update: more juicy screenshots and GIF's in the first post.

We're starting to see the "formula" taking shape for Thy Sword.
The overland map, levels and the village (Shop, Gambling) scenes all starting to make sense.
This feels really good, and we think it will make for an exciting and immersive experience.
(But you never -really- get to play your own game for real, you know what I mean?)

Right now:

+Cleaning up and improving menus and interface.

+Trying to finalize the game modes. Too many is messy, but we want to make it possible
for beginners and veterans alike to enjoy the game and it's challenges.



Take care guys!

[-Ross]

Glad to see Thy Sword progressing! I played the demo ages ago and it was pretty great.

For a very recent boss reference you could look at Hollow Knight, though it has more full 2D movement than Thy Sword (wall jumping, dashing, etc). I recall the Mantis Lords, Hornet, and Watcher Knight bosses being fun. I think they could have done more with the boss arenas though, rather than just big empty rooms. Some bits of terrain to jump off of or hide behind would be cool, and maybe some environmental things that you can interact with to help or hinder your fight.

I'm probably a filthy casual, but I always like boss fights that aren't huge difficulty spikes. Some extra difficulty and more continuous intense fighting is good, but not "you'll fight this boss 15 times before you win". Hard games are fine, but there shouldn't be big jumps. I couldn't stand Enter the Gungeon for this reason—the first 20 minutes is fun but fairly easy, then you meet the first boss and he's 5 times as hard.

Rain World! A lot of its creatures could be great bosses. Of course its AI is probably more complicated to write than the usual pattern-based stuff, but it's also the most interesting AI I've seen in ages. (since Descent maybe?)

Contra III had some cool bosses (and some awful ones). Check here: https://youtu.be/Q66aDhDMpgU?t=3m42s (also the little one at 0:55, but he beats it way too fast.)

[Pixelologist]

The blocky sprites and choppy animation don't really make me excited for this. I think I just expect more detailed pixel art in games I play. I'm sure you're going for the retro angle, but it just doesn't appeal to me. That said, I wish you success all the same.

[JobLeonard]

... what was the point of that comment? Seriously.