[DevLog] My Friend Pedro: Blood Bullets Bananas

[Pampers]

Keep a slight bend in the elbows, and have the upper body move more along with the arms and you will end up with a much less stiff look to the animations

[DeadToast]

This week the focus has been mainly on experimenting with new weapons. But before we get to that, I'd like to show the result of what I started working on last week:



It's a drone-like-thing which roams around until it sees you. When it does it follows you and tries to kill you. BUT! The cool thing is that if you manage to get underneath it you can grab on to it and use it's weapon against other enemies!




Next I started playing around with some new weapons, like this short range impulse-gun-shield-combo. You can use it to launch you a bit further in the game, or vaporize an enemy at close range. Holding down the right mouse button activates a time limited shield which bounces back the enemy bullets. It's pretty good fun!




"I used to be a bad-ass like you, but then I took an explosive arrow to the knee."
This is a "double cross bow" which fires an arrow that you later can explode by pressing the right mouse button. Firing it is silent, so you can use it to set up some traps, if you feel that's how you'd want to tackle the situation.




This is a rifle which is quite powerful and can be shot rapidly. Holding down the right mouse activates the long range mode which allows you to take out unsuspecting fools from a distance.




And lastly, I just got a little idea of making it so you can open a car door in the background to turn it in to cover. Which makes me think there should be more things you can interact with in the environment. Will have a think about that later...



Aaaand, that wraps it up for this week. There could potentially be less updates from now on, since I might shift gear a bit in to actually putting all of this stuff together in to an actual game. Would be cool to release some gameplay videos showing these things in context.

Until next time,
Piece out, bruv!

[DeadToast]

This week I didn't quite manage to do as much as I'd have liked in the game. There were a fair bit of pondering about how to introduce the various mechanics to the player. The conclusion was that a good place to start is making some speech bubbles. So I had a first stab at getting speech bubbles working in the game! There was a bit of a struggle getting my head around the Unity GUI stuff, but I'm starting to get to grips with it now.

Check it out:


Oh and let's not forget, Pedro is making his first appearance! Much excite!

I'm afraid that's about all I can share from this week! The focus is shifting on to stuff that's hard to capture in GIFs at the moment. So, again, not sure if there'll be a post next week.

Stay tuned to find out! (:
Ta!

[DeadToast]

Just a short update:

This week I don't really have anything to show, since the focus has been on making some cutscene-type tools and there are no exciting cutscenes made... yet. I've been trying to deal with the age old trouble of seamlessly syncing up the animation of two different objects in the scene. I've been thinking of making a video similar to the one showing the level design tools, just to share the ideas I've been playing with. Let me know if this sounds interesting and I might get a video together!

Soon I'll be able to make a (probably temporary) start to the game with some tutorials and stuff followed by some much overdue testing of the actual game with actual people who aren't me or my girlfriend (gosh... scary)!

I guess that's all I've got to say for now.
Until next time.
Toodles!

[DeadToast]

Guess who's back. Back again.
It's been a while since my last update. The reason being that I've been doing a lot of work on stuff that isn't too exciting, or even possible, to show. Basically I've been putting a lot of effort in to having some sort of start to the game, with the intention of being able to hand over the game to someone and have them play the game without me explaining anything.

So yes, now there's a system in place for making cutscenes, timing speech bubbles and having on screen button prompts. Still lots of work to be done in those areas, but at least there's something to start with now!

Anyways, so earlier in the week I took a bit of a break from that kind of work and suddenly felt I had to make a mech enemy. It seems to fit with all the other new enemy types and my general idea for the setting of the game. Also it makes for a pretty cool enemy.

Check it out:


In addition to all of this I've been working on little tweaks in the controls of the player and feel like I have managed to iron out some of the major stuff I was doubting before, hopefully making it easier for more people to play the game without limiting the potential for the most skilled players.

And also, here are some screenshots of some of the new areas showing the current state of the button prompts and tutorials.










That's it for now! Again, could be a little while before next update. Let's see.
Until then.
Chip chip ploop.

Edited March 25, 2016 by DeadToast

[DeadToast]

It's high time for another update, don't you think?

Despite the lack of posts lately, things are moving on steadily! There's been quite a bit of work on stuff I can't really show in a screenshot or GIF, like implementing a checkpoint system so that you don't have to restart the whole level when you die.

However, there are a few things I can show off, like some of the HUD work that's been going on. Check it:

Here's a snazzy little animation that let's you know when you've picked up a new weapon and what type of weapon it is.



I've also made it so that you can now hold down a key/button to bring up this weapon selector. And while choosing your weapon, time slows down extra much in order to help you plan your next move.



I also did a little bit of work getting the ammo and health HUD to match with the new look. I'm still not sure how final all of this is, but it'll work for now!




After putting quite a bit of work in to lots of smaller things, I've been excited to FINALLY sit down and start focusing on actually making gameplay for the whole big game. I've started white boxing some new levels, like this obligatory roof top level below (can't have an action game without a roof top level):




Also, here's a little bonus GIF of some of the trickery that you can do in the game.




And there you have it! Though there are probably a bunch of stuff I forgot to mention. But mainly I just wanted to let you all know the game is coming along nicely.

I've actually managed to have a little bit of a break too, in the hopes of saving myself from a complete burn out. It's also healthy to try and get a bit of distance from the game from time to time. Luckily enough, when I came back to play the game after the break I really really enjoyed it! And I hope you will too, one day 

That's all for now! And again, it could be a while before the next update. I want to get stuck in and super focused on making loads of fun levels!

Until next time,
High fives all around! High five!

[DeadToast]

It's hiiiigh tiime... foor.. an update!

Gosh, it's already been two months since last update. Time flies! But just because there hasn't been any updates, doesn't mean there hasn't been any progress.

Up until about two weeks ago I was mainly focusing on making white box levels, which I've found to be quite tricky to share in a DevLog update, hence the lack of updates. But now! Now, now I've got some new exciting things to share with you all.

Let's start with something that I've been pondering for a while: A high-speed motorcycle chase sequence!

It's still in a very early stage (as with most things currently in this game) but I feel like I've proven that the gameplay is really good fun and totally worth investing the time to polish it up.


The next thing that gets me really excited is this new move I've added to the core mechanics of the game. You can now spin in the "local y-axis of the player" to dodge bullets. Check it out:


... Adding this was pretty huge for me since it opened up possibilities of more challenging enemies later on in the game. It also makes you feel like a total bad-ass when pulled off right.

So! After adding the spin-dodge I started sketching out some new heavier looking guards which take a bit more damage and are generally a bit harder to deal with. This is what they currently look like:


The idea is that these guards will be working for whatever will end up being the big bad boss you're fighting in this game. So I thought it could be cool if they could appear in different, more surprising, ways from the other "gangster" enemies. So I started experimenting with having them rappel through glass ceilings:


Another little thing I thought could make things interesting is adding some other technology to these guards arsenal. I made these little "shield projectors" which you have to destroy before being able to shoot the guards. I believe placing these shield projectors in interesting places can create some nice gameplay.


And finally I've done a quick experiment with this "laser-detection-mine" which homes in on you if you're detected.


Aside from all of this there has been quite a lot of little tweaks and things going on in various places. There are some new levels and all in all I think there is currently about 1 hour worth of unedited gameplay (that's me speed-running through it). Some of that will probably be scrapped, but there will definitely be loads more to come.

That is all for now. I can't make any promises about when the next update is coming, as per usual. Just trying to keep my head down and stay busy!

So until next time,
Buh-bye!

[DeadToast]

Hello boys and girls!

Did you miss me, because I sure missed you. It's been way too long. But do I have something exciting to tell you. Oh boy, you bet!

Are you ready? Are you sitting down?
Devolver Digital is joining me on the journey to bring MFP to all of you out there! How cool is that?! If you aren't directly familiar with Devolver Digital, I'm sure you've heard of some of the games/series of games they've helped bring to market, such as 'Hotline Miami', 'Shadow Warrior', 'Broforce' and 'Serious Sam' to name a few.

 

To celebrate this joyous occasion I've prepared a little video for your enjoyment. It's showing what it's currently like playing a level in MFP. Bear in mind, things can and probably will still change a lot between the release of this video and the release of the actual game. But, you know, just wanted to keep ya'll in the loop of what's been going on with the game

 

Topping off all this excitement there is also a brand spanking new Steam page! Why don't you head on over there and add it to your wishlist: Store.steampowered.com

Oh, and in case this is the first time you've come across this game you'd might want to have a look at the trailer that was released just about one year ago (goodness how time flies):
Youtu.be

And in case you're not already, be sure to follow on Twitter/Facebook and/or sign up to the newsletter at Deadtoast.com
Facebook: Facebook.com
Twitter: Twitter.com

I'll update you all on the latest in-game-experiments soonish. Just wanted to let this news sink in first.
Toodles for now!

Edited November 18, 2016 by DeadToast

[DeadToast]

Well hello there! How nice of you to stop by. Come, let me show you what's been happening in my world over the last while.

There's been a lot of work going in to the game over the past few months. So much, in fact, that I struggle to remember all the new stuff! But here are some of the big gameplay things I've been playing around with:


Seeing as ya'll loved the bullets bouncing off the frying pan so much, I pondered on how I could expand on that even more and create some more directed gameplay moments with the same essence. So I made some snazzy signs which behave similar to the frying pan, just that they can't be kicked about.


So I've been thinking about what the 'boss battles' should be like. A traditional set up for a boss fight didn't seem quite right, so I've been thinking about it more in terms of "memorable moments" or "punctuation" through the progress of the game. After making the motorcycle chase it seemed to fit as a memorable moment and I wanted to make more similar things. So I made this sky fall section. There'll still be "bosses" that you fight, but the focus in those sections will be more zoomed out than just focusing on the boss interaction on it's own (at least that's the current plan).


I've also added some extra, more casual, gameplay elements. I thought it could be interesting to have an alarm the enemies can trigger, giving you a time window to kill the enemy before he reaches the alarm, kind of thing. I figured using some time pressure is good in a game were you can slow down time. It gives you a practical use of the slow motion.


I also made this sniper enemy. The main point of it is that they can shoot you from off the screen, but you'll see their laser aiming in on you, allowing you to dodge the bullets with some skill and timing.


I also thought it'd be interesting to have some melee enemies that charge at you and have a bit of extra life, creating more time pressure, again.

I guess that's all for this DevLog entry. I still have some things in the backlog to share with you, but that will have to wait until next update.

Oh yeah, just thought I'd mention a little disclaimer: Any of the features you see in this whole DevLog (including other posts beyond this one) might not make it in to the final game. I'm just sharing what I've been playing around with. Just thought it'd be good to mention that in case someone would get disappointed if they don't end up seeing something they thought were cool in the final game. The things I've shown so far that probably won't make it in to the game is the impulse rifle, electricity gun and the drone. Though the core idea of some of these things might still make it in to the game in a different form. I guess that's just the nature of games development.

Until next time!
Buh-bye.

[DeadToast]

Hold on to your hats and take a deep breath. Things are about to get a bit... strange...

The game is pretty close to having a rough version of all the gameplay elements now. This post will mainly focus on a particular part of the game, namely Pedro's world *distant rumblings of thunder*

The idea of Pedro's world is that anything can happen and I can play around with ideas that would otherwise maybe break the setting of the rest of the game.


First up we've got some pretty standard bounce pads. Combined with the acrobatics they're really good fun. Bounce pads is also something that's been part of most platforming games I've worked on before, so I guess it's a bit within my comfort zone as a developer too.


Next are some simple platforms that disappear as you step off them. This is the introduction level to Pedro's world. It seems work well for setting the tone of just showing that this world is different from the rest.


I thought it'd be funny to make use of the spin-dodge maneuver in an unexpected way. So I made these massive screws that you control by spinning on top of them. It also provides a platform for puns such as 'things being screwed up' or suggesting that the player might have a 'screw lose'......


After doing a bit of playtesting it quickly became apparent that people expected to be able to do double wall jumps. I tried adding the feature and it turned out to be really fun! This is this works outside of Pedro's world too, btw.


Last but not least we've got the propeller hat... Because why not. As you spin you travel up with help from the propeller (it's a bit hard to see in the GIF) and as you start to fall down a little umbrella opens and makes you float downwards.

And that's all for this time. What I'm currently working on is dressing up some of the levels and figuring out what the different themes should look like. It's a bit of a struggle switching from the design/programming head space in to the visual, but things are coming out quite nicely so far. I'll probably give you an update on that next time 

Until then,
sayonara

[DeadToast]

Heya!

I guess by now you're probably used to the long silences between these DevLog updates. But fear not! It doesn't not mean there is no progress on the game. Quite the contrary! I've been so busy working on the game that I just haven't had time to keep ya'll updated through here. I do however try to post a little something something over on Twitter every once in a while (@deadtoast_com)

So! I thought I'd do a little compilation of what I've been posting on twitter for anyone who might have missed it. Prepare for GIF overload!


So this is a little snippet of what Pedro's world currently looks like. There will be a short part of the game where things might get a bit... weird...


Here's another little preview of what another theme currently looks like. It's supposed to be some sort of electricity power plant-sort-of-location.


Again, here's another theme. Like everything else you've seen so far it's Work in Progress. The GIF also demonstrates some of the more "puzzely" bits of the game where the tempo slows down a bit.


Aaand another theme. This one's a sewage. Because all video games must have a sewage theme.


Some good ol' sliding-and-shooting-action.


This is what I've been polishing up most recently, namely making it easier to pull of the move you see above. The kicking trajectory of objects are now visualized better and if you're close enough to an enemy it helps you auto aim your kicking to the enemies head. Jolly fun stuff.


This GIF is a bit special, actually, since it's exported directly from the actual game itself! Meaning the current plan is that you'll be able to export your own GIFs of yourself pulling off cool shizzle in the game, without having to use any third party GIF recording software!


Aaand that's probably enough stuff for now. There's still lots of work to be done, and there's still lots of work you haven't seen yet that has already been done. Like, for example, something that's worth a quick mention is that there is now a scoring system which adds to the general feedback of when you're doing cool stuff, and creates great opportunities for replayablity.

Until next time!
Toodles

[DeadToast]

Hey! Look! I'm alive, and so is the project. Sorry for the silence on here. If you've missed me and want to see more from the game more often, be sure to follow my Twitter: https://twitter.com/deadtoast_com

It takes a bit more effort to write something for the DevLog, and I like to focus my time as much as possible on actually making the game.. so... yeah.

Anyway! Here's a quick summary of some of the stuff that's been going on since last time.


I give to you: The Skateboard. So this one seems to be a bit of a crowd pleaser. There will be moments where you can use a skateboard and shoot bad-dudes at the same time. Because.. why not.


So after thinking about more cool things you could interact with in the game I thought of doing barrel running. I like the barrel because it can be used to run over enemies or if a barrel is placed above an enemy you can shoot the barrel to make it fall down and take out the enemy below.


I've been wanting to add kicking/melee for a while. I used to have a punching thing before, but it didn't feel right. I finally figured out a way of doing kicking that makes sense with the game. I'm quite happy with the fact that you have to "aim" your kick, or that the kick follows the direction you aim in.


This is the latest addition. Basically when doing play testing a lot of people were trying to do the split aim while swinging and later realizing they couldn't because one of the hands are used to grab on to the rope. I had a little think and thought it would be cool if you could grab the rope with your legs, freeing up both arms for split shooting.


I'm just including this GIF to show how some of the visuals have progressed. I'm quite liking the colour scheme going on in this level.


I also had a quick go at making some promo art. I went to Gamescom in Cologne a month ago, or so, and needed some flyers. It was amazing to meet developers from all over and even a couple of fans showed up which totally made the whole trip for me! It makes me so full of motivation knowing there are people out there who not only play stuff I make, but actually enjoy it! No feeling quite like it.

Aaand that's it for now. Don't forget... For more frequent updates, be sure to follow Twitter @deadtoast_com
Baaiiii