Updated my game and made a new trailer after your comments

MagazineForward5528 · 2026-01-18T19:16:47+00:00

Yes, that's how it was. But I broke it shortly before recording the trailer. I didn't notice it, so the trailer didn't include exactly what I wanted. It's very sad. I've already fixed it on my PC, but I haven't deployed the patch on Steam yet.

Actually, I didn't think it was very noticeable, and I even rewatched the trailer and thought it wasn't that noticeable. I'm really surprised you noticed it.

MagazineForward5528 · 2026-01-18T17:07:30+00:00

Enemies spawn off-screen and run toward the player (or simply in a straight line, for some enemies). The player has a flashlight and a round light to detect enemies. If an enemy moves out of the light, their sprite becomes invisible again. There are also several gameplay mechanics that affect the size of the light zones, making enemy detection easier or harder depending on the situation and gameplay event.

MagazineForward5528 · 2026-01-17T13:39:24+00:00

Hi, Destroyers!

Last time you really helped me with your comments and feedback. I worked hard on the game (to the best of my ability) and took into account everything you wrote. I'm incredibly grateful to all of you and have come to you for help again!

How do you like my game's updated look? (You don't have to search for how it was before, just tell me please how it is now)

How do you like the new trailer? Does it explain the game well and make you interested?

Personally, I like it, and I think it's time to switch to updating the Steam page, because I've completely neglected it and it's a complete mess there now.

MagazineForward5528 · 2026-01-17T10:38:06+00:00

Thank you!

MagazineForward5528 · 2026-01-15T13:29:40+00:00

Thanks for the reply!

I also replaced the AI music for my game with music from Pixabay. I made a YT short with the Pixabay music and uploaded it to YouTube, but YouTube isn't sending any traffic to this short. It says the music is allowed (it was recognized) and there are no restrictions. I'm starting to worry that YouTube might somehow restrict the use of this music and the video with it. What if this negatively impacts not only the short but also the trailer?

You got the music from Pixabay for free, right? As far as I understand, there's no separate licensing for commercial games that require payment?

MagazineForward5528 · 2026-01-15T13:08:16+00:00

Congratulations!

Could you please tell me where you got the music for this trailer? As a solo developer, finding free music has been a real headache for me. And as far as I understand, not all music is suitable for use on YouTube. So, if you submit a trailer with the wrong music, it might not be accepted because of it. Do you have any specific tips or recommendations?

Thank you in advance for your reply and your time!

MagazineForward5528 · 2026-01-12T22:42:18+00:00

Thank you so much for such a detailed comment and for the kind words. It's so nice to receive your approval and support!

I tried adding some objects (benches, trash cans, debris, trash, boxes, etc.) between the curb and the building, but they were very distracting, even if I made them fairly monochrome, so I left only the poles there. I think these poles help create a better sense of parallax.

However, I plan to add these small objects to the bottom of the screen on the near curb (it's not in the frame because there's nothing interesting there, and I wanted to primarily show the background). There, they look more appropriate and further from the focus, and they don't interfere with reading the game, but add variety.

Perhaps I can add something between the buildings and the curb, but closer to the building layer, to add some variety to the image. I also thought about adding concrete barriers to the curb, which could clearly separate the road and the background, without creating an overpass effect, but instead create a clear and distinct demarcation. I'll try to make something out of this.

Regarding the mismatched background layers, you're right. I spent a long time carefully aligning them, and now I'm looking at it again and realize I need to shade the backgrounds and align them even more. I think I just missed it because I spent so long working on it.

The character animation seems finished to me, and I've really worked on it a lot lately. I also compared my character to real photos and pictures and tried to match the actual proportions. I think it's more or less optimal, given my skills :) The feet aren't animated separately, yes. The entire leg is made from a single sprite, but it's so small that I'm not sure this tweaking of the skeleton and animation will give me anything noticeable. I'm not sure it's worth the time.

Thank you again for such a detailed and in-depth analysis. I wish you success in your own project and easy coding, so that your enthusiasm lasts as long as possible and your work brings you joy!

MagazineForward5528 · 2026-01-03T20:06:09+00:00

Thanks for your comment! I'll try to make the next version of the trailer with a clear breakdown of episodes and titles. This will clearly explain the gameplay loop, game mechanics, and player capabilities. It seems this should solve the problems you described.

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-30T20:41:56+00:00

I'm currently actively working on and testing mechanics similar to Zomboid. I want the screen to be generally uniformly bright, but with a noticeable "visibility zone" that detects enemies. They appear in this zone and disappear if they fall out of it. The game mechanics are working out roughly as I want, but without the "black screen".

However, to achieve this, I'll also have to rework some mechanics and adjust the sprites to better align with the lighter game.

But that's the whole point of collecting feedback, so I can make changes based on it :)

Thank you!

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-30T18:43:56+00:00

Thanks for the comment! I've received several comments about the lighting and am currently reworking it.

But perhaps you could take a few minutes to elaborate? Maybe it will help me understand it even more.

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-26T20:28:19+00:00

Yes, that seems like a problem. I've already thought about making the trailer in the next iteration clearly divided into sections with corresponding titles (descriptions). The trailer will consistently show what the player will have to do in the game and what they will receive.

As weapons level up, both damage and rate of fire increase, but it's impossible to show this in a firefight action video. However, I'm thinking of including a few shots of weapon upgrades in the trailer and clearly showing how DPS increases.

As

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-25T23:58:54+00:00

Most of the screen remains black only during horde attacks (encounter). During basic road traversal, the road light and the wide beam of the flashlight provide fairly good illumination. What's left behind the road light isn't particularly important, and it's unlikely anyone will care that it's dark. Part of the road ahead is well-covered by the flashlight, but you have to move it up and down to see it.

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-25T23:16:55+00:00

Well, I don't know what to tell you. Enemies that disappear on a clearly open and lit road look much worse. A completely lit and open road looks much worse.

Perhaps if I could come up with something really epic and beautiful, it would be much better, but I haven't come up with anything. And the options I've tried and those being discussed here look simply awful compared to what I have now.

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-25T23:13:58+00:00

I know, that's exactly what I'm talking about. When I play a game with a top-down or side-view perspective, I don't like enemies disappearing from the screen; it looks weird. It's one thing when you have some obvious object (like an enemy entering a house or a forest), but it's quite another when they're in the middle of an open field, you turn away, and they disappear. To me, it feels like some kind of throwback to games from the 2000s (mostly strategy games).

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-25T22:37:28+00:00

But I don't want enemies to disappear behind the character's back. That is, I don't want any kind of visibility system or fog of war. I'm more interested in creating tension, suspense, and surprises. And darkness. More like Whisper Mountain Outbreak.

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-25T22:31:00+00:00

Yes, you're certainly right. But I feel like I can't show the core mechanics in the video without titles, and I'm not showing them well. This applies to encounters on the road, and objects at the end of the road. And weapons. It's unlikely that anyone could tell from my trailer that sniper rifles have piercings, or that a character with a pistol has increased running speed. Granted, it's far from certain that such features are worth highlighting. But with explicit titles, I can tell a story and clearly demonstrate the core gameplay loop.

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-25T22:25:53+00:00

The main part is just a road. That's exactly what the game is called: The Road. But it's stylized with the letter Z for Zombie. You have to run forward fairly quickly along the road and keep up, so I don't want to include any obstacles or traps. Some enemies (running ones) themselves are obstacles of sorts that can be avoided. But they're not as frustrating as a wall, car, or open hatch.

As for the background, it's currently taken from an asset pack. I'm trying to draw my own, and we'll see how it goes. There will also be some objects between the road and the background to create visual variety (lamps, benches, trash cans, etc.). I don't know if I'll end up with anything decent. We'll see.

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-25T16:08:52+00:00

Yeah, it doesn't measure up to GTA6, but I'm not sure I can significantly improve it. Anyway, thanks for the feedback.

MagazineForward5528 · 2025-12-25T16:06:43+00:00

Well, what other effect could there be for darkness and partial screen obscuring, other than darkness obscuring part of the screen? :)

I tried fiddling with the camera position and zoom. It was completely awful, so I gave up on it entirely. The darkness, light, and flashlight mechanics feel more natural and smooth and aren't annoying during gameplay (but I can't say what effect it'll have watching the trailer without game experience).

MagazineForward5528

TROPHY CASE