PPB November 2017 Update
Hello, everyone! Hepari reporting.
I’ve spent this November in Korea, mostly to meet up with the programmer in person and talk about the development-related things. I actually came back from the long business trip just yesterday, and am still really exhausted from the long flight... but here is the monthly update for November!
1. 99 Shades of weaponry
More and more sprites are getting finalized. You might remember that we have 4 archetypes of weapons - daggers, swords, blunt weapons and spears. Since we don’t just swap out the graphics, they all look and play totally differently from each other. Sometimes I regret it, but I’m pretty sure that the end result will more than make up for the difficulties and delays we’ve been having.
Here are just a couple of mock-ups I’ve put together to make implementing the combos easier for the programmer. As you can see, there are many more ways to deal with the enemy than just mashing the attack button. Sure, you could somehow make it through mashing buttons, but figuring out all the moves and mastering the most devastating combos will feel much more rewarding.
Smash A -> Retreat Kick
Smash A -> Smash B
2. Total Overhaul for the UI
While testing the builds, I eventually came to realize that the UI we had in place was conceptualized 2 years ago and thus pretty much outdated no matter how good it looked. This epiphany was especially terrifying, because back then I was still naive and playing with the idea of going mobile - you know, full Android and iOS. What it meant is basically that all aspects of the UI, such as the size of the buttons, the position of the HP gauge, the existence of a giant quick belt, were not tailored to an optimal user experience with a keyboard or a controller.
(Do you notice the similarities? The functionality of the UI hasn’t changed at all.)
We have ditched the mobile approach a long time ago, but while every other aspect was evolving, the underlying basic functionality of the UI stayed the same despite the many redesigns. I couldn’t believe that I was oblivious to this.
So I’ve spent most of this month to redesign the UI from the ground up, and this time using pixel art, to enhance the player’s immersion by putting the interface and the main game assets (characters, tilesets) on the same resolution and in the same art style.
Here is the new UI. While rebuilding it, I’ve changed and removed some gameplay elements too, such as a dedicated MP meter gauge. We now have a totally new system that should be much more fun to play with than the traditional mp meter gauge.
(The new Main action HUD.)
(Some blank spaces, but it’s mostly finished.)
Now we have a bigger inventory with more slots, and a dedicated window for the equipment. No matter if you play on a keyboard or on a controller, this new UI will be very easy to handle.
As I’ve mentioned, this UI overhaul has brought a number of major changes to the game system. For example, you can now wear different armor pieces, such as helmets, gloves, boots and so on, instead of just 5 total armors like before. There is a lot to talk about, but I’ll save them up for later!
(I drew these at the airport at 4:00 in the morning, waiting for the next flight. Sorry for the quality XD)
Well, this is it for today. I know this isn’t nearly enough to make up for the delays, but I hope you can at least breath easy knowing that we are progressing smoothly. I’ll do another update when there is something exciting or new to share with you, even if it’s not the end of the month yet :D









