Space Cat
Space Cat - Content Update Trailer
Update on Adventure Mode, New Features - 5/27/2017
ADVENTURE MODE
Aight, this is the big one.
In case you didn't read the last update, the new update will include a brand new mode - Adventure Mode. In this mode, you can tackle 8 autoscrolling stages back to back with up to four players. There is a boss at the end of each level
Adventure Mode is about 80% done. The game is fully functional, but severely lacks polish at the moment. It isn't quite ready yet for public consumption.
...But when it is, it'll be pretty awesome.
OTHER NEW FEATURES
I'd like to introduce to you something you guys might appreciate.
Customizable characters!
You can now pick your cat's color, hat, and outline color. As of right now, there are over 40 different hats, but I plan on adding as many as I can.
Some of the gameplay options have been tweaked a bit too. I removed the ? Capsules in favor of Oil Cans to make that option more of a clear hazard rather than potentially being both. The ? Capsules still appear in-game when the option is turned on, but not nearly as frequently.
There is also now a screen border when the game is in fullscreen. I plan on adding the option to toggle it on/off as well as switch to different borders but I haven't implemented it yet.
ARRANGED SOUNDTRACK
I am working on an arranged soundtrack as well. I'm unsure if this will be prepared in time for the release of Adventure Mode, but I'll hold my tongue until then. More details at a later date.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I'm gonna format this section like a FAQ just because it's a lot easier to address these things when posed as questions.
Q: Online Multiplayer?
A: After this update if I can ever figure it out. Keep in mind that I'm a college student working 40hrs at a day job, so I don't have as much time to look into ambitious stuff like that anymore. I would really... REALLY like to do online multiplayer, I just don't have the time to research how it works and incorporate it into my code quite yet.
tl;dr I want to eventually, but don't count on it. I'm just one guy.
Q: Trading cards?
A: With the change to how Steam is approaching trading cards, it's starting to look less and less like it's worth my time. It isn't off the table yet but it's not really a priority at the moment, if that makes sense.
Q: Is Adventure Mode going to be free?
A: Absolutely. I don't think locking any existing Space Cat owners out of the experience is a good idea, however I plan on upping the price of the game to $5.99 a short while after the update is out. The extra content does change my perception of how much the game is worth.
Q: Are you going to add the Adventure Mode tracks to the OST on Bandcamp?
Yup. the full OST will still be $2.99, so don't worry about that.
Q: Will there be a gameplay trailer so I know what I'm getting into with Adventure Mode?
A: I haven't recorded anything yet but I want to make a pretty extensive trailer for Adventure Mode. More than anything, I'm having trouble trying to round up three of my friends to record on a day that we're all available.
With summer coming along, that should be easier though. Expect a trailer within a month or so.
Q: Update release date?
I hate giving specific dates because it's so hard to meet up to them, no matter how far into the future you set them.
I'm still going to give you a better time frame. At the earliest, it will be out in June. At the absolute latest, August.
Q: Any updates on console ports?
A: Not yet. I would really like to port to Nintendo Switch first, but once again, that all depends on whenever YoYoGames and Nintendo actually decide to get along and give Game Maker Studio a Switch export option.
Even if that doesn't become the case with GM:Studio, Studio 2 is on the way. If Studio 2 ends up having an export option for Switch, then I'm definitely going for it.
Until then, enjoy the game on PC. Worst case scenario, I could try porting the entire game to Unity (depending on how easy that is). At that point I might just move onto another project.
CONCLUSION
TL;DR
- Adventure Mode is 80% done, releases Summer (Free DLC)
- Custom cat colors, hats, outlines coming with update.
- Trailer coming soon.
- OST will be updated with new tracks on day of update.
- Arranged Soundtrack is happening, more details later. No release date for that yet.
Hopefully that clears up some fog around the new mode. I know it's hard to get hyped up about something without any gameplay footage, but hopefully the screenshots do some justice in the meantime while I prepare the trailer.
Once again, thank you all for supporting the game and helping make my dream come true. It's crazy to think that I'd actually have the opportunity to publish my own video game at age 19.
I'll see you all in the next update blog!
(I felt the need to plug my Twitter too. I'm not very professional over there, but if you wanna follow me for updates or just talk about games, follow me there and maybe hit me up for my Discord too.)
Upcoming Content, Future Ports and Steam Changes - 2/24/2017
Yes, an update to the game is coming. It may not be what you expected, but I hope you'll enjoy it.
-NEW MODE-
So if you don't follow me over on Twitter, then I'd like to introduce to you a new game mode - Adventure Mode.
Obviously, not everything is set in stone yet. The number of stages and lives set are not exact yet.
Like any other mode in the game, you can play locally with three other friends.
Each stage automatically scrolls to the right. Enemies appear from both sides of the screen to keep you on your toes. The challenge lies in staying alive through the various bullet-hell scenarios that await.
I've only just begun working on this mode, so I can't promise any sort of release date in fear of not being able to meet it. I hope to get it finished and out by Summer 2017.
-STEAM DIRECT-
With Greenlight being replaced with Steam Direct very soon, I am uncertain of the future of this game and of any future games I may want to publish here. If the project fee gets raised anywhere above the $1000 mark, my future projects will have a harder time coming to Steam. And, in a worst-case scenario, if there ends up being a hosting fee for games such as mine, Space Cat will likely have to leave Steam.
As much as I don't believe Valve will actually crack down on us indie devs that hard, it's entirely possible. This actually brings me to my next topic...
-PORTS TO OTHER PLATFORMS-
I want to port the game to as many platforms as possible. Steam is a great platform to begin with, but with so many changes on the horizon, I think the best thing to do is to try and branch out.
I don't have any solid plans yet, but here are my options:
Nintendo Switch - I feel as though this is the best console to port the game to, and for many reasons. The easy access to local multiplayer is the biggest draw to me, and the portability of the console just sells it even more to me. I think this is the best platform I could possibly port the game to, and definitely the one I'm looking into the most. It all depends on whether GM:Studio games are supported, and from what I've been hearing, they are.
PS4 & XB1 - These are more realistically possible, but I don't have the corresponding export modules for GM:Studio yet, and can't afford to spend $300+ on them individually yet.
iOS & Android - These I actually have the export modules for, but haven't done anything with them yet. I think touch controls would be almost impossible to make work in a game that uses separate buttons for attacking, jumping, jet boosting, and in some situations requiring the player to hold a direction as well during any of those. It seems like it would be more frustrating to play than enjoyable, which is why I'm leaning towards not doing them at all. If I do end up doing them, Bluetooth controllers will DEFINITELY be supported.
Ubuntu & SteamOS - I don't actually know much about either of these, but I understand that some people are interested in it, and will look into it as soon as I get one of my computers running Ubuntu.
Alright, one more thing I want to cover.
-MORE STEAM STUFF-
I hear the criticism. I know I don't always respond, but I hear it.
So... Online multiplayer. I haven't done anything with it yet. My knowledge of online-based games is very small, as I haven't really played very many. I want to explore it more soon, but finishing Adventure Mode is my top priority right now. I know this game would be a lot more fun if you could actually play with/against your online friends, and believe me, I do too.
Trading Cards and Badges are going to happen at some point. I am not really an avid Steam user, so I'm only just now learning about what they are and what purpose they serve on Steam. Will add them as soon as I finish the art for them.
-CONCLUSION-
Sorry if it seems like I've been maintaining my game poorly. I am a college student with a full-time job, so I really don't have time to check the community page regularly or investigate glitches.
I want to say thank you to everyone who purchased the game early on. This game has been both a blind experiment and a passion project, and I'm very proud of how it turned out. I am very excited with how Adventure Mode is coming, and I hope you'll enjoy it just as much as I did making it.
Until next time, see ya.
-Andy
Space Cat - Original Soundtrack Now Available
Space Cat's soundtrack is now available on Bandcamp!
Purchase it here: http://argagonky.bandcamp.com/album/space-cat-original-soundtrack
Space Cat and Future Plans
I figured I should probably let everyone know what I plan on doing next, now that the game is out.
I've silently patched the game twice since its release, ironing out some strange bugs that heavily affected the game's presentation. I don't plan on patching the game again until sometime next year unless some severe bug comes up.
I want to add a few more Battle Mode maps in a free update, but I also want to do some DLC maps and a DLC game mode. None of this is concrete quite yet, but I will provide new information as soon as I can.
Online multiplayer is something I also really want to add in, but I'm unsure if it can feasibly be done with the game being programmed the way it is.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy my first game. I worked hard on it, and I hope it's worth your time and money.