May 17, 2024

Dev Diary // The Missions and Progression

Into the Radius 2 - Darius_ITR

Hello explorers!
The general concept of progression will remain the same. Equipment, missions, and some special features will gradually unlock as players increase their Security Level (SL). To increase SL, you need to complete a Top-priority mission. But before such a mission becomes available, you'll need to tackle a few simple ones.

In ITR2, the way Top-priority missions unlock will change slightly. Instead of completing x missions, you'll need to accumulate x points. Different missions yield different points. This means a player can complete 5 easy missions or 2 hard ones to unlock a Top-priority mission. As SL rises, players will have more missions to choose from.

The gameplay state of the Radius is also closely tied to SL progression. It's not auto-leveling per se, more so reshaping and expanding the world of the Radius as players progress.

Let's dive into some examples:
- An explorer with SL1 ventures into Location 1 and encounters two simple enemies.
- An explorer with SL3 revisits the same spot. Apart from the previous enemies, they find a couple of mimics sitting on a roof.
-- OR they stumble upon a patrol of mimics, armed with pistols and shotguns.
-- OR the spot where monsters were before is now a cluster of anomalies with artifacts.

Another example with anomalies:
- An explorer with SL1 reaches an anomaly cluster where they can find one artifact.
- An explorer with SL3 returns to the same cluster and faces new dangers, but now there are two artifacts to discover.
-- OR the anomalies remain the same but are covered by a Distortion Zone (the name is a WIP, we’ll share more in the future).
-- OR there is no cluster at all.

The composition of enemies, anomalies, and artifacts will depend on the base difficulty of the location. You won't encounter the most dangerous enemies in the first location, except maybe very rarely and only at max SL.

The same goes for loot, especially artifacts. As SL increases, loot quality goes up, but not drastically. At early locations, you might find more valuable items, but never as valuable as in later ones.

We want to maintain the feeling of player progression. The deeper you venture into the Radius, the more dangerous it gets. But you can always return to earlier locations to feel big and strong ;)

Additionally, we aim for more variety and diversity in the game. Returning to early locations might be easier, but you'll encounter new combinations of enemies and anomalies, keeping things interesting.

At Early Access launch, this system will be present but simplified, as some elements like enemies, artifacts, and anomalies are not fully developed yet.

A bit about missions themselves. We've completely revamped their structure. Now each mission consists of sequential steps, each requiring specific actions from the player - go to a location, deliver an item, activate an object, kill enemies, and so on. The complexity of a mission depends on the number of steps, and the harder it is, the more steps it’ll include.

Within missions, various scripted events can occur, such as enemies and/or anomalies spawning in.

Another small but important change: occasionally, in addition to “money”, you'll receive items as rewards for missions.

At EA launch, there will be four types of mission steps available, from which all initial EA missions will be constructed. The number of steps will gradually increase over time.

What did you think of this diary entry? What other topics would you like us to cover in the future? Be sure to let us know, and we’ll see you in the Radius!

Previous Diary Entries

May 17, 2024

An interview with Ambe, and take our element quiz!

ALZARA Radiant Echoes - abunchofdaftpunk

Hello again everyone!

We’re back with a new update as we wrap up our first week! Let's check in with our latest updates to our Stretch & Social Goals…

Stretch Goals

Current goal: €150,000 - English Voice Acting

We are now at €116k and we've gotten a little closer to our first stretch goal! We wanted our first two stretch goals to really make a difference, and we're excited for us to reach to them so let's go!

Social Goals

Current reward: Avatars & Banners [4/5 goals]

We hit our first tier of followers on Twitter! That leaves us only one goal away from our next social goal reward.

I hope folks enjoyed the first set of jokes in our last update, because this next set will blow you away. :D 🌬️

Q: What did Adil say after solving a tricky puzzle?
A: "That sure was a breeze."

Q: Why does Adil wield a flute in battle?
A: It's a woodwind!

Adil is always getting invited to parties, you could say he is often a gust of honor!

Let’s meet the creator behind our heroes…

In the first of our interviews with our project collaborators, we talk to the acclaimed character designer Yoshiro Ambe! Their work makes Kayla, Adil, Hugust, and Nakheel come alive, and we wanted to ask them a bit about their process and how they approach character design.

Do you have a favourite party member from the ALZARA crew?
I like all of them, but if I had to choose, I would say Adil. I look forward to seeing how he plays a part in the story.

What are some of your favourite RPGs?
I tend to prefer games with story focusing on multiple protagonists such as Final Fantasy VI, Saga Frontier 2 or Chrono Trigger.

If you had control over an element like our heroes do, which would you pick?
It would be Wind. I really enjoy the gentle wind on sunny days.

Do you stockpile items in RPGs or use them as needed?
When I was younger, I was the type to save items until the last minute, but nowadays I consume them as needed.

Do you have any pets that keep you company while you work?
I don’t have any pets.

If you could live in any RPG settlement, which would you choose?
That would be the colorful universe of ‘Seiken Densetsu’ (aka the Secret of Mana series), which features many luxuriant natural environments.

What drew you to work on Alzara in the first place, and what got your attention?
When I was approached to work on the project, I was attracted by the natural and magical atmosphere of the world settings.

When designing a character, where do you start?
I usually start working from the overall character silhouette.

Characters often only get seen in one outfit; how do you decide what gets included in that outfit?
I try to give each character a color theme of his own.

How do you make a character feel unique from your other designs?
I always try to add a distinctive point to distinguish it from the others, but even so, I often get a feeling of déjà-vu.

What were your inspirations when designing Kayla?
I tried to design her as a warrior that would appeal to all kind of players, whatever their age or gender.

Do you prefer to work digitally or with analog methods? What is that process like?
I usually work on digital for all steps, from the rough sketch to the final art design.

Fashion is an important part of a character’s design; what’s your personal fashion like?
Since I spend a lot of time each day working on my art design, comfort is important to me. I like clothes with simple design.

What makes a character design iconic or become timeless?
This is a point I am still researching every day, and I have not yet been able to grasp the answer. The only thing that comes to mind is to be aware of the fads, but not to over-embrace them.

Your history with the RPG genre is extensive, but is there a genre or style you haven’t done and would like to work on?
I am also interested by different genres such as deformed characters with a comical style.

Any message for the fans?
I hope you will look forward to discovering more about Alzara in the next announcements. I am myself also impatient to see more!

Which element would you wield?

~Katara voice~ Water, Earth, Fire, Air... which element would you master in the world of ALZARA Radiant Echoes?

We have a handy dandy quiz to determine this exact answer!

Be sure to share your answers on social media or in our Discord! We've also made these result images so you can more easily share what you got as well! (If you don't want to be spoiled on the results don't look at these until after you take the quiz!)

The quiz is also a great way to get to know our characters and their personality a little bit better!

That’s a wrap for the first week of our campaign! Thank you to everyone for your kind words and support!

Coming next week: a deep dive into two of our heroes, a closer look at our combat, and more!

Until next time!

💛 Colin & the team at Studio Camelia

May 17, 2024

Announcing Tower Tactics: Astral Siege!

Tower Tactics: Liberation - asraworks

Hi everyone! Announcing Tower Tactics: Astral Siege, the second expansion for Tower Tactics: Liberation! 🎉

Comes with:

1 new game mode: Siege!

Build your card collection and keep your morale high to survive as many days as possible in the endless siege!

Buy card packs to grow your collection, build towers in the Crystal Mine to increase your income, visit the Sanctuary to restore your morale, and much more!

At the end of each day, you will face a combat in which after the last wave you'll have to open the gates to unleash an endless wave of enemies! You can close the gates at any time to stop more enemies from appearing, but if you do it too soon you'll lose health and morale! On the other hand, if you survive for more time than needed you'll receive a reward... but don't get too greedy, since even though enemies stop spawning after closing the gates, you still have to deal with the ones that are alive!
4 new decks!
40 new cards!
40 new trinkets!
New enemies!
New maps!
New wave types!
New achievements!

Coming in 2024 (probably between July and August)! Be sure to add it to your wishlist now!

Link to the Store Page

Thank you all so much for playing the game, and I hope you like this expansion! ❤

Also, some of the towers coming in the expansion will be featured in Tower Tactics Arena before the expansion releases, so be sure to check it out! If you liked Tower Tactics: Liberation, you may like this one too! Link to Tower Tactics Arena

May 17, 2024

Patch Notes V2.1.1.0 Hotfix Patch

PlayM2M - PlayM2M - Laniatus LLC

Patch Notes - Comprehensive System and Visual Enhancements

Fix: Corrected the Turkish translation error in the welcome quest title "BIGLI."
Fix: Localized the large map in the Wolf Shaman Forest to adapt to the user's language settings.

Interface and Visualization Fixes:

Fix: Enhanced the visualization of HP/MP indicators on the lower left side of the screen.
Fix: Added a new Stamina indicator beneath the HP/MP bars.
Fix: Redesigned figures on the left and right sides of the user interface.
Fix: Overhauled the Inventory, Character window, and all GUI/UI elements for improved clarity and usability.
Fix: Removed the emotions tab from the character properties window.
Fix: Improved the readability and clarity of character stat distributions.
Fix: Addressed an intermittent issue where buttons in the character properties window were non-responsive.
Fix: Fixed a critical bug where NPC body parts would remain immobile after animations in various city locations. This fix ensures that all NPC animations transition smoothly, maintaining immersion and visual consistency.
Fix: Increased the font size of NPC names to enhance readability.
Fix: Corrected the issue where the placeholder text "NPC" was visible before the actual names of NPCs/MOBs were rendered in the game environment. This adjustment ensures that names are displayed seamlessly as soon as the NPCs/MOBs enter the rendering area, enhancing immersion and clarity.
Fix: Adjustments have been made to the size and visibility of Harpies within the Minotaur Dungeon. Harpies that were previously invisible due to rendering issues are now fully visible.

Negative Buff Effect Adjustment:

Fix: Corrected a bug where the poison effect would reduce a character's current HP to 1 but not result in death. With this fix, the poison effect can now potentially bring a character's health to zero, allowing for character fatalities. This change ensures the poison mechanic works as intended, making it a more significant threat in gameplay scenarios.

PvE Poison Duration Reduction: The duration of the poison effect in PvE (Player vs. Environment) scenarios has been reduced from 30 seconds to 15 seconds.
PvP Poison Effect Unchanged: There have been no changes to the duration or impact of the poison effect used by the Ninja class in PvP (Player vs. Player) scenarios.

Gameplay and Mechanics Fixes:

Fix: Resolved a bug preventing the character creation scene from displaying for the Warrior class.
Fix: Adjusted and standardized the scale ratio in the Black Dragon's boss room; increased Aggro range and attack range to enhance combat dynamics.
Fix: Improved the visual interface of the Abilities window.

Combat Adjustments Fixes:

Fix: Refined the frequency and conditions under which players are knocked down by the Witch Queen and The Cursed Warlord (Harkoon - Boss) to reduce frustration during boss fights.

Home Function and Countdown Fixes:

Fix: Enhanced visual clarity and adjusted countdown timers for the Home function:

Reduced the countdown for using the Home button in world areas from 10 seconds to 5 seconds.
Increased the countdown for exiting dungeons via the Home button from 10 seconds to 20 seconds.
Extended the countdown for leaving battlegrounds via the Home button from 10 seconds to 30 seconds.
Removed the cooldown period for the Home button, making it continuously usable.

PvP and Dynasty Settings Fixes:

Fix: Ensured all dynasties in the Imperial Palace are now neutral and cannot engage in PvP.
Visual and Button Clarity Fixes:
Fix: Enhanced the readability of buttons within the GUI/UI to ensure clear visibility across all interfaces.

Class Ability Update:

Ninja Class - Archer's Light Step Buff Enhancement: The 'Light Step' buff ability associated with the Archer within the Ninja class has been upgraded. This enhancement introduces a "Power against Monster" effect, increasing the effectiveness against monsters, alongside bonuses to Attack Speed. These new features are aimed at enhancing the Ninja class's performance in PvE (Player vs. Environment) situations, improving both combat dynamics and efficiency.

New Boss Levels Introduced:

Pig Prince: A new boss level featuring the Pig Prince has been added, expanding the roster of unique and challenging adversaries in the game.
King Guivre: Another new boss level, King Guivre, has been included, offering players fresh strategic challenges and engaging combat experiences.

Performance Improvements:

Minotaur Fortress: Significant improvements have been made to the environmental fluidity within Minotaur Fortress, addressing previous issues that caused FPS drops, thereby ensuring a smoother and more stable performance.
Demon Gates Bug Fix: A specific Sentry3D error that occurred when players attacked Demon Gates has been corrected. This fix prevents unexpected graphical glitches and improves the stability of game effects.

Software and Compatibility Fixes:

Game Recognition in Third-Party Applications: Resolved compatibility issues with GeForce Experience and ASUS Armory Crate, OBS etc. This fix ensures that the game is properly displayed and recognized in these popular gaming software applications, enhancing user accessibility and experience.

Equipment Balancing:

A formula error that caused non-Mystic weapons such as the Ghost Weapon, Dagger, Fan, Staff, and Bow to grant bonuses higher than intended, particularly in comparison to Mystic Weapons, has been corrected.

May 17, 2024

Hotfix Update 10g2: Fixes and adjustments

Soulstone Survivors - Game Smithing

Hello Survivors! :cozyroe:

We have just released Hotfix Update 10g2, which addresses the following issues:

New sound effects for Engineer skills and ascension;
New visual effect when upgrading a weapon;
Fixed an error in the damage calculation of skills that cause damage based on the accumulated abnormal damage on the target (such as Bleed, Doom, etc). These skills were ignoring effects from other negative effects (such as Fragility, etc), and should now be considerably stronger;
Fixed an issue where in a specific scenario where you had multiple summons and negative effect sources, that could lead the game into a situation where kills are not counted, bosses wouldn't drop loot, etc;
Fixed an issue where certain bonuses would not show in certain Engineer skills, like "+ Damage" bonuses not appearing for Guided Missiles (visual fix only);
Fixed the Devastating description used on the Portable Nuke skill;
Fixed issue with achievements not being highlighted in a very specific scenario;
Fixed typo in Extended Magazines rune which had a duplicated "%" symbol;
Fixed an issue where the weapon name could show as "Character01";
Fixed a few visual effects in the game throwing exceptions which could lead to performance degradation;

We hope that these changes will make your gameplay experience smoother and as always, if you run into any issues do let us know!

~Soulstone Team

May 17, 2024

Introducing The Building System

Rent A Car Simulator 24 - Raxert

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2099680/Rent_A_Car_Simulator_24/

Hello Car Investors!

We have new news for you from the development stages of Rent A Car Simulator 24.

Introducing The Building System

In Rent A Car Simulator 24, it is up to you to build your office the way you want.

With the detailed construction system, you can build a large single-storey office or a 10-storey plaza.

From an FPS perspective; Build glass frames, walls, stairs and all bilding parts.

You can arrange your cars in the offices you have built and invite your customers to come to your office.

We are developing an elevator to take your cars to the upper floors of your office. You will also have a lot of furniture and items to decorate your office (or maybe your plaza).

* Rent A Car Simulator 24 Construction and Decoration System is fully multiplayer compatible. We seem to see that great offices will be built while playing together.

Newly added Languages

* Added German language translation.
* Added Portuguese language translation.
* Added Russian language translation.

Some videos from Youtube about Rent A Car Simulator 24

* Thanks to our Youtuber friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6rF-jMIyTU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2bLgHhI6i0

Add To Wishlist

Add to wishlist and follow to keep up with the game and support us.

Thank you on behalf of Rent A Car Simulator 24!

May 17, 2024

Hotfix 0.1.1446

Get Your Tentacles Off My Waifu! - Flying Realms

Professionals: Don't deploy on Friday
Me: Deploys on Friday

Hey - Dev Here

as planned we managed to get a hotfix build out, which addresses most things we noticed during the A MAZE.

Here is a changelog:

Fixed the crash when picking up slot upgrades (like from the gray box in level 02).
Fixed the endless loop in the dialog with the Picnic Waifu after level 01.
Fixed an error where players lose stardust when loading a game, when also having items equipped.
Tutorial boxes are back at the bottom left corner instead of obstructing the playfield.
Fixed missing tooltips in the level info screen.
Pause menu can now be opened during dialogs.
Replaced a few occurrences of the word "level" in various texts. Better for the immersion.

What's next:
For the next few weeks we will split out attention to the UI and the waifu dialogs. With our two days per week we spend out Troubleshoot Thursdays to improve the UI to improve readability and make it easier to understand what is a button and what not. When we are done with the UI, we will start, getting rid of the diegetic house menu and replacing it with a simple menu for inventory management.

Our Feature Fridays will be writing dialogs for the Waifus and making sure all of them are in the House all the time. The dialogs will be more about tutorials, some world building, idly chatting and similar and preparing some logic for the different story arcs. Maybe we also address the books strewn all over the house to make use of the dialog system.

When the above things are done (maybe around the beginning of July), things will become super interesting, because we get into the big content production phase. We will finalize our level making tools, doing small overhauls with the existing levels and also have the dialogs with the waifus affect the gameplay (like getting a few items).

But for now - Let's have a nice weekend.