Feb 2, 2024

Deceive Inc. - Yoshiro

Deep Dive: Combat Overhaul
Welcome back agents, this week we are digging into the work that has been ongoing to make the combat and weapon ‘feel’ of DI more satisfying and approachable. Keep in mind that this is a very large topic so not everything will be covered in this small brief and everything we will showcase is subject to change. You can look forward to more changes when the update releases.

Visual Updates
To give a better weapon feel to the game’s arsenal, we are going back to revisit some weapon mods that did not have their own firing and reload animations to give them a more unique feel. Beyond the visual differentiation, this allows us to make bespoke animations that fit their fire rate and reload speed much better, removing the sluggish “slowed down” feeling of some weapons. Here’s Chavez Duke which was a pretty egregious example of an artificially slowed down animation to fit its stats.

Duke Animations Before

Updated Duke Animations

Some unique flourishes have been added like chavez cocking the hammer in between each shot to better fit the weapon’s fire rate.

Recoil Changes and Damage Falloff
On the more directly gameplay affecting side, a big emphasis has been put on reducing the incidence of recoil on gameplay. This has been a major area of continued feedback that we hope to address in a big way with this update.

First of all, recoil has been smoothed out across the entire cast to be much less of a detriment to the gameplay. This means tracking your shots is less of a challenge than before. To compensate this from a balancing standpoint, we are making damage falloff a bigger part of the game with weapons losing potency over distance, making fast death at a longer range much less likely.

These two elements combined together should help make the gunplay more accessible and easier to use with falloff keeping situations from feeling out of hand when getting attacked and tracked from far away.

Here’s an example on Red’s base weapon

Before

After

Collision between out of cover spies
A frustrating part of close quarter fights in DI comes from the fact that two spies can phase through each other, making melee hits hard to land and the fight hard to understand. This is why with this update we introduce the concept of collision between two out of cover spies!

This means that while in cover, everything will behave like it currently does, but when two out of cover spies collide, they will body block each other allowing for much more precise melee attacks. Here’s an example of it in action:

View the GIF here

Directional Hit Indicators
Another big piece of the combat puzzle is better feedback to understand what is happening in the middle of a fight. One of our focuses on that front is remaking the directional hit indicator to be more precise and add more information packed into it.

You will now have a direct idea of the amount of damage you took in a given direction with the thickness of the indicator.

Before

After (Small Damage)

After (Bigger Damage)

Controller Aim-Assist Rework
To close things out, we also wanted to give an update on the work done to make the controller experience more pleasant. We are updating the way aim-assist works in multiple ways.

The first and biggest is in how aim-assist is set up: Controller Aim-Assist has been reworked moving away from limited fix-points targeting on characters to using the character’s collision as the aim-assist target. This means that aim assist wil now pick-up the character as a whole making it possible to snap to any limb and help stick and move the reticle along the whole body rather than switching between individual points along the character’s body.

The second aspect of the change is the prioritization of hostile targets over passive-ones , meaning that civilians will now be ignored by aim assist when engaging hostile guards or spies.

Finally, training dummies and some deployed gadgets like the remote turret will now be picked-up by aim assist and treated as valid targets, making shooting them down in a pinch far easier to pull off.

Feb 2, 2024

Developer’s Log - January 2024

Dog Eat Dog: Scam to Survive - codapill

What’s up, everybody!

Here’s the first update of the year on Dog Eat Dog: Scam to Survive. I’m happy to say it’s been a productive month - let me outline where we’re at…!

Systems

There have been a few worthwhile changes on the backend: First, the ‘Penalties and Payouts’ system that fires after the player succeeds in a scam is now a far more efficient event. All the math happens in one place, and the code is easier to read as a result. Hooray.

Following that, all cut-scenes have been rebuilt using the new comic builder function that was added to the project towards the end of last year. This script makes spinning up one of four different types of cut-scenes really easy. I no longer have to meticulously position pictures, render text boxes as pictures, or animate each individual object. This is already saving me so much time with new scenes.

Visual

A bunch of older backgrounds and scenes have been re-designed to fit more within the theme of Act 1. I’ve also kept to a strict colour limit going forward. There’s no specific palette - all imagery still stands on its own, but now there’s more cohesion in the fidelity of each photograph. The limitations here work - I think it’s a big improvement.

Gameplay

Players can now choose how much they wish to steal from a caller. This makes the levels a bit more complex, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. There used to be set amounts the player could scam for, but now you can input whatever you like. Be awful and take it all? Always choose zero? Up to you.

There's a library in the game, and you can now read all of the books. For the longest time, I’d limited it to 1, but nah, go nuts - you'll be able to read ‘em all. The gameplay benefit to reading books and engaging in the world gives you knowledge about VONA (the city) that can be useful in scams. Or, sometimes it’s just a random book about the effects of sleep deprivation, and how a fantastic night’s sleep is desirable only so that you can be a productive human for somebody else the next day, and not for the simple value of rest...

Anyway.

Music, Marketing & AI

Sounds, baby! I play guitar, so I added some of my riffs to the game. That’s been cool. New sound effects, too! I picked up a BOSS ME-90 a few months ago and that thing is wild for getting quirky tones. In no way does any of this trample over the awesome OST that I still can’t wait for everyone to hear.

The RPG Maker Festival on Steam is coming up on February 15th, and DED is gonna be there for a third time, chilling out with the ‘Coming Soon’ tag once again like a child that keeps failing the same year at school and re-sitting. Heck, it’s all good, I like that such a thing exists to celebrate games made in RM - why not?

Finally, let’s address AI for a moment. AI art sucks, and none of our games will ever use it. Anything that generates artwork using other people’s styles - specifically when the artist isn’t being compensated fairly - is just theft. For as long as we live under a brutally unfair system where money does all the talking: pay your damn artists.

Tiny Dumb Addition of the Month

There’s now a bone badge on the monitor, cos like… Dogs. Ya know.

Until Next Time...

Our Discord server is a sleepy one, but you can join it if you wanna be reminded of more updates like this, or to just hang out and chat.

You can also follow us on Bluesky and X (formerly known as Twitter).

-codapill 💚

Feb 2, 2024

BUILD 0.73

Exoplanet: First Contact - Nessie

Hello, space cowboys!

We are excited to tell you that update 0.73 is ready! We have put in a ton of work and made numerous changes to make your gaming experience even better. As usual, we're eager to hear your thoughts in the comments and on Discord. Now let's take a look at the changes awaiting you in the game.

GAMEPLAY

We've already told you about the changes in the combat system, the introduction of new opponents with updated sounds, and improvements in daily routines. But, of course, we have more to share besides the new ability system, adding levels to Jack's enemies, character reactions, and effects.

The role-playing system underwent a significant overhaul — we've invested a lot of effort into adding systems that will diversify the ways to solve quests, increase replayability, and give you the chance to personalize your character. Thanks to numerous skills and the new perks system, your character will become even more unique. Additionally, in dialogues, there will be significantly more reactions through which you can shape your character's personality — depending on your responses, events will unfold in sometimes completely different ways!

We've introduced energy shields into the game. All drones and characters with maximum resource access — Garry, Clinta, and Eric Kraven — will have them. The best way to deal with these shields is to use energy weapons, and the best way to acquire such a weapon is to snatch them from your opponents. In future updates, players will not only be able to obtain powerful boomsticks but also acquire or craft energy shield gadgets for their personal use.

NPCs now behave more realistically in ranged combat: enemies will shoot faster, but the accuracy of their shots will decrease accordingly. Hostile shooters will behave more naturally, taking pauses before aiming. Animal attacks will also see some changes – now they will persistently pursue their prey and can block or parry attacks in combat.

On the Edge, there are now bushes that help Jack move stealthily right behind enemy backs. If he's moving openly, characters will turn towards him as he approaches.

Jack's got something new – a mushroom grenade! Just collect gas mushrooms and throw them to the enemies to poison them before the fight even starts. The grenade not only explodes but also releases a toxic cloud around it. There is a new trick available for a gunslinging hero in the game: he can aim for the NPC's helmet and shatter it into pieces with a number of well-placed shots.

In addition to the updated crucas and the hound, new types of alien beetles will appear in the game. Now, Jack will have to fend off not only ground creatures but also flying ones. Some beetles will even change color depending on the habitat.

We've revamped the approach to character pathfinding and their interaction with objects. Now, they'll move between points more naturally, following the most logical paths. We've also taught characters to organically find their way to their goals, interacting with obstacles such as opening doors, squeezing through crevices, or climbing stairs. Additionally, there are significantly more daily routine options, adding a lively touch to Edge!

LEVEL DESIGN

Our level designers have made numerous changes and improvements to the Edge territory, ranging from the introduction of new zones to enhancements in fine detail. The most significant change is the expansion of the desert. Now, you'll have more places to explore, and in the new lands, powerful mobs will challenge you. We've also added a new cave – you can explore it almost immediately after the tutorial with A.N.N.A. In addition to valuable loot, you can find renewed crucases there. Be sure to let us know how you like the updated desert — we continue to work on this area and would love your feedback!

All the old trees have been replaced with new models. Now they look much more alien and better fit the biome. By the way, you can start enjoying the new savanna views much faster — there's a direct road to the mining town now, whereas before, a chasm blocked the way. When you get through the crash-landed Leviathan spaceship, you'll meet Curious, who will show you the shortcut to the Lucky Hole. Alternatively, you can take a longer road to reach the mining community and explore the distant cemetery or other interesting corners of Edge along the way.

Ropes have now appeared on the Edge, making exploration more interesting and easier while also increasing the number of spots to explore and search for items. We've replaced some ladders with ropes in places where it makes more sense and looks more natural. Additionally, we've enhanced the interiors of the Lucky Hole houses and worked on the design of the Abori tents, which is particularly noticeable in the Scalp Hunter location. The Herbalist now has his own space; along with his apprentice, he settled in one of the vacant houses in the mining town, arranging everything to his liking. Make sure to visit him and find out what he has to offer! Many new hideouts have also appeared in the area, and the bottom of the mine now features an updated swamp.

Many terrain surfaces have been reworked – our aim was to bring as much diversity and naturalness as possible. Now, whether in the desert, savanna, or residential areas, the terrain looks significantly more lifelike.

QUESTS

For the new update, sixteen quests have been revamped! We thoroughly worked on the logic and event content in the game, adding interesting details. Some quests were relocated to new places, providing you with more opportunities to quickly dive into the events happening on the Edge..

Many changes have affected the mining town Lucky Hole. Its storyline has been made more explicit, uncovering the town's past and the characters inhabiting it. Additionally, new significant characters will appear, allowing you to engage in conversations and discover something interesting.

Quests related to the Leviathan, as well as the spaceship itself, will undergo a complete overhaul in future updates. The important change in this build is that now you can navigate through the crash-landed cargo carrier as quickly as possible, thanks to the streamlined layout and changes in quests. Moreover, you can return to exploring the huge spaceship at any time, following the quests you can unlock in the Outcast's camp and mining town. Meta-quests for Scalp Hunters and Outcasts will also appear in the game in a much more comprehensive format. Now, you'll have to work harder to earn the trust of one faction or another.

ANIMATIONS

We've put a lot of effort into animations, improving existing ones and adding new ones. For instance, now our hero will start moving, such as running, in a more natural and pleasant way. Additionally, facial and dialogue animations have been introduced for characters. Now they don't just stand indifferently during the conversation but vividly express emotions.

Various existing animations for combat, NPC daily routines, and animal behavior have also been improved. Some mobs, like the new crucas, now attack with jumps, making their assaults much more impressive. So, the new aiming animation for the hero will come in handy!

SOUNDS

The sound of the Exoplanet has significantly improved in this update and deserves a special mention. We've made targeted changes in combat sound effects, animal vocalizations, and the musical backdrop. We've delved into details in previous articles, such as how bullet impact sounds now vary based on where the bullets hit—whether it's sand, rocks, or walls. It's also worth noting that the new mobs introduced in the update have received fresh sound assets. One more notable addition is the combat tracks: during combat, the music will shift to a more dynamic tune, adding an extra layer of intensity to the battles.

OTHER

We've brought several significant GUI windows into a consistent and fully functional format. Additionally, we've increased the number of slots for quick saves and autosaves—providing five slots for each. Autosaves now happen more frequently and are named based on the quest phase they occur in.

That's all for now—we hope you enjoy the update! Feel free to let us know how you feel about the changes, and if you encounter any issues, don't hesitate to report them in the comments, start discussions, or reach out to us on Discord.

Until next time, space cowboys!