So, there's a quick look at... well, the only boss that isn't really a spoiler, because they're gonna pretty much introduce the game.

So, I gave a rough concept of what this system would look like in the last devlog, and since then I've put the plan into action. It's a little scrappy right now, but I'm not done with it just yet.

So, as you've seen, fights will enter that little Pokémon-style menu displaying your available characters (if you played the demo back in 2023, you might recognize that fellow on the right).

When a character is selected, you can fight or heal, and if you choose to fight, you choose to do a melee or ranged attack.

REALLY happy with how the sound design came out with the UI. If you know scales in music, you should try making UI sounds.

Melee attacks will do less damage, but can be used more frequently, whereas ranged attacks deal more damage and travel across the screen at the expense of a cooldown or even limited shots every turn.

Let's talk about how those work for the characters we have here.

(I'll be going left to right if you aren't familiar with the cast.)

Kyle

Kyle is a balanced character who can take a fair deal of damage as well as dish it out.

Kyle's melee attack is a simple strike using a knife, or, once you've upgraded, a sword.

Kyle's ranged (unfinished and not showcased) attack will allow you to throw his weapon, but this attack is upgraded halfway through the game. The attack(s) have one shot every turn.

Violet

Violet is a glass-cannon: She can do a number on enemies, but she can only take a few hits before she's down. When a character is down, you will not be able to use them until the fight is over.

You cannot move while attacking with Violet.

Violet has two melee attacks: One that can be used on the ground, and another that can be used in the air.

If the attack control (X) is pressed while Violet is on the ground, she'll simply punch at the enemy.

If pressed while jumping, Violet will charge a ground-pound, dealing damage as she falls and to nearby enemies when she lands.

Violet's ranged attack (not showcased in this video) will punch like the melee attack, only the punch itself won't deal damage, but fire a projectile fist that travels across the screen. The attack has unlimited shots.

Banshee

Banshee is more of a tank: He doesn't deal a lot of damage, but he has the most health and a unique ability to evade attacks.

Banshee can't jump. Instead, he will fade into the backdrop and float for a brief period, completely invulnerable until he comes back down. Movement speed is decreased and attacking is disabled while using this ability.

Banshee can't crouch, forcing you to take more hits.

Banshee's melee attack is a claw attack used in the demo during his boss fight.

The attack moves you forward slightly in addition to your current movement, giving you a boost and making it an effective way to cross the battlefield.

The only difference between the player and boss versions of the attack is that the player version does not emit any projectiles.

Banshee's ranged attack fires a missile that deals large amounts of damage but takes a long time to charge up. The attack has three shots.

As for the game overall...

The map is pretty much done, but there are a lot of travel mechanics that need to be implemented. An extra map also still needs to be made for one of the endings.

The game will use cinematics much like the fight menu in their art-style. I'll have one ready to present in the next teaser.

I'm working as hard as I can to extend playtime in every way possible, but let's not count on the game being any longer than an hour. Short and sweet.

And with that, thank you for reading this devlog!

Have an excellent day wherever you're at!

Later!

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