Jan 21, 2018 - day 601A new year, a new resolve! Hi there, everyone! I'm here again to show you my progress... Now that the menu is done, let's have a look. First of all, don't be startled by the widescreen aspect ratio change! This game can be played in portrait mode & widescreen mode, since it's originally designed for mobile in mind.
(however you'll play the game on the game sites in portrait mode as default) I hope the level selections are clear and easy to understand. :) If you want to know about how I design the menu, read this log post. Originally there will be a 3-way selection screen right after the alien splash screen, with [Story Levels], [Custom Levels] & [Options]. But now I think that's too repetitive to have 2 level selection screens when you can put them all together (like the gif here). Am I right? What else missing is the dedicated 'Option' screen. I think that will be added on final release version. (until then you can set the stage effects & music volume on in-game menu) Next remaining days until deadline, I'll be working on:
I will low-key post the demo on Itch.io & Scrirra Arcade. Since it isn't as polished as I wanted to be, I don't want to promote the game just yet. (until maybe next major update) Nevertheless, I will provide the links when the demo is published. Alright then, i'll see you in next log & the demo 2 release. Dec 30, 2018 - day 579While the festive season is still not around, It's time for me to get back to the project! Now, giving myself a fixed deadline, I have no other excuses but to quit procrastinate & work! The deadline will be January 30, 2019. I just have to work through all the essential parts like levels , even regardless of quality. It may not be good looking... But hell-- It's taking a bit too long for a demo release! Now-- get back to work!
Nov 28, 2018 - day 547Here is today's development . Cracks, like walls --are to simply block the path. And the alien can not walk through them. Now I'm not using too much blocks/walls for desert levels because it doesn't look very good (the "3d" block effects don't look good especially on realm 2) Cactuses, They function like cracks too: blocking the path, but are also decorating the stage. Adding these alien cactuses and suddenly the stage doesn't seem so boring now. That's about it. Almost all the game elements are introduced for the upcoming ver0.5 demo. Now speaking of which... The Demo Release... When?I can't pick a date yet. Sorry.
However, the game's reaching another stage of development and still going (even slowly) Whats left are the menu & all 12 level designs (including tutorials) the Demo might or might not be ready on December :( But I'll do what I can. The following month I'll be working on the menu's visuals and functions. Also, December is just around the corner. Everyone's pretty busy now. Then, I will try to post one more dev log for the season! XD Nov 12, 2018 - day 531I've finished this visual enhancement for the week. In case you don't know: The alien's antenna is used for detecting landmines. I added the flashing to make it more recognizable to the player when detecting mines. (flash is sync-ed with beeping "siren" the antenna makes, it flash quicker when closer to a landmine.) Landmines are really a nuisance as you have to play the guessing game & slows down the gameplay.
Therefore it's preferable not to spread'em all across the place. Too much of them will frustrates the players. Next log, I'll introduce a new blockage element "cracks" for the desert levels (realm 2). Oct 5, 2018 - Day 493First of all, let's look at what i did for this week. I'm able to finished this interface draft to show you. It looks okay for some, but lacks something... It sort of fits the theme but not quite... I want the skin to look sci-fi-ish, but this looks more like circuitry than what I envisioned. :( However I feel that the visual can be better, but I think it'll improve once the game getting into beta stage. Generally, I prefer simplicity & functionality over pointless details. For that, Making elaborate visuals feels taxing... kinda. Ver0.5 Release Postponed...I've only had little progress on the development in this few weeks.
Map sprites still , menu unfinished, and demo levels are not even touched yet. Thus I can't confirm a deadline...yet. Once again, sorry for not being as productive as I can be. My focus is shifted lately: I have to attend to a new side-venture of micro cryptocurrency earning, that's all I can say. I hope i will shift back my focus & do what I can in this mouth, hopefully get an announcement for v0.5 release soon (at least) I'll call for it when it's done. Sept 13, 2018 - day 471This will be a brief log. Already half-way revamping all the alien sprites-- removing black lines and add shading. Let's list down the things left to do.
So there's still a large amount of work to be done. Demo 2 release may probably to be postponed towards October mind you. Next log will be about 'interface skins'. See ya. Aug 25, 2018 - day 452Nothing much to show you this time. I was distracted by life and stuffs. :( My work pace is affected, and it really drags the game development. But I REALLY DON'T want the official v1.0 to be released next year :( I have other plans to do. Therefore, things have to come out quicker. I need this type of pressure! (can't believe I wrote this) So, here's the plan on the demo 2 release: The demo release will be ver0.5 alpha-- instead of ver0.6 pre-beta ! What's Available in Alien Maze Demo 2 (v0.5):
Unlike Demo 1 in Scirra Arcade, which is a one-time version; Demo 2 (v0.5) is update-able. This Demo 2 is meant to be continuously updated till ver 0.6, which will include the 3rd realm & another 4 levels + tutorial. For the deadline to publish this... maybe by the end of September? I will probably put the demo on Scirra Arcade, itch.io & GameJolt (since they accept alpha/beta versions) That's all guys. I've noticed there's a constant 20-40 of you visiting every week. Thank you. However I'm might not be always able to put out information every month, though. :) :) :) Aug 7, 2018 - day 434A short vlog to showcase what I've finished lately. What appeared to be a hole on the ground is a terrifying creature that eats any living beings near it's path. They seem fast and invincible, still you can avoid them "strategically" (they only grab what's near on their 4 directions). And in special cases you can even able to slip through their tongues when you "turbo-up" (you have to get a 'Neutrino' by chance) There you have it.
I'll work on revamping the walk sprites, hopefully show some progress next time. (my schedule is quite far behind). sorry July 21, 2018 -- day 416Today let's look into Realm 2 stage design. Mabarossa is a desert place with minimal building constructions (for scout & research purpose) and ruins. It also have few natural hazards, and also a lot of hidden traps to kill critters(if there's one in the game) or trespassers! SPIKE TRAP 'Classic prince of persia'-esque spike traps, only less gruesome. TONGUE MONSTERS Could use a better name though. These monsters grab nearby organisms (you alien) and eat them! You have to be careful not to place yourself next to them. 'THINK' ZONE 'Think-pad' is more likely XD. It stops time when you step on it & allows you to trace & pre-plan your walking path. Since it's a more advanced game mechanic, this will not appear in Realm 1 until in Realm 2. LANDMINE Don't forget about landmines! The warning signs from your antenna is there to save your poor alien life. For extra, here's a new Alien death animation: falling into the abyss. Notice I work quite slow lately, but believe me i'm picking up the pace. Next log I'll re-work on the alien's 'walk' sprites: removing black outlines & add shadings. July 5, 2018 -- day 400This couple of months I will be working on the graphics primarily. (sometimes new map music track when idea comes) I do procrastinate every once a while, but I'll keep working on the checklist. Today, let's dealt into some new stage elements & decos. (I try not use much animated GIFs from now on cos' of my limited web storage space) Push Blocks & Bonus Pads are not new & were already introduced so I'll skip them here.
FLOOR DECOS I don't want to make them stand out like a stage element, so I use 'embossing' as floor design & keep the shapes as minimal as possible. They may serves as a outlining for entrance/path way (or to shape an area for attention) I might try a few other designs though... GIANT CRYSTALS The realm of 'Bluzoul' is blue, shiny, ethereal and full of crystals hanging around. Giant crystals are just background props, showing some atmosphere about the realm. I wonder if these sprites are good enough... I'll try a few new crystal variations, with tiny crystals spurting out from the roots. GLASS FLOOR Just glass floor for an alternative floor look (only for parts of area.) The color gradients are NOT right and will need some adjustment. BOTTOMLESS PIT a new element for the realm-1 stages. Don't try to go onto them and you'll be fine. This will not appear on early stages but later. I think there's more than enough elements for this realm. In future decisions, some stage elements may be used on other Realms. But first, I'll have to design all game elements in all 3 Realms-- so that I could sort them out later. On next log, I'll try show something from Realm 2 - red planet 'Mabarossa'. (at least a few game elements and decos) Until then, everyone. June 25, 2018 -- day 390This game, being in hiatus for such a long time and now to carry on once again... feels like looking at someone else's leftover project :| Where do I begin? Well, first problem I faced is: I don't like how the current game plays. The 'demo 1' of this game I made last year... plays more like a 'action game' than a 'puzzler'. Very little puzzle solving elements... I wasn't pleased because it's not what i envisioned it to be. Therefore I want some changes on gameplay. But I still can't find the right element for it. :( There's also some ideas I have but worried that they may be too far out. One example is: whether I should build an in-game map editor or not. Map Editor?It's on my mind for quite some time. Letting the players build their own custom map is an exciting feature. However this could very much be a feature creep and further slow down my game development. If I really think about how the coding would be, I realize it could be even harder to code a map editor than the already pre-made levels. Also so much 'conditions' and code "intertwining" involved. As a rookie game coder. I know that this surely takes more than I could chew. Conclusion: Exciting, but take lots of time and coding skill, so... NO for now. Perhaps it's too early to think about. I can't agree to do what I'm not ready for. What I should work on firstWhile writing this log, I've eventually cleared out some dilemma.
Now, instead of guessing what to do about the gameplay and wasting more time, I could've just work on what I can do first -- Visuals (since they have little to none collocation despite the game direction) So to make things simple, here's the list. - Draft Stage Sprites (flooring, decorative etc) - Alien Sprites Revamp (add shadings & remove black outlines) - Menu Interface & System This should be my first priority for the next few weeks. I'll at least work on these until I have a clearer gameplay direction. Okay-- now I have focus :) So that's all for the log. Stay tuned for new log on next week. Dec 15, 2017 - Day 199PLAN CHANGE EVERYBODY! THE 'ALIEN MAZE' DEVELOPMENT IS POSTPONED... FOR A NEW SMALLER GAME. It's time to do a smaller project between 2 larger game projects.I think it would be nice to not try to make "big" games all the time. Having a "small" one has its merit.
I consider the 'Alien Maze' game to be a larger game. I thought the game supposed to be a lot smaller but by adding elements & elements, the game has gotten bigger potential & I want to do this game proud like I did to 'Fry Me Omelettes'. But then for a nice polished build It will take months to do it... It will take too long and people will forget about my stuff If I spend another 6 months to release a game. I will be losing my momentum for the exposure of my games. This is why I want to make a short game, a breather for me, and a change of pace. Okay, so what about this new little game? All I can say it is a brain-reflex game, very small in puzzle element, but require finger reflex. It's based from my one of my flash game projects back in college. This new game project will be SMALL, BASIC, and DEFINITELY SHORT in development time. I can't say the details about it right now, but I'll reveal some other time on January 2018. That said, The 'Alien Maze' game development will be continued AFTER the release of this smaller game project. See ya soon & have a great holidays! Dec 1, 2017 - day 185Greetings everybody on the start of the holiday season! Right now, I'm be focusing on the graphic enhancing/revamping for this month or two. Today, a new puzzle element is made: 'Block Fillers'. This element is very similar to the circle trigger for holographic wall. (from Demo 1, level 2) But this one mostly needs multiple pushing-blocks & takes a shape(the outline) to "power on" and opens a trigger or a door/wall. See the GIF below. The puzzle element probably will not be in the 1st realm, and the sprites still needed a bit revamping though. Update on OrbsThe collectable 'Orbs' now have some visual variety instead of just--plain orbs. The energy orb is a precious energy which need small container to stabilize the energy core. The new orb sprites on the stage is a bit pixelated (especially on diagonal shapes) ... may try a higher resolution sprite then.
For those of you waiting for demo 2: There's still much to do. Most graphic needs to be revamp & enhanced, and there's no REAL levels yet, so it's very much a 'bare-bone' state. Wait for February 2018, maybe. See ya on next log soon! Nov 25,2017 - day 179I've finally done another 3 music tracks for the game. First 2 songs are for Bluzoul: a blue-ish, simplistic, crystal-like realm like you see in the upper screen, it's also the homeland of the alien you control. So far I'm pretty okay with the feel, only need a few more layers of sounds and also a better beats. The 3rd song is for Enigmus: a more dangerous, energy mining realm with facilities and hazards. This one is an oddball track. Main melody is purposely "puzzle-y" , but mixed with a more 'treacherous' feeling harmonies, with metal & boom soundings... I still couldn't quite capture the right mood... maybe adding reinforcement sounds for the main melody may do the trick, I hope. I had to admit these tracks are not as good as the first 3 tracks I posted before. Some mixings are quite weird... Well, please enjoy these excerpts.
*Right-Click to "open link in new window" to just listen. All tracks for are finished for the demo, but still in 'draft' stage.
I will try to improve & finalize them for the demo 2 release. *Some tracks you listened may not be present in Demo 2, but will be kept for the official release. Nov 1, 2017 - day 155I wasn't working on this game for weeks as I was preoccupied by my other game 'Fry Me Omelettes'. (mostly coding) 'Fry Me Omelettes' will probably have one more official update on December.
If you're waiting for this game's 2nd demo, i'm afraid you'll have to wait till 2018 Spring. Today I only have one graphic asset to show. Just as I stated in one of my logs: I will improve the sprites of the 'think path'. Scroll down and see. I did a few re-designs and this is a better looking one I'm fine with. Hope you like this small improvement. |