This update is really more a maintenance update as I don't want to do a lot of changes just two weeks before the full release (leaving early access: woohoo!)
So as for the game stuff, just some minor fixes nothing big. Few visual bugs with your "Best score" stuff in the leaderboards, and a possible crash at startup caused by mouse movements.
BUT this version does come with a little extra fun: a very early alpha version of the level editor.
To activate the editor do the following:
1. From within steam, right click on the game and select Properties
2. at the "startup options" add: edit
3. run the game.
If done correctly it gives you a "create" menu item under the quit item in the main menu.
Right now you can create a level, and test the level. but there is no saving/loading implemented yet.. it can also bug out at any time, so don't go crazy on making awesome levels just yet!
The plan is to add steam workshop later so that we can play stand-alone missions created by the community (hopefully).
It needs a lot of work, but people asked for a level editor and I figured it could be interesting to keep the community entertained for a bit longer. Also there is a limitation at what the generated levels can throw at you, and I'm hoping we'll see some very cunning and challenging levels from the community.
The idea is that you'll be able to build a single level/mission, set a difficulty level for it, and then make it available to others on Steam Workshop.
The editor runs in the game itself, which is pretty sweet, and I've been working on it for just a day or so, and it's already comes with most of the stuff you'd want to place in a level available to you!
I plan to keep the editor as easy to use as possible, so that everybody can generate at least some form of level with it.
It's probably not gonna make the deadline of the game's release (January 12th) but it shouldn't take a lot longer after that (I hope)
Contest #1 : FINAL DAY CALL!
Today is the final day of the contest! You still have a chance to perma-unlock the Techjunky B-skin!
Just reach the top-5 in today's daily challenge, and you will receive the prize tomorrow!
Once you won, just login to the game and it should tell you about the skin when you enter the menu for the first time. The skin is then selectable on the far-right in the character select screen. If your name is in the list below, and you haven't received the unlock let me know!
So far the prize winners in the previous days are:
Sheesh
Bombjack
ShimmyYA
FickerGott
Alineblogt
Cedric
Ryan Dorkoski
Thomas Haaks
Rusty Trombone
Entloch
Frank
Emberiza
Slugster
Seminus - as bonus cause you just fell short yesterday ;)
update 31c: mouse fix
oops: I just pushed a quick fix so that the right-mouse button functions again (open inventory) not sure how that got broken.
Also the 2nd day contest winners should get their B-Skin when booting the game for the firs time.. make sure to do that before the contest is over tho, cause if you don't collect the prize this week it's gone ! :)
For those who haven't won yet, still a few days to go!! Get in that top-5 Daily scores to win the techjunky b-skin
Contest #1 update 31b
Pushing a small update to fix an issue with the prize-giving (only the first 2 players received their prize)
Also made the contest-popup only show once.. will refine that in a future update to make it pop-up possibly 3 times or something.
Congrats to the first people winning the prize!
And you can still get your Tech junky b-skin in the next few days!
Okay, here we go, the first Space Grunts contest.. I have no idea if this will all work correctly, so let's not panic and see where it all lands.
PRIZE
To make this first one interesting enough, you can win:
Tech-Junky B-skin
Which will be a permanent unlock! so it's worth playing.
THE CONTEST:
Reach a Daily challenge TOP 5 spot on any of the days before Thursday 24th.. Starting on Saturday 19th.
So that's either Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday OR Wednesday.
And that's all you need to do! You can try it every day, no limits, except that you can only do the daily once obviously ;)
Update 31: Cloud saving and contests!
Somebody mentioned Cloud saving? Actually, a few people did, and lucky for you guys I recently got a new PC so I also needed a way to take my progress with me: enter Steam cloud-saving.
It's a best-case implementation, so if you have the game on 2 pc's, it will only take your cloud-progress if your local progress is "less".
Another cool thing added in this update is the Moonbase-logs, you can find them in the stats menu near the datacards. Basically these logs unlock with every NPC you find per level. Finding all of them will be hard, but it will open up some nice lore on the happenings in the base.
I'm also trying something new in this update, I added code which, in theory, should allow for contests! The prizes for these contests are in-game awards for now, so you might be able to win a battle-suit, or a gaia statue for your next run, etc. It will also be possible to win a b-skin! so let's see how that all works out.
I'll come up with a contest soon, it should all auto-trigger on your game, and we'll take it from there, see where it takes us ;)
And finally I updated the HUD, to a more space-marine style look. Think that removes the last few bits of the game that still reminded me of Heroes of Loot which it originally would be a sequel to ;)
interface:
game:
update 30: a worm on my back!
I managed to squeeze out another tiny update here, altho it does change a few things graphically in a big way. The first zone, outer moon-base area, now shows more of the metal of the moon base underneath the sandy-walls. It will also start showing a bit more light in level 2 and level 3 when the darkness starts to set in.
Another fun addition is alternate text for the NPC's.. they will now randomly throw out hints and info on the game (it's very possible that the same NPC will say something different when you bump into him/her again).
Finally I noticed new gamers not noticing what happens when a worm uses you for a ride, so there is now a speech bubble added to that, making it easier to detect when you are "carrying a worm" ;)
interface:
game:
update 29: stats and minor teeny-tiny fixes
As we enter the holiday season, the updates are gonna be a bit thin most likely. With the full release planned for January I'll also have to work on various marketing stuff and try to get some PR going and coverage on game sites and wrap up the mobile version so people can take this game on the road!
This update is mostly coming with interface fixes and tweaks, and some improvements for the statistics. There is now also a "reset" option added to the statistics screen, so for those with faulty stats due to the early release versions you can wipe your slate clean!
interface:
game:
update 29: stats and minor teeny-tiny fixes
As we enter the holiday season, the updates are gonna be a bit thin most likely. With the full release planned for January I'll also have to work on various marketing stuff and try to get some PR going and coverage on game sites and wrap up the mobile version so people can take this game on the road!
This update is mostly coming with interface fixes and tweaks, and some improvements for the statistics. There is now also a "reset" option added to the statistics screen, so for those with faulty stats due to the early release versions you can wipe your slate clean!
