[Spoilers] Character Unlocks / Secret Areas

[Boink]

Sooo... how many are currently available? Did a quick forum search, didn't spot a post on this.

You can unlock the Professor quite easily in the hospital, but any others have eluded me.

In the 2nd labatory level, I fixed the machine and spoke to Dr Jean brain 77 but chose to end her torment: if you do not, do you get her as a PC?

Likewise, in the hidden tomb level in the graveyard I completed the ritual and got the spell page but I'm currently on level 5 and have had no other chances to use it. Sooo... is it used for anything? Have I just missed my chance completely? It has been sitting in my inventory for two levels so far.

Likewise, in the hidden fungal caves of the mines, I did everything, cleared it all and didn't get an unlock.


So - anyone else unlocked more chars and/or know what each of these secret areas is for?

[Blini games]

Hi Boink,

Originally posted by Boink:

Sooo... how many are currently available? Did a quick forum search, didn't spot a post on this.

So far that's it. We need to fully develop the Professor, as it is still very work in progress. After that, we will start working on the other three. The designs are already done, now we need to work on the content. Perhaps, before the next BIG patch, we will present some of them in society :)

Originally posted by Boink:

In the 2nd labatory level, I fixed the machine and spoke to...

You did well. On each level there will be special quests, harder to get than the quick events, but crucial for the late game (Still not included what will be, but soon) Just keep in mind that besides killing, there will be some investigation involved on each level, which, despite not being mandatory do it, it will be really useful.

Originally posted by Boink:

Likewise, in the hidden tomb level in the graveyard I completed the...

Like the hospital. We have included the plot quest, now we are pending on including "what comes next". It is a good thing that you managed to do the quest, as once we continue adding content, you will know what to do already, and will be among the firsts seeing it ;)

Originally posted by Boink:

Likewise, in the mines, I did everything, cleared it all and didn't get an unlock.

So far that's it mate. You´ve unlocked what we managed to add in this last Patch.

Apart from the technical issues and bugs that you have reported (Turrets, range, hitboxes, etc...) of which we will take good care of, and plot wise, could you tell me your opinion about the plot quests? Are they interesting? Lovecraftian in your opinion?

[Boink]

Originally posted by Blini games:

Apart from the technical issues and bugs that you have reported (Turrets, range, hitboxes, etc...) of which we will take good care of, and plot wise, could you tell me your opinion about the plot quests? Are they interesting? Lovecraftian in your opinion?

Ok, finished now - here's my char @ the last portal, as you can see I wasn't exactly resource poor and had many keys etc left over (killed last boss by spamming x5 grenades):

https://imgur.com/zmygjwI

Time played: 7 hrs - but I was extensively bug testing / QA during this, so ~5 hrs is probably fairer: haven't tested the professor yet.

Rushed the last map, had lost too many games to the door blocking bug, otherwise I'd have much more loot (last game before got perma-stuck, had ~30k in each).

Thoughts (outside of bugs / turrets):

First off - given the rough build / bugs and the balance issues, I wouldn't have ploughed on if I didn't think it was worth while. Liked the mythos knowledge, the clue system was kinda neat (esp. if each char has different options) and over-all shows a lot of promise. Atm chapter progression makes little sense: Mansion > Hospital > Cemetary > Mines > Arctic? Wut? Needs a bit of work / splash screens / back-story / explanation.

Now the notes-of-madness:

* Lore writing was good (although it does show that you're non-native speakers in some instances - might want to ask for feedback there) and the general atmosphere was good
* Why not light source slot? Obvious one there >.>
* Mob AI needs work - the rushers don't block when they rush, there's a lot of instances where you can :cheese:, mobs get stuck on geometry / items and so on - but it's a rough build, so understood that you've not pathed out stuff
* Difficulty just isn't there past the turrets of doom: not sure how to balance this, as level 3/4/5 have mass mob spam, but rooms are too small to make them more deadly. Will think on this.
* Hitbox errors are all over the place: srsly. There's also a bug where bullets pass through mobs making them invulnerable.
* Dodge is way too slow for missile speed: only used it while dying to turrets and teasing the giant mouth beasties
* Sound effects: why monsters not have them? Grump.
* Chunks of Meat - never do anything. Tried feeding one to the plant, didn't work: why not? why do they spawn everywhere? what do?
* Inventory space - was a bit small, esp with all the various items: this is most notable in the first level where there are a *lot* of books which are only useful if a vendor spawns
* Spent two levels carrying around a full skeleton: never used it, despite the store page showing a door requiring it. Trolled by the dev team
* Key drop rates need a balance pass: iron - needs a weighting %drop-rate pass - many more iron chests than keys dropped, much more than bronze (which logically should spawn more / more keys) - as you can see from the screen shot, never got a blood chest outside the first boss, and had a lot spare
* The anti-bleed item is weird: it's too rare to ever use for the multiple times you get bleed on level 1, and past that basically nothing causes bleed (level 5 a bit, not much) - and you can sell it for a fortune. So... not sure that item is well thought out (never used one - perhaps it doesn't just cure bleeding?) - Small Edit: Level 3, werewolves *do* cause bleed - item is still too rare to be useful, and werewolves didn't hit me much.
* Did all (that I could spot - couldn't find any for level 5 / bugged too much) the secret areas: nice but obv. unfinished - I'm assuming that the inbetween level door has a secret unlock planned to place all the spell pages etc
* Keys / items became common @ mid point level 2. Difficulty fell off on level 3 with 1 damage item + tommy gun. Level 4 + 2 damage items + tommy gun = easy victory
* Ankhs - mostly from vendors (bought 2) or clocks (2) - saw one randomly drop from a skeleton pile. Never used one, ended up dumping them in storage between levels.
* Liked the Elder special items - best was the +speed one, but got killed by bad RNG spawn; worst were the +stamina ones, totally useless
* Curses: what do they do? I was able to get 3 or 4 special items and clear the curses instantly, was never a real issue - for the future of course have an achievement where you have 4+ curses at the same time
* $ / info had no real meaning past level 2. Would have liked to see a primitive skill buying system or something: events ingame that required X info would be nice. Info - buy ankhs. $? Worthless (see later on suggestion for weapon upgrades)
* Best item in the game for the detective? Bandolier / Ammo belt, by far - you can see by the screen shot just used that +max damage items + tommy gun
* Enemies doing the wrong kinds of damage - arctic has... poison based monsters. Hospital mygo don't seem to do elec damage (?); fire spiders never hit me; freeze = no damage, so ice -% damage is useless. Needs a bit of work - also, the %reduction is a bit kooky. So - I tried to use the special -% dam reduction items, ended up being a waste of time. Not sure Mental damage is even in this build atm.
* Secret Base portal: has a storage system (?!): I assume you're going to do a lot more with this but felt a bit weird.
* There are two Elder Items that occupy the same slot (chest) that add +% damage, but are worded differently: one states "to weapons" the other just says "adds damage". I presume one could effect different non-weapon damage for later characters (magic etc) - but this is really unclear atm which is better. And yes, I had both in a single game: so... er... needs a re-write of the description
* The special ! events were nice, but a bit unconnected and just gave +info: it'd be very nice if map conditionals unlocked if you did 2/7, 4/7, 6/7 etc. e.g. do 2/7 get a message "You sense the House has secrets"... 6/7 "The House screams as the vast eons of restless souls cry out for vengence!" = new area opens up. Just a thought.
* Sanity - there's not a meter and not sure it has any effect atm. Unfinished mechanic?
* Replayability: this is a bit of a 'bad news bear' here: the RNG / Event pool is just too small to justify replaying unless you're planning on making each character have a separate event pool / have a master unlock system where finishing the game with each char unlocks that last door etc. You're going to have to work out how you want it to play because atm there's not much different between each run for the detective - and in 5hrs, I've seen all the event ! you've made so far + done all the secret areas etc
* Weapons: you get them on the first level, then never change them. Hmm. Might want to spread out the unlocks over the levels (e.g. tommy gun only spawns level 3+) and/or have an upgrade merchant %event where you can spend $ to upgrade them - a nice visual system that ties in with your 'no info / stats' would be a Bronze - Silver - Gold star on them (and hide the actual +10/20/30% damage behind that star)
* Honest appraisal: game feels "off": main char is too slow / mobs too fast / rooms too small / focal length (i.e. size of char on screen <-> world) too close. Honest question: have you ever played the ancient game 'Chaos Engine'? Please do to get a feel of what I mean - as that game 'did it right'.
* Human cultists as penguins? Ok, you went from 'terror' to 'LOL 1960's Batman' there. Strange change of focus... and prolly not a good one.
* While I know the "why" to why levels 3/4/5 were weighted so much in favor of mass mob rush / combat rooms (i.e. you've not created the content for them yet) it felt a bit lazy - by the nth room of mass spam it was just padding. So you need to focus a bit more on the core mechanics and not just spam filler rooms.


Over-all: atm, 6.5/10 as I like to support indy devs. Obviously it's EA, but needs a lot of polish before it'd be a classic.


Hmm. Need a drink.


Nice little game - needs work. Will check back in a couple of patches or so. Good luck!

[Stallker]

First of all - thank you for the interest in our games and such a detailed review.

You are right - much of what now seems unfinished - is unfinished. For our little team to do everything and immediately it is not possible.
This is one of the reasons for starting the EA - to understand the right direction whether we are moving or not, is there any potential for our ideas.

In any way much of what you wrote is true and usefull - we are planing to implement it in one way or another in the game in future versons. And we will be glad to hear your thoughts on our progress.

[Boink]

Just tried the professor: there's some seriously wonky mechanics with the main weapon - the range seems to vary!? Some shots are short, some are long - is there a hidden 'hold down fire = length of shot'?

Also, mapping the uber-cannon attack to the dodge button (space) = muscle memory kills you constantly. Esp. since the projectile has some dubious hitbox issues (just died because I fired past a zombie to target a mygo... the bullet was clearly going *past* the zombie, but triggered and killed me + zombie). Right Mouse = Uber Cannon, Space = Repulsive field would be *much* better / user friendly as a head's up.

[Stallker]

>Some shots are short, some are long - is there a hidden 'hold down fire = length of shot'?
As i know - its not. But maybe its a bug.

>Right Mouse = Uber Cannon, Space = Repulsive field would be *much* better / user friendly as a head's up.

We will think about it for sure.
In next big update prof will be better setup.