Unable to finish level 1

[Dr Shenji]

I tried and tried but ... Impossible for me to finish level 1 : I am stuck in the lab with Llamas everywhere that keeps coming. I tried to find my was to the exit, 4 times, but wasn't able to do so.

So you can question my intelligence of course or maybe tell me if this could be a bug or a level design issue ?

Also, I don't get why you did make this choice of weapons shooting straight forward (instead of focusing to one precise point, like the crosshair). With you gamedesign choice, I have two guns but can only use one at a time on a specific Llama

[♡llamasaurus 🆆🆁🅴🅲🅺🆂]

Hey there!

Firstly regarding weapons facing forwards, we tried various things like making them actually aim slightly for you left and right, and be always slightly aiming inwards. Overall it didn't turn out particularly useful, since almost all the time you have multiple llamas looking at you, and aiming at one specific point is actually worse. So by making them slightly spread you end up usually hitting more, even if you aren't specifically aiming at them.

Secondly, the lab. It is absolutely possibly. My wife has finished it 3 times in the last few days to test. Plus I see a bunch of other press/streamers have made it past. But yes, it absolutely is hard. I received an email from someone else yesterday also struggling, so you're not alone.

Although you're VERY close to the end (they were one or two sections behind), but are just struggling to actually find the lab. Possibly we need to add some blood markers on the floor to help find your way?
The testers did work this out, which is why we didn't consider it before.

For others reading this that do not get to the lab, I'm going to paste my response to the person that emailed me:

Basically, every time you start, you start from “scratch” except that you still have the same things unlocked. But the things you have unlocked DO NOT get attached to you when you spawn.

The more stuff you have unlocked, the more chance that something good will drop in the game. To get drops in the game, destroy as much stuff as you can (llamas, cars, streetside stuff etc). A good strategy is to start by doing all of the challenges (the tasks that pop up at the bottom of the screen), so you have lots of perks unlocked. Then you can start working on unlocking more guns, by killing llamas with the guns. Once a new gun is unlocked, it’ll have a random chance of dropping in the game.

Given the information above, if you absolutely cannot pass District 1, then it is possible that the game is actually too hard. It is extremely hard to balance for every persons skill level, so where it is currently is kinda the best guess based on our beta testers. I see a bunch of press has made it to District 2, so it isn’t impossible.

But yeah, every person has different skill levels. And I’m considering adding in a more casual difficulty level if more people are really really struggling. To be clear, the goal is for it to be hard, but to be possible after getting better at the game. My wife plays very casual games on Xbox that don’t require much coordination, and initially she would die at like section 2 or 3. But after solid day or so of play she has recently got good enough to finish all 3 districts, and now is finishing them over again multiple times working to 100% the achievements. At the same time, assuming everyone wants to throw a lot of time into a single game when they have so little free time is also incorrect.

BTW, you should also try using shield, dash, and jump smash to your advantage. They can be incredibly powerful if used right.

[Dr Shenji]

About the weapons facing forward instead of aiming on a specific point, I want to believe you when you say that you tried other ways ... but every topdown shooter I use is working with a crosshair, I don't get why this would be an issue in your game.
But you are the game designers, you make choices. I just wanted to point that for me, it was a pain in the *** to aim with the first guns for example.

I played your game 4.5 hours and couldn't get to level 2. Because the game is too hard (no hard itself but sometimes I don't get good weapons) or because, well, I'm in the lab and can't find an exit. After 20 minutes searching for an exit, I just let myself die.

So. Maybe I'm a noob, but I played and finished both Binding of Isaac and Crimsonland (or Hotline miami, or many other hard games) and I can't get pass the first level of your game. For me, there is still work to do on the random weapon systems. I can accept that, in roguelites, there are runs that are just random, but after 4.5 hours, well, I just don't want to play anymore.

In fact, I played this long just because I'm writing a review published tomorrow morning (on nofrag.com) and wanted to be sure that the issue I found were issues and not bugs. I will try to add your answer here in my review.

I also used shield, dash and jump, they are definitively part of the gameplay (if you want to survive) but don't like the way that, for all these actions, a single jauge is used. I never know precisely how much every action will need to be performed. So sometimes I shield, waiting for the Llamas to gather around me. And when I want to jump : nothing happens because I lack of 1% or so of energy". Meh.

[♡llamasaurus 🆆🆁🅴🅲🅺🆂]

Regarding a crosshair, are you talking about having a dot on the screen where it is aiming, or are you saying that it is an issue that both guns do not point at the same place? If it is the former, then a fair amount of weapons do have an aiming laser, and a glowing point where they are aiming. This is pretty much the same way as Crimsonland. The difference being that in VALA you have two primaries, so there are two lines (and technically your mouse or controller is pointing at the center between those two spots).

Regarding the lab, it is really hard to balance this sort of thing, but it is important to note that we're TOTALLY open to improving this based on how people experience the game and possibly adding more hints in the lab, or adding difficulty levels to the game.
The reason it is so hard is that people are so different. I just watched a streamer (https://www.twitch.tv/medivhus) get through the lab on his first attempt (if you're interested I assume the VOD will appear after he finishes the stream which is still going now).

Having all abilities using one bar of energy was a concious descision we made. But I do understand not always knowing when you can do each specific one. At the top left there are 3 icons representing your abilities, and each will be glowing when it is possible. But it is hard to look up there, and maybe it would be better to overlay some UI right near the mech to show this better.

Overall, I'm sorry you've had these issues with the game, but we're totally committed to improving stuff like what you've raised.

[Dr Shenji]

Regarding the aiming, the issue (for me, maybe I'm alone on this one) is that you can have two primary weapons, but can only use one at a time if you aim at one Llama.
For example here : https://imgur.com/a/NvVX6 I'll have to aim left or right if I want to kill this particular Llama.

"But Dr Shenji, you must kill ALL the Llamas, not just one".
Of course Mr Dev, but sometimes If I want to kill a small Llama (the one that you have to kill quickly or a horde of lama is coming), I'll have to aim with only one weapon. Not a big deal ? Maybe but I didn't like the feeling of the aiming, Even after 4 hours. That's maybe just an issue for me and not the other players, but still a feedback I wanted to give :)
This is also an issue that you only have with guns or lasers. With shotguns for example or flamethrowers, this isn't really a problem since the attack is larger and you will hit any lama between the two weapons.

About the lab : Once again, maybe I'm the only one stuck in this level. I don't ask you to change everything just for me ;)
But I wanted to give you a feedback. I seriousely asked myself if there was a bug. At this day, I still don't understand where to go and continue to die while searching for my way out. I tried shooting the walls, I went in the controls to check if, maybe, there was a key for opening doors :D
Well, I don't have a 125 IQ, but I'm not that dumb ;) For me there's an issue in this level, or an issue in my copy of the game.

Good to know that the abilities are glowing when usable. I honnestly didn't noticed (and will modifay my review to specify this information).

Thank you again for the key you gave me (us). It is really nice to be albe to give you this feedback and to get these answers.

[♡llamasaurus 🆆🆁🅴🅲🅺🆂]

Cool, well thanks a lot for all the feedback, and we'll be keep track of stuff like this from everyone and do stuff accordingly.

BTW, a hint for the lab: there is only really one path to follow if you were to look at a map of it, with a few little deadends off to the sides. So as long as you're not walking where you've been before, you're going the right way.

[♡llamasaurus 🆆🆁🅴🅲🅺🆂]

Hey, quick note, I have made a post here that may clear up any questions you had: http://steamcommunity.com/app/659110/discussions/0/1692662484253107617/

And in an update I'm pushing now, the pistol is now stronger.

[Dr Shenji]

Thank you for this quick note. I added it to my review (and told my readers that you are really listening to the comment the player gave you).
Just one question. When you say "Hold shift (keyboard) or info (controller) in game to view info about perks you have and see the progress of each weapon you have", are you sure it's shift we must press in game ? All it does for me is to activate the shield perk.

[♡llamasaurus 🆆🆁🅴🅲🅺🆂]

Hold tab on keyboard or info (the little one that isn't pause) on controller to show that screen.