THERE IS TRUE JOY IN UPDATES! - v1.8.4-EA goes live!
hey folks! it's been a couple of months since the last time i posted an announcement -- sorry about that! if you've visited our community forum recently, we've been doing lots and lots of work on the game. we're planning on wrapping up development by October or November depending on how the next few weeks go!
we've got some more exciting news that will be dropping throughout the month of October, so keep your eyes peeled!
and if it's been a long time since the last time you've played Joylancer, consider jumping back into the field! a lot of improvements and changes have been made to the game since the v1.6.x versions!
as always, you can view the full change log for all versions here:
http://a6productions.com/changelog.txt
since v1.7:
Countering systems have been given a massive improvement, making performing parries much easier
A huge collection of extremely varied customizable equipment has been added
We've added many new levels and enemies, and old familiar enemies have all been revised and updated in many ways
Players can now pick up and throw weapons that enemies drop, adding an additional dynamic to combat!
A brand-new control options system that is heavily improved over the old clunky Profile Menu
The demo has been updated to the latest version!
An all-new "Arcade Mode" that challenges you to play through every level in one go!
Multiplayer has returned! Play with 2-4 players in intense competitive combat, or take your friends with you in the Arcade Mode challenge and save the world together!
stay tuned for lots more exciting news from us! videos, trailers, updates, oh boy! we thank you all for your continued support as we continue to try to make the game the best we can and get it ready for a full release!
- tj
IT'S TIME FOR JOYLANCER JULY! - v1.7u update submitted to Steam!
hey everyone! tj here, creator of The Joylancer: Legendary Motor Knight!
we'd like to apologize for the months of quietness -- we've been hard at work taking your advice to heart and refining our little game further and further beyond! after a long wait, though, our update is finally ready to be experienced! we've sent our new build, v1.7u, off to our distributors to be uploaded to Steam!
if you haven't picked up the game in a while, you're gonna find a lot of new things in this version;
Lots and lots of system optimizations to make the game run faster
Difficulty system has been re-instated
Profile system update to make menus slightly less cumbersome (we're in the middle of a FULL re-build but we didn't have time to get it in this update)
A brand new move is now available after successfully parrying an enemy
Massive updates to enemy AI and attack patterns
Major stat rebalancing for the whole cast
A ton of visual updates
our update was planned on being a lot bigger, but some of the system reconstructions took a little longer than planned, as well as some personal issues that got in the way (which, at this point, we are slowly learning that this is unavoidable when you want to be both a game developer and a human being), but we know that a bunch of bug fixes have been waiting for a while, and we want to make sure we cover those bases and let you guys know that we're far from dead. :)
a full change log will be coming up later today that covers every single change that we've made!
for now, if you're updating this game from v1.5, we request a little favor of you; we've updated our profile system a bit, and the v1.5 version is now super outdated, so in order for this update to work properly, you'll have to go into your AppData/Local/JOYLANCER folder and delete the contents and remake your profiles / re-assign your binds. we know that this is a huge pain in the butt, but you likely won't have to deal with these kinds of issues once the game leaves Early Access.
for now, please enjoy the game! we're hoping to bring y'all a full package in August.
THERE IS TRUE JOY IN UPDATES! - Welcome to v1.6.2!
hey everybody! tj here, creator, designer & animator for The Joylancer: Legendary Motor Knight, the latest entry to the extreme action genre!
this update has been overdue for a while, but we're super stoked to finally bring it to you guys!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7flOeiByNQ
check out the change log and our previous announcement for more info:
(click HERE for the full change log)
v1.6.2 (Early Beta Release) APR 26 2015
=================================
Tutorial + more equipment planned for next update!
+ Fixed a bug that caused Centaureon to occasionally disappear when is countered
+ Fixed a bug that caused the Helmar to get stuck in Drive-Clash state
+ Slightly modified Dark Palace (Antoria Woods) waves to lower their difficulty
+ Demo version of game updated to latest version
~ Added speed resistance to lance attacks when hitting strong / armored enemies
~ no longer registers on strong / armored enemies (caused bugs)
~ Greatly increased how much damage a thrown enemy inflicts on other enemies
~ Lance-Drop's "explosion" effect now triggers on all Lance-Drop attacks (Lv3 & 4 have visual effects too)
~ Slightly increased damage of Lv1 lance attack
also, we are officially announcing that we've reached the next stage of Joylancer development and we will be resuming our frequent updates again very soon! we're very happy to have made it this far despite all the personal and financial struggles we've had to deal with in the time we've been making this exciting little game.
we are currently aiming for a June 2015 release, so start getting some practice in now and get ready for the full version of the game to launch!
ANNOUNCEMENT! Upcoming Monday Build Update v1.6.1 + Dev Log + Release Window -- THE JOYLANCER: LEGENDARY MOTOR KNIGHT
hey everyone! after about a month or so of hard work, we're finally ready to bring you the latest version of THE JOYLANCER: LEGENDARY MOTOR KNIGHT! this is a big, big update and we're super excited for it to go live this Monday!
the builds have already gone live on itch.io if you redeemed the Steam key you got from there, so you can just update that version and experience the latest rendition of EXTREME MOTORIZED ACTION!
to start things off, here's a look at our exciting new trailer, "The Art of the Knight":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7flOeiByNQ
yeah... like i said, we've been putting in hard, hard work between v1.5 and 1.6! there are a lot of big changes that come with this version:
v1.6 (APR 22 2015)
+ The Control Wizard is Back! Custom key binding is now available
+ Controller support has been expanded; Joylancer now supports legacy gamepads and joysticks!
+ World Map has been re-enabled
+ A few new levels have been added
+ The Dark Palace has returned; amount of palaces increased to 2 (each one has 10 waves)
+ Parry / Counter system has been massively updated and is far more precise
+ "Perfect-Counter" now available; perform a counter attack with perfect timing to automatically perform a Drive-Counter
+ Projectile deflection has been massively improved
+ A new 1st Battalion boss has been added
+ Multiple new enemies have been added
+ General system improvements & optimizations for speed
+ New "FPS" switch that can drop the game into 30FPS and maintain proper game speed; try this out if you're experiencing slowdown
+ All enemies have been massively updated
+ Hitbox system has been completely re-worked
- Tutorials are in need of overhaul again; we're working on it
- Pscilovoid enemy has been temporarily taken out (currently being re-animated)
- Difficulties have been pulled out of this release while we re-write the system
- Motor Combat is still unavailable at the moment, cleaning out bugs and making sure the systems are balanced
v1.6.1
+ Fixed a bug that caused the game to hang on the loading screen when starting the game
+ Fixed a bug that caused world map data to be loaded incorrectly when exiting to the title screen
+ Various bug fixes on previous version
+ HELMAR, ARMUROS and CENTAUREON now have "Drive-Clash" properties; mash attack button during these attacks to perform instant Drive-Counters
+ Temp music assigned to extra areas
+ Demo version of game updated to latest version
+ A bunch of small changes done under the hood
for a full run-down of this absolutely gargantuan update, head to our website and check out the post i left:
http://a6productions.com/2015/04/a6-developer-logs-joylancer-apr-23-2015-v1-6-release/
THERE IS TRUE JOY IN LANCING! we hope you like v1.6! look forward to a lot more updates coming very soon.
-tj
Your Week In Antoria -- Joylancer News & Updates, March 11, 2015
hello everybody! we hope you've been enjoying the game! as you may or may not be aware, we just recently pushed out a patch to Joylancer, from v1.5.1 to v1.5.2. here are the latest changes:
v1.5.2u (Early Beta) MAR 6 2015
=================================
+ Bugs with tutorial rooms not loading properly has been fixed
+ Burst-Jump given curving; can now slightly adjust movement mid-technique
+ Move list function fixed
+ Some music cues were in the wrong place; this has been fixed
+ Difficulty system has been updated
+ First Run menu updated with additional information
+ "Type E" control type added -- mirrors a more portable-inspired control type
+ Some menu bugs fixed
+ Scores were carrying over and saving incorrectly; this has been fixed
+ A couple enemy encounters have been rearranged
- Keyboard not adjusting certain options like sound / music volume
now that that's out of the way, let's talk about what you can expect the next month or so!
= Game Progress = we're currently in the phase of the game where we're sanding up the final rough edges, making sure that everything is clean and we can avoid as many bugs as possible.
we've luckily already taken care of most of the brunt of the work, and we're able to focus more on adding content, which is a sweet spot that we're very happy to be in right now.
right now we plan on having most of the game's content finalized by around mid-April. in order to pull this off, we're spending March going through all of our enemies, bosses, and unfinished systems, and giving them a solid once-over.
we're also going to be doing some more optimizations for those of you who have been reporting low performance in the game.
= THERE IS TRUE JOY IN GAMEPAD SUPPORT? = someone on Twitter also contacted us and showed us an article showing off Game Maker:Studio's extended gamepad controls, so we're going to be updating our input system over the next few days. if all goes well, we should be able to support way more than just 360 / XB1 pads!
here's a summary of what we're focusing on for the next week or two:
Optimizing the game further
Finalizing enemy and boss encounter designs
Adding support for more controller types
Adding more levels and story scenes
Re-implementing the Dark Palace mode and World Map
Updating the tutorial even further
a new dev log video will be coming this weekend! if you missed episode 1, you can check it out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuHddbSIdZA
until then, please take care when lancing! we'll be seeing you again for episode 2 of the Joylancer dev log, and later in the month with another big Joylancer update!
-tj
THERE IS TRUE JOY IN UPDATES! - Welcome to v1.5.1!
hey everybody, tj here, director, producer, animator, composer & designer of The Joylancer: Legendary Motor Knight! after a long, long wait, we are proud to finally bring you version 1.5.1 of our intense brand of side-scrolling action!
as is the case with the last few updates we've done, this one's a BIG one! we've done some tweaking to the controls and made the game feel so much better!
we've introduced our brand new color system that brings a brand new vibrancy to the game!
we've introduced some new enemies and some additional variations of enemies!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuHddbSIdZA
i've started a new bi-weekly development log series; this first episode is 22 minutes of commentary as i go through and preview some of the stuff you'll be seeing in this new update, as well as explain some of the finer mechanics of the game.
check it out if you're interested in learning more about the game!
CHANGE LOG: v1.5.1b (Early Beta) MAR 2 2015
=================================
+ Welcome Back To Antoria! -- v1.5 Release: Updating Again Very Soon!
+ Brand-New Palette Rendering System! (replaces RGB-style color system)
+ Profile system given major update
* NOTE: Profile System is still in heavy work-in-progress
+ Controller Binding menu added to Profile menu; press Select on Player 1 (SELECT on Pad, Shift on Keyboard) to configure all players' proper pad / keyboard setup
+ Area 1 maps have been overhauled again -- level layouts, arrangements, and enemy placements are still not final
+ Tutorial has been rehauled
+ Soundtrack has been updated
+ CONTROLS: New technique "Quick-Burst" has been added; press Up+Jump OR Up+Attack to perform a Burst-Jump
+ Up+Jump / Up+Attack inputs can now be used to fire off a Burst-Jump mid-charge; currently balancing out equipment pieces to replace Quick-Burst with Burst-Jump
+ New animations have been added for Drive-Counters
+ Effects of some techniques have been altered slightly
+ Holding Down+Attack will now continuously perform Rev-Ups!
+ Taunt function moved to Select button
- Final taunt causing game crash
+ BOSSES: A new boss has entered the land of Antoria! Challenge the PSCILOVOID! (beta version)
+ BOSSES: Can you survive the onslaught of the Ultimate Mage King? KING ROSELL THE INVINCIBLE accepts your challenge! (beta version; survival match)
+ ENEMIES: Rosello Lancer given immunity to Clash-Counter on 1st swing; counter the 2nd swing to score the grab!
+ Rosello Knight has additional armored form (purple armor)
+ Rosello Lancer has additional un-armored form (orange armor)
- Axe Knight needs a bit more work on hitboxes + axe throw; will be hotfixing soon
- Dark Palace Mode temporarily disabled; will be hotfixing soon
- World Map temporarily disabled; will be hotfixing soon
- Motor Combat temporarily disabled; will be hotfixing soon
- Damage values are unbalanced at the moment; will be hotfixing soon
- Some goofy options menu selections haven't been updated or fixed up yet; we're working on it!
~ Various other tweaks and adjustments have been made and some other features that were in the previous build may be missing from this one.
~ Mac versions of Joylancer are going to be coming very soon!
~ this build was exported while i (tj) was running on no sleep, so there may be a few bugs / glitches; we plan on fixing these problems within the week. we just wanted to make sure you guys got this build on time!
~ tj & Jesse -- alpha six productions
we'll be seeing you again very soon for another exciting update!
alpha six Development Logs! -- The Joylancer FEB 23 2014
hey everyone! tj here dropping some news your way.
it's been a while since we've posted a Steam announcement, but we've been hard at work on improving the game since the last update. check out this new development log series that i've started on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuHddbSIdZA
we'll have a new Steam build ready very soon! if you have an itch.io copy of the game, you can download the current "unstable" preview build that was uploaded tonight.
keep in touch with us on Twitter: @_a6productions
i also hang out in the Steam forums keeping in touch with the community, so if you have a question, hit me up and come hang with the community!
-tj
THERE IS TRUE JOY IN LANCING! - Joylancer Update (v1.1.2)
*note: v1.1.2 is just a patch that fixes some issues with v1.1; this update was actually done on Tuesday, the 16th
hey everyone! our latest Joylancer update has gone live!
this is a gargantuan update-- we've taken full advantage of the three weeks between updates to polish off a bunch of things, experiment with updated systems, and add in the Profile + Equipment Systems again! you can now equip up to 3 parts and customize your characters-- equip a different Motor to boost (or drop) your attack and unlock more moves, use different Armors to alter your speed and defense, and add an Extra boost that does a variety of different things, like adding double jumps and slowing down the Multiplier bar! we've also added in taunting so you can finally add insult to injury!
CHANGELOG v1.0.7 -> v1.1
<*>+ Main Menu completely overhauled
<*>+ Soundtrack updated, replacing the old music from version 1.x (songs included are 1st mixes and will be updated over time)
<*>+ Custom Soundtrack option added (accepts .OGG)
<*>+ Profile System added: this is also where you go to adjust controls & how you save data (each "name" acts as its own save file, storing your progress, custom color and unlocked equipment)
<*> IMPORTANT NOTE: control settings are now done in the Profile menu, not in the Game Settings menu! press Confirm when setting your preferred control preset to enable / disable rumble
<*>+ "Preferred" Character can be set in profile; this changes the character you use in special missions in the main game & will tie into convenient Motor Combat access! press Confirm when picking a character to set your custom color to that character's instantly
<*>+ Equipment System added: equip "MOTOR", "ARMOR" & "EXTRA" equipment to change your playstyle
<*>+ Taunting System added: after "targeting" an enemy, hold down the command to perform
<*>~ Taunting animation broken up into 4 parts; completing the full taunt will put the enemies into Murder Mode, attacking more aggressively and gaining resistance to hit stun, but take extra damage
<*>~ Taunting rewards the player with bonus score + multiplier
<*>+ Dropkick technique added: -> Attack -- consumes 1 meter
<*>+ Charging animation speed adjusted, making Burst-Jump easier to do
<*>+ Dark Palace now has 30 more floors (for a total of 50)
<*>~ Dark Palace no longer in main menu; accessible from the world map
<*>~ Grip system revised; instead of holding jump, just press Up on the D-Pad
<*>~ Multiple visual improvements, including a bunch of new background graphics
<*>~ Area 1 Stage 1 has been overhauled again
<*>~ Area 1 map has been updated slightly
<*>~ Fixed a large multitude of bugs, including the Motor Combat crashing bug
<*>~ Modified Burst-Jump command: requires neutral d-pad position; attempting to execute a Burst-Jump while holding Down will execute a Speed-Slide
<*>~ Burst-Jump command updated with 2nd input: -> Up+Attack
<*>~ General balance work done with the cast (adjusting attack + defense power, max HP)
<*>- Some menu options in the main menu are squished together
<*>- Area 1 Stage 2 update in heavy WIP state; will be updated again over the week
check us out again in a week or two when we press our next update! it's gonna be a hefty one just like the last few updates have been and we're looking forward to getting it in your hands!
-tj
Update 1.0.7
A new update has been applied to Joylancer.
To begin the download, please enable updates and restart your client.
Changelog:
<*>Welcome to version 1.0 of the World Map! the functionality is very basic in its current state, but you'll be watching it grow over the course of development!
<*>Motor-Dash can now be Motor-Canceled to gain extra meter
<*>Thrown weapons are now caught by pressing the Attack button; charging will just 'block' the projectile
<*>Small adjustments done to character balance
<*>New challenge stages added
Have fun!
Announcing MOTOR MONDAYS!
http://store.steampowered.com/app/315540
get ready to start your week with LANCING! starting Monday, November 17th, Joylancer will be doing regular content updates every Monday!
the weekends give us lots of time to bug fix, playtest, and our favorite thing, adding new content-- new enemies, new characters in Motor Combat, new levels, updated graphics, and all sorts of various experiments that we love doing over the course of this game's development!
we will still, of course, roll out random updates on other days whenever we do something like tweaks and bugfixes, but now you can start to expect your Mondays to welcome new Joylancer content every week until our final launch in February!
JOIN US on this adventure and pick up your copy today if you haven't already!
