Development Update

It has been a while since the last update, and there's been a lot of things happening—though not as much as I'd hoped on the game.

I've had a few bad weeks with computer failures, a sickness that knocked me out for over a week, and other bits and pieces, so development has been sporadic. On top of that, the work I've been doing to earn a living has had more higher-paid work available than usual, so I've been knuckling down to get as much out of it before it inevitably dies off later this month.

Moonbat’s Update on Slimes

We are currently in the early development of slimes, working on concepts of their appearance, behavior, and placement. Slimes aren't very smart, so their AI will be simpler, which also helps with the game’s performance.

At this point, we have planned 4 types of slimes:

• Round/Classic/Ceiling Slime
  A slime that resembles a round blob.

  • These will inhabit most areas and have different aspects depending on their environment.

  • Found on dungeon ceilings or wandering open spaces.

  • On ceilings, they detect anything loud or fast, dropping in front of or on top of the source.

  • On the ground, they can grab the player or creature when adjacent.

  • Slow-moving, sound-attracted, and often camouflaged.

  • Can transform into puddles to be sneaky!

• Cube Slime
  Similar to their rounder cousins, but they grab by flipping.

  • Move by flipping onto their sides like a box being pushed.

  • Grab by falling on the target.

  • Bigger and more noticeable, they pose a unique type of obstacle.

• Wall Slime
  A wall made of slime, as sentient as a slime can be.

  • Stationary but can grab with tendrils or upon contact.

  • Telegraphed attacks give players a chance to dodge.

• Spike/Shooter Slime
  These slimes can perceive the player from farther away.

  • Throw projectiles with varying effects on creatures.

  • Can grab but prefer ranged combat.

Possible Variations

• Types: Crystal, rock, grass, mud, desire, water, oil.

• Effects: Pheromones/aphrodisiac, slow, soapy/oiled, stunned/paralyzed, hypno/charm, acid.

All slimes will have animations with players and other entities. The animations will be linked more to their type than to their variation.

At this time, I’m figuring out their perceptions and behaviors. Here are some concept images of how they’re looking!

Character Models and NPC Updates

In the meantime, I’ve been working on new character models supplied by Zealot. We’ve got male and female variants for both wolves and canids. Right now, wolves use the same models as other enemies, so you can’t tell who is a wolf. With the new models, there will be a clear distinction.

Current Work

• Replacing enemies with the new models.

  • Due to the large number of interaction animations, this requires starting animations from scratch.

• Replacing NPCs for the next release to test generation systems and avoid risking main gameplay.

New Skinning System

• Allows named characters to retain consistent features (species, skin, hair color, eye color).

• In the near future, this will support Subscriber Skins for top-tier members or donors, activated by adding their username in the character creator.

Upcoming NPC Updates

The NPCs are nearly done, with only a little left to set up. I’m also hoping to implement a new NPC-based quest in Pineridge if I can finish the animations in time.