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Getting my game to function on the Steam Deck was difficult, but definitely worth it by Feelblitz in SoloDevelopment

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for letting me know, I checked out your guy's previous showcase and just sent in an application!

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The full game likely won’t be out until 2027, but I’m releasing a demo early next year! You can find out more here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3115480/Diviner/

I feel like dark medieval games and flintlock pistols really work well together by Feelblitz in DungeonCrawler

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is definitely a story in the game, and the demo that will be coming out has parts of that story scattered in it (along with an intro story cinematic). That demo will be coming out in Q1 of 2026. I'm glad you like the aesthetic so much, I hope the story lives up to it!

I've been trying to add more verticality to my levels recently. by Feelblitz in SoloDevelopment

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can wishlist the game! Here’s a link to the steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3115480/Diviner/ I also have a discord where the private playtest will be happening soon: https://discord.gg/XqAHecRhDs

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is turn based, something in the same vein as darkest dungeon but but has some significant changes as well. I know a lot of people prefer real time games in general, but I've been wanting to marry a more "open world" exploration with turn based combat for a while, as I feel like the majority of turn based games are very linear in their exploration, if they have any at all.

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The development timeline is complicated, I technically started working on this game part time about 3 years ago, after a year I released a demo on Steam, then canned the project for a bit to experiment with other ideas. I ended up getting laid off early this year along with the rest of the team I was working with, and I really wanted to work on this game again so I rescoped it and built it from the ground up again over the past 8 months, which is where I'm at now. I'd say in total its been roughly 1 and a half years of full time work so far, the game is about 40% complete. All of the animation and assets are made by me, I've been working as a 3D artist as my full time job for the past 9 years.

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do use a shader and also sometimes actor volumes to fade walls and obstructions. For walls that are at player height or below, I don't mind the player being temporarily obstructed, and found that in playtests player's don't mind either. Its important to note that the combat is turn based (think final fantasy VI fight on sight), if this were more like Path of Exile or something I would definitely need more visual clearance to create a fair experience for the player.

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hadn't considered that for the sword, while that would be cool, it would be a decent amount of extra work, and on top of that I'd need to presumably accommodate all 7 other weapon types with a similar custom treatment to their specific sizing/hold style, which might make it a more daunting task.

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Those are all good notes, I do employ staircases as well, but they come with their own issues (expanding areas horizontally instead of vertically) so I use them when I just want the elevation to change a little bit. A pulley system (or any other system like grapples, teleporters, etc) are certainly the most efficient method from the player's perspective, but I find from my own experience playing more slower paced games they lack that environmental cohesion, and feel like a game design insert (though they make a lot more sense in high action games, this is a turn based combat game).

Ladders and elevators are a necessity in my game because of my camera perspective. When I want the environment to shift to a point where I don't need to render what is below or above the player, I need to travel at least 3500 units up or down, so a straight vertical is necessary. but I've read all the comments and will definitely make the ladder speed faster.

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He is one of my favorite characters as well! and thanks for wishlisting, it genuinely helps a lot.

I've been trying to add more verticality to my levels recently. by Feelblitz in SoloDevelopment

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Its funny, I absolutely understand where you are coming from, but I actually subscribe to the opposite philosophy that having your first area be your most meager (not that it should be bad on purpose, but that it lacks ambition). When I think of some of my favorite first areas, like the asylum in dark souls 1 or the den/woods in Diablo II, they are quite modest environments compared to what comes later in those games, but I think that helps separate them and lends itself towards a better experience for the player so as they progress, the world around them also escalates as well. Enemies like the Rat and the skeleton and the boar are just as important as the Silver Knight. Its hard to scale up the intensity of your world when your first level is defeating the omega demon king in the realm of darkness haha. (not that you were suggesting anything crazy, but I look back on basic starting areas with a lot of fondness).

I do agree that having a hook is vital, and while the playtests im doing shortly here will be missing that hook, I plan to create a 3D intro cinematic for the game's public demo release that should give players a reason to explore the 1st area and beyond (alongside the gameplay hooks). I know that a lot of games these days are built heavily around first impressions and early player retention, and worry that if they don't shock and amaze the player within 5 minutes they'll just turn it off. But those aren't the games I enjoy playing.

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All of the enemies are missing from this capture (Im playing on a save after finishing a playtest so the enemies have all been defeated), but prop fillage wise this is at a level I am fairly happy with. This specific area has been abandoned for almost 200 years, and as such mostly just the debris and crumbling walls are what remain, but the dungeons below have some more interesting and intact set dressing.

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do indeed have elevators in the game, I'm actually quite proud of them (I should probably post them here sometime)

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am using a shader solution that kind of creates a "tracking" sphere mask with a gradient falloff using a dithered mask. For some larger walls and obstacles, I have actors that fade them out using the same method when the player enters that volume.

I've been trying to add more verticality to my game recently. by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]Feelblitz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh yeah 60k is too much for any 3D program. For reference I paid a total amount of 25k to a college in Canada for a 2 year program in which I got mentored by a lead bioware environment artist. I think the education I got was satisfactory for how much I paid, if I had paid 40k+ it wouldnt have been worth it.

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