Hello everybody!
So since the last update here there has been a whole lot of things going on in my life. Lot's of very big changes. Some of you may already be in the loop if you follow the game's Youtube channel or other social media pages, but this is going to be an update for those of you who do not already know.

I could type it all out here, but that would be a huge pain in the ass, so instead I have a video explaining what all was going on during my time away.



So there's that. Pretty neat stuff, right?
Right!

Now on to the next order of business! What's been going on since then? Because that video was made like 4 months ago...
Well over these past 4 months I have built this:



I know that House of Velez may not be of any relevance to some of us here, since it is the exact opposite type of a game to Grave Prosperity. But the part that should interest you is the advancements that have been made (and will continue to be made) in how I am developing my games.
Although I put GP on hold in order to work on something simpler and more appropriate for the time I had available, that doesn't mean this hiatus comes with no benefits.

Everything we saw in the clip above is new knowledge for me. The whole Resident Evil styled inventory, the seamless world travel without any sort of black screens between doors, seamless transitions from cutscene to gameplay and back again. All of it. It all came from working on this project, and it will all translate over to my work on GP after this project as well.
In the past these are the things I always wanted for the game, but because GP was my first ever project, I didn't have the means nor experience to create them before.
But I do now.

So for everyone who is excited for the new HoV, awesome, me too!
For everyone who is not, and is kind of annoyed at the fact that I had to but the brakes on GP temporarily, just remember this:
The game we could have gotten would have been good. But the game we're going to get will be even better, because it comes with the experience and advancements made from the time it takes to work on the HoV Remake. I'm basically off training in the mountains in order to prepare for my biggest project yet.

So hang in there, everybody! It's going to be a little while, but when I come back we're going to be seeing a very different and much more impressive version of Grave Prosperity!

Until then, feel free to follow the progress of the House of Velez Remake here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100051135744778

Or here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/D_R_I_G

And of course, always here:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQLF-aN1soWYfv_XCJhZ_og

Take care of yourselves and be safe!

Since the last update there's been quite a bit done!
Lots of environment building and some new enemies have also been made. I've finally completed building on that outdoor section we saw in the last update, and recently I've been working on the infamous room where we encounter our first Scavenger! That's been a lot of fun. There's a couple extra little areas leading up to that now too, instead of just the room itself. I think everyone will be into it!

I've also added a shotgun, which you will see in the video below, along with a new zombie-type enemy we'll encounter.

I wanted the shotgun to be fun to use, so it's capable of blowing off limbs, blowing enemies in half, or even completely obliterating a torso (which is shown in the video above).

As of the moment, the focus is on getting the Scavenger's AI made. I've been so excited about getting around to working on these guys since they were the biggest problem with the older games. They'll put up a fight, but I'll have them balanced out this time. I can't wait to run a combat demonstration when they're ready!
Past that, I need to get that room with the spinning pillar made. And then I have an entirely new section of the game to build! You'll see an image of a large castle-like structure below. That's going to be its own entire section of the game. I decided to have a level leading up to the Stillborn Wanderer instead of just walking into the fight like we did in previous games. That means more opportunity for new monsters and exploration, which I'm all for!

Ok, enough blabbing from me. Here's a bunch of screens from what all I've been building on.



I'm looking forward to putting together the next update! I think I'm gonna make it a Halloween one! Seems appropriate.
Take care, everybody!

Since the last update I decided to do some more studying up on 3D modeling. I also picked up Zbrush so I could start making some very high detailed sculpts to project onto low poly models. Doing this has really helped optimize things as well.
Having Zbrush, I decided that this would be the best time to get the Scavenger properly made! They're the most well know monster in Grave Prosperity due to their incredibly unforgiving reputation as the first enemy you encounter in the old games. Because of this I didn't want them made until I felt I could get the best quality out of them.

Here's some of the progress as I was learning:















The second, and most recent thing I've been working on is boss transformations. I'm a big fan of monster transformations in any game, and I really wanted something like that for this one. So here's a test run using the Lake Monster boss fight I've been working on:



Currently I'm wrapping up the second of three phases for this fight. Once that's done it'll be back to adding on to this outdoor area. There's still a whole other section after this before we're done with this area! Then it'll finally be time to get back indoors where I can finally make the area for the first Scavenger encounter. Of course it'll be completely expanded on like this part, so it should prove to be an interesting endeavor!

Time for another update!
So last time I said I was hoping to return with some info showing the new Scavengers. But I ended up moving in another direction and then got really caught up in said direction... So basically I've been building an entirely new outdoor section that introduces a couple new mechanics, including minor platforming, a grappling gun, and swimming. It also brings in new enemies and bosses. This section is meant to replace and expand on that very small outside area from the original game where the tomb stones were. Right before the Lab.
Those new mechanics I mentioned are already made into the game and they are designed to expand on our ability to explore the world. Combat is cool, but I want there to be more than just that and minor key hunts. There will be lots of hidden items, extra enemies, and new places to find, and this is how we're going to do it!

I got some screens here showing some of the new area and a short video showing a little testing on the latest enemy's AI:



The way I'm expanding this section is the way I want to expand many of the other sections too. The original games couldn't be too big because of the engine I was making them on. With UE4 I can make the game as big as I want! So there's going to be quite a bit added.

With all that said, I'm going to continue working on this area until it's done and then I'm going to try to reel it back in and finally get the Scavengers into the game so I can show them sooner rather than later!

Should be fun!

It's finally time to show off Amber's full machete and firearm move set!
Like I talked about last time, I added the shooting system and included that RE4 style contextual melee system to supplement it. And the addition I have been most excited about working on is also now complete! The execution system!
There's 3 different types per enemy-type. Depending on where the camera is pointed on the enemy, Amber will do a different execution. So if the camera is pointed up at them, she'll do one, if it's looking down at them she'll do another, and if it's looking straight at them she'll do a different one. So pretty much like a DOOM-lite glory kill system.

Anyway. Enough talk! Let's take a look at how things are looking after a month of work:



So I am very very happy with the current state of the game. This is basically what I always hoped Grave Prosperity could look and play like when I first started working on it years ago. Seeing it the way it is now is something really special for me!
There's still a lot to do though. I'm going to get Amber's damage animations made and then I think it'll be about time to start building on the world again. I don't know when the next update here will be, but I'm thinking it will be when I get the Scavengers into the game. These Dolls are pushovers, but we all know how the Scavengers are. Now that I know Amber's move set it will be fun to balance them around it!

Be seeing you all again soon!

As the last announcement promised, this update is on the combat system in motion! But instead of using the Scavenger, I am using another variant of enemy. A Miki Doll. These are like toned down versions of the Dolls from the demo. In this remake I want to try to be good about getting the player eased into the combat, unlike the original games. That means you won't be facing quick teleporting enemies right off the bat.
But you will eventually!

The clip shows Amber's new evasion techniques used along side her basic combo, running attack, and 3 different counters, along with an extension to her classic dash-cut. All of Amber's attacks can be cancelled out of with a block or dodge, making her extremely responsive. The only thing not here is the finishers I mentioned last time. I'm starting work on next.



So after this the plan is to get the new "Execution" techniques made. And then move on to the gunplay section of combat, which will include new features like contextual stagger follow ups. Think RE4/5's melee attacks you could do on stunned enemies.
I'm sure the combination of the machete and the guns will provide a solid system you'll be able to experiment around with and create some badass moments of your own. Especially when the more advanced enemies start showing up to really put your skills to the test.

Time for another update! Development is going wonderfully. Amber's model has received a number of visual upgrades, and she now has some of her old moves back in the game, along with some new ones!

So first, she has her basic dodge roll and backflip again. But to add to that she also has a "quick dodge" now too! This will be a slightly more advanced move that will require better timing to pull off. It is an instant dodge that will allow you to not only avoid damage, but also resume the offensive immediately after without the need for re-establishing your position.
These things are shown below vvv


Evasion techniques using machete and pistol


Amber's new visual upgrades

I think I want the next update to show a full combat demonstration against the dreaded Scavengers! I've already got them modeled and rigged, just need to get them animated. The combat using this new system should be lot's of fun when all of Amber's mechanics are made. Dodges, counters, blocks, and combos! And quite possibly some flashy finishers to top it all off!

I have a quick look at some of the visual updates that are going into the final game!
As most of you already know, I made everything in the demo by hand. That means models, textures, animations- everything. Because of that the demo took a massive hit in the visuals department, but it was something I needed to do for myself at least once. I gained a lot from the experience, so I was happy with the results even if they weren't as good as they could have been.

Now for the full game I am actually dumping money into the assets where needed in order to make a better looking game! Here's some screen shots of Amber's model and the exterior of the Red mosquito Motel. And of course I tried to keep her design as close to the current game's design as possible.



Amber's REDUX Costume will be making a return as well -Blender Concept-



A new feature I've included is Amber will physically look at wherever the camera is pointed if she's just walking around or idling. It isn't anything huge, but it is something kind of fun that I've been wanting to try out for a long time. It also helps make her feel less static in the world.

Amber looking toward the camera's direction



Another perk to finally utilizing all of the tools I have at my disposal is the ability to create much better looking monsters! I used CC3 to get a base humanoid model and then sculpted it out in Blender to create this little lady!
-Blender Concept-


I plan to use the same method when I remake the Scavengers as well.


And that's it for the show and tell for now! Basically the game is going to look much better than the demo (I want to try to make it look like you're playing one of the cutscenes from the 2D GP/HoV the entire time. If I can do that then I'll be happy). The mechanics will feel about the same as the demo with some additions/tweaks to the combat. And it's going to be a ton of fun to get made for you all!

I'm not quite sure what the next update will be or when it will be, but I will be working on this every day until then!
Take care, everybody!

A couple of things were brought to my attention recently, so I went ahead and patched them up!

• Bug Fix- Steam VR is opened when starting the DLC.
  Turns out UE4 comes with a built-in plugin that opens Steam VR automatically. It's been fixed.
  
  
• Bug Fix- A death scene debugger I was using got left over where pressing P on the keyboard would call The Looming Child (the giant hand) and it would kill you.
  Unexpectedly hilarious if anyone accidently found that one!

And that's that! This is just a demo for the full game, so I don't want to dedicate more time than necessary on this unless something really big comes up. I plan to place my full focus on the full game now.
Updates will be rolling in soon!

I just got the go-ahead from Valve, so The Vestigial Princess DLC is now available! Be sure to check the system requirements, as they differ from the base game.

This one runs just like the others, so open the base game in your library after you download the DLC, and then select "The Vestigial Princess" to play.
Have fun!