Shit is it December already? Let's see what we got up to this month. Lots of improvements to things here and there. And some restored features this month. I'm trying my best to build towards something coherent atm, a vertical slice. But also my brain demands a more...uh.. Holistic approach to project management let's say! So it's all over the damn place.

Water:

Still not 100% on if there is going to be swimming in the game (it might suck with shooting) but I got surface pools of water in that impede your movement, while also having some effects. I think this is almost at 100% complete other than some small things like putting out buring enemies and stuff.

Damage:

Big rework of damage in general happened. Firstly the player now takes proper damage from a few hazards and enemies that for some reason were super weak? Must have been for testing.

Later on I ended up reworking enemy damage too. There was still some weird stuff left over from when bullets actually decide what damage they do, resulting in some 0 damage shots. 

The chance to knock out a zombie got some actual work, instead of just randomly triggering when triggering a flinch. There's also damage numbers in atm for debugging damage values but I might leave them in optionally. 

Map stuff:

The map can now display objective markers that ping on both your mini and main map. I've also set up a script that will mark out rooms for you, just greyed out, ahead of me adding map items later (Storywise your commander also reveals some early on for you). 

A long overdue feature as well is that the player position on the map will update properly in bigger rooms. Before it would just draw dead centre on the map, but now you can tell if you are on the bottom of a tall room for example.

Pipe zombie:

I rebuilt this guy using my newer code. He dates back to my og zombie when this game was more of a run and gun. He's basically a tougher version of a zombie who hits a little harder. I'm debating how smart he should (or could!) be atm. Having him climb ladders and jump gaps would be very scary.

He's also had work done on his animations, so he can now be knocked out and stomped on, and also his head can explode!

I'm planning an unarmed version too who will grab the player, which'll be nasty..

Game over:

I made this feature while super ill with a migraine yaaay. So the game would reload a save game when you died but it was buggy, would sometimes forget flags somehow, and was not super fleshed out. Now you get an actual menu with options, like a proper game. That's it! That's all there is about this atm. I'll maybe add some damage to the bg later, there should be blood on a YOU DIED screen!

Grenades:

They're back! They were super broken for a long time! You see I have weapon items and I have ammo items but when it comes to grenades those are both, technically. So I needed you to be able to lose them once out of ammo, which proved to be buggy in some really odd ways. Un equipping the grenade (and equiping your fists) when you ran out would leave you in a situation where you couldn't punch. Sometimes it just wouldn't unequip the grenades at all and you would dry fire your own hands. Really odd!

Anyway they have their own quick button now to avoid that and remove themselves properly from your inventory. Their arc is nice and uniform now too. There's an indicator for Grenades now on the UI

I've hidden a few early on for you to hunt down which should open a few bombable walls for you, or delete an enemy you don't feel like dealing with...

Stamina rework:

Stamina got a little bit more love. You're able to dodge roll twice in a row now but you're competing with your ability to run. Kinda standard stuff really! There's a nice little gauge added to the UI too. Be careful not to get that to zero or you'll end up tired and waiting for it to fully charge before running or dodging again.

Stamina regens a little slowly at first, but that's why I also added upgrades for it. Each upgrade doubles the regen speed, so they'll be VERY useful later.

There will be, at some stage, a page of your Inventory just for upgrades and abilities you've collected but that's for another month...

Pickup animations:

Finally rounding out the month with more immersive animations. I was gonna do one for hitting switches but got bogged down thinking about positioning and switch types and everything and left it for another time. I was a bit stupid and animated a version for every single gun in the game so far but ehh.. Go big or go home.

Small things!

• Button indicators for using objects are now drawn above everything on the UI!
• The same for your aiming reticule and ammo readout!
• Better inputs when playing with a controller (needs some work imo but it's closer!)
• Climbing into breakable airvents now actually works!
• Blacked out secret areas that reveal themselves when you enter them like a real Metroidvania
• You can actually shoot while in mid air now (never noticed you couldn't!)
• 2 new cutscenes!
• 6 or so new rooms
• Parity with some features of the cutscene controller and the dialogue player. I can trigger things in both that previously I could only do in one or the other. 
• Game loads whatever track was playing when you saved instead of relying on the room setting it when you arrived (really handy for checkpoints and quicksaves)
• Almost all placeholder sounds replaced. I think one gunshot is from Metal Slug still but it's a menu sound.
• Broken emergency ladders that drop rungs on the floor.
• Doors recognise some obstructions (mainly those wheeled crates you can push around)
• Npcs you can talk to! (they are basically fancy signposts atm)

THINGS TO COME

• That Steam Store page has been purchased, so expect that maybe by the end of the year or January
• The shop (I know I keep saying this!)
• More... rooms? Part 2 of this early attempt at building the game invovles getting the pipe weapon and smashing your way through to getting the next next weapon, the pistol! Along with finally being able to access storage and encounter all of the new enemies!
• Maybe the ability to hot swap between a melee weapon and a gun.
• Probably a puzzle or two