In between taking breaks after a pretty hectic launch period, I have been quietly working away at improving the overall gameplay experience for [ECHOSTASIS]. I've heard that some players have found the game overly frustrating. While a certain amount of frustration was intended for the purpose of tension within [ECHOSTASIS], I do [FEEL] as though there are some improvements I could have made to [HELP] those who have had issues with the way this game has been designed, while still keeping the intended experience for all players. And so - after much experimentation and beta testing - I am proud to present: [ECHOSTASIS] v1.5
FEATURING:
A complete revamp of how [RESOLVE] works. [RESOLVE] is now depleted by actions, rather than time. To put it simply - THE TIMER NOW STOPS WHEN YOU DO. This allows players to stop for as long as they like in the middle of a run, giving them as much time as they need to plan their next move, or just take in the *ambiance*. My [HOPE] is that this should alleviate the majority of player's frustration while trying to explore, without interfering with the carefully curated relationship between gameplay & level design. This is a pretty radical change that completely brings the [DREAMSCAPE] levels more in line with how a puzzle shooter such as this should play, while still maintaining the urgency of combat (as enemies do not pause along with the timer).
[HER] monologue scenes upon obtaining a [CORE] can now be skipped (by pressing ESC 10 times lmao) with a new button prompt.
A bunch of updates to [TRILATERAL], with many more [TERMINAL] logs, and the originally intended flow of [LOBBY] "puzzles" ([TRILATERAL] longer uses [ENTITY_ID]'s, but... something else.)
If you have found the [DREAMSCAPE] portions of this game to be too frustrating before, I would like to suggest you give this new update a try. If you like what this game is doing and haven't left a positive review - doing so would [HELP] out a solo developer such as my[SELF] a huge amount. <3
NOTE: There is still a known bug where playing the [ECHOSTASIS] Prologue will wipe your save for the main game. The fix for this will be quite an involved one, as it will require an entire reworking of the way the save system works and as such, will require a good deal of time to implement. I wanted to put out this update sooner rather than later so the game can be more in line with how I [THINK] it should be. I will get around to fixing the save system once I have the energy (while also working on my next project!!!)
Again, thank you all so much for your support! Please let me know if you run into any issues. You can follow me on Twitter to stay updated!
If you enjoy my work and want to [HELP] support the creation of projects such as these, you can support me over on [PATREON]. Here, you will get exclusive first looks at what I am doing next, get first access to OST's/artwork, and get immortalized in future projects!
We are in the Tiny Teams showcase which starts today on Steam! Still feels crazy to see our little game in the hands of folks as big as the Yogscast, but we're massively grateful for the opportunity!
🦋 Wishlisting/following the game is always super helpful for us 🦋 Check out our free demo (available here on Steam!) 🦋 If you have thoughts and feedback around the demo, we would love to hear it 🦋Join our Discord server to get more updates:
We’re thrilled to announce Robot's Fate: Alice, a fresh and engaging text-based RPG by Starni Games. It is a story about our future and how advanced AI will change it. To better understand the AI and its interaction with humans, we placed ourselves in the boots of an AI-powered Child Companion robot - Alice.
We are eager to share with you the Robot’s Fate: Alice announcement trailer:
Robot's Fate: Alice dives deep into thought-provoking themes about AI and humanity. Your decisions will explore the role of self-learning AI in society, the ethical treatment of robots, and the differences between AI and humans.
What's inside:
Over 220 000 words of immersive narrative in 5 chapters
Over 150 meaningful choices to make
The branching storyline to explore
Thousands of images that illustrate the story
Unique gameplay system that allows you to develop your personality and mitigate your weaknesses by using the Neural capacity resource.
Immersive soundtrack produced exclusively for the Robot’s Fate: Alice with over 20 musical tracks
Cool features
Every choice you make affects Alice’s stats and unlocks unique perks.
Shape Alice’s character to fit your playstyle with decisions that matter.
Three different story paths lead to multiple endings.
You can have a look at Chapter 1 of Robot's Fate: Alice very soon - on August 19th, by playing our free DEMO.
Wishlist the game now, to get notified when the Demo comes out!
We want to share some significant development updates with you:
Breachway will now launch on September 26, 2024.
I understand that repeated delays are tough and can raise questions. It's certainly been tough on us as developers, as we've worked so hard on this game and want to release it in the best state possible. While it wasn't an easy choice, we ultimately decided together with our publisher that the additional time was better for the project and better for you, the players.
I sincerely hope you understand. Rest assured that the new date is locked in tighter than an airlock.
In addition to bug-fixing and polishing, the extra time has allowed us to add and refine features such as the meta-progression, an Ascension-style progressive difficulty system and a persistent ship damage system.
The Firebrand
We've also added a new ship, the Firebrand. Check it out in the screenshots below:
Say hello to the Firebrand. It starts with Radiators cause it's packing some HEAT.
Join Us at Gamescom
In addition, Breachway will be showcased at Gamescom, where you can play the latest version of the Breachway demo.
If you’re attending, visit us at Hall 10.2, booth nr. F010g - E019 to play some Breachway and say hi to the developer team.
Thanks for sticking with us through the cosmic dust. September 26th can't come soon enough.