🥳 Bonus Stage released Local News with Cliff Rockslide on Steam!
Get ready for an uproarious adventure in the quirky town of Butterfly Valley, as "Local News with Cliff Rockslide" launches on Steam!
Developed by Horsefly Games, this first-person visual novel promises laughter, chaos, and heartwarming moments as players take on the role of a cameraperson for the town's renowned influencer, Cliff Rockslide.
Hey everyone! A new update is long overdue, so I’m very pleased to announce that I’m releasing v2.0.0 of DINO MERCS today.
This new release has a ton packed into it. Let’s do a tour of the new features:
NEW UI
The UI has been refreshed to better match the overall art direction of the game and to help improve the experience of Operations and Combat. Also, I was able to make all the Dinosaur characters larger, something that I get requests for often!
Operations now function differently - there’s no longer a StS-style map to traverse. Hopefully, the new way Operations work feels fresh and dynamic (let me know your thoughts!).
New Game Mode - MISSIONS
There’s now a new way to play DINO MERCS. Previously, the only way you could play was endless, arcade-style runs. Now, you can play through objective-based runs called Missions!
Missions allow for shorter, more focused play-throughs of the game with a goal in mind. Right now, there are three types of missions: Scavenge Missions (collect supplies), Slayer Missions (defeat a certain number of enemies), and Merc Killer Missions (hunt down a certain Merc Killer).
Each Mission has five levels to beat. As you complete levels and replay the Mission, modifiers are applied to you or the enemy, making the Mission either easier or harder to beat.
Over the next week or two, I’ll release new Steam Achievements corresponding to each Mission and their levels. Get ready to unlock those!
No More Base Defense
I also took something out of the game - Base Defense. Base Defense instances have, for a long time, been the weakest area of the game. I tried really hard to improve them, but the more I tried the more I realized that it was a big time sink with a poor return on investment.
Which means no more Base Defense. Who knows, maybe I’ll revisit this aspect of the game later down the road and add it back into the game. But for now, the removal of Base Defense has improved the flow of the game and has made it overall more fun (in my personal opinion). Now, I’ll be able to spend more of my time making the stronger aspects of the game even better!
Let Me Know What You Think!
As you play the new release, please let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear from players what works and what doesn’t work so I can make the game even better. If you encounter any bugs, also let me know so I can fix them ASAP.
To give me feedback or bug reports, please join the Discord Server or post in the game discussions here on Steam.
Thank you for playing DINO MERCS! It means so much to me.
A Sneak Peek…
If you’re still reading this, you get to hear a little bit about what I’m working on next.
There will be a lot of changes coming. In particular I’ll be working on three big things:
Overhauling nearly every card in the game (and adding new ones!)
Introducing Stats v2
Introducing Card Mutations
I’ll be sharing more about these later this month. If you want to hear more about development as it happens, be sure to join the discord server!
Fixes a game-breaking bug encountered when facing the Berserker Commander Merc Killer (cards wouldn't be dealt, and the game would soft-lock). Sorry I let that one slip through!
This is last day to try three demos from Bonus Stage
We have these three masterpieces as a part of the Next Fest. Give these gems a shot and demos today.
Graviators - Prepare for a gravity-defying multiplayer experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Engage in fast-paced battles and outsmart your opponents in intense arena combat. With its unique gameplay mechanics, Graviators is set to redefine the multiplayer genre. Don't miss the chance to test your skills and prove yourself as the ultimate champion!
The Riflemen - Step into the boots of a World War II soldier and embark on a heart-pounding multiplayer adventure. Engage in intense 5v5 battles across iconic battlegrounds, using your strategic skills and precise aim to outwit and outgun your opponents. All players start with the bolt-action rifles so better not to miss a shot!
Billy Bumbum - Get ready for a whimsical and hilarious adventure with Billy Bumbum! Join the quirky and big butted protagonist as he embarks on a journey through imaginative worlds filled with mind-bending puzzles and charming characters. With its colorful art style, captivating storytelling, and addictive gameplay, Billy Bumbum is a must-play title that will leave you with a smile on your face.
Don't miss out on the chance to be a part of the action!
DINO MERCS Development Update
Hi everyone! I thought I would post an update to give everyone an idea of how development is continuing along.
Life has been on the wild side for me (Tim, the dev). I got very sick a few weeks ago, had family and friends visit from out of the country, and multiple family members are experiencing serious health issues. So long story short, I've been far less productive than usual.
I've decided to delay the release of the new UI updates to June instead of releasing those changes last month (May, when they were planned). It turns out the UI updates and the new Game Mode that is planned for release in June are very tightly linked together, and it would be somewhat difficult to release one without the other. So by the end of June, I'll release both together!
Thanks, everyone, for being patient with me, as life has been more difficult than normal. Soon I'll be back to normal productivity levels, and you'll be able to try out some updates to the game!
In the meantime, here are some sneak peeks of the new look and the new game mode:
Why does the game need a revised UI? Well, one thing I've found is that the art direction of the game UI looks very different from the art direction of the card art. One of the goals of revamping the UI is to make the overall art direction of the game much more cohesive.
Above is some concept art of the new "Mission Overview" screen, the general hub for choosing encounters. With the new UI and Game Mode, the various enemy merc factions play a much bigger role. Whether or not your base is attacked is determined by how much you've pissed off a particular enemy PMC. This should make runs feel more dynamic and add an extra level of strategy.
The new game mode is based on shorter "Missions". They are objective-based runs that end once you reach the mission goal or are defeated by your enemies. Missions will allow players to play the game in more "bite-sized" chunks, as opposed to the longer Endless mode (which will still be playable!)
Each Mission will have 5 stages that get increasingly more challenging. Enemies and cards will increase in power, and modifiers will change how certain stats and statuses work. The aim is for each mission to feel unique and challenging in interesting ways.
That's it for now, I can't wait to share with you all more about these upcoming changes!
Welcome to Indie Game Mayhem Newsletter
We warmly welcome you to join our Indie Game Mayhem: a weekly(ish) newsletter on upcoming releases, hidden game gems, developer spotlights, and a lot more!
We will talk about a massive array of true indie games and indie developers, shining light on the innovations, art, magic, and soul of the best games we can find.
Hello everyone! I want to give everyone following the game here on Steam an overview of the development plan for Early Access.
During each month of Early Access, I'll be actively fixing bugs, fine-tuning the game's balance, generally polishing everything up, and addressing player feedback. But, each month, I'll be focused on one particular thing:
May - I'll be working on a totally new version of Operations/Sectors. I'll focus on improving the game's flow, pacing, and better meta-progression. Along with this, I'll be updating the UI in various places.
June - After Operations and Sectors have been overhauled, I'll introduce a new way to play the game. This new game mode will allow players to play the game in shorter sessions (30 mins to 1 hour) that link together into one longer "run." This new game mode will exist alongside the current "endless" style mode.
July - I'll introduce the concept of Card Mutations! This new mechanic will allow players to upgrade and/or modify cards to better suit their decks. Want to make a card more powerful? You can do that with mutations. Want to make a card something totally different? You can also do that with mutations! In addition to mutations, I'll also be adding new cards to the game, including more Legend cards!
August - I'll introduce a new type of enemy: BOSSES! These Mercs will be even more powerful than Merc Killers and will be encountered only after you have had a good chance to level up your deck. In addition, I'll add in more regular enemies and Merc Killers to fight along the way.
September - To compete against these new enemies, two new playable characters will be introduced. Their identities and unique abilities will be kept secret for now. I'm excited to see what players think of them!
October - During this month, I'll be working on making the game more available to a wider range of players (more languages) and making it more playable on more devices (Steam deck support!).
November - Finally, I'll add Leaderboards for the endless mode so players can compete to see who can get the highest score in the world! Along with this, I'll be doing a lot of final fine-tuning and general game polish.
December - DINO MERCS will exit Early Access with version 2.0.0!
Thank you to everyone who has joined me on this epic game dev journey called Early Access. I hope to see you more along the way!
v1.2.0 Patch Notes
Here are the patch notes for version 1.2.0!
This update should help fix a number of bugs and it should also help speed up base defense and make it more of an interesting challenge overall.
Also, a few balance fixes have been introduced for overpowered and underpowered elements of the game.
Game Balance - Buff Nearly Overrun, nerf Rally - Decrease the number of rounds a Base Defense instance lasts - Increase Base Attacker damage - Primal Fury decreases by 75% after Combat Encounters finish (this will change if it's too big of a nerf, right now, Primal Fury is far too broken/OP in the mid-late game) - Buff Laser Array and Automated Turrets base defender cards (they now grant more max anti-air/ground)
Bug Squashing - Potential fix for soft locking that *sometimes* happens after a base defense instance (I personally can't reproduce this bug, but 2 players have reported it. I'm still investigating this one) - Improve logic and saving of total sectors complete to avoid bugs related to unlocking cards based on sectors completed - Fix formatting of Rally generic tooltip info text - Fix formatting of damage type on Tail Lash weak negative slot description - Fix Slice and Dice card tooltip (was showing In Cover instead of Bleeding in info text) - Fix an issue where cards that used a method that decremented active statuses could decrease stats below 0 - Fix formatting of Laser Array card tooltip info text - Check for unlocks on unlocks page
v1.1.0 is live!
Hi everyone! It's been a very busy and exciting past several days with the Early Access release. First, a big thank you to everyone who bought and played the game! As a first-time game dev building the game solo, I appreciate it very much.
I've been hard at work improving the game and making it more fun to play. This update should fix a number of things, but the two most important are:
- TOOLTIPS! They should be way less annoying now. - Enemy balance - enemies are less of damage sponges/tanks now, so combat encounters should move along a bit quicker. There's still a lot to do in the area of game balance, so I'll keep working on improving this!
Also - thank you to everyone who has reported bugs and given feedback. If you'd like to talk to me directly about the game, please feel free to join the discord community!
There's still much more to do during Early Access, so thank you in advance for your patience as I keep working on improving the game. I'll be posting some information about the upcoming dev schedule for Early Access, so keep an eye out for that.
There's a lot more, here are all the patch notes:
General Game Improvements - Improve logic around setting slot effect levels/headers
Game Balance - Change T-rex/Allosaurus/Triceratops playable character initial stats for more variety and balance - Carnotaurus: balancing changes to defense, stats, and attack (lower defense stats, raise attack) - Corythosaurus: balancing changes to defense, stats, and attack (lower defense stats, raise attack) - Protoceratops: balancing changes to defense, stats, and attack (lower defense stats, raise attack) - Pachycephalosaurus: balancing changes to defense, stats, and attack (lower defense stats, raise attack) - Velociraptor: balancing changes to defense, stats, and attack (lower defense stats, raise attack) - Rapid Assault now deals moderate Kinetic Plus damage - Cryolophosaurus: balancing changes to defense, stats, and attack - Gallimimus: balancing changes to defense, stats, and attack (increase shield, decrease armored/HP) - Styracosaurus: balancing changes to defense, stats, and attack (HP/armored increase, shield decrease, more attack) - Camarasaurus: balancing changes to defense, stats, and attack (HP/armored increase, shield decrease, more attack options) - Carcharodontosaurus balancing and card changes (mostly buffs) - Diabloceratops balancing (lower shield/armored, raise HP/attack) - Dilophosaurus balancing (lower defense stats, increase damage dealing options) - Gigantoraptor balancing (lower shield/armored, increase HP/attack) - Kentrosaurus balancing (lower attack a bit, remove initial killing machine, improve attack options) - Minotaurasaurus balancing (lower shield, raise armored/HP, lower max armored, improve attack/attack options) - Nerf BATTERY's max armored (250 -> 150), was resulting in massively OP armored crush attacks - Nerf Negative Base Status attack cards, reduce the quantity encountered per wave of attackers
UI Improvements - Totally new tooltip system, should be much better than previous tooltip system - Improve messaging regarding starting character stats on the character select screen
Bug Squashing - Fix typo on Danger Warning - Fix non-integers on Biological Escalation card description - Fix soft-locking Sector map bugs when exiting out of a combat encounter or base defense instance before it ends - Fix incorrect calculations happening when applying status effects to attack damage (panicked, dazed) - Fix some possible bugs with challenges not unlocking when enemy has x of certain statuses
v1.0.3 Patch Notes
Just one small thing:
- Fix Discord link on start screen
Now you can join the DINO MERCS discord server to report bugs (there are probably at least a few), discuss the game, and give feedback!
