Howdy, everyone!

Today marks eight years since UNDERTALE first barged its way into our lives. Despite nearly a decade having passed since its release, my affection and appreciation towards this game hasn't dwindled a single bit.

The community surrounding this game still remains, in my eyes, one of the most talented and creative on the internet. You don't need to look very far to see how passionate people are about UNDERTALE and DELTARUNE; even right here on GameJolt there's new fan-games, fan-art, music, animations, and more being posted all the time!

I feel very thankful to be able to continue making DONTFORGET for you all, and I'm very happy to be a part of this community.

To take part in today's celebrations, I decided to release a quick progress report for you all. This one isn't going to be as hefty as they usually are, because we're saving the really big announcements for later... but there's still a few things I want to share with you, so let's get started!

Introducing our new team members!

A few weeks ago, you may recall that we made a post announcing we were looking for new team members to join us! Well, it turned out to be the biggest application pool we've ever had: nearly 100 people applied!

Thank you so much to everyone who took part! We really appreciate all of you taking the time to fill out the application form and sending us your portfolios. All of you are incredibly talented, so keep it up!

Now that the application period has concluded, we're happy to announce that we have selected 14 new members to join our team! I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce all of you to them, so please give them a warm welcome!

Sprite Artists:

• @Bassya (Character / Battle / Environment Spriter)

• Satuii (Character / Battle Spriter, Concept Artist)

• @stef_an (Character / Battle Spriter)

• @Destroyer120 (Character Spriter)

• @Tarkan809 (Battle Spriter)

• Holden_g (Battle Spriter)

Digital Artists:

• Zomboti (Digital / Cover Artist)

• @jevilhumor (Digital Artist)

• @NerNot1 (Digital Artist)

• @awesssome123 (Concept Artist)

• @SusiChi (Concept Artist)

Composers:

• 3dsquare (Overworld / Battle Composer)

• 398utubzyt (Overworld / Battle Composer)

• temmiekill (Battle Composer)

I've also taken this opportunity to update the full credits in the game description, so now you can click on each team member's name to check out a link to their work! (Some members haven't provided a link yet, but these will be updated with time if they want to add one!)

Be sure to check 'em all out and give them some support!

Thanks again to everyone who applied, and thanks to the new team members for joining us! I really look forward to working with you all going forward!

Status Update for DF CONNECTED v2.8.0

Alright, let's get down to business.

Back in May, I said that v2.8.0 was "about 70% complete". So, it'd be natural to expect that it's now super close to being released, right?!

...Nope, sorry. In fact, forget all about that percentage, it no longer exists. It doesn't matter that the name of the game is "Don't Forget", I want you to forget about it!!

When I gave that percentage in the May 2023 Progress Report, v2.8.0 was shaping up to be a very different update than what it is now.

At the end of the report, I said that everything I had shown up to that point wasn't even "scratching the surface", and I proceeded to show some teaser images of what else was to come. One of those images was this:

What I was teasing here were the upcoming Main Quests.

All good MMOs have a main questline, and DFC is planned to have one too. These Main Quests will introduce a new storyline exclusive to the online multiplayer, including complete routes, new bosses, and multiple endings. The goal will be to collect all six "runes", so you can unlock the exit at the end of New Home, as shown in the teaser.

To coincide with the Main Quests, the entire overworld is also planned to be completely remade, introducing new sub-areas along the way to make things more interesting. These new sub-areas will play a big part in the questline.

As you can imagine, the Main Quests were planned to be the true focus of v2.8.0, as they would be the biggest addition in the entire update.

However, while working on the Main Quests, I started wondering... is v2.8.0 really the right update to add them in?

As you may already know, DFC's end-of-service is planned to happen in v2.9.0. This means that in v2.9.0, the official DFC service will be shut down. To replace it, player-created community servers will become the new way to play online, with a system similar to Minecraft.

In other words, v2.8.0 is the last update before DFC completely changes. A whole new era will begin for the game, and for DONTFORGET as a whole, after this update.

There are a lot of things I want to add to DFC before this happens, and this may be our last chance to do it.

So, I have decided to delay the release of the Main Quests.

Instead, v2.8.0 will aim to be the definitive version of the MMO era of the game, with many new additions.

What does this mean for the game? Well, while I can't get into specifics just yet, here's what you can expect to see in v2.8.0:

• New areas: a new main area and two new sub-areas are planned.

• New enemies: besides Loox and Pyrope, who were already revealed, more enemies will be coming in the new areas as well.

• New vessels: you can expect new playable vessels for the "Deltarune", "AU", and "Other" categories.

• New equipment: besides the new equipment that was already announced in the last progress report, a whole new set of equipment that you can obtain via item fusion is being added as well.

• New items: new areas mean new shops, so you can expect to get more items too!

• New side quests: while the Main Quests will need to wait a little longer, v2.8.0 will include plenty of new Side Quests for you to enjoy!

• New boss fights: two new boss fights will be added, one of which you guys have been waiting on for a very long time...

• Gameplay improvements: rebalancing the routes; making genocide more accurate to the original game, and making the pacifist route more rewarding.

• And more! There's actually another game-changing addition in the works that I haven't mentioned yet, and it's something you guys have wanted for years... but it'll take a bit more time before it's ready to show off!

Hopefully this list gives you an idea of why v2.8.0 needs a bit more time. We really want this update to be the best it can be, so we can end this era of the game with a bang!

Now, you might be wondering, "Why not just do both? Why can't you add both the Main Quests and all of this new content into v2.8.0?"

Good question: I wondered the same thing, and that was originally what was going to happen! However, the answer I quickly realized is this: if we were to try to cram all of this content into one big update, you guys would not get to play v2.8.0 until mid-2024. It's just that big.

So, I think it's for the best if the Main Quests get added in a future update instead. That way, we can get v2.8.0 released by the end of the year, so you guys can play it sooner.

Developing an MMORPG can be a turbulent process, and things don't always turn out the way we planned, but please know that we're committed to delivering the best possible experience for you guys.

Despite the Main Quests being delayed, v2.8.0 will still be the biggest update that DFC has seen so far. I really can't wait for you all to play it!

Now, while there isn't too much of the new stuff I can show you just yet, I do want to show you two cool things that we've been working on. Let's take a look!

Introducing: DF EDITOR v2.0!

In v2.6.0, I added a tool to the game called the "DFC Editor", which could be accessed in Offline Mode. With this tool, it became possible for players to create their very own custom levels for the game and share them with friends. It was also possible to create custom NPCs and textboxes, perfect for making sprite comics and memes!

The original DFC Editor looked like this:

It's serviceable, but it wasn't very fun to use. The menu had to be navigated using the number keys on your keyboard, and all of the menus were text-based. This made the editor very cumbersome to work with.

However, the biggest downside to the editor was its lack of support for custom assets. While it was possible to import custom tiles to make your very own areas, it was impossible to save levels that used them. This pretty much defeated the whole point of the editor for most people, and combined with the lackluster interface, the DFC Editor became a forgotten feature.

For v2.8.0, one of my goals is to tackle all of the neglected parts of the game and improve them. I decided that the DFC Editor was a good place to start.

So, without further ado, I am happy to introduce the new and improved DF Editor v2.0!

Let's start with the most obvious change: the new interface. No longer will you need to use the number keys to navigate the menus, you can now use your mouse cursor to click through the redesigned menus!

In the "Objects" tab, new objects have been added: sloped corners, vents, and conveyor belts! These provide more movement options for players in your level!

You'll also notice a new addition to the editor: a toolbar! Instead of having to select objects and tiles one at a time, you can now have up to eight objects/tiles in your toolbar, which you can easily switch between by using the scroll wheel or number keys!

Speaking of tiles... it is now possible to save levels that use custom tiles!

You can import custom tilesheets, or just choose from the built-in ones, in the "Tiles" tab.

Selecting tiles works just like it did before, only now you can select up to eight tiles for your toolbar!

To place tiles, simply hold down the left mouse button! If you make any mistakes, you can easily erase them by holding down the right mouse button!

You can also change the background and apply an "effect" to the level using the new "Theme" tab. Effects can change the appearance of rooms in interesting ways. For example, the "foggy" effect will make the level appear foggy like the True Lab in Undertale.

Next up is the "Battles" tab, which has been changed so you can now choose multiple types of enemies instead of just one type per level! For example, if you want to have both Hotland and CORE enemies in your level, you can just select them both!

Of course, no level would be complete without some music! The "Music" tab has been expanded, so you can now select pretty much any track in the game to use in your level, or you can import your own music!

After that, if you want to connect this level to other levels, you can use the "Doors" tab to specify where each exit door object should lead to.

Last but not least, you can look at the "Map Settings" tab to tweak a few options, such as the room size and the grid size, or you can make objects hidden to help you focus on tiles.

And with that, you've got a completed level! It can now be saved and shared with the world!

Pretty neat, huh? But that's not all - I'm also planning on making it possible to play your custom levels online!

That means you guys will pretty much be free to add custom areas to the game, fully playable online, with no requirement for learning how to mod the game!

It's all built-in and completely accessible, so I hope you look forward to giving it a try in v2.8.0! I really can't wait to see what you guys make with it!

Introducing: A NEW LOST WORLD!

At the time of writing this, the anniversary of DF v1.0.0 is exactly one week away! It was released in 2019, which means it'll be turning four years old!

In this original version of the game, there was a Story Mode where you played as a young Harlow, exploring a cozy little town on the surface called "Hometown". It looked like this:

This version of the story was eventually scrapped in v2.0.0, and Hometown hasn't made an official appearance in the game ever since... until now!

Welcome to the fourth Lost World, "Hometown"!

Explore a reimagining of the original Hometown, faithfully remade from scratch, while incorporating new elements from the scrapped v1.4.0 of the game!

This will be the largest Lost World out of the four, complete with new NPCs, new Side Quests, and new battles!

Of course, Hometown wouldn't be complete without its music! We finally have the chance to use the remastered version of the Hometown theme, composed by Perpetrator!

Like with the other Lost Worlds, you'll need to find a new gray door hidden in the overworld to access this area. If you're an older player, you might already know exactly where to look...

I can't wait for you guys to be able to revisit Hometown! I can already imagine there'll be some new hang-out spots to check out here. For example, if any Grillby's fans would like a change of scenery, why not visit the classic Grillby's?

I'm eager to share more info with you guys, but it'll have to wait! Until then, I hope you look forward to exploring Hometown in v2.8.0!

Recap and Conclusion

So, let's quickly recap what we covered in this progress report:

• At the time of posting, it's Undertale's 8th anniversary! This game holds a special place in my heart, so once again, happy anniversary to Undertale!

• DFC v2.8.0 is aiming to release by the end of the year!

• The new story quests for DFC are being pushed to v2.9.0, so that v2.8.0 can focus on adding a bunch of new multiplayer content!

• A new and improved DF Editor is coming to DFC in v2.8.0, making it easier than ever to create custom areas!

• It is planned to be possible to play custom maps online!

• A new Lost World is coming in v2.8.0: Hometown! The original Hometown, which first appeared in DF v1.0.0 nearly four years ago, is being faithfully remade as a new area!

There's a lot more being cooked behind the scenes for v2.8.0, and with the help of our new team members, we're more confident than ever that this update will be the biggest one yet! We can't wait to show you more of it later this year!

Anyway, that about wraps up this progress report! Before we go, a quick thanks to @PrimaDrawz for providing the banner artwork, which shows Harlow and Frisk celebrating Undertale's anniversary!

Thanks for reading everyone, and as always, stay determined!