project_LEAF Name Changed to "Exit Code LEAF"

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The official name for this game is now Exit Code LEAF. In future posts, I will use this new name to refer to the game.

I like the way it rolls off the tongue, and I think it conveys the vision of the game well. Exit Code conveys the technological aspect of the game, and LEAF, an acronym, also gives tech vibes. LEAF can also be interpreted as leaves in nature, so there is also an organic aspect as well. However, the main thing is that I think it sounds cool.

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ArmedWatcher Update

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It's been a couple days. I haven't done much on the game because I was busy bringing all of my social media up to date. I was also revamping this site so that it would be easier to navigate. Finally, I took some time off so that I could rethink the game's design.

I figured I should be more organized and consistent with my work flow, so here's what I will try to do with regards to this site:

• Check-ins once or twice per week. I'll post on Friday nights at the very least.
• Updated builds once per week. I want to give you the most recent builds, but it takes a lot of time to upload the builds, so I don't want to do it too often.
• More videos, screenshots only for specific details. This will reduce clutter on my posts. However, videos take longer to make and upload, which is another reason why I won't be updating as often.

I will do my utmost to provide the best experience for you, so hopefully these changes make your time here better.

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project_LEAF Status Update

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Here's stuff that I've been working on since my last post:

- HUD elements (so far only the boost bar is done)
- Heat/energy system to limit weapon spamming

While designing the HUD, I realized that I'm going to have to redesign it a couple times because it sucks, so for now I'm just going to create HUD elements as I need them. I need to incorporate the other systems first before I can visualize them in the HUD.

For now, here is a screenshot of the current build.

Here is the energy data displayed on the screen. Ignore the true/false text. They don't really mean anything that you need to know. Each weapon will have its own energy pool associated with it. The energy pool will probably take the place of ammo for guns.

Here is the boost bar. The green section is the current boost. The red bit at the end is an effect to interpolate between the previous boost amount and the new amount so that changes in the bar aren't too sudden. The blue bit at the left shows the minimum amount of boost needed to dash. In this game, if you don't have enough boost, you can't dash.

That's all for now in this update. Here are my goals for the next update:

- HUD elements for weapon energy

- Health (basic)

I really should be getting some sleep now. I've been up all night...yeah.

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project_LEAF Screenshots

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Here are some screenshots for you to look at if you haven't tried the test build.

Here are some screenshots of the level.

Here are some screenshots of the boost/flying mechanics.

Here are some screenshots of the shooting mechanics.

The download is still available as of this moment, so go ahead and try out the mechanics. Something I forgot to mention, however, is that it is highly recommended to play with a controller or a mouse that has a thumb button.

If you'd like to send feedback on the build, send it to this email: armedwatcher@gmail.com with the subject "projectleaf user feedback." 

In your response, indicate the build that you were playing. The build information is in the README file. If commenting on controls, indicate whether you were using a controller or keyboard and mouse. Having comfortable, natural-feelling controls is very important for this game.

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project_LEAF Build 1 Available for Testing

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I have a test build up on dropbox. You can download the zip from here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g9qrjx47w39wt0t/projectLEAF_win_v0.1.zip?dl=0

Be sure to read the README file for more information.

Also, if you're playing with a controller, be warned that it might feel weird at first. I'm trying out an experimental control scheme with this game. My goal with the controls is to reduce/eliminate use of the face buttons during combat so that the player can keep their thumbs on the analogue sticks and their index/middle fingers on the shoulder buttons and triggers. So, I moved jumping to L3 and dodging to R3 (the analogue stick buttons).

If there's enough demand for it, I'll add in jump/dodge functionality to the face buttons as well.

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Game Project Information: project_LEAF

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Working Title: project_LEAF

Genres: Action (40%), Adventure (40%), Role-Playing (20%)

Players: One

High Concept: Fast-paced mech combat with extensive exploration elements.

Description:

In project_LEAF, players control a Link Enhanced Armor Frame (LEAF) as they explore a deep, interconnected world. During their travels, players will encounter enemies and may have to engage in combat to proceed. As players explore and defeat enemies they acquire parts that may be used to customize their gear. The goal is to make the LEAF strong enough to defeat the final boss lying at the heart of the world.

Narrative/Plot Summary:

Not much of a story at this point. It's the basic nameless warrior goes to fight big bad archetype. I'm thinking of developing the story of each area as I design them.

Key Points:

1. Fast-paced action - project_LEAF's combat system simplifies the micromanagement and complicated controls prevalent in other mech games so that players can focus on the action.

2. Exploration - A lot of popular mech games (MechWarrior, Hawken, Armored Core) are mission-based with arena-style gameplay. I want to turn away from this and explore the adventure genre instead.

3. Build ANY gun you want - All guns are built by modifying parameters of a single gun archetype using weapon parts. Want to make a shotgun? Add +5 shot burst to your gun. Add +50 firing rate to turn it into a shotgun-SMG.

Design Inspirations:

Dark Souls - Level design, interconnected areas, nonlinear area progression, hidden secrets, etc.

Mech games in general - Mechanics, genre

Where I'm at right now:

I just finished the basic implementation of gameplay mechanics. Still using placeholder assets and primitives. I'm currently working on implementing a basic HUD. From there, I'm going to try to implement the customization system. My priority list is as follows: get mechanics working, get game systems (inventory, equipment, customization, etc) working, add content (levels, enemies, art, sound), polish.

I'm going to post a download link later. Still uploading as of this moment.

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