Jun 3, 2022

PATCH NOTES - Deadhaus Sonata Combat Demo: Blood Bath

Deadhaus Sonata - BanAnaconda

New

Updated the game controls UI to reflect input changes. (Thank you, Varik Keldun)
Added interstitial intro primer video.
Revised how the vampire moves and animates - added idle turns, run start and stop, running turn animations.
Added new animations which play when legionnaires get up after being ragdolled.
Change basic attack rotation logic so that rotation direction is more consistent over time.
Added ability to disable blood and gore in debug menu. (Thank you, Spikeschild)

Balance

Death Waltz dash will now target in the camera direction instead of the movement input direction.

Bugfixes

Fixed an issue that would result in the Werebat cinematic playing each time the pressure plate was stepped on during Wave 8.
Fixed a rare issue where movement forward during attacks would press through or into the player’s target.
Fixed an issue causing the player’s aim assist to occasionally act erratically.
Fixed an issue that would cause the vampire to A-pose when using telekinesis.
Fixed an issue causing the pressure plate lights to remain on after the pressure plate has been activated.
Fixed an issue where the Exsanguinate animation might end too soon, allowing run animations while the skill is still in progress.
Fixed an issue where the Telekinesis animation is still playing and the vampire is already moving.

Visuals

Reduced motion blur slightly.

Jun 3, 2022

Eyes on the Dev #2: Why A Flashlight? + Next Fest Demo News

Eyes in the Dark - GBX_ChristineM

Hello everyone, and welcome to the second Eyes on the Dev! My name is Filip Neduk, Game Designer at Under the Stairs on Eyes in the Dark. Since our first game jam in 2014, we have meticulously tinkered with the flashlight design to create an entirely unique gameplay experience. Here we will shed some light on just how we decided that Victoria would fight with light, what inspired these choices, and how the mechanics of Tinkering have evolved since we were first called Light&Dark.

Creating Our Guiding Light

The initial idea for the Flashlight as our primary weapon came when I joined earlier on Light&Dark, starting from the first concept art I created. I really enjoyed the way the light from the flashlight cut through the dark and revealed what was behind. There were hints in the dark that the monsters were there, but you were never sure how they looked or how big they were. I think this is where the idea originated. The image of a kid holding a flashlight alone in a mansion is a powerful one. Everyone who has ever held one as a kid knows the feeling of what a powerful tool it can be for the imagination. When you take it to the next step, and use it as a weapon against the dark, the possibilities are endless.

Fighting With Light

When we started toying with the idea of light as a mechanic, we thought of different ways to use light. In Light&Dark Victoria had a lantern, matches, and many different light sources. The flashlight was always the most fun to use. Everything changed when we tested controlling the flashlight as a twin-stick. You control the character with one stick, and you spin the flashlight beam with the other. You had more control over how to use it.

The other thing about the flashlight that piqued our interest is the way it damages enemies. Light behaves like light does in the real world. It is very stylized, but it works the same way. It cannot go through walls. The way you damage enemies isn’t by hitting them, it is by exposing them in light. We asked ourselves if it is possible to make the whole damage system based on burning enemies with light not hitting them. This was our jumping off point. After that we played on how light works and different effects it can have on enemies. Some light burns them, other types of light bounce off walls. They work as regular weapons in games with a twist that you must keep the enemies in the light to do optimal damage. This little twist changes the way you think when approaching combat and the enemy’s behavior reflects that.

Tinkering with Tinkering

Once we had decided on the flashlight, we had to think about how the mechanics would act within the world of Eyes in the Dark. This came from the background story of our protagonist, Victoria Bloom, who is fascinated by science and technology. This interest creates almost a special bond between her and her flashlight, it isn’t just an item she picks up. The flashlight is something she’s interested in and loves to tinker with. She knows how it works and she can modify it to suit her needs. This was what inspired the tinkering mechanic. You collect different types of quirky bulbs that modify the way you use light in the game. You can have only one bulb at a time, but you can upgrade it by using different batteries that modify the core bulb even further. That way, you can create even more synergies with just one light bulb. It’s all about how you tinker with it to suit your playstyle.

Of all the mechanics we’ve created for Eyes in the Dark, I think Tinkering has evolved the most. In the beginning we just had a couple of upgrades that would change the arc spread, range, and damage of your flashlight. This was iterated on several times, but in the end, we decided on three main categories of items. We have the flashlight for close range, the slingshot for ranged damage (with limited ammo), and the gadgets that change your movements. Each of these categories has its own set of items and upgrades that players can experiment and tinker with. Creating weird and interesting combinations to make their playthrough fun and fresh each time.

By the way, you won't have to wait until the game launches July 14 to get your hands on Eyes in the Dark -- a FREE playable demo will be available June 13 through June 20 as part of Steam Next Fest. We're very excited for players to explore Bloom Manor and fight with light using whatever weapons, gadgets and secrets await within. Not only does this give you a sneak peek at what awaits on July 14, your early feedback will help us make the game better.

Jun 3, 2022

Introducing the Commander

The Dragoness: Command of the Flame - aaron.raw

Greetings, Commanders!

Today’s update is all about The Commander, the hero of The Dragoness: Command of the Flame, and the character that you’ll be controlling during your adventures across the Drairthir Peninsula.

The calamitous civil war fought between the Regal Dragons and the Shai-Va brought an end to the long period of peace and prosperity, and the Dragoness, despite claiming a narrow victory, lost many close allies during the conflict.

In the aftermath, riots and insurrection spread amongst the surviving factions, bringing chaos to an already shattered realm. In response to a petition made by the Dragoness, the powerful Elvish Empire dispatched you, the Commander, to quell the uprising and restore peace to the kingdom.

Hailing from a noble house, the Commander is one of the Elves’ finest warriors and leading tacticians.
As the appointed leader of the Dragoness’ forces, it is up to you to reclaim the capital city of Voven-Sal and defeat the forces that are threatening the kingdom.

Accompanying you on your mission is one of the Dragoness’ close advisors, Natiq the Battle Pangolin. Natiq dreams of one day ascending to become a dragon himself, boasting that pangolins are in fact distant cousins of dragons…or so he believes.

Regal Reincarnation

Unfortunately, it seems that victory over the Shai-Va may have been gravely exaggerated as upon arriving in the Drairthir Peninsula you are unceremoniously slain by one of their kin. When brought before the Dragoness it is revealed that a strange magic has separated your soul from your corporeal body…

Thankfully, the Dragoness has the power to restore your physical form, if only for a short while, with the assistance of revival spells and Níwenborh's Magical Amplifier.

Before heading out on one of the Dragoness’s quests, players will be able to choose from several revival spell loadouts, each with a separate Skill, Talent, set of Turn Bonuses, and starting Resources. Commanders will eventually have up to three randomly determined revival spells to choose from at any one time.

A Skill is a spell that the Commander will have at their disposal at the start of a quest and can be used during combat encounters. For example, one revival loadout may have a healing spell while another may be focused on dealing damage.

Talents are passive abilities that confer buffs to the Commander and their army. These vary from boosting specific types of damage (such as ranged or melee), to increasing the number of steps the Commander can move per turn when exploring the map.

Turn Bonuses are a set of three perks that can be selected at the end of the Commander’s turn during map exploration. Once you have exhausted all your steps, choose one of the three options to gain a bonus. Examples of Turn Bonuses include gaining extra resources (Iron, Granite, etc.), gaining additional experience points, or replenishing health or mana.

The potency of these revival spell loadouts can be upgraded back at the Capital in Níwenborh. By spending resources to upgrade the Magical Amplifier you can improve Skills, widen the selection of possible Talents, and unlock more Turn Bonuses.

Levelling Up

Once a revival spell has been selected and you have chosen your army’s starting units, you’ll be ready to head out on a quest. During a quest, you’ll discover many ways of earning experience points and levelling up the Commander!

The most common means of earning experience is by defeating enemies, but other methods include discovering sites of interest, completing side quests, visiting universities, and through Turn Bonuses.

When your commander gains a level, she will be able to choose between two options: upgrade an existing spell to improve its effectiveness or learn a new spell entirely.

Combat Sorceries

The Commander will provide invaluable assistance for your army during battles by utilising powerful spells from her spell book to influence the units on the battle grid.

Hidden Dagger is a vicious spell that doubles the damage of a target monster's next melee attack. Haste allows you to close the gap between you and the enemy by increasing an individual unit's movement range by four spaces for three turns. Conversely, if a friendly unit has taken some serious damage, use Rejuvenation, to heal a target for 10HP every turn for three turns.

Be advised that the Commander has a limited source of mana from which to draw from during every combat encounter, with more powerful spells costing more mana to cast. Mana can be refilled while roaming the map at Mana Pools, overtime after expending all movement points, or bolstered by Turn Bonuses.

Development Updates: Improved spell FX, Audio polish, and level balancing

Recent changes to the game include improved visual FX for the Commander when she is casting her spells (to make them appear more epic!), as well as new voiced audio lines.

We’ve also been working on re-balancing some of the early levels in the campaign based on the feedback we received during our closed beta period, notably Gates of Noita and Ent’s Grove.

For the Gates of Noita we have implemented teaser units from later biomes, reduced the amount of attacking waves (to make the map shorter and more re-playable), added additional resources, a new shop near the gate with "exotic" units, and stronger units to the starting defence force in the gate itself.

For Ent’s Grove we have altered the map layout to discourage the player from wandering and help improve the flow of exploration. We’ve also reduced the difficulty of early encounters and added a new cutscene which signposts new areas for exploration when they are unlocked during the quest.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back in a few weeks’ time to take a closer look at revival spells in more detail.

See you soon!

- Crazy Goat Games & PQube

Follow PQube Indies on:

⠀⠀⠀

Jun 3, 2022

The Invincible Helmet FREE DLC + Patch 1.1.1!

Model Builder: Complete Edition - Ob3y

Hello, fellow model builders! 👋
It’s time to pack up your things and get ready to unravel a space mystery! Prepare your space suit, and helmet, gather the crew, and explore the Universe!

You are a highly qualified space scientist, Yasna. You and the crew are returning home from one of many space trips which help you discover and understand the Universe. While returning home, you spot another planet on the way: "Regis III", and it looks non-hostile at the first glance and undiscovered. Unexpectedly, your crew goes missing, and you have to find out what happened to them and face the mystery behind their disappearance.

An eerie science phenomenon hidden on Regis III will redefine your way of understanding mankind’s strength and our rank in the Universe.

We are happy to announce, that we've teamed up with Starward Industries, the creators of “The Invincible” game, and together we just released a new FREE DLC!

Thanks to that cooperation, we are able to give you the unique Space Helmet model from their game to customize, as well as the new achievement and quest related to this model! Get creative and prepare yourself for the adventure on the mysterious planet!

ABOUT THE INVINCIBLE

Rethink human’s dominion in The Invincible: a story-driven adventure set in a hard sci-fi world by Stanisław Lem. Discover planet Regis III as scientist Yasna, use atompunk tools looking for a missing crew, and face unforeseen threats. Make choices in a philosophical story that’s driven by science.

Show them your love and add The Invincible to your Wishlist! 👇

https://store.steampowered.com/app/731040/The_Invincible/

GET THE INVINCIBLE DLC

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2021030/Model_Builder_The_Invincible_Helmet/

MODEL BUILDER PATCH 1.1.1

Besides the new DLC, we’ve also managed to fix some bugs and made small improvements to the game! Check out, what’s new to the Model Builder 👇

Added helmet model from The Invincible game by Starward Industries
Paints are no longer shown individually on the kit selection screen, instead, they are represented by a single icon including their count
Improved position of Night Racer model on evaluation screen in career mode
Base coat of Oriental Dragon and Samurai Helmet is now unlocked at level 3
Clicking on assembly ghost and filter simultaneously no longer freezes the held element
Pressing space while auto-cutting no longer blocks inventory
Pressing Alt + Tab no longer breaks assembly

KEEP IN TOUCH

Join our warm and welcoming Discord to stay updated and follow Model Builder on our social media channels. We love hearing from you.

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
TikTok