Hello again. Well, this is an issue someone in the Steam forums mentioned: jumps were too long so they feel unrealistic. Upon closer examination, I realized it was indeed the case. When Sanja is running and then jumps, it looks like she’s pretty much propelled forward, like she’s wearing a jetpack or something.
So I went back to the player controller and began to tweak some things, and also make some, very deep, changes and adjustments. Basically I did two things: first, I reworked all the jumps so Sanja no longer looks like she’s being pulled forward when she jumps; second, I tried to find many of the sources of glitches and bugs that I could find (as always, if you find a bug, let me know, and if you can include a video, even better).
So, what does this mean?
Well, it means I had to go back and adjust parts of the levels, because shorter jumps means she was unable to reach many of the areas because the majority of jumps are measured so they are challenging (jump right at the edge, etc.).
I also changed the “swing bar” functionality to make it “slightly” easier to pull off the jump. Some people have commented they would expect Sanja to hang from the bars, rather than fall off, when you can’t pull out the jump. I have to admit this is a valid point and I thought about that. The problem I see comes when you are in a chase sequence. Imagine you’re used to she just hanging when you don’t make the jump, and you simply decide to start swinging to gain momentum and then jump off that bar. Well, imagine in a chase sequence you missed the jump because you’re used to doing it the “re-swing” way, then you need to start gaining momentum before you jump off, all while the blob-monster-thing is getting closer. At this point the mechanic caused another death scenario: you had to wait to gain momentum before you continue running away.
Of course I know maybe I am overthinking this too much, because I am aware those used to platformers can easily work around the “hanging” swing bar, so if you think the “hanging” swing bar is better than the “falling-off” swing bar, let me know in the commnents, forum, whatever, so I can add that. Besides, This other type of swing bar can allow for interesting gameplay as well, like this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH6L0WMqaaw
And a small but interesting detail, I am adding DOF to the camera. Someone had already suggested this some time ago, but I never actually did it until now. Right now it’s very subtle, but I am testing to see if it should be stronger.
As always, if you like what you see, join the mailing list and please buy The Nightmare from Beyond on Steam or Itch.io
Hi all. Today is not Friday but a new update is available so I who cares. TNFB early access release 2 is now available and will download automatically as soon as you open your Steam client.
What's new in this update:
A new intro that provides some context to the story and the game world.
The intro level also has a locker thingy that will be used to switch outfits (there will be unlockable outfits in the game).
Now in the "chase sequence" you get a very cool and interesting animation when the creature grabs you.
Fixed audio levels, so you no longer run the risk of going deaf due to some audios being too loud.
Controller support for the DualShock 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, Steam Controller and standard XInput controllers.
Besides making the game control easier, controller support includes vibration, making some parts of the game very interesting.
Changes to Sanja's skirt cloth simulation.
Added a "gamepad help" screen as well, since controls cannot be remapped yet.
I try not to break any save files, but I can't promise anything. On a side note, some additions might not be available if you reload an old save file.
As always, report any issues in the forum, please.
I also created a Steam Controller template: steam://controllerconfig/684340/1158998849
[DEVLOG] New intro and controllers
Hello all, well this is going to be a really short one.
First, the “intro” part is almost finished. This intro consists on 2 short levels that play before the current start, and you get some more info about the entire premise. If you have played Enola, then you are familiar with the huge walls of text found in some parts of the game. Well, that’s something I don’t want to do again, so I am trying to give as much info as possible, with as little dialogs as possible.
Many parts here are still a placeholder and need more detail, but we’ll be adding those later.
On top of that… if you’ve played the game already, you know I am staying away from tutorials, so no “use these to move and this to jump…. now run and jump, and then…” for this game. The second short level (also plays before the current start) will teach a couple of transversal moves. Also in that level something interesting happens.
And last but not least, I just got these a couple of days:
So for the next update the game will include controller support. My first goal is to get it to work with the standard XInput controller (like the one on the right), and then I will try the Steam Controller.
ALSO... I've seen users can share Steam Controller settings, so I will be sharing mine.
BTW the goal is to release this next update next week.
[DEVLOG] Redesigning a monster…
Player input is being useful to redesign a monster. You may or may not be familiar with this part:
In this small section, a monster shows up. The problem is… this part sucks… plain and simple.
So I decided to change it. Basically I decided to do three things: First, I would turn that area into some sort of “environmental puzzle” so you no longer just “walk through the place until you reach the exit.”
Second, I am adding more verticality to the entire area. There’s no point on making a PLATFORMER if the character will not do acrobatics to avoid an enemy.
And third, I scrapped the current monster and began working on a new AI from scratch.
One of the things I find interesting about this game is the use of the vertical space to “hide” from the enemy. For example, hanging from a ledge just below the monster, or above it, jumping from one place to the next while trying to avoid being seen, etc. This can make things a lot more dynamic than the old “hide behind/under something until the monster goes away” scenario.
For example, in the image above, you could end up hiding in the area below, but the monster might jump to the other side and see you from there. In another scenario, you may be hanging from the ledges on the far side when the monster appears in that small area just above you. It’s a lot of work, but it will make things more entertaining or scarier (I hope).
The next image shows the entire new area. As you see, it’s A LOT larger than before. Right now I am working on the basic “patrol” and “detect player” routines, and the plan is to have something playable for the next update, due in maybe a couple of weeks).
This new update will also include some audio levels improvements, and a new intro so you know what the hell is going on. I will post the entire list of changes when I post the update.
PS: Share your screenshots!!! ːsteamhappyː
[DEVLOG] Early access, DRM-free, and update plans
Just a brief disclaimer: the plan is to post an update once a week, so you know what's going on with the development of the game. This has also been posted on the development blog here: https://facethenightmare.wordpress.com/2017/09/16/i-am-back-steam-early-access-drm-free-and-update-plans/
I know it's been a while since last time I wrote an update, and overall, this blog is seldom updated. However, that is going to change from now on (or at least that's the plan).
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote an update, and while I made a couple of vlogs, I forgot to add them here. You can watch them here and here.
Well, the biggest update is that The Nightmare from Beyond is now out on Early Access, and you can get it on the game website. It's currently on early access, and there are various reasons for that. I know early access gets a bad rap due to buggy games and "abandonware." I have a couple of things to say about that...
Since The Nightmare from Beyond is also coming to Vita (and PS4), there's already a very cool group of Vita fans who are very excited about this game and want to get their hands on it. I know this has nothing to do with early access or the PC in general, but still, it's yet another reason to finish the game. The following screenshot shows Nightmare running on the Vita:
Another one. BTW those buttons are used to enable/disable screen effects, to find a balance between performance and cool looks.
And this is a photo of the Vita devkit running the game:
Even if the Vita is an old machine with very low specs, the plan is to make the game experience on the Vita resemble the PC and PS4 version, and that includes screen effects, lighting effects, and other stuff. That means a lot of work, but it's going to be worth it at the end.
The Nightmare from Beyond has been in development for around one year and a half. That year and a half includes a "full game reset" that happened around 10 months ago. The previous version of the game was still Lovecraftian, but it was originally titled "The Nightmare from Outspace," the story was more similar to the "Alien" movie, it was set in a space station, and featured a human protagonist. The following video shows what that first version of the game was like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaIAfovFKFY
As you see, the title changed, the protagonist was completely re-made, the environments were scrapped and so was the story. The only thing that remains is the platforming (though many aspects were re-programmed), and the “metroidvania” design (that game would also feature items that allow you to unlock areas).
So yeah, 18 months in development, one full game reset, and a very enthusiastic Vita fan base, are good reasons to continue the development until it is finished.
So, back to the early access subject… The game is $19.99, and it’s available on Steam, Itch.io and our website. You will notice the game is roughly $2 cheaper on itch.io (with a suggested price of $19.99 to match the other prices). I don’t really like to be all secretive about stuff, so I will simply explain why I did this:
One of the reasons I opted to do this is because Itch.io is DRM-free, and I would like to promote the DRM-free version more, even if I know people like Steam better for various reasons. Obviously this means you don’t get to have your game on Steam, since I haven’t enabled Steam key retrieval for itch.io (that would kinda defeat the whole point of having the DRM-free version).
The other reason is that, since I am from El Salvador, I am subject to double taxation in some storefronts. Long story short, for every Steam copy I sell, I pay taxes twice, and there’s no way for me to “deduct” those taxes (they are simply lost money). With itch.io I don’t have that problem, since I am only taxed once. So even with the lower price, I end up receiving more money from itch.io after store cuts and taxes.
So, if you plan to buy the game but you want to support the development of the game even more, please get it from itch.io.
Continuing with the early access subject. Granted that I don’t know every game out there, but, while there are a lot of games where you hide from monsters, and a lot of Tomb Raider-like platformers, I can’t recall many games that combine both worlds. I think the closest thing is the Dahaka sequence from Prince of Persia. For this reason, as well as general “input-based development” reasons, I opted for this.
The original plan was to just release different versions featuring different gameplay aspects, but after getting some input, I think it’s better to release updates in some sort of “episodes” way, since people have said they want to know what the place is, how the protagonist got there, and all that. This “sort-of-episodic” format would answer such questions, and would also provide more info and story as you play, meaning you’d actually know why you are jumping around and running from monsters.
So, the next update will include a short introduction to the story, and some context. BTW, what’s funny is that the introduction will share a certain similarity with the first version of the game (gameplay video posted above).
I don’t want to spoil anything, really, so I will add more information in the next update. In the meantime, all I will say is that “you don’t dream in cryo.”
My plan is to provide updates once a week, even if they are short.
The game is now available!
The Nightmare from Beyond is now available on Early Access... And since it's early access we need your help!
Please check out this thread and help us decide on the best direction for game updates from this point forward.
