[b]Welcome to the first of many dev logs showcasing things that I have spent the last month working on as part of my commitment to our Kickstarter Backers. These updates arrive for them a month before you'll read them here because they paid for the ~perks of exclusivity~ but this is your next-best source for info about what's being worked on and how things are playing out.[/b] Howdy gamers! In order to focus on the rest of the game I prefer to knock out a bunch of the little extras first. They will be the focus of these early updates as I venture to get them around 90% complete. Fleshing these systems out into something usable this early on means the game can be structured to support them much easier than if I tried to add them at the end of development. With that said, here's an informative overview of everything added since the last update... [h1]1. Chaos Mode[/h1] The system for chaos mode is done and fully functional. Let's deep dive! ---------------------------------- SPOILERS AHEAD YOU'VE BEEN WARNED YOU CAN RESUME READING AT THE NEXT DOT POINT ---------------------------------- [spoiler]Chaos & Randomizer Modes will be a "secret" accessible via the file select menu The social media typically goes hand-in-hand with everybody's gaming experience so nothing is truly secret these days. Still, I wanted to make a nod to DKC2's game start menu by granting players access to a secret file select screen if they run against the side of the screen for a short time. DKC2 did this to reveal Music Test and Cheat Mode if you continued trying to scroll the menu past its end point. [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/041/357/916/68119528afc439db50993d556b91194e_original.gif?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=700&fit=max&v=1687265014&gif-q=50&q=92&s=c76897635e04f658cc9925a4fca498cd[/img] A much later stage in the game takes place in some foggy ruins where there will be a hint to this secret carved in the stone walls. Even if someone manages to dodge this secret knowledge the game will show them eventually! If you're reading this and wish to unlearn the knowledge you've got 2 years to try and forget, good luck![/spoiler] ---------------------------------- SPOILERS OVER, LET'S GET BACK TO TALKING ABOUT CHAOS MODE ---------------------------------- [h2]The "Rules" of Chaos[/h2] Balancing a mode like this is a tricky one due to the nature of how it works - Chaos Mode actively messes with your controls, movement, visibility and other aspects of the game to make playing it a much more frustrating experience than the vanilla game ever could. Each of these effects is called a Modifier. However, we need rules otherwise it becomes an unplayable mess. Fun can be had during frustrating gameplay but if you can't even play then what's the point, right? [b]Rule #1[/b] - Only 3 modifiers can be active at once. A new modifier gets applied every 7 seconds, so each modifier only lasts for around 20-seconds or so. [b]Rule #2[/b] - Similar modifiers are grouped into pools, only one modifier from its pool can be active. A modifier that disables the jump button belongs to the "Disable Controls" pool. No other controls will be disabled until the first modifier is no longer active. Some other mod pools include: Gravity Changes, Object Magnetism, Player State, Weather Effects [b]Rule #3[/b] - The chaos timer stops in the pause menu. You won't be able to just pause the game and wait some of these effects out. You're in it for the long haul. [b]Rule #4[/b] - Chaos resets in the overworld. You will always start a new stage with a clean slate and by the 20-second mark chaos will be in full swing once again. Those of you who backed the tester reward should be able to experience Chaos Mode right away when I issue keys out. I'll find out pretty fast if changes to these rules need to be made, but it's a start! [h2]The "Language" of Chaos[/h2] Each chaos modifier is represented by a tile with a symbol on it. It's hard to communicate what each of the effects could mean so for extra assistance the name of the modifier will appear for a couple of seconds. Alternatively, you can enter the pause menu and hover over the icons. [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/041/357/927/5faab2e86511e4bb43db45e4e143206f_original.gif?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=700&fit=max&v=1687265064&gif-q=50&q=92&s=c1318cf37905551b2d118313a0df8ce3[/img] But if you don't like the distraction of text or you just don't like the default rules, the Chaos Options menu lets you switch things up! [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/041/357/934/31161480defa8f5775a025265f0cdf91_original.gif?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=700&fit=max&v=1687265078&gif-q=50&q=92&s=ea21a56df95d4aa4fe6f7a40650e50f8[/img] [h1]2. Assists + Modifiers[/h1] Arguably less fun but still in the same realm as Chaos Mode, the Assists + Modifiers menu is accessible via the Gameplay menu. These settings apply to the game as a whole allowing players of varying skill levels to tailor their experience. [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/041/357/943/0e5cddc962122880f5191fa83f60be32_original.gif?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=700&fit=max&v=1687265100&gif-q=50&q=92&s=b7fb1da7c0e587d7c12ad6d526fae1f3[/img] [h2]Positive Modifiers:[/h2] [b]Create Checkpoints[/b] - Lets you place a checkpoint anywhere you want. Great tool for speedrunning also! [b]Create Buddy Bubbles[/b] - Lets you immediately restore your team if one of your partner runs away. [b]Infinite Jumps[/b] - Lets you jump anywhere, even in the air. [b]Invincibility[/b] - Prevents you from taking damage, but doesn't protect you from pits, lava, etc. [b]Skip Stage[/b] - Sends you back to the overworld and lets you move on to the next stage. [h2]Negative Modifiers:[/h2] [b]Remove Checkpoints[/b] - All checkpoints disappear. Using the "Create Checkpoints" option also fails. [b]Remove Buddy Bubbles[/b] - All buddy bubbles disappear. Using the "Create Buddy Bubbles" option also fails. [b]No retries in bonus stages[/b] - If you fail a bonus, it kicks you out - just like the DKC games! [b]Coins KO You[/b] - Challenge runners can attempt no-coin runs that automatically KO them so their counter stays at zero. [b]KO'd Baddies KO You[/b] - Once again, challenge runners attempting pacifist runs will get KO'd if they let an enemy get KO'd. Even if it's not their fault (such as an enemy falling in lava). [b]These modifiers also have icons similar to chaos mode and are visible on the overworld so they don't get in the way during regular gameplay.[/b] [h1]3. Arcade Minigames[/h1] A cheekly lil' shortcut I decided to take when conceptualising these games was to make them function using the same physics as the main game - for 2 reasons: [b]Efficiency[/b] - All I need to do is tweak a few values to get a working prototype Familiarity - You're used to Windswept's physics just by playing, so let's just change the controls! Functionally these minigames are complete but I'll be leaving development of the stages & "rules" until we get closer to the end to ensure there are as many of Windswept's features available as possible to make use of. Until then, let's take a closer look at how some of these minigames work as, well as their inspirations... ---------------------------------- [h2]Hop Prince[/h2] [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/041/357/954/6cdef4c06f7978ca35ab3aa2d82da873_original.gif?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=700&fit=max&v=1687265193&gif-q=50&q=92&s=ff70008110befb9dfb7dc86d5af81c0b[/img] You can't walk, only hop! Your jump height is determined by how long you hold the jump button. Sounds an awful lot like Jump King, right? Well, there you have it! Hop Prince stars one of our early frog characters, Hoppet, as he tries to reach his crown at the end of an obstacle course. It won't be quite as hard as the game it's inspired by but you'll still have to work for your glory! ---------------------------------- [h2]Quick Pip Runner[/h2] [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/041/357/963/6c31df9c0076c942a084dd4516ea6477_original.gif?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=700&fit=max&v=1687265225&gif-q=50&q=92&s=4972904b3044075625977de8187b8c81[/img] As the name once again implies; the base inspiration is Bit Trip Runner, but really any runner game of its type could fill this spot. You play as one of our characters from Area 2, Pip, known for running non-stop and jumping when it reaches a ledge. In a similar fashion you take control of a Pip running non-stop through a course. The only thing you need to worry about is jumping! ---------------------------------- [h2]Slicko, My Beloved[/h2] [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/041/357/971/907db80f612f202e3f7f23e1bb1b0494_original.gif?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=700&fit=max&v=1687265253&gif-q=50&q=92&s=9c20e350be91d078cd2b802adaa5a3c8[/img] Conceptually this is sort of like Frogger with one slight difference - you can only move upward! You may also remember Slicko from one of our demo's extra stages if you collected everything - you get to play as one now, woo! In this rapunzel-like game the goal is to climb to the top of an ice sheet to reach your... crush? beloved? queen? I dunno, lizard love is weird. The catch? Every time you stop climbing after travelling a certain distance you'll slide back down a short distance. If you're familiar with Zelda BotW/TotK you'll know of this mechanic from trying to climb something when it's raining. This minigame isn't quite as cruel - you're in complete control of when you'll slide back down, just don't stop and you'll be fine ;) ---------------------------------- [h2][/h2] ??? This one doesn't actually exist yet on paper. The part of Windswept this game will be based on has a lot of characters that are either too similar to previous areas or don't lend themselves to a simple control scheme. I have some ideas in mind that I can fall back on but I'm leaving this slot open in case something better comes along! ---------------------------------- [h2]Chime Runners[/h2] [img]https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/041/357/979/86a24d56f6d7b677d3fea681b754cf1d_original.gif?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=700&fit=max&v=1687265282&gif-q=50&q=92&s=b96c58a3814c834740e0263abb552fa7[/img] The final game is a bit of an anomaly. Firstly, the name is swiped from the Shine Runners minigame from Mario Kart DS. And unlike the main game of Mariokart DS & our other minigames that are based on reaching a destination - this one is based on achieving the highest possible score. You get the duck and turtle duo you're most familiar with and must ring bells as quickly as possible to drive up your score + keep a multiplier active. My hope is for those of you who are fans of Smash Bros. Minigames like Break the Targets & Home Run Contest find a similar joy with trying to optimise a route for a perfect run. [h1]In Conclusion...[/h1] Still with me? Awesome! I expect a lot of these early updates will be rich in content as I meticulously over-explain everything I'm working on, haha. What are you most looking forward to from this update? Got any feedback or requests based on what you've seen for the assists/modifiers menu? Leave a comment or [url=https://bit.ly/Windswept-D][b]join our community discord server[/b][/url] and talk about it more there. Until next time!