Mar 27, 2023

STONKS-9800: Stock Market Simulator - TERNOX

Hello! It's Ternox.

I've decided to start a devlog of STONKS-9800 as I'm getting closer to releasing the game in Early Access. The devlog will continue as long as the game is updated, even after release. I'm excited to share my progress with everyone and give some insight into the development process.

Well, you probably already know what the game is about, right? Maybe you've even played the demo and noticed that Amy plays the role of a player's assistant. And I decided to expand her role a bit. But I should warn you that the game is still primarily a fun stock market simulator, so don't expect it to become a fully formed visual novel.

So, first devlog about Amy. Who is she?

Amy is a complex character with a range of emotions and experiences, which I wanted to reflect in her dialogues. She's a hard worker and takes her job seriously, but also has a playful and mischievous side to her personality. I wanted to make sure that her conversations with the player were not only informative and task-oriented, but also had some humor and lightheartedness to them.

To achieve this, I came up with a variety of dialogues that reflect different aspects of Amy's personality. For example, I created dialogues where Amy tells stories from her childhood, shares personal and intimate details from her life, and even gets a little bit tipsy and acts silly with the player while on a walk.

I wanted to create a character that would not only guide players through the game but also provide an engaging and memorable experience.

I also made sure to incorporate cultural references to Japan in the 80s, where the game takes place, to really immerse the player in the setting and make the dialogues feel more authentic. These references range from famous Japanese works to local customs and traditions.

In addition to crafting her personality and dialogues, I also designed a storyline connected to Amy that runs throughout the game, offering different endings based on the player's decisions and interactions with her.

This storyline adds a layer of depth and emotional investment to the game, as players will be able to see how their actions impact Amy's life and the development of their relationship. As they progress through the game, players will encounter various events and situations that challenge their bond with Amy and require them to make crucial choices that will ultimately determine the outcome of her story.
But I'll talk about the storylines some other time.

Thank you for your attention, and please add the game to your wishlist! I hope to provide you with an Early Access release date very soon!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1539140/STONKS9800_Stock_Market_Simulator/

Mar 27, 2023

Various improvements and fixes in Andalia

Andalia - worsas

Hello players!

here comes a new patch, which brings some improvements and a few bugfixes in Andalia.

New & missing features:

The mini map now shows mountains. This helps you to orient yourself on the mini map more easily.
If you try to send a unit to a non-reachable place on the mini map (or place a waypoint), the command is blocked and a red cross showed briefly. This helps to set up a route for your scout in the early game that it can actually follow through.
The civilisation selection in the lobby now includes an abstract symbol for each civilisation.
If you let workers repair buildings that are being attacked, only a 1/4 of the usual reparation occurs. This makes it more difficult to block huge armies, just by mass-repairing the wall that is under attack.
The attacks of Fairy dragon and Behemoth now cause area damage.
For necropolis players it is now possible to send souls to allied players.
Souls are now included in the game statistics and also influence the points gained from a completed game.

Bugfixes:

The multiplayer connecting and re-connecting code has been improved further so connecting and re-connecting on large maps should now work properly.
Carried resources of Skeleton workers are now visible on remote clients.
Shooting sounds of missiles are now played properly on remote clients.

Mar 27, 2023

Card Art Showcase: Laruth

PHAGEBORN: Online Card Game - LlamaDaisy

Dear Denizens of Issilith!

Drakkorith history is filled with many battles fought with valour and relentlessness. So in order to become a legend, one must do something either really heroic or revolutionary.

Though a very battle-ready nation, not every confrontation the Drakkorith were a part of went in their favour. During one of the many nameless battles the Drakkoriths fought, the vehicle that carried a cannon was destroyed, rendering the cannon practically useless. The clock was ticking. It was only a matter of time before the Drakkorith would lose this fight. But it was then that Laruth picked up the cannon and used it himself, turning the tides of the battle, and creating a legend told even today. This encouraged the creation of a new military order, special forces trained to carry and use cannons without the need for mechanical carriers, the Phaerox order. Thanks to his accomplishments, Laruth became the leader of the Phaerox order. Their main mission? To soften up enemy forces before the main strike force is sent. Maybe that’s where that famous Drakkorith saying comes from, “When Laruth's weapon speaks, even prayers fall silent”.

Laruth is a legendary Drakkorith unit that costs 7 essence and has its stats set at 3 power and 7 health. It also has repel, meaning it can’t be targeted by the ability cards. But what makes this card really special is its effect. After your Avatar attacks, Laruth will deal damage equal to his power to the enemy Core! Combine Laruth with cards like Agni Ronin that will enable your Avatar to attack multiple times during the turn, or buff Laruth’s own power with Taris Veteran and other similar cards to inflict as much direct damage to your opponent’s Core as you can.

What card do you like to combine with Laruth? Feel free to comment below or join our Discord channel (https://discord.com/invite/V6p9BMHbh4)!

Yours truly,
PHAGEBORN Team

Mar 27, 2023

Missile Test

Approaching Infinity - IBOL17

I'm experimenting with missiles as weapons that seek their targets over time.

They have longer range than other weapons.
They don't move on the turn they're launched.
They move 2 tiles per turn afterwards.
They seek their targets.
Breaking line-of-sight may throw them off.
Missiles can burn out after a while, or collide with asteroids or other hazards.
Missiles can be shot down by direct-fire weapons ("Point Defense") !

I need your feedback!

You've got one week to let me know, whether on Steam, Discord, or with the in-game anonymous voting system. Are they what you've always wanted, nothing special, or maybe even boring?

This is live now in the beta branch, which anyone can join.

I may be doing a live Twitch stream on Tuesday around 10am EST / 7am PST / 2pm GMT to test this out and get feedback that way.

Mar 27, 2023

Age of Gladiators Reforged Launched! 50% Discount For Owners

Age of Gladiators II: Rome - Creative Storm Entertainment

Thanks for your patience last week with the delay.

Age of Gladiators Reforged has now launched (a few minutes early even!)

I hope you all enjoy the new version of the game. It was a lot of fun for me to revisit my first foray into game design. Looking at my old code I had to shake my head. This one is a complete remake from scratch - the nice thing as well is that it can be updated far easier than the old version.

Here is the bundle link for previous owners of Age of Gladiators (50% Discount):
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/8189/Age_of_Gladiators__Pit_Fighter_Bundle/

And here is the link to anyone that just wishes to purchase the new version:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2103620/Age_of_Gladiators_Reforged/

Thanks again to all the previous fans of the series and to perhaps some news ones as well!