Hi everyone and sorry for the waiting... I've been cooking this game for quite a while now, adding new features and ideas and it just keeps going!
I also didn't want to have an outdated and ugly version of the game avaliable forever, so I decided to split the update into two major parts, this update contains almost everything new I've been working on with some quality of life improvements of Test 1 (the original maps), and the second one would contain Test 2.
Is hard to phrase how much the game has changed over the course of half year, yet in it's core is still the same. Test 1 is the first game section and the Depper Jar you knew before but completly refreshed.
The presentation and feeling of the game changed COMPLETELY now, i'm going to try to shout out everything new in this version!
GENERAL CHANGES TO THE GAME
1) Added new startup cutscenes and title screen (You all need to see it!)
2) Test 1 and Test 2 are separed from each other in the title screen
3) Added new savepoint, hit it to save your progress!
4) Added new cardboard boxes that remplace the old chests
5) Added new Equip system with Medals, Armors and Charms* (More on that later)
6) Added new stylized in-game menu with Item menu, Equip menu, Party menu and Settings menu
7) Added settings and configurations to the game like Full screen, Auto-Run, BGM volumes and SFX volumes
Misc changes) Alot of internal rework and systems are done and functional like the Leveling Up system, Cutscene system, Party system, Encounter System and new Saving System
PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THE GAME LACKEDThis is mostly what happend with me for 8 months
BATTLE SYSTEM CHANGES
1) Added a better and fresh look to the battle system UI!
2) Guard action has been added, reduces Enemy's attack by half for one turn
3) Improved Item (Inventory) menu, and unique animated item using action
4) Battle transitions for entering and ending are shorter
5) Advantages starting Battles deals more damage
6) Characters now have a DANCING idle animation
7) Enemies now have a death animation
Misc changes) Alot of background work has been done to the battle system to work, mostly for Test 2 features but also for important systems like the Encounter system, new Item system and Stats system
TEST 1 IMPROVEMENTS
1) An absurdly amount of dialogs has been updated to fit with the current status of the game
2) Added new item to the game: "Wario Steam", deals 50 damage to the Enemies in a cool way (I think it's actually 60 damage)
3) Enemies's stats has been balanced to make battles more fair and quick
4) Moved Kris's room next to the museum entrance (Added new HP jar where it was before)
5) Forest A Side and Rush S has been updated, you can hear the new versions in the main GameJolt page of the game
6) Changed Kris's battle background to a brighter color
7) Improved Sylver's fight, it now has dialogs and events, so it feels like an actual boss fight (ALL THANKS TO THE GOD DAMN ENCOUNTER AND CUTSCENE SYSTEM I MADE YEAAA)
8) Added a new cutscene when you get in my hikikomori bedroom for the first time, I also have updated dialog so check out my cool ass fun game develoment facts there!
Yeah... I think that's it, or at least that's all the major changes I could think of. Now you can see why it took so long to release this update.
It doesn't matter if you already played the game or this is your first look at it, I really suggest you to play the new version!
There's some features and stuff left in Test 1 I didn't bother to improved or changed because they're NOT going to appear in Test 2 and were pure experimental, like the HP jars, the boring ass puzzle stuff, Wind action and the Ocarina.
Still, I'm very happy of how everything turned out, with every single change the game feels more unique and less than a Undertale Fangame! (I even went too far that I put new sound effects to almost everything in the game, mostly ripped from Mario RPGs because Depper Jar is pretty much M&L 6)
Since the Update 2 devlog I polished almost every aspect of the game based on the feedback I received, I programmed and implemented new systems to the game, I planed all the new content for Test 2, etc.
I promised to myself to work on Test 2 while designing it, programming it and polishing it all at the same time and also tweaking every other feature of the game. (And that's more or less what I implied I would do in the past devlog.)
Long story short, it would have taken a big amount to take to create in that way. So I changed my mind!
Test 1 is really just a means to an end to say at least, I didn't put enough thought process back then and I tried to polish it out in the update, after all it's only purpose is to test out the raw gameplay ideas of the game. Test 2 takes a different approach, it's not only about the party system, but also serves as a challenge to my writting skills because is going to have an actual story and characters, it should feel like a real game though is still just a small experience like Test 1.
Still, I don't want to just end the devlog with you all empty handed without Test 2 content, so I'm going to talk about the new features I've been working on or I have in mind!
TEST 2 FEATURES AND CONCEPTS
Test 2 is going to have the first and only partner of the game, his also going to participate in battles too! I've been working too hard into figuring out how the party system would work with the battle system, I scrapped so many ideas, I redesigning the battle UI 3 times and wrote a lot of notes to myself trying to create a "design philosophy" to the game...
I had to recode the whole battle system itself to not only add this features but to add the events for the encounter system, it was a lot of work. (AND THERE'S STILL ALOT OF CODE TO DO)
Here's some gifs of a WIP battle of Test 2:
The lime character (Louis) acts with Z
The pink character (Placeholder) acts with X
If both characters select the same attack at different enemies they execute it in the same turn with an offset in their timing, that's called a DUO Attack
It looks really cool, doesn't it?
If you wanna see the full footage you can check out the full video of the WIP battle I uploaded on youtube:
Theres also another feature I have in mind and haven't implement fully yet, the Charms!
Charms is a concept I just had out of nowhere, It's inspired by the Badges from Paper Mario. They're basically new and unique attacks you can equip to each character that cost STAR points in battles.
Unlike the normal attacks, this can't be DUOable (can't be duo attacks) becuase there's only one charm for that certain attack, it's not posible for two characters to have the same charm.
This is actually a good thing! It means I can go all crazy with this attacks and not be attached to my "ONLY PRESS THE ACTION BUTTON" rule for the creation of the normal attacks to be DUOable.
I haven't code a single thing for the Charm system tho, aside from showing up in the Party menu and I would also have to recode the battle system again... and implement the STARS system once and for all.
That's also another feature, the STAR points! (previously called SKILL points...)
This is a simple concept, when you do a attack correctly you get STAR points, you can have as much as you want and use them for SUIT moves and Charms.
I didn't want to implement this feature yet because it's not even used in Test 1 at all and I wanted to expand the concept just a little more, if nothing turns out to be good I'll just make it as simple as posible.
And don't forget the SUIT moves!
If Z actions in the overworld become Attacks in Battles, X actions become SUIT moves in battles!
This are pretty much the equivalent of the Bros. Attacks from the M&L series, they cost a lot of STAR points and it skips the partner's turn totally.
They are slightly slower and only attacks to one enemy, so they're good at boss fights!
Some of this ideas are still bare-bones, and now that I'm writting this they seem a little too ambitious, I would appreciate if any of you have any comments or opinions about my game and current ideas, it'll help alot!
Okay... that should be it! For now...
Wow, I can't belive I finally showed everything I've been working on for the past half year! Hope you all enjoy the update and share it with your friends!
I'll try to make sure the next update is not going to take as long as this one...
See ya later Depper Jarers!
-Tortas
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