Devlog #1 -- September 20th, 2020

Hello! It's been a few weeks since the end of the Gain Jam and the release of "Version 0.9" of Feed the Crown. I have received SO much helpful feedback from players, and I can't thank everyone enough for taking the time to play my game!

For those of you who have seen the discussion board for the project over at Weight Gaming, you might be wondering what the status of the "Version 1.0" update is! While the update is a ways off still (my real job has been VERY busy), I plan to provide small progress reports to showcase some upcoming features and to help keep me on track and accountable with the project. This particular Devlog entry will primarily focus on new level features and thoughts regarding upcoming level design.

New Level Mechanics

One of the things I have been working on is adding more variety to the current level mechanics. You can see the above GIF for some WIP examples of fun new challenges. This includes swinging spike balls, pressure-sensitive spike traps, fat pig knights with a knockback, and bouncy pig bellies! (With more surprises to be revealed later!)

Redesigned Levels

The new level mechanics combined with the incredibly helpful feedback from players means that I will be redesigning levels from the ground up. The strict deadline of the Gain Jam meant that I had to move quickly, and that resulted in some less than stellar levels. Now with more time, I am able to put more thought into the levels and make a smoother difficulty curve.

On the front end, hazards and mechanics will be introduced more gradually, giving the player time to learn and adapt. During the later half of the game, I'll be able to push the challenge level even further, while working to ensure that the game doesn't feel cheap or frustrating. There will also be a change to how the Player's weight is used within levels, but that's an update for another Devlog!

Level Progress, Checkpoint Systems, & Linearity

One of the biggest pieces of feedback I received from players is that they wanted some form of a checkpoint system so that they could save their progress and not have to start over entirely if they made a mistake while trying to get the Queen to her fattest. Version 1.0 will introduce an entirely new approach in terms of level progress. 

Going forward, each level will have a set amount of food, and the player will be required to get every food item before advancing. This brings about a few changes to the overall flow of the game:

1. Levels/days now function on a pass/fail system, so the Player will be able to retry the level they are on until they succeed. Once the Player completes a level, their progress will be saved, and they will be able to move on to the next one. Levels will be selected via a level select screen with the option to revisit previously completed levels if desired. 


2. Since levels are pass/fail and require acquiring all the food to complete them, the gain of the Queen will be more linear. While this may sound less ideal at first, it comes with numerous benefits. Making the art and dialogue for Queens that could be any given weight on any given day meant that I had to cut corners and get a little lazy with some of the sprites/writing. With a more linear story, I am able to fully flesh out the characters and give them better and more responsive dialogue. Additionally, I am able to spend more time making the Queens even fatter, since I won't be held back by the logistics of accounting for all the additional sprites. Since most players will ultimately want the Queen at her max weight, it makes sense to switch to a more linear story and provide a level select system.


3. Hidden secrets in levels will reward players who can overcome more difficult challenges! To compensate for the more linear story and the checkpoint system, some levels will have hidden secrets that determined players can uncover. These secrets will allow the Player to advance even FURTHER in the story and get the Queens to their absolute fattest. Expect these challenges to be tough, but remember that the level select system means players can easily retry any level over and over again without having to play through the entire game to get the Queen to the highest weight.

Signing Off

That's all for now! I know some of those changes may seem like a pretty significant departure from the original flow of the game, but Version 0.9 was a game jam project, and now I have the time to think through design decisions and make a more polished product.

I hope that you're as excited about the future of the project as I am! Thanks for taking the time to read this and keep an eye out for more updates!

- Roops