Hello! As you may notice, the time of the year is here. Knowing how good were you this year, I prepared little gifts for you! From 21st December, an in-game event will start. You will have the possibility to unlock special character items. To unlock them, you will need to find the required amount of gifts. Each level contains a different amount of collectible gifts, and all you need to do is pick it up ːsteamhappyː
You don't need to complete the level to count the gift as collected! If you collected it, you can exit and equip the unlocked item!
Besides the in-game event, I also updated the Steam version with all the latest bug fixes from console versions. And if you check the character customization screen, you will notice that there are extra items available!
Oh, and a new feature was added: When you open the tasks menu, you will see how many special/event items are available.
There is one more gift for you! I added two cheat codes, and they can be activated just like in the old days by pressing key combinations. One unlocks all levels and the other activates the gift event faster. The cheat codes can be found at my discord pined messages >> SimDevs Discord
I wish you all Happy Holidays, and see you in 2021!
P.S. All these changes are also available on Xbox and Nintendo Switch ːearthishː
Status Update #2
Hello, space escapers!
After a bit of silence, I'm back with a status update and news about what will happen next with Area 86!
Let's start with the "silence" period. Trus me, it was not silent at all. As you would notice, Area 86 is available on Steam for Win/OSX/Linux. And as you would guess, it would be worth trying to get Area 86 on other platforms like Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. So I worked like crazy on getting Area 86 on other platforms, and must admit, it was harder than first thought. But I did it and Area 86 right now is available on Xbox One, and it will be available on Nintendo Switch on November 11th.
Now that the porting to other platforms is completed I returned to the Steam version. Checked how many people have supported me ( bought ) and decided to put Area 86 on a side for now. If you ask why, the reason is simple. The player ( supporters ) amount did not reach my goal.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy, and I'm very thankful for every player ( supporter ) that Area 86 received and continues to receive! Also, there is hope that one day Area 86 will reach my player goal on Steam and I will surprise you all with new content. ːsteamhappyː ( The hope comes from the data that Area 86 is on more than 4k potential player wishlist. )
With all this said, for now, I will move a bit away from Area 86 and try to create something else. Your more than welcome to give a hint/idea/input on what should or could I create next.
Thank you!
Tiny Teams Festival
Hello!
I'm happy to announce that Area 86 has made it to be part of Tiny Teams Festival ːsteamhappyː
This also means that Area 86 will be on sale with 30% OFF from August 9 to August 15, 2020. And if that is not awesome enough - I made a playable demo version that is available right now!
Let's spread the news so more people can try Area 86!
Thank you and have a great week! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hello! Time to take a look at what's happening at Area 86.
Well, this time added new features to Area 86!
As a gamer, I like the possibility to customize my character. Area 86 was missing this feature, but not any longer!
So I added character customization with some basic items and the possibility to color them individually. You can check it out at the new main menu button - Customize
Another feature that was added in the latest release is leaderboards! Not sure why I did not implement them at the beginning as you already receive your time spent at level completion. The current look of the leaderboard in-game:
As levels can be completed with any %, I decided to create 2 leaderboards for each level. One for 100% fully completed users and another for any % completion. Icons that represent each leaderboard:
Also, if you don't want to be bothered with the leaderboard table, I made a switch in options to disable leaderboards if needed.
Played through all levels and set my best time for each level! If you want to challenge your skill vs developers - you can try to beat my times. ( and if you manage to beat my time - Trust me, I will come back for the challenge ) ːsteamhappyː
Worked a bit on a new level, but nothing serious. The layout is almost completed and still has a lot of work to do. And yes, I will keep further levels smaller. ( Should not get bigger then Level 2 )
As the summer is hot, Area 86 has a hot deal of 50% off!!! How's the summer at your side?
Till next time!
Status Update!
Hello! Long time nothing posted, so I thought of writing a status update!
We all humans, and we need to recharge our powers! So I took time off from working on Area 86 and tried to relax.
Now I'm returning and looking at what to do next!
Have some changes in mind, like remove the chapters menu. The reason is that it's not needed anymore. At the beginning of the development, I had a little story in mind, but it was pointless as I'm not the right person for such a task. So I'm getting rid of it. The new levels will get added to the current level list, and everything will be fine! Maybe I could add some extra features to the level screen - hmm?
I also started to work on character customization! Probably will write more about it in the next time as right now need to create more items, so it's fun to use and show off!
And one more thing. Thinking of changing Area 86 price as many users point that it's too expensive for the current ~3h playthrough.
Till next time!
Patch #1
Let's talk about the last patch.ːsteamhappyː
I transferred the whole project from Unity 2018.4 to Unity 2019.3. As expected, things went south and received a decent amount of new bugs. Most of the bugs are fixed & the latest version should work better than the previous versions. And no more visual glitches while you play! ( This was the main reason why made the upgrade )
Also, the main initiator for screen glitches where ropes and tapes. I removed all of them and replaced them with a different solution. Should look and work better than before.
Some buttons were missing interactions with other objects. Added missing components & now you can activate them by throwing any object at them.
There were places in levels where your robot could get stuck because of static colliders. Not any more! At least, fixed the reported spots.
Found and fixed a possible game start crash that was happening for some users. And finally, updated some localization values.
After this big update continuing to work on new levels and probably will write in the next development blog, how's it going.
Thank you for your support and feedback!
Released!
A huge thanks to you who bought Area 86 & like what I have created! It means a lot! Thank you & I hope that more people will find Area 86.
So how did the release day go?
Well, I was fixing last-minute bugs before launch & the last build was uploaded 3h before release! You can guess how the testing went. Not the best way on how to prepare for launch! ːsteamfacepalmː
But wait - it did not end there! I still needed to create achievement icons. The last achievement icon was uploaded 1h before release.
At the moment, when all was finally in place and the only thing left was to press the release button - I was already totally exhausted! ( don't think that previous days did not spend polishing/fixing bugs )
Anyway, the release button is pressed & finally can feel more relaxed that managed to get everything together in the promised time!
Bear with me! Area 86 development does not stop here! I will add a ROADMAP in discussions with what's still in development and what will come later!
Also, if you have a suggestion/question. Or get stuck in a level? Or maybe want to check how's the development going? A discord server is available for you to join: https://discord.gg/DEvxfKF
Have fun playing Area 86 & if you can, please leave a review!
Devblog #18
I hope you're doing well and staying safe! ːearthishː
Development of Area 86 has slowed down a bit in March, but I'm back and pushing forward!
The release day is coming closer and closer, uhh! Not sure if ready for release, panic! But I have promised to deliver on April 15th and let's keep it that way! ːsteamhappyː
So what's done for the release:
Localization
Area 86 is available in 12 different languages including Latvian. Big thanks to people who helped localize Area 86 to different languages.
Stanislaw - Hans Michał Tosza Vladimir Slav Digital Kaz Brazil David Rey and others...
Steam Features
Thanks to the Facepunch Steamwork plugin, the implementation of Steam features did not create much trouble. Added achievements ( still adding right now ), Implemented cloud saves and tested how controllers behave ( so far so good ) Still have plans of implementing other features, but that's after release! P.S. Achievements are localized too!
Levels
The 1st chapter is almost done! Almost because the last 6th level is still in development. ːsteamsadː It has missing visuals, but the functional part is 90% completed. Considering that it should not take too much time to add the visual part, because the 6th level is at the same size as the 1st level! Fingers crossed!
Press
Started reaching out to media ( Youtubers, Twitch & Mixer streamers ) Not sure what to expect from this as it's my 1st experience reaching them. But I think it's better to try than not try at all - right? P.S.S. If you know anybody who would like to write, stream or make a video about Area 86 - let me know!
Thanks for reading and see you soon in Area 86! ːsteamhappyː
Devblog #17
Let's start with the most exciting news!
I decided to release Area 86 on April 15th ːsteamhappyː ( no matter what will happen )
The release version is still in heavy development, and no time should be wasted! ːcleanhourglassː Have a release todo list which looks like:
Last level development ( where you will need to defeat a corrupted AI system )
Localization ( some strings missing )
Achievements
More polishing
Robot customization? ( 50/50 chance that will make it on release, if not will come 100% in next updates )
The first release version will contain the full first chapter! In this chapter, you will have the possibility to complete more than 50 different tasks, puzzles, and challenges. Including other robot saving and working together, if you decide to do so. Of course, work will not stop after release, and more interesting features are waiting in the line of development. Like chapter 2 with more levels and cooperative gameplay!
Also thinking about how to improve Area 86 visibility and one of the options would be to release a proper demo version. ( It would be awesome to release it before the release version - right? )
Let's talk about the new level that was added to the list. As always, it contains breakable items, parkour, hidden secrets, and 10 tasks/puzzles to complete. Also, there is a possibility to save another robot that is stuck in an ice cube. The new robot is bigger, heavier but slower. But don't think the robot is useless! It can become very handy by destroying objects or smashing shortcuts in walls.
Let's take a look at how the level has evolved from the last dev blog:
( The storage room received more items and hidden messages )
( Who does write on walls in a space station? )
( Converter room is ready to craft interesting items )
( It's parkour time! )
OK, the release date is coming, need to get back to work. Till next time!
Devblog #16
Wait - 2020 - already? I think time goes too fast!
Anyway - the last 2-3 weeks were very productive. Nope - Level 5 is still in development. Perhaps I created it too big again. Trust me, I tried to make it smaller compared to Level 4 and it is. But still larger than Level 1,2 & 3 ːsteamfacepalmː But on the bright side - it's something different than all previous levels!
So what can you expect from Level 5? It contains five rooms. Includes a maze, a robot to save, some rolling barrels, an item converter, a bit parkour, destructive items, and a timer to reach the exit. ːcleanfloppyː
If you are interested to see some visual stuff, here it comes! Storage room with various items: ( it's still gets filled up with items )
Parkour room with jumping and maneuvering: ( the actual room is behind the doors, but it contains only placeholders )
Item converter room. You can mix items together to get your desired one: ( contains only placeholder stuff, full visual incoming next time )
The Maze: ( when you activate it, walls rise up from the ground )
Barrel room: ( they will see your rollin )
And then there is the lobby, which is a mess right now! Better show you next time how it looks.
As you can see and guess it's more than 50% completed. I believe the hardest parts are done. The rest should be much easier.
I should get back to development! ( this and one more level for chapter completion - I can do this ) ːcleanhourglassː
