Long time no update!
Simply put, we have been busy getting down and dirty with the development of all the nitty-gritty details. The stream of new things has almost been too overwhelming to write about on a regular basis, and not all of them have been super exciting to show off to the world. Since the last update, there have been 358 commits to the project repository, so stuff has certainly been happening.
A lot of time has been spent on 'the hauler,' which is a rather tricky feature to get working really well due to its complex physics and player interaction. (Early work in progress)
There has been a BIG push towards reworking a lot of the core functionality prototype systems and preparing them for when we will start focusing on online multiplayer functionality in Milestone 2. It has basically involved rewriting most parts of the old prototype to make it performant and 'future-proof' in C++, with proper code structure in general, so we won't run into too many issues when we open the next 'can of online multiplayer worms'.
So this whole big, wonderful world of game development has felt like doing open-heart surgery with a muddy spoon and a power drill. Okay... maybe not 'that' bad. ;)
Still not done, but getting there one step at the time!
Also, the team has been doing a lot of work on the mission system and difficulties, procedural level generation, classes, abilities, how we communicate the dark levels to the players, new art assets, camera, VFX optimization, and a bit of sound effects without a dedicated audio guy. We have been designing and mocking up control schemes and UI, but they still need to be implemented.
Big things have happened on the visual side! We finally turned the camera 45 degrees and got a lot of brand new modular level assets in. We can really feel that it's beginning to look pretty dope! However, it's still far from where we want to take it in terms of visual quality. Many improvements will come as we progress.
As we approach the Milestone 1 deadline in late June, we have 'sort of' locked down new features while focusing on bug fixing and polishing what we already have.
On a personal note... we are still having a blast every day at the office! I love every day and feel the love and passion of the team on a daily basis. Ox somehow managed to severely pull a leg muscle while out running and has been our office cripple for a while now. However, he is getting better now and has been a real trooper! :)
All in all, we are still on track! And there is still a lot of things to get just sweet and right!
Cheers!
Jonas / Game Director @ Bitfire Games