Posted January 10, 2023 by WestyDesign
Disclaimer - These devlogs are one part of a University assignment that Styx is being developed for, so any stilted wording or weird inclusions can be traced back to that fact.
For a quick recap of what the game is about, see Devlog #1 here.
Happy deadline day! It seems safe to say that I perform well under pressure, because the last five days have been a whirlwind of GETTING! STUFF! DONE!
I've not been alone in that, either - the artists have been making some fantastic final assets, and I've had help from our other programmer with some of the more niche mechanics that, if I was left to my own devices, would have sent me over the edge.
While it's been stressful getting so much done before the deadline, I'm really happy with how the team has come together - our communication has been great, we've been prioritising tasks appropriately, and the mechanics we've gotten into the prototype have made it clear that the game as a concept is shaping up to be quite fun.
As we move past the prototype phase, I want to make sure we're well rested; we've completed the minimum viable product, but there's lots to get done beyond that, and I want everyone to take a good break from the project before we get back to work.
When we are back at work, the first thing I'd like to revisit is the perspective and distance the camera will occupy during gameplay; this will have a big impact on the artwork, so is a top priority. Mechanics-wise, I'd like to implement more 'river' mechanics - boulders that must be dodged, and crates / barrels that will give health pickups if the boat touches them.
As mentioned above, this is deadline day - we have a completed MVP, and should take a well-earned break before continuing.
Before the next devlog, I'd like to take a break, but the big priorities are:
Thanks for checking out devlog #8! This marks the end of our games pre-production assignment, but we're continuing to work on the game for the next assignment, 'games production'. Rest assured, the devlogs will (probably) continue!