Developer Update #13 : Change log, soon on Desura...

Hello !

More than work on new levels or new features, I decided to fix some bugs and make improvements on existing levels. Here is the change-log :

• You can't be bocked on walls anymore
• Reworked all levels because of "in-wall detection" algorithm
• Added automatic saves to prevent application crash
• Orbs are now essential to go to the next level
• When you die (because of a saw, or you fall down of the map), you'll have to take all the orbs again
• You can choose the resolution of the game in the main menu
• Finished the story line for the 70 first levels (and correct it)
• Remove a button in the main menu
• The text is rescaled according to the chosen resolution
• Improved the main menu's picture
• 9 different saves
• Removed the debug texts
• Added some translations to the game for the whole story
• The game title on menu depends of the translation of the game
• Removed lasts debug features
  

Main Menu

The game on Desura ?

Of course I plan to release the game on Desura. Because make between 150 and 200 levels would delay the release of the game, I will proceed like this :

1. Release the game with the 70 first levels
2. And release for free the lasts levels.
   

The game will be paying, but won't be at a prohibitive price. It will be around 1 or 2$. Updates are going to be completely free for whoever bought the game (and no in-app purchase).

5 different resolutions are available

What is planned now ?

First, correct the lasts bug before the official release. And after, here is some tasks it would be nice a finish quickly :

• Let the music play when clicking on "Continue" button on the main menu
• Add a pause menu
• Control the main menu with keyboard
• Add a "cinematic mode"
• Translation of the main menu
• Add language to the game
  

Here is a last picture for the end. I think it is useless to precise that I didn't survive...

- Odhexan (odhexan@outlook.com)

Developer Update #12 : Power Ups !

Hi everybody !

First of all,  I was very happy that a few videos have been made about the game on YouTube. Although there is no one in english, here is a video made in Slovak, and the other one in french :

 

(Here, it begins at 8 minutes and 10 seconds)

Power Ups !

For now, there are two :

These two power-ups will change Xid's size, and consqeuntly your speed. You'll have to find a compromise between go through little ways but move slowly. Of course, if you take, for example, two power-ups that make you bigger, the effect will be applyed twice !

Player now have a real texture (and not simply a circle full of black anymore)

Here is the texture of Xid now (may change but really close from the definitive texture) :

I made this texture according to clues that some levels bring you in the story. I didn't make it randomly !

Now, save your progression !

The game can manage 6 saves (but I can easily add more slots in the future). You won't have to do the game entirely to get back where you stoped. And now, this is essential : some levels are really hard...

The game's update are not as often as before, for the simple reason that now I have a lot of things that I have to do before continuing the game. But you can be sure that I'm always thinking of it and I make my best for it !

I noticed that the game reached 9200 visits. Thanks for everything !
See you soon for new updates, and I hope discover new and original power-ups !

- Odhexan (odhexan@outlook.com)

Developer Update #11 : Graphics get better with new details !

Hello everyone ! First of all, I remember that a new trailer video is out, with some screenshots about the underwater chapter. Here are they:

 

The Story Of Xid : New Trailer - Indie DB

 

 

New game-play feature on Sanctuaries !

You'll learn that you'll have to find some sanctuaries for reasons that are explained in the scenario. The aura of sanctuaries will give you some special power : you will have the ability the change the gravity's direction. That is the first change. You have to be very agile on some levels, to go through the circular saws. I don't hide that some levels are a little bit hard to finish... But I'm sure that it will delight a lots of player.

 

The 62th map, with the graphics details 

Saw are very present. They add a difficulty on the game, and you have to be very agile at some point of levels.

A second important point is: each time you die because of a saw for example, you lost all your orbs you took on the current levels, and they respawn. I'm not decided of the obligation to take all the orbs to go to the next level. For the moment, the game's lifetime is about 40-45 minutes, when you have to take all the orbs. If you “speedrun” the game, I'm sure it goes under 15 minutes. I make my possible to make the levels more and more original and pleasing to the eye. To reach this goal, I had some new details in levels graphics (as you can see on the 62th level above).

New demo !

Oh, don't forget to check the download section in the next hours, the new demo is now out ! 40 levels, and Xid as a ball ! When you did the 40 levels, you return to the first level. C key to respawn, and unfortunately no save feature for the moment. It's coming !

 - Odhexan (odhexan@outlook.com)

Developper Update #10

Hi everybody, welcome to the 10th developer update! Last weeks, I worked hard on the end of Chapter 5 and... new features available on Chapter 6!

Chapter 6: Info and new features

First of all, a video will be post soon, either Friday or Saturday. In this video will be levels from all chapters, including Chapter 6: The Abyssal Sanctuary. Well, I finally reveal the name of this chapter. So, I had to create some graphic features, like the bubbles going upward. It is a little feature, but really important for immersion.

Well, here aren't bubbles... but in game, there are ! 

Another feature I would like to introduce is the circular-saw. It has the same effect as the saw in the game BADLAND (for iOS). It kills you. I noticed that the last leves are more and more difficult. It will delight the people who found (and they are right) the first to easy. Here is an array, giving you the time for one new player to reach the end of the levels, giving you the chapter number beside the time to give you an idea of the difficulty progression:



Some levels are simply ignored like the levels with the Guardian of Divinities: they are intentionally short. You have to think more now! At some moments, you will maybe have the sensation to be in a puzzle game. That's what I want you to feel on some parts of game, more than look the screens scrolling. If you want to know of what the saw looks like, I posted a picture on IndieDB.





Be warned that a new demo will soon be released with 40 levels. It's called “The Circular Release”, because of the new shape of Xid. Concerning the music, it looks like the third chapter's music: it is intentional. But it sounds obviously more... underwater.

 Chapter 6 - Soundtrack part - Indie DB

See you soon for the new video and for new updates ! 

- Odhexan (odhexan@outlook.com)

Chapter 5 is nearly done

Hi everyone !

Levels will be bigger !

In this chapter, levels are going to be bigger than the others. That's why it's been a week since last update : levels are much longer to create because of their big size. For the smallest level, it's about 2 time bigger than the firsts levels. It lets more possibility of gameplay, and levels longer to be finished.

What's the limit of levels' size ?

The biggest levels that I could create have a resolution of 4096*4096 pixels. The limit is because of the hardware limitation. My graphic card can support a picture of a maximum of 4096*4096 pictures. It's not too old, it's a nVidia GT630M. And I would like to make the game works on most of the computers. And a picture of 4096*4096 is really huge ! I think I'll create a benchmark software that let you know if you can run the game or not (for this type of problem).

Screenshots from Chapter 5, Second Part : The Dreaming Caves

 

Cropped picture from level 46  

Cropped picture from level 47

Levels are all big, contains big spaces to move ! And sometime you'll have to think a little more to take all the orbs !

What about Chapter 6 ?

I won't reveal where Chapter 6 takes place, but here is a clue : the levels' gravity will be a little bit different because of water. As I said :

The Story of Xid will – I hope – contains between 150 and 200 levels (for a good lifetime).— Odhexan (@odhexan) August 21, 2013

So the game will have few hours of gameplay with 150-200 levels. In general, people makes the first 30 levels in 20-25 minutes. I am currently thinking of the death of the player. Moreover, maybe you won't have to take all the orbs to go to the next level. But the one who takes all the orbs will unlock special content. It's a supposition, but I really like this idea. See you next time !

Main menu concept

The Story Of Xid - Main Menu - Indie DB

News about Chapter 4 and 5

Hello everybody !

What about Chapter 4 ?

Chapter 4 is completely done ! The ten parts of this chapter are done. I remember you that a teaser about Chapter 4 is out : 

 

Chapter 4 - Teaser - Indie DB

So the next chapter, the fifth, will be in two little parts. If I don't do this, Chapter 5 will be too short, and the two parts haven't too many atmosphere differences. This parts are named :

1. Chapter 5, First Part : The Loophole
2. Chapter 5, Second Part : The Dreaming Caves

Four levels are done for this chapter. It contains the biggest level I ever made :

 

The biggest level 

I'm sure that I will make some other levels of this size, and maybe bigger ! I really hope that, because it's more fun to play ! And it makes more possibilities of gameplay. 

About Android version

I didn't worked on it last days, because I want to progress on computer version. But it won't be too difficult to adapt what I'm doing now. 

Chapter 5 Soundtrack

The soundtrack of Chapter 5 is out too, you can hear it here !

Chapter 5, Second Part - Soundtrack - Indie DB 

See you soon for more infos and news !