Magical Star Pillars
Game is no longer available
The game has officially been removed from the Steam store. Thanks for the few who have checked out the game. Those who received steam keys in the brief window after it's removal should have gotten the game by now. Any attempt at using a steam key will no longer work as the game's files have been removed.
Thank you for taking an interest in Magical Star Pillars and here's hoping the next game will be an improvement.
Magical Star Pillars to be removed a week from now
In a new incentive for Toolkitz, things have been changing drastically. I don't want to get too much into it as it is more of a personal thing and I do not like to share too much of my personal life, but I am aiming to change my life in 2020. Next year will be different as I attempt to go to the next level in promoting Child Arms but I found out that in order to do that, I have to change the way I live my life. I'm brushing away the old life I lived and embracing a new way of life, so I'm putting everything I have done since 2012 away. That was a part of an old life that had different plans and different philosophies but these no longer apply.
What I'm trying to say is by 2020, I'll be in a campaign to start over. I'll be changing both the way I make games and how I live my life, and that means that I have to put away all of my old work. Everything that I have done from 2012 is now archived, except for Magical Star Pillars. That was the last game I created under the old life I was living. After that game was released, a new way of life was slowly starting to mold.
With that said, Magical Star Pillars will be taken down from Steam on October 8. It was a great game to work on but I'll be honest, it's not the best that I can do and I'm somewhat embarrassed by it. This new outlook on life does not approve of the game, so I will feel much better if I take it down. So if you are still curious about the game, then you can still get it right now but you have one week left to do so.
To those who have gotten the game, I thank you for supporting me but consider it the "old" Toolkitz as we are now aiming to change our ways and the ways we make our games. However, this does not end MSP as there are plans for the game to be turned into a series and a sequel will be made, but unfortunately not in the near future. The sequel will hopefully represent a better product than the first game was always meant to be.
The end and price drop
Well, that's it. Magical Star Pillars is officially finished. The DLC is no longer available but as promised, the price has dropped so if you haven't gotten the game, well... you can do so now at your leisure as this price will never change for as long as the game is up.
I have more to say but it's mostly emotional, so I decided to post that somewhere else. You can find it on this link:
https://www.indiedb.com/games/magical-star-pillars/news/farewell-magica-star-pillars
Let me just say that, as much as I loved making this game, it was hard at times. That is why MSP will be the last game I make by myself. Let this be the last game I make solo.
Thanks to all the reviewers out there who checked out my game, gave me valuable feedback, and even found things to praise about. I will always remember you generosity to this small indie developer.
Last day for DLC
Small update and price change
I just made a very small update. Turns out that I forgot to add sounds to the new boss. This update adds them in but that is not the only change. If you have downloaded this DLC, you will notice that the ice is no longer slippery. That is because the code somehow got corrupted. When I went back to the ice level, for some reason, it did not react the same way as it did before. Then again, I always had trouble with the code for the ice since its very beginning. I overestimated coding this feature and in the end never got it right. That is the reason why there are only 2 stages with ice in them in the entire game. More stages were planned, including in the DLC, to have ice in the their stages but due to my inability to get it right, I had to make due with only 2. And now the code is corrupted and had no choice but to call it a lost cause and remove these feature. Now the ice performs the same as any other platform.
And with that, the game is officially finished. I won't be updating it anymore aside from some fixes that are reported but as far as development goes, the game is done. I'll have more to say later on after the 10th, which is the final day for the DLC to remain active. After the DLC is removed, the basic game will drop in price. Reviewers have praised the price for this game but to be honest, I've recently felt that it was too much, that is why I decided to lower it. So if you just want to play the game and don't care about extra content, then wait until after the 10th where the price will drop.
DLC update and end of support
Also, the basic version has not been updated with the expansion's fixes so it is imperative that you download the DLC as the basic version will be fixed later on. It's free so there is no real reason not to.
This DLC is only available for a limited time. By the 10th, the DLC will be removed and this game's support will finally end.
DLC update on artwork
The artwork for the current expansion's cutscenes have been patched. It is no longer a flat solid color but actually complete. There's still much to do however so another patch will be made in the coming weeks.
Be sure to get this DLC by October 10th as it is limited time only. When the 10th arrives, it will no longer be available.
DLC released, issues, and time limit
After months of working on it, the free DLC for Magical Star Pillars has arrived!
This expansion includes all the material that was suppose to be available in the basic version but could not be implemented due to time constraints and had to resort to releasing the story mode only. This new expansion contains more features which include a new quest, more levels, and unlockable behind the scenes look at the making of the game.
To access all these features, you'll have to complete the basic game by finishing all the stages. Once you do, you'll receive a message saying you've unlocked the expansion.
However be aware that this is a limited time only DLC as it will only be available for a month. This is because this was made to commemorate the 5th anniversary of Toolkitz and there's only a month left before we enter the 6th. When that time comes, the DLC will be removed and MSP will finally end support. So get it while you still can. It's absolutely free so if you got the game, there's no reason not to.
There is also something else you must know. By the last week I was running out of time and I could not finish the artwork and some crucial material. The game is playable, all unlockables are available to find, and the expansion's story lines are complete, but there still some things that need to be fixed and the art for the cutscenes are in a unfinished state. I will be working on fixing these in the coming weeks and will soon upload an update. Please be patient while we fix these issues. There will also be an extra secret for you to find as a compensation for your patience.
DLC progress and reviews
I would like to thank all who have played the game and those who have reviewed it. Over the past weeks while the DLC is being developed, we have been contacting many review sites and have gotten positive feedback on the game, with the gameplay being the most praised. That's not to say we have not gotten some critiques. One of the biggest complaints is the map is hard to navigate through corridors, mainly in Clay Island. We are working on fixing this issue as well as many others that have been pointed out to us so expect an update in the near future. Overall the game has been lauded as being enjoyable and charming, and I'm thankful for everyone who has given us such honest feedback.
As for the DLC's progress, it appears that there is a lot more that is needed to add that the original expected development of 2 months will not be enough time to do so. We have to extend the time by 3 additional months and we are expecting the DLC to be finished by early September. I apologize for this delay but we are adding more content to the game that will require such a large amount of development hours. If you are wondering what will go into the DLC, here is a list of the additional features:
- A new storyline with an additional 20 extra stages strung out throughout the previous islands.
- A new island, Gold Island, with an extra boss.
- An extra storyline where you can unlock 3 more characters.
- Unlockable development extras such as concept art and trivia.
- Coin challenge where you must find every coin in every level.
There is also one more extra feature but I want to see if you guys can find it, so I hope you look forward to the DLC coming in a few months.
Gamepad support now enabled and update on DLC progress
Just a quick announcement. The game has been updated to include gamepad support. You can now plug in a controller and the game will detect it. With this update, I had to add a fail safe due to being able to get stuck on the main menu if you needed to use a gamepad but did not have one. You can now revert to the default control scheme by holding F5 for 2 seconds. The button configuration menu has also been changed for ease of use. You no longer have to configure each button one by one. Now you have to press the Restart button in the menu and you will go through the entire list one by one. This is a better option due to the original setup having you edit the button with the controller but go through the menu with the keyboard. Now you only have to use the keyboard to access the menu and start the configuration process.
The DLC is now in production. I mentioned that it will take 2 months to finish it but this date is being upped by a few extra weeks. I am aiming to release this in 2 months and 2 weeks but there is no guarantee of that. All I can say is that the DLC will arrive before August comes around.