I’ve started to play test a new build, one that is close to an early access version I feel comfortable releasing and building a new demo off, first round of testing went well only a few minor bugs that I believe have been sorted out.
I now really want to get the Steam API setup and linked to the achievements because really who doesn’t like an achievement popping up while your playing and now have 60 to start off with and few ideas for others in the future.
Also there is a very real possibly o upgrade the project to Unreal Engine 5 and testing that out now it’s fully released.
Below a list of changes done during March
Additions
Control tips
I’ve added in some tips at the start of stages 2 through 4 for new players
In addition to the following
Stage 1-1 and 1-2 has control tip for pressing E or F on keyboard or RT or LT on game pad to exit stages.
Stage 1-3 and 1-4 also has control tip for jumping using up arrow or space for keyboard and left thumb stick up, D-pad up or Left thumb stick down.
I’ve now added
Stage 2-1 and 2-2 now has the tip to use the correct element to climb ramps
stage 3-1 and 3-2 now has the tip to use the correct element to enter portals and shows an example of an exit portal look.
Stage 4-1 and 4-2 has the tip for using the correct element to reverse and restore gravity and also shows arrow key down or space to jump on keyboard and left stick down, D-pad down or left thumb stick down to jump while reverse gravity is on.
These will on appear only easy and normal difficulties
Easter eggs
I’ve added in the Easter eggs one per stage for 150 eggs which seems excessive but at least once you find one on a stage it’s done and you can stop hunting for it, having less then one a stage could have players looking for them when it might not have any at all.
You will need to hunt down all ten eggs for the level to earn one of the 15 achievements, where some stages will get harder to find them all as get to the higher levels.
This can be done while playing and get rewarded a one off time bonus to keep you going and finish the stage or go hunt them all down in training mode.
They are hard to see when moving fast and only come up as a faint outline until hit.
Jump Arrows and Exit Signs
All stages now have arrows from jump platforms giving you an indication of where to go and land, when getting close to the end of a stage exit close or exit ahead have been placed with an exit sign right need the end gate.
Game Options
Jump Arrows
This is on only for easy and normal difficulties and in game options you can turn it off completely if it becomes to distracting once you know the stages well enough to know where they all are.
Time Dilation
Added the option to turn off time dilation from reversing gravity and portals this increases the feel of speed in levels some players may prefer it off, it is on by default on easy and normal difficulties and can be turned off for easy and normal.
On hard difficulty it is just off making it much faster and harder, for the difficulty this may change in the future and just be a personal preference option depending on player feedback of it being to hard.
Swap WSAD for Arrow Keys
You can now swap the elements and arrow keys around so you can roll and jump using WSAD and change elements with the arrow keys if you prefer the controls to be that way and I have change the Controls Screen to reflect that change as well.
E and F on keys will still change you back to the curse element.
Game pad force feedback
Can be toggled on or off and now all 90 degree corners will give a slight vibration on the right side of controller when rolling in and hitting it from the right and left when hitting a corner from the left, also on exit gates when hit with wrong element or being shocked for the wrong element on Hex Gates will trigger force feedback but this option can turn it all off.
Widescreen Edge Visuals
You can turn on or off to remove back bars from the side and have one of the four colours come from the corners randomly changing per stage with the Elemgate title on either side, now that title can be be turned on or off, just leaving the colours if you wish.
UI
Retry Screen
Now the border colour will change to match the star earned or could have been earned if level was finished, gold, silver or bronze or be an aqua blue if a score is below 5000 along with the title colour changing to match.
Also added in the Easter egg outlined image and number of eggs found for example (3 of 10) and once you get (10 of 10) the image will filled a gold egg like the way it looks when you find one.
Achievements
Achievements now have 15 new ones for Easter eggs found on the 15 levels for a total of 60.
High scores
High scores screen has had the buttons name changed from stage and renamed to level.
Element Styles
Fixed Element Styles page to show a gold border colour when highlighted over an already selected style for earth, water, fire and wind.
Some Fixes / Adjustments
Fixed issue with unpausing while gravity was reversed
Fixed issue with getting stuck after hitting the bottom of a 180 ramps
Fixed issue when being small or enlarged going around 180 Ramps
Fixed issue with 90 degree corners topside working when gravity is disabled and bottom side when gravity enabled.
Added Joint Light that is one colour above an one below stages 15-7 and 15-8 making it easier when on top of the platform or underneath for the gate coming up.
Various adjustments to options menus sounds depending on element activation of options / pause screen.
Looking forward to setting a release date very soon
Please consider wish listing or buying me a coffee to help me out and if you already have… I thank you for your support.
Chris