It's been a little while now since the last game update, and even since my last community post on steam. I was planning to post this as a dev blog to let you guys know how things were going, but i decided since some of the visual changes are so drastic, id rather get the update out there ASAP as they better reflect the aesthetic direction I'm looking for compared to the current live version. Though I'm not currently doing any heavy marketing for the game, I do still want anyone who happens to stumble upon it to have a good first impression. The update does not have many of the new levels that I currently have in progress, so expect those to drop when they are completed soon(ish). That being said, there are some new levels in this update, just not as many as I was originally planning to drop the update with. I have dubbed this update 'The Polish Update #1', as many of the updates within pertain to pushing the game into a more polished state. With that little intro out of the way, lets get to what has changed... [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42453062/95597a826270f7cab20c753293b417f0603bcea0.png[/img] [h2]Gameplay Polish[/h2] I have made a few small changes to the gameplay visuals in order to bring the game closer to my desired 'look'. This is by no means a finished look, but its a step towards my desired look and feel for the game. Some of the assets used are placeholder for now whilst the real artwork is being created. On top of the visual changes, a new xp and currency system has been implemented. These currently don't have a use, but they will both be used in coming updates to unlock new levels and skins. Below is a list of the changes to gameplay: [expand type=details][list] [*] Gem pickup mesh size has been increased (hit box remains the same) [*] Bobbing motion added to gems [*] Particle effect added to gems and powerups [*] A new space skybox has been added to the game [*] Background asteroids have been added to the game [*] Space dust particles have been added to each level [*] Gem Arena maps no longer have an unlock condition [*] Xp is now earned through completion of levels [*] Currency is now earned through completion of levels [*] 'Step Up' has been renamed to 'Highwire' [*] 'Step Up (Legacy)' has been renamed to 'Step Up' [*] 'Power Play (Legacy)' has been renamed to 'Powers' [*] 'Old Hazard Tutorial' has been renamed to 'Hazardous Hairpins' [*] 'Hazardous' has been renamed to 'Danger Ahead' [/list][/expand] On top of these changes and additions, a few new levels have been added to the game. [expand type=details][list] [*] River of Ice (Time Attack) [*] Frostbite Lake (Gem Arena) [*] Gettin' Rinky (Legacy) [*] The Fort (Legacy) [*] Ramperino (Legacy) [/list][/expand] Some levels have had visual changes made to them in an effort to bring their style in line with the more recent levels that I have release/are being made. I made sure that none of these changes affected the current record routes, but it is possible that the changes have opened up new, better routes. The levels in question are: [expand type=details][list] [*] Jump Around [*] Charge [*] Gem Hunt [*] Building Blocks [*] Power Play [*] A Bridge Too Far [*] Divided [/list][/expand] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42453062/e7c4b536e5fe790f25b1c84499d9726a226271af.png[/img] [h2]Challenge Mode Rework[/h2] Anyone who read my 2024 post will know that I wasn't at all happy with the challenge mode in its current form, and for that reason, it has been completely overhauled. Challenge levels are now know as Remix levels, and with this name change comes a redesign of how they work. The levels themselves have not changed, but they are now permanently accessible levels within the game, as opposed to using a random selection with a daily reset. Each challenge will have a specific unlock condition which must be met to access the level. There are currently 13 remix levels to unlock and play, and this number will likely rise rapidly as I finish polishing up all of the existing old challenge levels, as well as create new ones. The concept of a daily reset still exists in the form of 'Spotlight' levels. These spotlight levels grant additional xp and game currency upon completion, and also allows access to remix levels that the player has yet to unlock. Spotlight is not exclusive to remix levels however, so any game level (including arcade playlists) can be selected for spotlight. Spotlight levels currently reset every 4 hours, though this could change in the future. [h2]Menu Rework[/h2] The most drastic change many existing players will notice is the menu. Honestly, this change was accidental; I did plan on updating the menu, but it wasn't meant to be yet... I was curious how the menu would look if I removed the scrolling square background to display the new skybox, and I'm gonna' be honest, I was VERY happy with the result. On top of this, I tried adding some animations to each of the main menu widgets to give it a more reactive feeling, and I think it was a huge step in the right direction. A list of all changes in the menu can be found below: [expand type=details][list] [*] The scrolling square background has been removed [*] The menu bar at the bottom of the window has been recoloured from purple to blue to match the new skybox backdrop [*] Fade in animation added to various main menu widgets [*] 'Global Ratings' option changed to 'Leaderboards' and now displays various combined leaderboards that were accessible via the mode select menu (they still are accessible here also) [*] New leaderboard for player level/xp has been added [*] Challenge level select has been removed from extra modes widget [*] Spotlight levels added to extra modes widget [*] Remix levels added to extra modes widget [*] A short description has been added when selecting a mode in the various mode select widgets. [*] Level select widgets have new level entry widgets [/list][/expand] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42453062/21064411dc09c0e6a08a3756791040750582d807.png[/img] [h2]Game Server Overhaul[/h2] On top of the updates to the game client, the server has also seen some love. The back end has been completely re-written, and whilst this won't be noticeable by any of you guys, it was done to make my life a lot easier. It allows me to more easily add new features which I was previously putting off due to the backend mess that I created a number of years ago now... This is what allowed me to easily add the new xp and currency systems into the game, as well as easily adding new leaderboards such as the new player level/xp leaderboard. Doing this has also indirectly fixed the issue with certain leaderboards not loading correctly without me having to actually diagnose the problem... :) [h2]Regarding The Demo[/h2] In a final piece of news, I have decided that I do want to keep the demo around, but it will require a little work to bring it up to date with a standard that I'm happy to show off. For this reason, the demo will be disabled for a little while, and will return once I have made the necessary changes. [h2]Additional change notes[/h2] [expand type=details][list] [*] The player now always spawns (and respawns) facing the gem cluster in Gem Arenas [*] You can now move to the next level from the end level screen without having to return to level select [*] Session leaderboard scores no longer wipe when leaving a level and instead persist for the entire game session [*] Session leaderboards are now available for arcade playlists [*] A platinum score is now required to upload a replay to the server [*] Secret level pickups are now a white gem [*] Gem arena leaderboard submissions should now be working as intended [*] Some systems have been rewritten to improve performance and development workflow [*] 'Black Magic' achievement is now available to earn [*] A gold medal is no longer required to view replays via the leaderboards [*] A few new marbles skins have been added to the customisation menu [*] Leaderboards now return the top 50 entries instead of the top 100 [*] Various level images updated [*] New achievement - 'In The Lime Light' [*] New achievement - 'On The Rebuild' [/list][/expand] That is all for this update, so if you made it this far, thanks for reading! We aren't done yet though, part two of the polish update will be coming in the near future, and will contain a lot more content than just visual polish for people to get their hands on!