Hello, pixlerin here! I thought it was time for an update. I'm working on The Lost Hotel alongside my normal job as a software developer. It's my big dream to release this game one day and my motivation is huge ːsteamhappyː
Once I had the idea for The Lost Hotel in my head, I was immediately hooked. I started designing the characters and the lobby of the hotel, as the graphics of the game play an important role for me and the nostalgic effect. This is what the lobby looked like at the beginning:
But since the hotel is in space and is supposed to be a kind of spaceship/space station, I thought it was too unfuturistic. I tried to combine the classic hotel look with science fiction and ended up here:
But this is far from the final product :D I've still got a few things to work on and already have a new sketch for the lobby on my computer, which will be realised soon.
The characters haven't changed since the beginning because I'm fully behind them and love them very much :D They've been so firmly anchored in my head for so long that they're like family to me haha, sounds crazy.
I also designed the hoteliers and gave each one a personality and a special key.
When I had completed the first version of the lobby, including the bar area and entrance, I ventured into a new room: the shuttle that picks the player up at the very beginning of the game. There they can familiarise themselves with the game's controls and personalise their character.
After the shuttle, I continued with the player's hotel room. I did a lot of research and tried out several versions of the floor plan until I ended up with the final version (for the time being).
I also designed some other things, like a custom font, logos, objects, items, furniture and a companion called V-Co9.
I'm currently working on the NPCs' individual hotel rooms. Everyone gets their own personal room. These are still unfurnished, but first the rough outline - then the details. I'm really enjoying designing the rooms.
I've also already implemented the character creator in Godot and some important game mechanics such as the controls, scene changes, the dialogue system, tasks and some animations. At this point I have to continue as quickly as possible so that it won't be long until a playable demo :) I'm also working on promotional material such as flyers, business cards and T-shirts, as I want to present my game at conventions next year.
I hope you'll stay tuned and thank you for all the support and feedback I've received on the various platforms. I look forward to further progress and the next updates :)
This is something I have been debating with myself for awhile. Therefore, I should just do it immediately instead of easing everyone in to it. Ripping off band-aids never backfires.
Clash: Robot Detective has changed its base price to $5.99! Hopefully this will encourage even more people to buy in and join in on Clash's adventures.
And to everyone who bought in at the original price, know that I appreciate you and am forever grateful that you took a chance on a weird robot detective. :-)
In other news, Clash: Blue Mirage - the sequel to this game - is releasing to Early Access on March 8th! It contains the first four chapters of the game, with the rest of the chapters and branching paths getting added in as I work on them.
Based on feedback, I found that using the instant camera flash as a lighting tool may have some limitations, especially after the game starts (during the search for the three keys). Originally, the purpose was to help players understand the flash mechanism, but the initial guidance and experience were not that good. So, on the path to find the second key, I added a flashlight.
The flashlight is installed on the instant camera and consumes instant camera power every 5 seconds, with accelerated consumption during shooting. However, please note: destroying hidden items requires instant camera power, so turning off the flashlight function will prevent you from destroying hidden items.
Language Switching Item:
After the game starts, players will automatically receive a language switching item in their backpack because the game's language switching feature always fails. I am currently investigating the issue, so if the language switches back to the default language (Chinese), you can use this item to set it back.
However, the contents of images themselves are not translated (such as diary content), so language switching will not affect them.
Chapter Two Shop:
The used instant camera film box can be turned into an "empty film box" and will be kept in the backpack. Although it can be discarded, I have added a shop feature where you can use these "empty film boxes" to exchange for items.
Ways to generate empty film boxes: 1、Dropping from monsters 2、"Old film box" with a power level below 16 3、"New film box" with a power level below 16 In addition, if the number of films is less than 8 and the power level is 16 for the new film box, switching ammunition will convert it into an "old film box". The "old film box" can be combined with the “new film ”dropped by monsters to obtain a "new film box".
Hello. I am Takashi YUKIHARA, a director of “Living in Spring”.
Thank you for your interest in the game. I announced that the release date is 02/29/2024 in the store page. But there is no time information (cannot display it), so I announce the release time.
Release Date and Time: 02/29/2024 18:00 (JST)
It's also 02/29/2024 1:00 in PST. Two DLC (digital wallpapers and soundtrack) will also be released on the same. I wish you wait the day, quietly and in relax.
I spent the majority of last month improving the visual fidelity of the game. The game now has a day and night cycle that is integrated with the prison regime system. Other prisoners will react to weather conditions for instance, if it is raining, they will stay in their cells instead of going outside to the yard. Interactive objects like exercise equipment, chess tables, and benches get wet. If you're playing a chess against another prisoner, they will stop the game if it starts to rain. If the player's entertainment stat is already low, then rain could worsen it, especially if you go out in the rain to use the exercise equipment, as your clothes will get wet.
I've also integrated volumetric clouds, cloud shadows, and redesigned the yard terrain. There are now mini-games for exercise and workshop jobs (like cleaning toilets, laundry etc.). Environmental effects include birds flying, leaves falling, and fog, among many other things. I'm planning to submit the game to Steam for playtest review by the end of next week. Hopefully, it will be approved quickly so I can start playtesting by the end of this month. If you have any questions, feel free to ask I'll be happy to answer them. Thanks.
Virtual Home Theater VR Video Player - aurel.constantinescu
Today's update is mostly for creators who do 3D modeling, rendering and audio mastering, for VR. Now, beside entertainment with VHT you can also use it to create impressive computer generated VR art for VR users. This update add tools and support for two 3D modeling software applications: DAZ Studio and Blender.
Update Highlights
Audiospace
Spatial modeling
New playback capability
Demo VR art samples
Ambisonics
New start modes
Miscellaneous
Full Update Note
1. Audiospace
Added VHT support to use audiospace companion files.
Audiospace is a companion file for a media file that will specify how the audio channels should be used in virtual space as virtual audio objects for binaural audio rendering output.
This audiospace file will be used by Virtual Home Theater (VHT) VR app when a media file with the same name will be played.
By using an audiospace file you can route any audio channel to any virtual speaker, position any virtual speaker in virtual space either as static audio objects (position is fixed in space) or dynamic audio objects (position change with time).
This can be used to:
play an audio file using any user defined layout (e.g. play a 16 channels audio file using the 9.1.6 speakers layout)
play a VR image plus audio with virtual static audio objects simulating the actor voice or object sound location in space
play a VR video with virtual dynamic audio objects simulating the actor voice or object sound location moving through space
Audiospace files can be created manually by user (you) or by a software (VHT tools for DAZ script).
For more information read the "VHT Audiospace - User Guide.pdf" from VHT website.
To download audiospace demo files go to VHT website.
2. Spatial modeling
Added spatial modeling support to VHT.
Spatial Modeling is a VR work concept created to help CG artists to create 3D stereoscopic 180 or 360 degree panoramic computer generated art images or videos for VR users.
For this concept two set of script add-on tools were created for Daz Studio and Blender 3D modeling software applications to use the VHT spatial modeling desktop mode feature.
When using VHT and these tools the artist will see the main desktop screen where will be his 3D modeling software’s GUI and surrounded by his ‘true to scale’ 3D scene, rendered live as stereoscopic 3D 180 or 360 degree panorama using any real-time render engine available from Daz Studio (NVIDIA Iray (ray-traced), Filament (PBR), etc.) or Blender (Cycle path-tracer, Eevee, etc.).
You can use these tools to live preview in VR your scene, work on 3D models in VR and to render final 3D stereoscopic 180 or 360 panoramic images or videos that can be viewed with VHT.
To use the spatial modeling mode from VHT you need to start VHT from one of the 'VHT tools for DAZ' or 'VHT tools for Blender' script.
VHT & Daz Studio - Concept Preview
This is the “VHT tools for DAZ” control interface on Daz Studio software.
This image is a desktop snapshot demo sample of what a user will see on his displays.
This image is a VR snapshot demo sample of what a user will see through the HMD lens.
For more information read the "VHT tools for DAZ - User Guide.pdf" from VHT webpage.
To download the "VHT tools for DAZ" scripts go to VHT webpage.
To download "VHT tools for Blender" add-on go to VHT GitHub or webpage.
Some tools (VR cameras and render manager) can be used without VHT vr app and other tools (VR live scene preview in VR) will require VHT vr app. When use the “VHT tools for DAZ | Blender” and VHT vr app is like using a photographic camera with a viewfinder and a tripod. When use the “VHT tools for DAZ | Blender” without VHT vr app is like using a photographic camera and a tripod but without the viewfinder.
With these tools and your artistic skills and imagination you can create epic stereoscopic VR scenes and visual novels for VR users.
3. New playback capability
Added support to play a media container that has one static image and audio. By using this format you can reduce the media file size compared with encoding a static image as a video.
This is demonstrated with the demo art from below.
4. Demo VR art samples
To download a 3D stereoscopic 360 panoramic demo sample with 11 static audio objects go to VHT website. made by using the following software applications:
DAZ Studio 4.22
VHT tools for DAZ 1.0.0
Virtual Home Theater 1.18.x
Audacity
FFmpeg
5. Ambisonics
Added support for FB360 ambisonics (8 and 10 audio channels). Now VHT will support the following ambisonics: 4, 4+2, 8, 9, 8+2, 9+2 and 16 audio channels.
6. New start modes
Added support to open a media file with VHT from Windows file explorer. Go and right click on any media file and choose ‘Open with’ then chose VHT.
Added support to start VHT with command line arguments. In command prompt a command line like: VHT_steamvr “C:\folder\video.mkv” will play the video file with VHT.
VHT_steamvr -mode dm will start VHT in desktop mirror mode.
Use VHT_oculus if you want to use the Oculus API. For command line to work you need to add VHT installation path to System → Environment Variables → User → Path
【 Repair 】 1. Fixed Thousand-Mile Vehicle disappearing after being breached. 2. Fixed some strings display incomplete when hiding. 3. Fix shop UI 4. Fix Wudang Mountain Jump Cliff - Enter the wrong cliff bottom. 5. Repair breakthrough state, enter the fantasy, re-breakthrough, there is an error. 6. Fix the breakthrough state and realize the power of nature, causing other NPCS to have it too. Seven. Fixed weather system display issues.
【 Optimization 】 1. Optimized to break through the illusion of entry touch sensitivity. 2. Optimize the special abilities that emerge from breakthroughs. 3. Optimize the placement of some NPCS.
【 Waiting for updates - consider the design 】 0. Before entering the door - Display interactive UI 1. Pace K adjustment. 2. Chivalrous companion learn Kung fu plus button 3. Jump off and fall press move automatically. 4. The main line can be skipped, but some of the main lines are dead, or gone, and can't be done. I don't want to skip it. (Thinking) 5. There are also some details provided by the players. 6. Retreats in some places are wrong, as well as optimized Seven. After the sect was broken, the whereabouts of disciples. 8. Multi-force system. Rearrange it.
- Fixed an issue where Maxed female was recognized as hermaproditus - Improved the way you interact with the ladder on Verona - Fixed an issue where Ameer is not displaying his correct dialogue after the Villa. - You can now headshot target in archery, targets that need 3 hits will be killed with one headshot - Improved quest handling for Baba Larga - Fixed an issue where Claudius option for trying again at the statue would not display. - Fixed problem with the UI not closing when interacting with characters - Fixed issue were New quest and Update objective would appear on top of each other. - Improved the reveal Point of Interests (when pressing ALT) - Quests will appear in Points of Interest alongside objectives - Decreased size of minimap - Fixed states of buttons in the settings - Dialogue lines will be more readable now - Signs update - Optimized textures - Fixed dark areas when having sex at Valerias house
Hi everyone! We've finally set the release date, it's 16th April!
All the features we wanted to have in the early access launch are implemented, we will be using these last two months to fix the remaining bugs, prepare some localizations and make some tweaks around.
Meanwhile enjoy the fixes and thank you for your feedback in tracking down various bugs.
Added achievements (it’s intended that they have no icons)
Viewport position is now saved between sessions
It’s now possible to drag mouse cursor while placing objects in free mode
Moving the viewport while placing microtubules now places them
Item kicker is now properly given back when removed from tile
Added option to hide unknown recipes from recipe list (default: true)
Added settings to hide ground props on tile with railings