Dust: Battle Beneath Alpha 0.03

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knorke
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Re: Dust: Battle Beneath Beta 0.01

Post by knorke »

I had similiar problems as UnixRoot. Mainly because the game told me about keyboard controls but not to also use the mouse. It also said "Build: Space" but hitting spacebar did nothing. I could place blocks with right mousebutton.

The minimap is too big and eventually blocks view of the gameplay. That stopped me from further exploring the levels and game. It is meant to look as in the attached screenshot?

When clicking buttons (like inventory) then that click should shot a bullet.
What does the camera-icon do, just change the zoom a bit? Maybe better to do zooming via mousewheel, less interruptive.
After having started the tutorial, I pressed random keys to advance without reading text (as players always do)
That accidently changed my keybindings. The tutorial not be exited with ESC, pressing ESC only makes it skip to the next textline. Only at the end can the tutorial be exited.

It would help to have mouse pointers that change on the possible actions. Like a crosshair when shooting, a shovel when pointing a removeable block etc.
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Gunroar:Cannon()
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Re: Dust: Battle Beneath Beta 0.01

Post by Gunroar:Cannon() »

knorke wrote: Thu Feb 03, 2022 11:46 am I had similiar problems as UnixRoot. Mainly because the game told me about keyboard controls but not to also use the mouse. It also said "Build: Space" but hitting spacebar did nothing. I could place blocks with right mousebutton.

The minimap is too big and eventually blocks view of the gameplay. That stopped me from further exploring the levels and game. It is meant to look as in the attached screenshot?

What does the camera-icon do, just change the zoom a bit? Maybe better to do zooming via mousewheel, less interruptive.
After having started the tutorial, I pressed random keys to advance without reading text (as players always do)
That accidently changed my keybindings. The tutorial not be exited with ESC, pressing ESC only makes it skip to the next textline. Only at the end can the tutorial be exited.

It would help to have mouse pointers that change on the possible actions. Like a crosshair when shooting, a shovel when pointing a removeable block etc.
Wow, really nice feedback. There's some stuff you said that I never even thought of putting. Right now I'm on a fixing spree making the games UI and little things better so this really helps.
When clicking buttons (like inventory) then that click should shot a bullet.
:rofl: Yeah, can't believe I forgot to fix that. Got a few complaints about it.
The risk I took was calculated,
but man, am I bad at math.

-How to be saved and born again :huh:
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Gunroar:Cannon()
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Re: Dust: Battle Beneath Beta 0.01

Post by Gunroar:Cannon() »

https://hmmmgames.itch.io/dust-bb

It seems I have done a lot ... in some ways.
Yeah, a new beta-that-should-be-called-alpha-or-something-like-that build!
This fixes quite a few problems that everyone has told me about and then some.

And on top of that there's a gallery for sale with cool pictures of the Dust world!
Here's a preview of the gallery so you know what to expect.
Image
30+ images from the deep dark depths of me heart.

But now for all the messups I have made, check out the change long-I mean log:
• fixed minimap intrusiveness
• fixed bots AI some more (no longer do they rush thee so)
• fixed bug that caused first room in first playthrough to not give back the controls to the player
• watched Encanto, pretty okay, but between me and you, we don't talk about Bruno
• fixed implementation of screenshake
• fixed companions AI a little
• fixed radio talking too much (a little)
• Fixed clicking sound when dialog is on
• balanced the levels to be quicker and funner
• improved explosions (kind of)
• revamped in-game UI (especially for DESKTOP users)
• changed the way "Big Guys" (bigPatrollers) attack
• added robot patroller thingy
• ate breakfast late, don't judge me
• added some accessibility options (like turn off screenshake, etc)
• added some video options to help increase performance
• added indicator for if you're shooting or building
• Watched "Arcane", okay though not as good as "Invincible"
• added some equipment that can change runs
• You're a gopher, they are moles. It's different, alwaaaays has been BABY.
• added mimics
• other small bug fixes and additions that I forgot about or too ashamed to list out.
Hopefully if this does well for the next update I'll add the second boss (also read as: second boss will be added if someone manages to reach the first boss.)

Oh, yeah... THE FAN FIC...heheh...that I wrote for fun ... just bcause (from devlog)
Image
Chapter 0.1: He was leaving.
============================
Moe knew he had to leave when the ceiling blew up.
The gophers had infiltrated the lab section of the mole tunnels and he couldn't let all the information he had gathered during his research go to waste. Of course he wasn't the only scientist the moles had, but he was the only insane scientist the moles had and insane is what "The Project" needed.
He pressed the ominous purple button and put on his gas mask, now starting for the hidden tunnel to another section while his room filled with a caustic fluid. They would wait for the dust from the explosion to clear, then enter the room to see if anyone was inside. The stupid thing Moe had done was that with the fresh caustic gas he triggered (which would not manage to kill the gophers) it was clear someone was recently in the room, so they would go searching for him. The insane thing he had done was, with the gas, trigger a chemical reaction with a strange liquid in a test tube on his table, which would somehow manage to sound an alarm after a certain time had passed, and that, in turn, will manage to kill the gophers. That, in turn, will actually manage to kill everything in the sector, but Moe wasn't going to be in the sector for long.
At this point it seems of small importance to note that Moe was tagged "insane scientist" by the head Moles to undergo "The Project". But to become an "insane scientist" in the mole society all you had to do was apply for the job of a "normal mole scientist" without any qualifications whatsoever (except that of lack of planning). You were then tagged as one of the "insane". And just in case this point wasn't clear enough, The Project needed insane.
Moe shimmied as fast as he could through the tunnels, cleaned his glasses and lost all hope for the future.
There are many reasons he did this. For one, his glasses were a little dirty after all the shimmying and he could barely see what was in front of him. Another reason is that, just to be sure every moment until his end was captured, he needed the glasses as clean as they could be. Of course there are many more reasons why the insane choose to clean their glasses at certain times but these were the fourth and third most important things to convey.
The second being that Moe was still in the sector and the first being that the alarm had begun to ring.
====

How did you like it? There's that and another chapter in the dust gallery. Hey, I do it cause it's fun.

https://hmmmgames.itch.io/dust-bb
The risk I took was calculated,
but man, am I bad at math.

-How to be saved and born again :huh:
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Gunroar:Cannon()
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Re: Dust: Battle Beneath Alpha 0.02

Post by Gunroar:Cannon() »



It seems my hard work pays off...or not. I don't know. But anyways with the completion of the first area of the game comes he second part which is themed Circus, baby!

Yeah. Woot...woot...woot? All the areas are linked by an over arching story because of the way I plan to do the plot.

See, there are roguelikes like Nuclear Throne and Spelunky which have a plot/reason why you keep on coming back (Nuclear Throne has each playthrough be an alternate universe where the mutants are deciding who goes to get the throne or something, which is kind of deep that in the sense of you only having two characters unlocked could be that the others died in the attempt to take the throne, and also the way they're around the camp. It gives the sense of one last get together or something. And in Spelunky the main character has a curse...or something). And then there are roguelikes like Hades where it has a clear story told to you. But I want to make mine a little in the middle.

Image

It has a full story with twists and turns and stuff. But I want to minimize the dialog because this ain't no RPG if you get what I'm s'ying.

The gophers are attacking the moles for an unknown reason. Their forces aren't depleting. With each gopher that dies in battle another pops up take it's place. They're people out there ochestrating this ... "war". The gophers just follow orders and are set on completing any task given to them because that's their way as a species and ... ... There's a story. Written...errmmmm...down.

The circus theme has to do with circuses and clowns and acrobats and a magician and stuff. Just...let the sketches I did for ideas do the talking.

Image

It will probably look better in implementation...probably.

Oh, yeah. If you check in the comments the Dust page​​ you'll see a limited time free key for the gallery. (If it doesn't work then too late.)

Here's another free key if you can't be bothered to open the page now.

*Byes*
The risk I took was calculated,
but man, am I bad at math.

-How to be saved and born again :huh:
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Gunroar:Cannon()
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Re: Dust: Battle Beneath Alpha 0.02

Post by Gunroar:Cannon() »

Thanks, man.
Thumbs ... :up:
The risk I took was calculated,
but man, am I bad at math.

-How to be saved and born again :huh:
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togFox
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Re: Dust: Battle Beneath Alpha 0.02

Post by togFox »

that is a very cool looking itch page.
Current project:
https://togfox.itch.io/backyard-gridiron-manager
American football manager/sim game - build and manage a roster and win season after season
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Gunroar:Cannon()
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Re: Dust: Battle Beneath Alpha 0.02

Post by Gunroar:Cannon() »

Thanks, I tried my best to make it ... errr...itchy? give off the *dust* vibe.
The risk I took was calculated,
but man, am I bad at math.

-How to be saved and born again :huh:
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Gunroar:Cannon()
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Re: Dust: Battle Beneath Alpha 0.03

Post by Gunroar:Cannon() »

​Welp, did the update, just a bunch of small changes  and or-anges:

- ​Revamped levels to be quicker and less of a hassle
- Improved enemy AI
- Reduced helper AI :rofl:
- Fixed old bugs, added new ones
- Killed some time
- Added clown levels (4-5, not yet complete)
- Removed weird bullet system for gun system
- Only one type of block
- Fixed some tutorial thingies

Direct download, Here it is!​

Dust: Battle Beneath. Woot.

I'll see how things goeses. :P
The risk I took was calculated,
but man, am I bad at math.

-How to be saved and born again :huh:
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knorke
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Re: Dust: Battle Beneath Alpha 0.03

Post by knorke »

On first run, it crashed with a love "blue screen" when I clicked "edit keys" in the controls pop-up. I think it was about something file-related...forgot to copy it.
Also, that popup still only tells about keyboard controls but not about using the mouse.

Building blocks feels a bit unprecise because it does not always place the block on the highlighted tile. Sometimes it placed one tile closer to the player.

I often accidently dug the ground I was standing on when I wanted to shot downwards over an edge. Digging should maybe be a seperate key from shooting.

The minimap is better but still felt to be blocking the view, perpaps the map and all UI elements should be at the edge of the screen instead of towards the center.
The messages did not always make sense to me and felt interruptive. Together with the chat from enemies plus UI plus enemies bouncing around and sometimes the game pauses for a textmessage..there is too much stuff fighting for the player's attention at the same time.
(I watched a play-through video from the itch.io comments and he seemed to have similiar problems)
Maybe the first level should be slower paced and explain mechanics one after another.
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