This is a general update which addresses the final news reports for Burden of Proof and what I've been working on for the future.
Thank you for playing!
It's been a little over a year since release and I'm humbled by those of you who have tried out the game and continue to support it. This game would not be what it is today without the community feedback and suggestions I received in the discussion page, and those of you who had left me positive messages about their adventures solving crimes have been a huge motivation to keep working. There's no greater reward for working on a game than seeing people having fun with it.
There won't really be any new content to this game, as I've decided to focus all my efforts into other projects, but I will continue to monitor the discussion page and Twitter for bugs and other minor improvements in case something gets suggested. In case you missed it, I posted the official OST on YouTube, free for everyone to listen to and download!
The "Endgame"
It's been a year since release, so I think it'd be fun to reveal some of the secrets I've hidden within the game world. Looking through the discussions and screenshots, it looks like many of these "easter eggs" have gone unnoticed. If you're keen on finding those secrets for yourself however, be wary of spoilers! This is by no means a complete list of all the easter eggs, but should serve as basis for understanding where such things might be hidden. In fact, what you'll learn here should go a long ways towards finding more secrets in my next games ;)
Okay! Let's dive into a few of these.
The main way I'm able to look at these secrets is by using the Debug Camera mode which is built into the game for everyone. This is accessed with the P key if you turn on Debug Keys in the options menu. You can also use the console to activate it.
If we take a peak behind the defendant's side seats in the courtroom, we can see this odd railing hidden where no camera would normally ever see. This is an asset from one of my previous games, Skyway, it's used as a detail object for some of the platforming sections.
In fact, you might recognize something here from that game as well...
Uh oh. Looks like the Judge is the only one that got a chair!
Many of the hallways in Burden of Proof are unseen by the camera, which makes them prime candidates for cookie placement.
You don't need a full city to give the illusion that there's more there!
In fact, why even bother with the rest of the building if you're always indoors?
You can even see Flowers' office before it explodes if you look closely enough, the same office that was present in Chapter 1.
An important part of Chapter 2 is the back door of the bank, which is where several important characters passed through. Sadly, the 3D model doesn't actually include a door since it is never seen.
You'll notice many of the signs in this game contain Korean translations. This is a small hint to a game design I was working on at the time which involved a trip to Korea over the Pacific Ocean. I've since been working on other projects, but I might go back and revisit the idea later.
There's a small gap you can pass through to reach an area outside of the investigation. I'll let you figure out what's back there ;)
If you look extremely closely at some of the evidence you find some hidden messages. It's probably only noticeable with a 4K display, but there's a couple of them scattered across the Chapters. Some are hints to upcoming games, and others are more world-building for the game.
Finally, the credits are jam-packed with assets from previous games, one of which is called Shadow Apex, a huge open-world game I scrapped a long time ago. You can find traces of it on my old Ludum Dare blogs.
That's all for secrets! There's actually quite a few more that I can remember but I'll hold off on revealing everything for now. I hope in the future more of you can stumble across these kinds of easter eggs and discuss them online. I'm notoriously obsessed with worldbuilding details, secrets, and consistency, so it always puts a smile on my face to see people explore what I've hidden!
Thus concludes the news for Burden of Proof. As mentioned I'll still be updating the game for bug fixes, but aside from patch notes there won't be much more about BOP. It's been a great ride and I'm happy I was able to get this game out there. I've improved so much in the span of a year and I hope you'll bear with me for a little bit longer to see what's next from me.
MOONLIT MOTION
I've been working on music in my spare time and have recently decided to put a few of my new songs online. I didn't have a good place for them on my old SoundCloud, so I decided to make a new one. It's called MOONLIT MOTION, and all the songs there are free to listen to at any time! The genre is mainly Future Funk, which I realize is a far cry from what you hear in my games, but I'm hoping people will still enjoy it for what it is. If you're into the remix/electronic genre, check it out!
My Next Game
For most of the past year, I've been working on a game which I now call BloodFire: New Edo. It's a procedural stealth game, where you must infiltrate a building overrun by rebels and upgrade your character to take down the leader. I got pretty far in designing the character controls and the world.
Sadly, I underestimated the amount of work it would take to complete. My expectations for it kept growing and eventually I got to the point where it was taking months just to do a single cutscene. It dawned on me that the game required at least 10 cutscenes to be viable for release, and so I had to move on to something else. I'm still working through college, so it would be impossible to continue something so ambitious. Instead, I decided to start something new, something more manageable.
Now, I'm working on a hack-and-slash fantasy game with a unique movement ability. I've only just started so there's not much to show, but I'm starting to fill in the gaps. This time, there are no upgrades, no inventory, no complex entity behaviors or movesets. It's more of a pure action game, considerably shorter than Burden of Proof, but the price figure will likely reflect that.
Hopefully you'll take my word for it when I say I've been trying so much the past year to improve the quality of my work. So with this new game I'm really aiming to push quality over quantity. I really want a new project out there for everyone to enjoy, so if everything goes to plan it'll be done in just a few months. Bear with me as I figure everything out and flesh out the game.
In the meantime, you can always check my progress on Twitter. Thanks again to everyone who follows my work. Stay tuned for more details on this new game, I hope to be back soon with news of release :)
-Matt
Burden of Proof 1.0.4 Update
I've just uploaded a new patch which has a few more fixes and adds some heavily requested accessibility features to the game.
Changelog:
Fixed Conrad's dramatic pause in Chapter 2
Minor script improvements/fixes
Text Skip option added in Camera/Screen settings
Camera shake effects can now be toggled off in Camera/Screen settings
Initially, I decided against adding a text skip/text speed option because I didn't want players skimming through without reading the story. With a skip option, I was worried that a player might become lost and stuck on a puzzle if they hadn't read the details, and I knew that waiting for the text to display would almost force a player to pay attention and soak in the information. Now, the text display speed is pretty fast as is, so I figured it wouldn't be much of an issue, but when lag is introduced, the display system seems to slow down as well, due to it only updating on a new frame render. There was also a way to speed up the text with a debug button, but it also resulted in the entire game getting sped up.
So after taking a break to work on newer projects, I went back into the code and tried a solution to these problems, the efforts of which you'll see now as the "Text Skip" mode. When this mode is on, several things will change:
1. There will no longer be any wait between text character display. (But waiting will still happen for commas, punctuations, and manual script-specific timings)
2. The text blip noise will no longer play, as the time between blips will be nonexistent.
3. Characters will no longer use their talking animations, as they only animate while text is in the process of displaying. Since the display is instant, they have no trigger to use the animation.
This mode is intended to help players who are experiencing lag or are very fast readers. However, it takes away a few parts of the experience that I'd rather players not miss if you have a choice, such as the talking animations. In addition, the mode sometimes breaks timing-specific effects that happen on the same line, for example: camera zooms, multiple sfx clips, and multiple character animations. It should be obvious why these can become glitchy if the display is instant, but in theory nothing will ever break completely, the effects will just happen very fast, which is mostly acceptable.
The second feature I've added is the ability to turn off camera shake, which is something that should've been in the game since day 1. Lots of camera shake effects can be jarring for some players, so being able to turn them off should help make the game more accessible.
Both of these features are turned off by default, and the settings can be found under the new options sub-category called "Camera/Screen." Again, the overall goal is to make the game easier to play as a novel. Sometimes it's hard to find the right balance, but I believe these changes are a step in the right direction, and something I've wanted to add for a while.
Thoughts for the future:
It might be worthwhile looking into different text display options for the player, such as simply adjusting the speed at which text displays instead of skipping the display entirely. I opted against it this time, since even fast display speeds will still be affected by lag, but having the option for both would be better. There are also other effects in the game that could be jarring, so I might take a look at adding settings to disable them. For now, though, I'll be working on my newer projects, which you can keep up to date with on Twitter. As always, if you find a bug or have a request, you can make a post on the Steam community page, which I check regularly!
Thanks again to everyone who has been a part of this community! It's been a while since release and I'm still getting support and feedback from new players, so it really means the world to me that people are continuing to enjoy the game. It's because of you that I'm able to make things like this, and I can't even begin to express my gratitude to those that have taken the time to play.
-Matt
Official Soundtrack Release & News Roundup
Soundtrack Release
The Burden of Proof OST Album is now released on YouTube! It's a 40 minute long mix of all of the songs I've created for the game, and it even includes a free download of the original files so you can use it in your own projects (provided you follow the licensing agreements). I'm quite pleased with how the OST turned out, and I'm sure if you liked the in-game music you'll be able to pick out your favorites and finally uncover the names of the songs you've been hearing!
If you have any questions about licensing or wish to use the music in a commercial product, simply contact me over Twitter or post a thread in the discussion page!
News
Patch 1.0.3
There's a known issue in the current patch that still hasn't been fixed, mostly because I can't justify a brand new build for something so minor, and I want to fix more problems so I can make the update worthwhile. The "bug" is simply that Conrad has a very... dramatic pause during Chapter 2 when he recieves the Employee List. The zooming camera motion is supposed to happen during his inner monologue, but due to a typo he waits for the motion to finish before thinking anything. It's already fixed, but I'm not sure how long it'll be before I can push out a new update.
Future Works & Burden of Proof's Ending
I've also been talking about the future of my works on social media and around the discussion page, so I'll summarize some info you've probably heard 1,000 times already: I'm already starting to work on new projects, but I'm still in the process of testing things out and designing. Right now the big thing I'm working on is what could potentially become a new action/RPG game that takes place in a randomly generated/sandbox environment. I'll have more details in the coming months, but the early stages are already in motion and it's a nice change of pace from the slower style of Burden of Proof. I've already started posting some timelapse videos of some of the artwork I've been doing, and have been posting new character designs on Twitter!
A good portion of the current players are starting to finish the game, and there are a few loose ends you might have questions about after finishing the game. If you've completed the game and aren't wary of spoilers, I've talked a bit about some of these plot points in this discussion. I've also talked a bit about a potential sequel game, though it's likely a long ways off. I plan on revisiting Cross' story in the future, and my ideas would take the series in a completely new direction, breaking free from a lot of the conventions set up by other courtroom games. I'd like to keep most of these new ideas a surprise, though, but if you're hungry for details what I can say now is that you can expect the sequel (if it ever does get made) to show a very different side of Cross, as a result of his actions in Burden of Proof. Although I probably shouldn't tease the game too much when it's not even planned, sorry!
New Features & Content
One last thing I should mention is that there was a request for better text-skip options. Adding new skipping/fast forwarding features could take a while, but it is something I'd like to get done eventually. I'm not sure if it'll make it into the next patch; it would depend on the demand. Finally, I've also mentioned previously that I'd like to add a new case to the game, either as a free update or some sort of DLC. This new Chapter would potentially fill some of the gaps left behind from Chapter 3, and show in detail how Cross becomes a defense attorney and how he meets Ajax. Again, I can't promise it will ever be made--it would depend on the demand and if I have time between working on my new projects. But it is something I would like to do to give back to this amazing community.
Thanks again for supporting me and the game during it's first weeks, and thanks for playing! -Matt
Burden of Proof 1.0.3 Update
A couple of potentially severe bugs were fixed up in this patch, and another few small improvements were made.
Changelog:
Added alternate solutions for Chapter 5 puzzles
Fixed some typos
Fixed a camera registry issue in Chapter 5
Fixed a bug that stopped a few incorrect puzzle solutions from returning to the statements in Chapter 5
Fixed a broken animation mapping for the Judge (sometimes he would change to an animation that didn't exist, resulting in the pose staying the same)
Minor camera improvements
Pause menu background was darkened a bit to make the button text more readable
Chapter 3 title card background improved
The README file contains information on how your save file is affected by the script changes. The cross-examination bugs in Chapter 5 are only seen if you have the outdated section stored in your save file and you get an incorrect answer for any of those puzzles. If you haven't reached the last parts of the game, then you won't have to worry about these bugs.
Hopefully that should be the worst of the bugs fixed, however there are likely still a good amount of typos and minor errors that can need to be addressed. There are also general improvements that I want to make for the upcoming updates. One of the known issues that is already fixed for the next patch is Conrad's... dramatic pause... after recieving the employee list in Chapter 2. The wait was unintentional, but is still only a minor inconvenience, so I'll hold off on the update until I make more improvements.
As always, if you come across a bug or have an improvement to suggest, please do so at the discussion page. That's all for this time, the next update will likely focus on cleaning up some animations and adding more alternate solutions.
Thanks for playing! -Matt
Burden of Proof 1.0.2 Update
The goal of this patch was to fix a major bug that was discovered in Chapter 4. This is just a quick update to resolve the issue and a few other problems.
Changelog:
Removed some clutter from the City Bridge
Fixed a typo that locked out a solution in Chapter 4
Fixed a typo that stopped a music track from playing in Chapter 4
Fixed a camera registry issue in Chapter 4
Minor script improvements/animation glitches fixed
The README was also updated regarding information about saved games and how they are affected by updates. For this patch in particular, if you have a save file in the last section of the Chapter 4 trial before the update, it means that the bugged section was saved in your file. If you have a save that holds this outdated section, contact me over Twitter or post a new thread in the discussion page and I'll work with you to debug your save file and get you back on track. The problem is fixable using the in-game console. Apologies to anyone affected by this issue.
If you haven't yet reached this point then you'll load into the updated section and won't come across the bug.
As always, if you discover a bug or have a feature request, you can bring it to my attention in the discussion page. Huge thanks to everyone submitting bug reports and talking about the game in the community hub, it's because of these threads that I'm able to make the game a better experience for everyone and fix any issues that arise. The support I've been getting so far has been incredible, and I'm happy you've all been patient with me as I track down these bugs and improve the game.
Thanks for playing everyone! -Matt
Burden of Proof 1.0.1 Update
Version 1.0.1 is now live! After my last minute testing and an early bug report on the discussion page, I've made a few minor changes that improve the stability of the game and overall quality.
Changelog:
Fixed some typos
Minor script improvements
Added more detail to the Detention Center, Prep Room, and City Bridge
Added support for 144FPS framelock
Added some alternate solutions for puzzles in Chapter 1
Minor collision improvements
Fixed some character clipping issues
Cross-Examination statements are no longer added to the Text Log, as going back and forth would clog up the entries
Fixed an issue that allowed you to view evidence that has been deleted from your inventory
Fixed a manual culling issue in Chapter 2
Fixed a bug that allowed you to present items while paused
Added a bit more bass to the gavel strike sound
Added the ability to resume the game by hitting Escape
The update changes are also listed in the README file packaged with the local files. Something to note for this update is that the addition of the 144FPS framelock option may have bumped your FPS lock setting if it was on "Unlimited," so double check that the setting is correct if you have a settings file already generated. As always, if you find a bug or have a request for a new feature, you can head over to the discussion page and make a thread.
With these immediate changes out of the way, the next update will aim to add a few more quality-of-life features that should add more support for the first person mode. Feel free to follow me on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest patch changes and my new projects!
EDIT: If you have a save file during the last section of Chapter 1 before the patch, you won't get the script changes until you reload that section. This is due to the fact that your save file actually contains the entirety of the section you're currently on, so that line index changes never happen. I'll have more details about this in the README file for the next update, but for now you shouldn't need to worry about it; script changes will almost always be pretty minor, and you'll still get all the latest changes for future sections you haven't played through yet.
Thanks for playing! -Matt
Welcome to Burden of Proof
After a year and a half of development, Burden of Proof is finally available to play. This is a passion project that I've been working on by myself, and it's the second game I've released on Steam. I've learned a lot through development, and while it's far from perfect, I think fans of the courtroom genre will find a lot to enjoy in the world I've built.
With that out of the way, I'd like to talk about controller support and where you can go for more information on running the game. There is a manual that you can read on the game's store page which will give some details on how to play the game (though it should be simple to figure out on your own). There's also a README file in the game's local files which has details on Graphics Settings, Keybindings, Controller Support, and the changelog for the latest updates.
Right now the game currently supports these controllers:
Playstation 4/Dualshock 4
XBox One
XBox 360
Steam Controller (no native input support)
In order to use your controller properly, you must navigate to the "Debug" section of the Options menu and change the "controller" enumerator to your controller type. The game features only partial controller support as listed on the store page, which means that navigating the menus requires a mouse. A detailed list of the controls is found in the README file.
Adding support for additional controllers or graphical settings is a fairly simple process. If you want to suggest support for a controller or new setting, simply contact me over Twitter or post a new thread in the Burden of Proof Discussion Page in the request section. There are also discussion sections there for discovering bugs that need to be resolved or just for general discussion.
Thank you all for your interest in Burden of Proof. I hope you enjoy the game! -Matt
