This is Not Your Typical Mecha Game

B.C. Piezophile's suit design strives to outclass even AAA military SciFi concepts, but in a new and possibly even dangerous niche gameplay context. There is no mech on mech action like one would expect at face value. Instead, certain gameplay concepts like the encyclopedia or navigational tools - which in any other game would take a back seat - are being thrust to the forefront to satisfy those true freaks who wish to explore raw, rich environments with ecosystems and landmarks which are tailored to player immersion and experience. This is not a randomly generated or loosely held together appearance of a game just for the sake of satisfying broad market expectations.

Currently the store page content is still from pre-alpha and will not be updated until the HUD overhaul is complete. For now, here is a showcase of the physics system and recent deprecated V1.5 HUD: 3DGlyptics on Twitter - Fish Physics Benchmark

Additionally, here is a video showcasing functional tracking boxes: 3DGlyptics on Twitter - Tracking Box Showcase.

Progress Since Last Update

All of the underwater levels now have finalized layouts and preliminary art passes, while the V2.0 HUD overhaul design has been agreed upon and ready for visual implementation and then scripting. The movement systems are also being polished early since exploration cannot be facilitated with poorly implemented movement. 3DGlyptics on Twitter - Movement Systems Test

Navigate, Explore, Fight, Discover

The gameplay cycle is fairly dynamic and can be arranged according to the player's own particular tastes. Suit systems can be adjusted, entire locations can be overlooked or ignored, combat can be avoided and encyclopedia entry categories can be prioritized over others. Whether you are explicitly interested in locating story specific landmarks, or all the fossil fragments of a primordial beast to analyze a 3D reconstruction of, you can do so while still returning to the surface with honor.

With Regards to Art & Level Direction

The game's development progress is consistent and we are currently overhauling the player's diegetic HUD to a near final state. Once overhauled, we will be ready for all new preview content for an updated store page and marketing push.

A lot of work has been made since the pre-alpha announcement in February. The levels are what take a lot of time, as they are relatively large and must accommodate for multiple paths which lead to different exits. Because it's an underwater game, I am trying to dispel the aversion many people might have with the concept of navigating inside of fog-obscured environments. Silhouettes play a major factor in what you're identifying, so all the levels need an art detail pass which means mostly bespoke layers upon layers of interesting geologies and recognizable landmarks within each of these large levels.

The ecosystem between levels is another thing that needs special attention. I'm not sure how many beasties the final game will have exactly, but the number of unique beasties spawned to make up each level's ecosystem will not be padded out by duplicate geometry with different textures applied. This means that all beasties in the game will have their own recognizable silhouettes which can be identified. So far, there are over 100 unique creatures.

I am also making sure the texture work for everything exists and is well made so that when you are up close to something and turn on your flashlight, you see a level of detail which many may not expect - like strata in rock or the flesh of a jelly. I say this because I do not want the fog to necessarily "hide" anything other than as it pertains to actual navigational gameplay and the use of HUD instruments as a result. And also secrets.

But What About the Gameplay

Closed alpha playtesting has been ongoing and we have made fundamental changes to the game's design and play cycle since our original inception based on this feedback. More details will be revealed as to the specifics of what the gameplay is about later - when we update the store page to give a more concise idea of what the game will actually be like to potential customers.