Yo yo yo everybody!
I thought I'd push a little extra on the forum after my last dev blog. Recap: I have just release Holey Suit in High Definition. Check it out there;)
I also took the opportunity during this big update to change one of the core mechanic of the game: weapons.
Prior to the update, weapons would recharge automatically. This fits pretty well in a sci-fi game, the idea being your character's suit had a reactor to power weapons etc. People couldn't be too trigger happy as it would mean they would run out and have to wait for energy to regenerate. So it forced a nice balance of shooting frantically and pace yourself to allow the energy to regen.
Another mechanic in the game was crates: I'm not shy of my Vlambeer's influences, and Holey Suit's weapon system was heavily influenced by Super Crate Box in which you need to collect crates to equip weapons. Sometime the weapon is great, sometime not. Roll of dice, but one thing was sure: it keeps players on their toes!
Holey Suit was sitting on the fence with its crate system. Picking up a crate would give you a weapon, but since your energy would automatically regenerate, players were not pressured to pick up another one if they liked their weapon. Worst: players would get frustrated picking up the wrong weapon. I tried my best to keep the weapons balanced, but since all weapons promote different play styles, everyone would have their favourite.
Bottom line: I was trying to mix two designs which do not seem to marry well. On one hand, I was giving players the ability to stick to their favourite weapon (through regenerating ammo), whilst getting them frustrated when they picked the wrong one.
Conclusion? From now on, energy no longer regenerates! Players might love it or hate it, but it will certainly promote the Super Crate Box play style I originally intended for the game.
Now: crossed fingers this doesn't put people off. Balancing game mechanics is an art, changing things halfway is a bit of a gamble and I hope this change is received well!