Here's what's new in this demo compared to the last:
New Style
The game looks a lot brighter, flatter, and more cartoonish than it did before. Along with some changes in shadows which I outlined in the October Development Update.
No More Scoring System
Something that did not end up working like I imagined was the scoring system. So there are now objectives to complete every level instead of a score at the end.
Leaderboards in PvE Levels
Players really enjoyed the gauntlet demo leaderboard, so I added a leaderboard for every PvE level. It also incentivizes trying to do levels as fast as possible
Level Editor Introduced
The Level Editor is being introduced into beta with this demo! I can't wait to see what interesting (and hard) levels you create!
Adjusted Grappling Hook
I didn't change the movement too much, however I did adjust the grapple hook. You will find it easier to control the swing, the swing momentum is conserved better, and it doesn't pull as hard. In order to make the swing feel better, the amount of pull force towards the grapple point has been reduced. It will feel more like a tool to conserve momentum around corners, rather than build speed by spamming it.
Adventurous Alvin Introduced
Something I have been asked about numerous times is if there will be lore. And my answer to that is Adventurous Alvin! It will leave behind notes for you to find in hard to reach spots.
Potato Cannon in the Tutorial
Instead of the Hot Dog Revolver as the secondary in the Tutorial, I've changed it to the Potato Cannon, which allows for boosts in the Gauntlet which should make things more interesting!
Adjusted Loadout in PvE Level
In the previous demo, the special was a Mallet and the grenade was Dynamite. Now the special is an Airhorn and the grenade is Metal Pipes, which should be easier to use for new players
Enemy Variation in PvE level
I mentioned this in a previous devlog, but there is much more variety in the enemies you'll encounter than before. In the demo, you'll encounter a new enemy type in the second combat section.
Enemy Counts in PvE level
Along with the types of enemies being different, the amount of enemies is also greatly reduced. This should help with making things feel quicker and less challenging.
Adjusted Special Recharge Rate
Something you might notice is that the special recharges a lot faster. This is because I've reduced the amount of damage needed to gain a special. This should allow the special to be used about once per combat section, rather than once in the entire level.
And a ton of bug fixes and minor adjustments to level layout!
Here is the current roadmap of development:
I have a lot of TBD on this roadmap, but I don't really know what I'm going to add along with the release of the worlds! What might happen is that the PvE levels come first and PvP comes after, I will have to see what players enjoy the most and want me to focus on! It will all get done eventually, however the order they get done is not yet decided.
Thanks for your support of The Stickman!
P.S. Join the Discord to report bugs, make suggestions, and talk about The Stickman! I'm less active in Steam Forums, so Discord is the best place to share everything!