Friday, February 14, 2014

Nightfall b4 updates!

Hey guys! What's up?

I've been working some more on Nightfall these past days, and I decided to make some pretty big updates to the previously released Fourth beta. I encourage you to check it out, if you have the time!






Here's the changelog:

- Added new secret character (Character 8). You weren't expecting that, huh? Adding new characters is really tough, but this new addition is awesome.
- New bonuses for Fluttershy, Rarity and Character 7. Fluttershy now receives less damage while on mid-air, Rarity regenerates spirit faster, and Character 7 just got an awesome secret skill.
- Added new achievements. I also upgraded the 'Juicy Apples' achievement.
- Wave Attack is now affected by upgrades. I completely forgot to do this for the previous version. Now the Wave Attack is affected by upgrades! Including range.
- All Light Torches show now their area of effect while holding Shift. Pretty convenient.
- Percentage for energy and spirit can now be seen. Just place your mouse near the bars and you can check their percentages!
- Other minor changes and bug fixes. Code fixes, rebalancing, changes in skills, etc.


Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for all the feedback, guys! Keep it coming!
You can download the new version from the list.

See you later!

9 comments:

  1. Aww... You changed the code for secret character 7... At least I'm guessing. No one usually comes unless something related to you guys are posted on Equestria Gaming, so could I know what it was changed to? ;)

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    1. Try typing the name of a certain something she is usually associated with / she really likes!

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  2. Secret character 7 doesn't work with adventure mode. Is this intentional, or an oversight?

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  3. Hello Silly Mare Games! I do have time to play games.

    I've managed to complete the game in this beta (again!) using Rainbow Dash, and by completed I mean reached Night 30 plus beating all the bosses.

    1) The AI is much better. They target other structures now, and I found myself needing to rethink my strategy around them. In my playthrough, they took out a chunk of my base which I otherwise thought was well fortified to reach the end without a hitch. The surprise stun shots were good as well, keeping the player on their toes.

    2) The item and power drops were adequate. Rarely I get a yellow 'time stop' or a red 'clear screen' power up. I found the spirit potions most useful, however the others not quite. It simply isn't fun for me to pause the game then use a 'heal this structure for 25% of it's health', especially late in the game where the screen is full of blazing bullets from towers and enemies, the time it takes to use that item on the structure would probably be the time it takes for enemies to either damage the player or the structure severely. I think it's a challenge to balance these items in terms of functionality and fun factor.

    3) With speed control, I was able to micromanage things a bit better. I also was able to take out a treasure chest using slow speed settings, flying around in circles while eating juicy fruits off nearby planted trees. Still not practical to take on a treasure chest in this beta, though.

    4) The ability to sell off items makes a huge gameplay difference. Rainbow Dash has a huge advantage being able to traverse and explore the map the fastest. Playing as her enabled me to quickly gather up as much resources as possible and use/sell them. Getting a well fortified base early game is the key to victory here. The game is hard, but with the right strategy in early game it could make the rest of the game much, much easier.

    5) I liked the new achievements and abilities that came with it. Juicy apples was definitely useful, the 9th skill was really fun to play with and the variable attack types opens the way for new strategies. I've unlocked all but the survive to night 50 and 75 ones (as there were no enemies to fight anyway)

    6) Found the 7th character. Adding the 7th character was a stroke of genius, the special ability is perfect, adding 200% more fun to it. Very clever move there, guys! Kudos.

    Gameplay-wise, I'm really liking it. I do not know your future plans to implement all those blank features, but looking at this beta as-is, I think it's well made and balanced. Including new features comes the challenge of balancing stuff all over again, but if you're working as a game dev full time then that simply has to be done.

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    1. So, for my suggestions I'd say work on the other aspects of the game besides gameplay: art, sound/music, story.

      1) After 30+ rounds, the same terrain and backgrounds look like mud. The fandom is art based, so I'm sure you guys can improve on that. Heck, even some cover art or a loading screen backdrop would add some colour in this pixel art game.
      2) The brony fandom has many video game musicians, ever thought of asking people to make music for your game?
      3) I still would like some story to go with this game. Personal preference!

      This is my preference in what I'd like to see in a game, I'm unsure how many other gamers share my thoughts; so I'd say it simply is up to you to decide how developed this gets.

      I have played Adventure mode but have yet to complete it. Will finish it next time!

      When I get some free time, I'll try to play again as a different character. Will also consider snapping some screenshots or making short gameplay videos to highlight certain points.

      ***
      Overall, it was really fun. I'm really happy to see the new features implemented and they improved on the game tremendously. (Looking back at my old review: seems that almost all the points I brought up were addressed and resolved, no wonder I liked this new version!)

      To me this game is already a success. Hope to see the "final" product in the near future, and I also hope it'll get some decent exposure to the masses!

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    2. Thank you so much for your feedback, Muffyderp! It's really useful!
      I put a lot of hard work into the game, and I'm really glad to know you enjoyed it.

      There's still, indeed, some tweaking to do and some more stuff to implement, but the game is close to the Full Release. The next beta release will probably be the last beta!
      I have yet to implement a "potion belt", passive enemies, some music (I'll be composing it myself, I just have to get some free time), probably some more variation in art, etc.-
      I haven't decided much about the story, though- how to implement it, and stuff like that.

      Right now, one specific point I'm currently trying to get ideas for, is nighttime. When the night comes, if you have a good protected fort and enough towers to do the killing, the game can become kinda boring, and I want to avoid that. So I'm trying to think of stuff to do while you're in your fort at night. Not minigames, though- something useful for the game itself. I'd appreciate any ideas you may have, too!

      Anyway, Muffyderp, thanks a lot for your time and support! I really appreciate it.
      If you do gameplay videos, please send me a link! I'd love to see it.

      Talk to you later!

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  4. where is the link to the game :I

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    1. The download links are on the "Games and Contact" page. In case it doesn't work for you for any reason, here's a direct link to the current version:

      https://www.mediafire.com/?9v4aqsi7u4r76xi

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