Hello Random Person on the Internet,

I hope you're doing well. I just released a new version of the demo and, while creating the changelog, I realized there's an option for longer form posts. I feel like I need space to reflect and share what I've learned, so here we go.

A lot of work has gone into the game, particularly with the new weapons (including an autoshotgun, machine gun, grenade launchers, and a teleport wand thingy) that will be in the full release. I'm very happy with how they turned out. They look great and feel incredibly powerful. I'm still aiming to make their stats 1:1 representations of their real-life counterparts.

I also experimented with adding a Souls-like stamina system, but it didn't match the game well. Stamina was consumed by arm recovery and sprinting. It felt sluggish, especially in the movement department, and tuning the numbers to make it fun led to a situation where it no longer mattered whether it was there or not. However, the ability to walk came out of this endeavor, and it can be a useful tool in melee combat. Sprint still remains the default form of movement, as it's simply more fun.

The big feature that made it into the demo update is full color customization of the game. It was one of the reasons I chose the art style when I started working on SIG, and now it's actually in the settings. I still think the default color scheme is good to get to know the game, but now you can switch things up if you want to. You can also turn everything black and restore the default colors in a panic. The way to the panic button is always visible, no matter the colors.

Although not new features, adjusting the HP of tentacles on basic enemies to be destroyed by a single pistol shot and making bullets faster made the biggest difference in the feel-good department. It makes combat snappier and much more fun. Two tapping basic enemies with a pistol makes it a much more viable option and significantly improves the early portion of the game.

Overall, I think the update made a big improvement to the experience the demo provides. I'm very happy with where the game is heading.

Thanks for reading. I wish you all the best,
V