Hey all!
I want to once again thank everyone who picked up the game within these first weeks. Your comments and responses have been absolutely heartwarming! But a positive response does not mean there is no room for improvement! This patch includes some bigger changes and additions based on the feedback we've received:
Saves, Transitions, and Art Visibility
Some of you encountered an interesting edge case where, if you saved at the first line after a transition, when you reloaded the line would get grafted onto whatever was last on screen. Worst case, this could even stop you from advancing!
TL;DR: THIS IS FIXED! But for those who want the longer version...
This was because of the trick I implemented to clear the text box during fades: I fired an empty line, waited for the fade to end, and then attached the actual line the empty one to avoid weirdness in the log. If that sounds hacky, that's because it is. We decided to do it better!
Those sequences now use a new command to clear and hide the text box, which has the added benefit of creating a few more moments where our art is fully visible! Going through and verifying these fixes also had me putting a bit more scrutiny on these transitions in general, so they've all gotten a bit of additional polish.
Pythia, stop blinking during my screenshots.
I also added this command to a few more non-transition sequences where seeing the whole scene felt nice! GOOD ART DESERVES TO BE SEEN! We've got legs for days.
Shortcuts and Sounds
We added a few more keyboard shortcuts for keyboard users!
- "I" will open the Idea slate!
- "L" will open the log!
- "1-4" will use the question moves, when available!
Implementing this, however, made us realize that our buttons were not always making noises when triggered with keyboard or controller... which led to the following changes:
- Sounds are always triggered when you activate a button with keys or controller! Yay, feedback!
- The next button sound now is toned down a little bit, and gets quieter when no music is playing
Marking up Marx
Attempting to abridge any of these philosophers is an undertaking-- and I knew Marx, as debated as he is, would be especially so. Overall response has been good, but those more online than I have made some valid points of where my words could have done a better job expressing our pointy-fingered philosopher. The first argument has thus seen a few small but notable changes to make sure it more accurately represents his vast body of work.
I'm sure this will not be the last time I want to go in and make tweaks to an argument to be a bit more accurate and representative! I did a ton of research in creating this game, but it's still very important I know what I don't know. Kinda, like, one of the main themes of the game.
So! If you are up to your neck in any of these philosophers and feel something strikes you as off when playing, please always feel free to speak up. I won't take it personally! Unless you tell me I stink.
And that's all! ...For now...
There are some other minor line fixes, but those be the meaty things! Once again, thank you to everyone who has been giving your thoughts and feedback. We're clearly listening, and we have a few more things we're tinkering with as possibilities.
Perhaps you'll hear about a big one tomorrow... (which those who watched our stream might already know!)
Love,
Connor and the Pro Philosopher Team