Well, we were always bad at sticking to our plans.
Anybody that's been keeping up with this game for a while knows that sometimes the vision morphs and shifts around. So of course, only a couple months after announcing quite an extensive roadmap, the plan has changed. I'll do my best to explain what's going on so it doesn't seem like a rushed or last minute decision.
The Explanation
Around September, we were going to announce one of the more pressing details of Update 2.0 - That being a change in business model. The game was going to be moving from the standard purchase it is now to a F2P model in order to help bring in more people and keep the online elements alive. Even though we were planning on some in-game compensation for players who purchased the game beforehand, this still might have felt like a slap in the face for people who weren't expecting that huge difference.
Additionally, the scope of this update was much further reaching than we initially explained; old save files have been completely incompatible with this new version for a while, and the core systems fueling progression, like the way your stats are placed or how battle mechanics are calculated have changed to the point where someone familiar with the current version would not be able to immediately navigate the gameplay.
For these reasons and more, we've chosen to turn this update into a standalone game. This way, players who wish to keep or buy into the current version can continue to do so, while new or returning players who want the updated, expanded experience can easily install the new F2P version.
What's Changing?
Soon after this post, this game will be renamed to VirtuaCreature (Legacy Version); we would like to keep the original name for the new release rather than brand it as a sequel, as this new game is what we think to be the definitive, fully realized vision of the original VC, not a future title.
In the coming months, a new store page will appear sporting the regular VirtuaCreature name, and that will be the place to look for news or updates on the game.
In regards to future devblogs or beta releases as discussed in our June post, we will need to take some time to organize and find the best approach. Polishing a build enough to show to the public on top of managing and preparing for this change is a lot of extra work, and it might be best for us to hunker down again and fully focus on finishing the game while we sort it out internally.
We're looking at this as a great opportunity to start fresh and build a long lasting, real community. To anybody that continually reads these, we appreciate you! We're hoping to see you on the other side.
Talk soon!
Anniversary Sale!
Wow!
VirtuaCreature officially turns 2 years old on August 7th. Development of this game actually started in 2016, and I'm kind of stunned development is still going after all these years. Here's to the future with VC 2.0!
Anniversary Sale
August 3 - August 10
From now until the 10th, a special anniversary sale will commence. Snag VC if you haven't yet and come along for the ride!
See you all again soon!
Devblog - July 2020
Howdy!
We're back again to start sharing details! If you missed the announcement, I highly recommend reading our 2.0 roadmap announcement. Let's get into it!
Video Devblog
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We're not sure how often we'll be doing this, but for this month we've made a video going over the details of this month's devblog, as well as showing some exclusive footage!
New Engine
The first few months of this update's development were spent transitioning the game from AS2 to AS3. Now that we're away from that very antiquated tech, we have some new core features available to us! One of these is a very requested QOL improvement, being proper in-game audio control.
Another highly requested feature is also currently in the works, that being Achievements! For now, we've just gotten a very basic Steamworks implementation finished along with a test to ensure achievements will function, so expect to see more about this closer to the update's release.
Minigame Improvements
Minigames are probably the most maligned aspect of VC, so we took some time to largely improve them and make the process of playing them more fun. You can see a lot of the minor changes in the above video, so I will instead focus here on the largest overhaul: the Race game. It's virtually unrecognizable to the previous iteration, now playing more like an endless runner. The speed of the game will increase as you score points, gradually getting tougher.
Save System Overhaul
Another benefit of the engine switch was access to proper file methods, meaning we can consistently generate our save files in the same place and use whatever names/formats we want. While this already makes features like Cloud Saves much easier to implement, we took it a step further and completely redesigned our save system to take advantage of this.
Now, all important data such as money, chests, equipment, recipes, void mine progress, etc is shared between all creatures rather than being individually separated. This should help encourage players to raise multiple creatures as you don't need to worry about large amounts of repeated grinding and can spread your resources as you choose.
To emphasize this new freedom, the previous file select menu has been removed and replaced with the new Creature Box menu! Now you can effortlessly swap between your creatures or hatch new ones, right from the homescreen.
And that's all for this month! Please stay tuned as we have lots more to cover in the near future. Sayonara!
So, it's been a while. As stated when we last left, more is coming for VirtuaCreature. I didn't want to say too much before going through the motions and ensuring we were on the right path; this turned out to take a few months, as there was a lot of preliminary work to be done. But we're here now, and what matters most is the content, so without too much delay I'll get into what exactly everyone can expect going forward.
Update 2.0 - The Megapatch
In 2019, we dedicated ourselves to 4 major content updates, released quarterly throughout the year. While this did have some upsides, mainly being the ability to modularize our rollout, it posed quite a few problems as well. While we were mostly able to separate the content in a way that felt natural, a few might remember the glaring "Coming in Update 1.5" button present on the Combat Plaza for nearly half the year. This is the hallmark of an unfinished product, and the additional 3 month delay for that content didn't help either. There was also the issue of holding people's attention; while we saw explosive sales shortly after announcing our previous roadmap (nearly twice our total sales in 1 day), all steam had run out by the end, even though the largest content patch came last. So, rather than repeat these mistakes, we decided to hunker down and take a new approach.
For the first few months of the year, alongside finishing Update 1.5, a new design document was drafted that would detail a complete overhaul for most of the game, from the backend tech to the nitty-gritty number crunching that goes into all of the mechanics. Then, we organized ourselves, adapting an Agile structure for project management that the larger industry has become known for. Since then, we've been exceeding our planned timeline, and feel comfortable sharing the early details of what is already the biggest update to VC.
Rather than a breakdown of quarterly updates, we've decided to hold off until the full scope of this content has been implemented. Instead, we'll be doing monthly or bi-monthly devblogs breaking down lots of these changes in detail. Eventually, betas will be released to help test and collect data, before the megapatch finally makes its live debut.
The Content
Below I'll talk in broader detail about (some of) the content coming in this update. This list is not absolute or detailed, so expect clarification, corrections, screenshots, etc later down the line.
Engine Transition
The game has been fully converted from an old version of Flash to the newest version of Animate; while this may sound like a slight change, in reality it was a fairly lengthy language transition for the code, and all UI events had to be reconstructed from the ground up. This change allows us access to many things previously off limits, including:
Steamworks integration; allows for achievements, stats, profile-linked features, etc.
A file-based save system that allows for more consistent Cloud Save support.
An audio control system, meaning individual volume levels for channels can be set.
A better compiler with options for new platforms (more on that later).
Better third party library support for features that have become standard.
Some fun minor things like finally getting control of the application name and favicon.
Overall this new codebase is cleaner, faster, and brings many new possibilities for VC. In the first proper devblog, I'll be going over how the engine has already rippled QOL improvements and new features into the game.
New Platforms
This is something we need to be sparse about for now; the new engine allows us to port the game to MacOS, Android & iOS platforms. We're still in the earlier days of testing this, and haven't nailed down exactly what will be supported and when; we might opt for a global all-inclusive launch, or focus on steadily releasing ports one at a time. This gets even more complicated when considering third party libraries; We'll fill you in during a later devblog, where we will also show off changes that make touchscreen play more accessible.
Massive Content Reworks
There's so much going for this section that I will just be concise! As previously mentioned, almost every major mechanic is getting overhauled. This includes things like the save system, minigames, the arenas, stats, battle AI, and so much more. We'll reveal information over time as features become showcase-ready.
Multiplayer & Online Features
We are very excited about this one! However, this has received the least amount of development, so don't expect to hear too much about this until further into the year. Currently planned features include competitive & cooperative modes, a ranking system, and online events to give out goodies or assign tasks to players. Our hope is that this will foster a proper community that we can support for years to come.
Timelines & Dates
As there is still lots of work to be done, we cannot give a firm commitment on when this update will be released to the wider public; our best estimate is sometime in Q1 2021. Thankfully, we do have some other promises we can try to commit to in the meantime:
Devblogs will begin in July and run concurrently with development until release.
The first public alpha will be available for all VC owners in either August or September, depending on the stability of our main branch; this will not feature the full scope of content (hence the alpha label).
A public beta open to any interested will be available in Q4; this will focus on testing online features and collecting bug report data before release.
Social Media
We actually have quite a few social media channels that have gone relatively unused until now. Along with devblogs, we will also be using these pages to post clips or screenshots related to the game. This will be a fun way for us to quickly show off bits of progress without the need for a long write-up. Give us a follow!
We're very excited about the future and can't wait to share our new vision with everyone. Until next time!
Update 1.5.1
Hello again!
We've come back to release a smaller patch, oiling out some kinks and making our 1.5 Update as great as it can be!
Changelog:
Rebirth Towers no longer need to be unlocked linearly; the full set is now accessible immediately.
Equipment info is now displayed when unequipping rather than just equipping.
"Max" challenge variants now use level 99 scaling instead of level 50.
"Infinite" challenge variants have greater XP boosts and can feature creatures up to level 99.
Synth drops now give at least 1 of each color.
Fixed equipment duplication bug.
Fixed bug related to Void Tower.
Fixed bug related to minigame staling.
Fixed bug allowing early access to certain areas after rebirth.
Fixed not having a type after rebirth.
This update also applies to the demo.
We hope you're having fun with VC!
Update 1.5
The time has come!
VirtuaCreature's largest update has arrived! If you played during the beta, we highly recommend restarting your save, as many changes were made that may conflict with the beta save. Additionally, this update has instituted a mandatory wipe for saves made during any previous update. For more detailed info about what's new, check out our battle system devblog or daily tower devblog! Without further ado, here's what's new!
Changelog:
New RPG battle system! Every creature now has a unique moveset, and you can face off in turn-based battles, taking full advantage of your stats and equipment!
Battle Tower menu where you can participate in the new battles; unlock new towers through completion, including some secret content we don't want to spoil!
Creatures can now Rebirth after hitting the level cap, resetting them to an egg, and increasing their stat and level caps in the process. You can do this up until level 99!
The XP screen has been redone, now boasting a cleaner and more informative look.
Steam Cloud saves are now available! Keep those saves safe.
Massive HP increases across the board; base HP has been increased, and max HP has been doubled for all creatures; additionally, high-tier creatures receive nearly triple the HP increase per-level.
Low-level creatures now have an automatic XP boost that gradually wanes as your level increases. No more tedium!
The evolution requirements for all tiers have been reduced.
The stats screen now has a menu for creature moves displaying the name, core, type, effect and damage.
Cooking boosts now expire after 24 hours.
"Press Space" prompts can now also be activating by pressing Enter, just in case.
Certain homescreen status icons are now clickable and will redirect you to the appropriate menu.
"Impossible" challenge variants now use level 99 creatures instead of level 50.
Updated cheats menu.
Arenas now reset the timer to 5 if the turn ends with a low number.
Fixed certain arena types giving less XP than intentional.
Fixed text error on Drill Boost screen.
Fixed timer being visible on Lift before game starts.
Fixed equipment text cutoff.
Demo Changelog:
Demo level has been raised to 20.
I will also attach a statement I made in a previous devblog for clarification:
I would also like to take a second to make an informal announcement. If you've been following these devblogs, you'll know I've been saying that this will be VC's final content update. I made a similar statement shortly after launch and it turned some people off of the game entirely, as they saw flaws that I too came to see eventually, hence these massive updates over the course of the last year. So, as the vision of the game continually expands, so do our plans. We currently do not have anything to publicly speak of, and it will most likely stay that way for a few months at least. However, please stay tuned in 2020 for more VirtuaCreature announcements. More is coming.
VC's next huge update is around the corner, and we've got lots more to show. If you need a primer for what's coming, check out our first 1.5 devblog for more info. Let's get into it!
Updated Battle Animations
The rest of the Battle Animations have been added in, with almost every move now using unique assets. Fight and utilize different creatures to see what's changed!
Daily Tower
The Daily Tower has now been implemented! This is a unique tower that gives you various item drops on completion depending on the day of the week. Make sure to check in every day to see if you can get what you need!
Moveset Info Screen
You can view all of your creature's moves and exactly how they work from a new menu on the Stats screen. This displays the move core, type, effect, and damage, as well as a fun in-universe description of what exactly it is.
Battle Mechanic Updates
We've taken the last month to make various changes to the battle system that we believe make it more engaging and satisfying to play. Here's a quick rundown of what's been changed since the first beta:
Increased Base HP and Max HP for every creature
Increased the effectiveness of all dedicated Special moves by 10% (i.e. a move that decreased a stat by 20% now decreases by 30%)
Lowered super effective damage boost from 40% to 30%
Increased same-type damage boost (i.e. STAB) from 10% to 15%
Adjusted enemy AI to be slightly more dependent on damage moves
If you've previously played the beta the HP changes will not apply to your save, so you're best off either starting over or increasing your HP/Max HP using cheats.
XP Curve/Evolution Rebalance
Something we've noticed is players do not seem to enjoy early portions of the game where activities are locked due to evolution. As such, we've implemented a low-level XP boost that slowly wanes to the regular curve as you reach higher levels. The evolution requirements for each tier (aside from level) have also been decreased, so you can spend less time in minigames or attempting crafting and focus on powering up your creature.
Secret Content
As of this update, VC will have some unlockable content that is not fully implemented and accessible during the beta. Once the update goes live, you'll have to play through the game and find what's hidden! We promise it's worth it. In fact, it'll surprise you.
When is this live?
If the rest of our planned content is implemented on schedule, this update will be ready for live by March 27th. In the meantime, feel free to test this update by switching to the beta branch on Steam.
I would also like to take a second to make an informal announcement. If you've been following these devblogs, you'll know I've been saying that this will be VC's final content update. I made a similar statement shortly after launch and it turned some people off of the game entirely, as they saw flaws that I too came to see eventually, hence these massive updates over the course of the last year. So, as the vision of the game continually expands, so do our plans. We currently do not have anything to publicly speak of, and it will most likely stay that way for a few months at least. However, please stay tuned in 2020 for more VirtuaCreature announcements. More is coming.
We look forward to seeing returning players and new faces alike this month!
Devblog 1.5 - The Battle System + Beta!
Hello!
The time has finally arrived to unveil what's coming soon for VC. This rollout will be slightly unconventional compared to previous updates, but all will make sense below.
The Battle System
At long last, VC's new battle system is almost complete! This new gameplay loop plays like a classic turn-based RPG, with each creature possessing a type and 4 moves. Finally, all of your creature's stats, equipment and power level have a noticeable gameplay advantage! Some quick breakdowns:
Each move possesses a type and core. Types function similar to the Arena, with each attack type having a positive, negative or neutral reaction to a creature's type. The core effects the formula for the move, which will be explained further below. Finally, there are stat moves, which simply raise or lower a stat value for yourself or your opponent.
Using the same move multiple times in a row causes a stale to build, which lowers the effectiveness of all moves, compounding with each further stale increase. Using a different move from your last decreases the stale. Physical core moves are more resistant to stales, while Magical core penetrate your opponent's defenses easier.
Each creature's moveset is unique to itself, with a few moves being completely exclusive to one creature.
These new mechanics should highly increase the replayability, fun factor and overall content of VC!
Battle Towers
The way you interact with this new battle system is through towers, which are similar to the pre-existing Arenas. However, rather than being locked based on level, towers are unlocked by completion, meaning successfully clearing a tower will unlock the next. There are multiple sets available.
New XP Screen
The XP screen has been revamped, now being cleaner and easier to read, while displaying more information!
Rebirth Mechanic
A new endgame mechanic has been added in the form of Rebirth. Now, when a creature hits max level and is in its final form, you have the option to revert it to an egg. What does this do? Well, your level cap and stat caps are both increased, allowing you to become even stronger than before, or try a new evolutionary line. All of your other progress, such as equipment, recipes, void mine progress etc are kept, with only the creature resetting. You can perform a rebirth up to 5 times with a single creature, for a total level of 99, and a stat cap boost of 100%!
Save Changes + Cloud Saves
Some changes have been made to VC's save data structure that have allowed us to enable Steam Cloud Saves! However, it should be noted that while playing on a single computer is 100% functional, if you wish to move your saves to a new PC, some steps will have to be taken. I've detailed them in a handy guide if you'd like to take a peek at what the process will look like.
Because of this change, saves files for any version before 1.5 will not be natively compatible once the update has gone live. Cloud Saves will not be enabled until after this update has occurred.
Early Beta
So, would you like to give this update a try? Great! We've pushed the update to the beta branch on Steam, and you are free to play around, as we would love some core feedback on the mechanics, or info on bugs we've missed.
Please take note of the following:
Some battle animations are placeholder.
Some graphics and buttons on the Battle Tower menu are placeholder, and either do not look or function as intended.
The Daily Tower & Impossible Tower both currently do not function.
Some mechanics may be broken or otherwise not functioning as intended.
What now?
We will continue to push changes to the beta branch on steam, and fill out missing or incomplete features/assets. Once everything is complete, I will be writing a second devblog that shares some new info and gives a concrete release date for the live update. Until then, happy playing!
It's been a while since I've communicated here about the progress of VirtuaCreature. This year has truly been a blur, with a total of 4 major content updates already dropping! For such a small group of developers, all with their own projects and lives to maintain, I'm extremely proud of the work we've been able to do to bring the game up to the quality standard we always wanted it to reach. And we're not done yet! With the final major update still on the horizon, VirtuaCreature has still yet to deliver its final punch. After said update is delivered, our team is going to step away and focus on other projects. However, that doesn't mean VC as a brand is going away anytime soon. ;)
Without further ado, here's a rundown of everything upcoming for VC:
Update 1.5 - Q1 2020
The final content update has been pushed back to the next quarter. This update includes the all-new battle system that will completely reshape core gameplay and give the mechanical depth possible with VC's equipment systems a chance to finally serve an engaging purpose. Lots of work has been done on these new battle mechanics, but it proved just a little too big to be ready by the end of the month. Stay tuned for a full Devblog in Q1 showing things off!
Store Page Face-Lift
After the release of 1.5, the Store Page will be receiving a much needed face-lift, which will update the description to include all the new content added over time, add new screenshots to show said content, and finally add a new trailer that will visually demonstrate everything that is now possible in VC.
Next Steps
And with that, VC's active development will reach its conclusion. But that doesn't mean it's the end! While this isn't the time or place to make a formal announcement, I will let it be known that we are currently working on the next steps for VC as a brand, as we have grown quite attached to the property and would like to see it grow further. Once we have more to announce, it will be broadcasted as loudly as we can on all our social media channels as well as this news section.
If you're interested in following ZIP in its further endeavors, I implore you to check out our social media or bookmark our official website!
