Just a quicky update.

It had come to my attention that the previous demo had issues a good while into the dungeon. I have just uploaded demo version 0.27.01 to Itch. All know issues have been resolved in that one.

Link: https://hornofbalance.itch.io/horn-of-balance-pre-ks-demo

While I'm at it. If you want to see a nice playthrough of the game also check out:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1796342153

More great news this weekend!
The first demo in the new style has finally been completed and is now downloadable over on Itch.io. Here the link: https://hornofbalance.itch.io/horn-of-balance-pre-ks-demo

Please show it some love so it can reach as many people as possible.

Progress report:

Code: [Select]

v0.26.210 (10 apr 2023)
* Applied hero pallet shader to new running animations
* Can now also stop running by pressing the run button again
* Replaced three sound effects with placeholder sounds
* Dropped part of the run follow up frames for more responsive controls

v0.26.211 (11 apr 2023)
* Created and implement new boss death sprite

v0.26.212 (12 apr 2023)
* Created and implemented flintstone fire effects
* Added extra check to prevent you burning through your mp too fast using the flintstones too fast
* Created hero water terrain overlay sprites and started implementing
* Improved (optional) text during demo starting room for newer players
* Polished cape usage a little

v0.26.213 (13 apr 2023)
* Finished implemented hero water terrain overlay sprites

v0.26.214 (14 apr 2023)
* Improved overlapping sprites between hero and water-grass
* Tweaked and implemented ice and fire elemental sprites
* Added kickstarter link and references in the demo
* Recolored wind elemental
* Made boss harder
* Cleaned up code behind item menu slightly
* Updated credits

v0.26.215 (15 apr 2023)
* Fixed error when lighting key demo dungeon torches
* Renamed extra control options
* Now auto detects controlers at all times
* Game now works with multiple controls at once (=use whichever you want if you have multiple plugged in)
* Updated credits
* Options to only show a partial HUD now takes effect immediatly when selected
* Shift button now also valid for button mapping
* Slightly edited button mapping process
* Sped up default room transition sequence
* Increased default gamepad stick deadzone
* Fixed visual hickup while falling down to the floor below
* Updated tilework in one of the early demo rooms to better signal sideroom
* Put out next sound commission
* Switched controller A and B button functionality

Before I get into the proper update:
This game now has a kickstarter page:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hornofbalance/horn-of-balance

Even if you have a passing interest in this game be sure to show your support by pressing the little notification button over there. To be notified of when the event actually goes live, but also to make a difference in making my dream a full reality.


So.. I've had the past week off from work and was able to tackle many of the remaining spriting challenges. Which is a great relieve for me as I still do not consider myself a great pixelartist or anything. Each animation is new and a new puzzle to solve. Especially the abstract effects I find hard to wrap my head around before getting started. That being said, once done they are done. Unlike enemies and tiles I´ll only need single variants so that's a relief as well.

Also, after literal days of experimentation I've finally gotten the run animation to be just the way I had envisioned it beforehand. Will anyone care how each wind pixel has a reasoned position? No, properly not. But I like to think all the small details will all add up in the end. To leave people with the impression that this game is more than just the sum of it's parts you know.

Anyway, here's the ever shrinking list of remaining items till the next demo:
- 1x character actions visuals <-- DONE! Just don't ask me how many days I actually spend working on it. It was all worth it okay. 😆
- 7x 3x effect visuals
- 2x sound effects to replace
- Full playthrough for testing <-- One more outstanding playtest request

Progress report:

Code: [Select]

v0.26.204 (3 apr 2023)
* Made progress on new run animation
* Implemented visuals for another new elemental sprites
* Altered enemy crossbow colors for better readability
* Fixed depth issue when subboss destroys northern wall pieces
* Created replacement sprites for 3 more effects: floor destruction and spirit energy orbs and run effects

v0.26.205 (4 apr 2023)
* Tweaked visuals run effects and elementals
* Added new visuals for running in water
* Tweaked hurt and crash visuals
* Added extra debug function
* Added new visuals for landing in water
* Fixed small demo tiling and masking issue
* Tweaked demo dungeon tileset
* Worked on better visuals for another elemental sprite

v0.26.206 (5 apr 2023)
* Tweaked and implemented visuals for one more new elemental sprites
* Implemented replacement visuals for cape use
* Added new item to demo starting equipment: revival elemental sprite
* Made more progress with the hero run animation

v0.26.207 (6 apr 2023)
* Made more progress on the new run animations (with and without carried objects)
* Improved carried object sprite allignment

v0.26.208 (7 apr 2023)
* Recoded and expanded hero movement engine to cut across large corners more smoothly
* Fixed issues with frozen floors connected to moving platforms
* Made more progress on running animation

v0.26.209 (8-9 apr 2023)
* Finished and implemented new run animations

Yes it was. Thank you very much.

A birthday. Yours?
If so, happy belated birthday!

This weekends progress has been small due to a birthday and needing some time to recharge. I will be working a little more then usual throughout this week though, so expect more progress by the end of next weekend.

As always, here's the list of remaining items till the next demo:
- 1x character actions visuals <-- PROGRESS: Got a first draft done for one of the 4 movement directions.
- 7x effect visuals <-- UPDATE: Been tweaking a few things to work up to the actual effect sprites.
- ~~3x ~~ 2x sound effects to replace <-- PROGRESS: A small new batch of sounds has been implemented. My sound engineer is too busy to do more this month, so I'll have to look for the rest elsewhere. While sounds were delivered I found 2 more sounds to replace while playtesting.
- ~~Text engine font update~~ <-- UPDATE: I'm pushing this beyond the next demo.
- Full playthrough for testing <-- Just needs one final pass I think

Progress report:

Code: [Select]

v0.26.197 (28 mrt 2023)
* Configured earlier hurt sprites to work with the pallet swapper (which I forgot to do earlier)
* Played around with an enemy pallet swapper to reduce future implementation time of (complex) enemy visuals
* Tweaked eye spider visuals slightly

v0.26.198 (29 mrt 2023)
* Applied a pallet swapper to (almost all) the containers (cutting out 42 resources and making future additions far easier to add and maintain)

v0.26.199 (30 mrt 2023)
* Applied a pallet swapper to the remaining containers (cutting another 13 supporting resources)

v0.26.200 (31 mrt 2023)
* Applied new enemy pallet swapper to more enemies (to cut another 137 resources)
* Tweaked DW frost pallet

v0.26.201 (31 mrt 2023)
* Found a major issue with the latest changes and rolled back changes to v0.26.196

v0.26.202 (1 apr 2023)
* Fixed the remaining issues resulting from rollback
* Fixed issue with hero shadow after use of revival sprite
* Tweaked sound timing when pushing/pulling objects
* Added destruction sprites for bones, frozen+stone enemies and banners
* Worked with sound engineer
* Finished character revival sequence

v0.26.203 (2 apr 2023)
* Started work on new running sprites
* Implemented a few more sounds

Looks impressive! I'll have to try it out sometime!

I second. I'll wait eagerly for a release. I did one once with GBC graphics and your one here looks really promising.

I know I haven't been on this site like I used to, but I still make those fangames. I just finished one with Tetra and her crew -- a massive open world, 3D thing starring Tetra and using DS models. And heck, is there a better place to share it than zfgc?

Available here:
https://gamejolt.com/games/Tetra_LI/794044

The blurb:

She's back! Tetra and her crew are stranded on the Lonely Island by a mysterious storm. Now she must adventure and explore across a vast open world, finding upgrades and treasures, battling monsters and rescuing survivors, to banish the evil that dwells on the island and return to the open sea.

Can be played with WASD+mouse or XBOX-style controller. (controls are shown on pause screen, press Esc/Start) Super proud of this one. Hope you have a good time playing it.

Anyways... for whoever may see this post... enjoy!

Well, the last couple of days really flew by this weekend. It´s nearly midnight again as well. To quickly summarize: some really good progress was made (meaning I got stuff done and at the level of quality I wanted), but it's also very much clear that a demo will never be ready by April 1st.  Still working my ass of regardless.

I have been in contact with a few animators that maybe could help out with the effects animation, but it's still too early to say if it's going to result in anything, let alone anything usable.

Here's the list of remaining items till the next demo:
- 3x enemy visual to replace <-- DONE! It feels good to fully close this chapter
- 4x 1x character actions visuals <-- PROGRESS: Lots of progress on this front as well. Now it's just the hardest animation left.
- 7x effect visuals
- 10x 3x sound effects to replace <-- PROGRESS: Replaced a few more sounds and dropped another. The next sound batch is getting worked on this week.
- Text engine font update <-- PROGRESS: Added characters for a custom foreign language. I'll likely leave it at that for now and replace the font itself in a later demo.
- Full playthrough for testing

Progress report:

Code: [Select]

v0.26.189 (17 mrt 2023)
* Tweaked skeleton sprites
* Replaced a few more sounds
* Had another playtesting session
* Added shine to key drops, to make them more noticeable
* Tweaked item drop rates
* Tweaked intro hinttexts
* Fixed small masking oversight
* Flintstones usage requires magic again
* Tweaked music calls a little
* Further tweaked hinttexts and a few more visuals

v0.26.190 (18 mrt 2023)
* Simplified coding behind the ingame menu navigation (also to slightly simplify usage)
* Fixed small visual hickup when equipping uncollected items
* Player starts with a one time usage caught sprite
* Tweaked existing skeleton soldier sprites
* Created sprites for another skeleton enemy type
* Cleaned up some old skeleton/skull movement scripts
* Finished implementing new visuals headless skeletons and floating skulls
* Added extra effect for soldiers when noticing the hero
* Floor indicator stays visible slightly longer in the HUD
* Worked on hero hurt sprites

v0.26.191 (19 mrt 2023)
* Cleaned up the coding for default soldier enemies further
* Created (and almost finished implementing) new visuals for skeleton bowman enemy type
* Worked with sound engineer to replace another sound effect

v0.26.192 (20 mrt 2023)
* Made some progress implementing sprites crossbow wielding skeleton
* Created new visuals for crossbow
* Tweaked some hinttexts
* Dropped bombs from the upcoming demo (for now)
* Tweaked some demo container contents

v0.26.193 (21 mrt 2023)
* Tweaked final boss color pallet
* Updated foreign language font
* Updated credits

v0.26.194 (24 mrt 2023)
* Finally finished implementing new visuals crossbow wielding skeletons
* Added new visuals for skeleton thrown projectile
* Nearly finished work on the spider eye enemy visuals and AI

v0.26.195 (25 mrt 2023)
* Finished work on the spider eye enemy visuals and AI
* Cleaned up a pallet swapper issues with the latest enemies
* Worked on new hero hurt sprites

v0.26.196 (26 mrt 2023)
* Finished and implemented new visuals for: getting hurt, getting shocked (for now), wall crashing, and the dying starting frame
* Fixed error when trying to use non-existent weapon
* Implemented one more new sound effect
* Disabled a few sound effects (for now to be replaced later)
* Implemented visuals for another elemental sprite