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[KPas]

@jp.greasefire
Wow, I'm glad to hear that!

Since yesterday, all graphics can be uploaded to Steam in significantly larger versions. I think twice as big in both dimensions. This will become mandatory sometime in autumn. And because I have to redo everything now anyway, I'm getting ready for it straight away.

Here is a new version for the store_capsule_main (not store_capsule_header). 50% of the new Steam Size.

[KPas]

There is now a Steam page.

[Schrompf]

Nice! Maybe put a video together? Don't bother putting logos or explanations, but I think some explosions, some lighting and a bit of these creepy procedural animations would be a nice icebreaker. Most people don't read, I'd wager, so a 20s video with some of your current achievements would aid growing your following.

[Ramos]

Congratulations!!!
 

[KPas]

@Schrompf and @Ramos
Thanks! I'm glad that the design is ok. 

Maybe put a video together?

You're right, we need a video. That's next.

[PetSkull]

There is now a Steam page.

Wishlisted!! :-D

[KPas]

Wishlisted!! :-D

Thanks a lot! 

And here is a teaser.

[Schrompf]

Ok, I admit I underestimated how much follow-up work is required when I childishly ask for a video. Step sounds would make it so creepy. Plus some background humming, air noises or water drops to set an atmosphere. The explosions came as a surprise because there's no action discernible beforehand that could have caused an explosion. Up to this point I thought it's a silent video :-)

And I'd like to see a small omnidirectional light in addition to the flashlight of the player. It might be sort-of realistic that it's pitch black around the player but this way you as the player control the tip of a light cone instead of an actual person. In reality the air and close surfaces would reflect light and lead to some scattering. So a small light over the character's head would improve both the controls and the appearance slightly.

Not to advertise my own stuff, but if you're interested: in Splatter I had a cheap Screen Space Global Illumination for which I created mip levels of the screen and then sampled those mips in the direction of the pixel's normal in increasing step widths. This nicely adds a halo around bright areas and accentuates easy normal maps like floor tiles. You could probably make it reach further by backprojecting pixels into previous frames.

[KPas]

Ok, I admit I underestimated how much follow-up work is required when I childishly ask for a video. Step sounds would make it so creepy. Plus some background humming, air noises or water drops to set an atmosphere. The explosions came as a surprise because there's no action discernible beforehand that could have caused an explosion. Up to this point I thought it's a silent video :-)

And I'd like to see a small omnidirectional light in addition to the flashlight of the player. It might be sort-of realistic that it's pitch black around the player but this way you as the player control the tip of a light cone instead of an actual person. In reality the air and close surfaces would reflect light and lead to some scattering. So a small light over the character's head would improve both the controls and the appearance slightly.

Not to advertise my own stuff, but if you're interested: in Splatter I had a cheap Screen Space Global Illumination for which I created mip levels of the screen and then sampled those mips in the direction of the pixel's normal in increasing step widths. This nicely adds a halo around bright areas and accentuates easy normal maps like floor tiles. You could probably make it reach further by backprojecting pixels into previous frames.

Yes, I should have left out the explosion sound (someone has thanked me for his deafness) and will upload a soundless version to Steam. I have almost no sound material at the moment, but a soundless teaser is better than nothing. I won't do sound and music last - it's too important to me - but it will take time.

The lighting in Splatter is impressive - hats off! However, I decided against normal maps early on. The visuals are too low-res and pixelated for that in my opinion. The same goes for Glow, by the way, although I'm still a bit undecided about that.

What you say about the character lighting is certainly true. I'll have to take care of that in time.

Last but not least, thanks for the feedback!

[KPas]

In Creepmoon you have to collect items and build something useful out of them, if they are not already usable on their own.
So Creepmoon needs an inventory and crafting.

The inventory is always open and you rummage around in it live and also build items live. So there is no relaxing break in the game where you can craft a grenade in peace, but you have to survive and rummage and craft at the same time.

You scroll through the list using the mouse wheel (other buttons also work). The selected item can be consumed or thrown or used in any other way, depending on the item. There is a short description of the selected item below, but it is not in the picture at the moment.

When crafting, you scroll through the recipes on the right that are available with the current items. The lines show each individual ingredient that is consumed.

In contrast to the level below, the HUD with the inventory is displayed in high resolution to make it easier to read. Nevertheless, the HUD also has to cope with the “nearest” texture filter, which applies to the entire game. But that's just a side note.

[KPas]

This is a follow-up to the last post. It's about items in the game as long as they are not yet in the inventory.

Players will probably find most things in cupboards or chests. However, items can also lie on the ground, even in piles. The latter can be recognized and distinguished from a distance. Containers must first be opened before this rule also applies there.

Containers can be moved with the items inside. Objects on the ground remain where they are, even in the middle of an explosion.

If you drop objects, they always land on the ground, not in containers. Items placed in the same place form a pile. This also applies to loot left behind by slain enemies.

Only 3 items from a pile are ever displayed as text. However, the display scrolls and you can “search” the pile in this way.

When picking up items, this display also determines the order: what is at the top is picked up first. If you have no more space in your inventory, you just have to wait until the useful items come to the top.

The nameplates on the items lying around move away from the players as they approach. So if something is hidden, the player can simply uncover it by moving.

[Pookaball]

Game looks great, I love the overhead view and the shadows

[Ramos]

Hey KPas,


If it's not a secret can I ask how many Wishlists did you got in the first 24 hours of posting the coming soon page on Steam and how many Wishlists you got now in total?

[KPas]

Game looks great, I love the overhead view and the shadows

Hey, Thanks!

Hey KPas,
If it's not a secret can I ask how many Wishlists did you got in the first 24 hours of posting the coming soon page on Steam and how many Wishlists you got now in total?

On the first day there were 4, now there are 32.

[Ramos]

Thank you for sharing !
 

[KPas]

I need graphics for items that are primarily displayed in the inventory. The inventory is on a high-resolution level, so the graphics must also be in high resolution.

Here is a more interesting example of how I create them.

The following is a cattle prod. The black thing is the handle part. The chunky end is a battery, and at the other end are two pins that deliver electric shocks. In reality, the things look a bit different, but I need a bulky version for giant vermin.



The graphic consists of parts of various photos, which can be seen below.



The housing of the black plug (1) served as the basic shape and was colored red. The golden pin of the red plug (2) was slimmed down and doubled. The power plug (3) became the battery. To do this, however, I had to retouch the image section more. Finally, the handlebar grip of the bicycle (4) was added.

I have to say that I don't usually combine so many photo parts. Sometimes I just cut something out of a photo and edit it until it's just right. For editing I use GIMP. The licenses of the photos allow commercial use.

[KPas]

The soundscape is present to some extent. At first, you only hear the footsteps of all those involved and the noises that are common when handling a hand grenade. Everything is sent through a sound bus with reverb. This is intended to contribute to the atmosphere of a greasy dungeon. (And of course I also want to keep the players a little confused.)







I thought about whether I should deepen the stealth component of the game, in the sense that the player should make as little noise as possible and stay in the shadows. But I rejected that. The enemies all have a certain range in terms of their perception, and direct visual contact with the player also plays a role. That's enough to develop a tactic, and I also want a confrontation with the giant vermin, which means the player shouldn't sneak around them.

[KPas]

There is actually no melee combat in Creepmoon. Nevertheless, the enemies are closing in on you, and then even explosives won't help.
The player needs a weapon to fend off such attacks. I have decided on a cattle prod. Normally, such devices deliver painful electric shocks. In Creepmoon, these shocks are paralyzing and hurtful.

You can kill the relatively small enemies quite easily without getting killed yourself. This also works with large enemies, but takes a long time and is not without danger. In addition, the cattle prod will eventually run out of energy.

Another way to deal with opponents is to bring two species together and retreat a little. However, small enemies only attack the player, so a large enemy must be involved.

Hunting calls, movement, punching, stabbing and biting noises have been incorporated to set the scene for such events. And, of course, plenty of bodily fluids are spilled.

[Schrompf]

This suddenly looks like a complete game. Great work! Footsteps for the player or even for the monsters might be a low-hanging fruit to pick.

[KPas]

This suddenly looks like a complete game. Great work! Footsteps for the player or even for the monsters might be a low-hanging fruit to pick.

I had hoped that it would already look halfway playable. Nice to hear that now, thank you!

The fruit was actually already hanging quite low, and I've already picked it. 
The steps are a bit lost in the video though.