We got a new build up! Check it out on
8points.itch.io/eves-dropWhat's new:The art is the most noticeable change. We hired Kyle Templeton aka supajackle and he has already injected some real personality into the enemy and node designs. We got a rough version of our cityscape/circuit board background art going too. We're working on picking a color scheme.
We simplified the power up system, but are still working on making it more readable. Now, you get a powerup as soon as you complete its password.
Getting squished by a gate always kills you. It's harsh, but it makes threading the needle more satisfying, and focuses the rest of the mechanics.
There's a combo system and local highscores now. There's not a lot of visual feedback for these systems yet, but basically you get points for hacking or destroying stuff, more points based on how high your combo is, and going fast keeps the combo meter from dropping.
Feedback of any sort is greatly appreciated! We do need some notes on a few specific topics:
Do you understand the basic mechanics? Is the learn-as-you-play tutorial effective?
Does the powerup system make sense? Are the powerups effective/desirable? What other powerups would you like to see?
Your thoughts on general game feel. Is it fun to control? To hack? To jump?
Are the gates too punishing? Do you want to quit after dying or try again?
Is it fun??? Please tell me it's fun.
We spent the better part of a month experimenting with a more involved hacking mechanic. It was a lot like what Vallar described; slow motion when you land on a node, a short series of inputs to manipulate it, and then boom your back into free fall.
We tried a few different methods for the inputs. Since there's only four buttons in the game, we didn't have a lot to work with. We tried a Simon says style that only accepted one string of inputs, and a freeform one where different combinations would result in different things.
At first, we used all four buttons. We realized that resulted in way too many potential combinations to check for. So, we dropped the left and right buttons and changed it to only up and down. This was more manageable, but it still wasn't fun.
Eventually we came to the conclusion that allowing players to get on and off nodes quickly was more important to the gameplay, and it was too jarring of a mode switch. Eves Drop is about what it's like to be an extreme 90s hacker, not what it's like to actually hack. It's about the adrenaline and freedom that those cheesy movies depict, and is similarly unconcerned with the details of how it all works. Besides, the entirety of the gameplay is supposed to represent you hacking into a machine as shown in movies like Hackers and Johnny Mneumonic.
So sorry if you're looking for more of a puzzle game! But we hope that you will enjoy our little action roguelite!
If you want to see what's up before our next major release, you can join our new discord channel:
https://discord.gg/dtrmgQBThanks again!
-Drew