Ahoy everyone, thank you so much for a wonderful Steam Next Fest!
One thing first:
Seablip's Demo will stay available on Steam until launch! Having the demo available significantly boosts the visibility of Seablip. It's something I cannot afford to lose, and the only reason not to have it up is that it distracts me from my development.
Steam Next Fest
Throughout the week, Seablip gained a lot of positive and negative attention. I've been trying to watch all the feedback, even though it's not very enjoyable to watch a negative stream. However, I take it seriously and consider the necessary changes for the game. Overall, it has been a valuable experience.
Seablip may not appeal to everyone, and I realize I need to make some tough decisions, especially concerning the game's intro. Not all players get to experience the sea, which is the core aspect of the game that I've invested the most time in.
With limited development time remaining, I have learned that I must prioritize the core gameplay over the story. I believe this will contribute to making Seablip better.
I dream to continue working on Seablip after its release, but that's a bonus if things go well. The primary goal is to deliver a game at release that feels robust and polished at its core.
Major Changes from Demo to Seablip's Release
New Player Island I'd like to revisit an idea I had earlier in Seablip's development, where players start on their own, much smaller island. This island would function as a base, requiring players to construct defenses on the right side to guard against raiding pirates and enemies. It's more gameplay-oriented, building upon existing concepts with some new elements. Here are a few key points:
This island will be located close to the one you live on in the demo, ensuring the story still plays a significant role, though slightly more on the side.
Crafting mechanics will be adjusted to align with this new base.
Crew management will also be linked to the player's new base.
While it might be interesting to allow players to capture and build bases on new islands, achieving this before release seems unlikely.
These are some major changes from how the game starts now, and that would require some time, but my goal is still to get within my deadline, and rather prioritize differently what I can and can't make before a release. These changes aim to enhance the gameplay, and that is the most important thing. I think this will make the game better.
I look forward to sharing more details as we approach. The release is on the horizon, and I have to put all my energy into development to get it ready in time.
Again, thank you all for playing the demo and wishlisting Seablip.
- Jardar
Seablip Demo Stream
Hello sailor!
I'm setting sail once again to take on Pete the Parrot Lord, one of Seablip's most wanted.
Join my last Steam Next Fest stream/chat! :)
- Jardar (solo developer of Seablip)
Island Movement Update - 0.6.910
Thank you for your feedback! I have made some improvements to player movement on the island.
New: You can now hold up/down while walking horizontally, and the character will move up/down if a ladder/stair, etc, is present.
I know more improvements can be made, but at least it's better now.
Hotfix - 0.6.909
Text Animation Speed Update
Text animation is slightly faster on normal and faster on fast.
The text bubble over a character's head is affected by the speed settings.
Text animation speed is saved as startup preferences and not per save.
Bug fixes:
The player could not aim while the crew moved inside the cannon room.
Known Issue:
Gamepad/controller support is not fully implemented yet (only partly and experimental)
If you move with a gamepad and then try to use the keyboard for movement it will be super slow or not working. Disconnecting your gamepad should allow the keyboard to work normally again.
Seablip Demo Stream - Hunt Down the Parrot Lord
Hello sailor!
I'm setting sail to take on Pete the Parrot Lord, one of Seablip's most wanted. He might be a bit too overpowered, so I'm uncertain if I can defeat him. Get ready for a stream focused on Seablip's ship battles.
Join the stream/chat on Wednesday! :)
- Jardar (solo developer of Seablip)
Important Update! - 0.6.908
Bug Fixes:
Fixed the seed planting bug that glitched the game on load! Apologies to anyone who encountered serious issues. It should be resolved now. Please let me know if any game-breaking problems persist.
Kira has become more reliable and won't scam you when you pay her to upgrade your pier. She also provides a message confirming the job.
Skipping film events previously led to a glitch, but this has been addressed.
New:
Enemies with a medium ship now have a reduced chance of invaders and fewer attacking invaders. Additionally, more values are influenced by the Captain's luck skill.
Small Update - 0.6.903
New:
The Drake Cannon has been added, a small cannon to fit your starter ship in the beginning.
Enemies more often use a small cannon on the easy level, making it easier, and you have space on your small ship if you win the upgrade after a battle.
You will now receive a repair message if you repair Alfred's bridge or the player's pier.
More likely to encounter icebergs closer to the main island.
Shark events are more likely in some places in the demo.
Price update: Many of the upgrades cost less.
Bug fixes:
A bug caused sea battle events (like sharks, icebergs, etc.) not to spawn!
Visual bug: Some enemies could have double swords in battle.
Item bug: sometimes not able to pick up items.
Skipping some of the film events could lead to the game glitching.
Enemy Difficulty Update - 0.6.90
Hello everyone, after reviewing feedback and video streams from players, I've observed that the enemy in sea battles needs a significant overhaul in balance. The easy enemy is now much easier, allowing for quicker ship upgrades. Battles become more intense when facing a more difficult enemy, as an easy enemy results in a slow battle that I don't want you to be stuck on forever.
Additionally, I've made another significant change that will impact battles greatly. You can now heal your crew and ship without advancing to the next day, accessible on the World Map - Main Island.
New
You can now heal your crew and ship without advancing to the next day, accessible on the World Map - Main Island.
Enemy difficulty on the easy level has been significantly lowered.
Easy enemy ships will no longer attempt to escape.
Easy enemy is easier to not miss.
Please share your thoughts on these changes, and let me know if there are still aspects you find lacking or problematic.
Small Update - 0.6.89
New
Player Skill Menu added (work in progress) - you can now level up the player the same way as your crew (the player will also have special skills)
Crew max health increased (health +1 extra per level).
Visual:
The enemy ship in battle is now framed at the same height as the player ship.
Small Update - 0.6.889
Another small update after some feedback from players (thanks for all feedback):
New
All gold rewards from a seabattle are increased.
The demo lacks high-level enemies to showcase the variety of upgrades/weapons in Seablip. To address this, I've added an extra medium-level octopus enemy and a hard-level pirate on the world map for those seeking a greater challenge than an easy ship.
