Another minor update is in the first post, v0.4.2, bringing a requested addition and some minor changes:
Added trash bin
Lowered slime spawn rates
Maybe actually fixed enemy spawn bug
Added particles for status effects
Added version number on title screen
Many behind-the-scenes changes for the unreleased PC version
The new trash bin item is cheap to craft and allows you to place up to 5 items within it. Adding any more items destroys the oldest item in the trash bin. All trash bins share a common inventory, and the trash bin will hold the items in it until you exit the game, but its contents are not saved when you save the game. You can craft it at the sawmill.
Nope, thatâs not me! I wish I had a track record like that. I did port one of Trodossâs hackvision games to the Gamebuino a while back, but that was just me getting myself familiar with the platform.
A new version of Planet Escape is in the first post, v0.5.0!
This version features:
A day/night cycle, with a moving sun and moon that indicate the current time
A shifting color palette depending on the current light level
Decreased light underground
Light emitting blocks that increase the light level
Increased enemy spawns in low light and decreased spawns in bright light
Chopping the trunk of a tree fells the whole tree
Fixed tree spawning bug
Nighttime enemies, with new item drops
This update was based on community suggestions, so let me know if there are ways you think this could be improved!
Some new future plans include a possible overhaul to combat, including new weapons and adjustments to weapon cooldown and knockback, along with an optional hard difficulty.
Version 0.5.0 is a big improvement. Really enjoyed it. Some thoughts:
The atmosphere is getting there. Day/Night cycle is absolutely step in right direction. I would like the night to be even more pronounced. Without a torch, you shouldnât see much anything!
Wolves, IMHO should not be killable by bare hands. There could be less of them, but âslapping a wolfâ is not a realistic scenario for a Finn
Saunas. We need a sauna. Sauna will replenish your stamina (see point #2 about being a Finn)
Things to hunt. Chickens. Food/famine cycle.
The game is definitely getting there. I would just so love to have a more intense version of it
In the Mother series of games (Mother 2 was known as Earthbound for its western release) onsen (Japanese hotsprings, similar to a sauna but outdoors) will restore your health.
Theyâre particularly prominent in Mother 3.
(I was going to post a video, but I couldnât find a decent one.)
A new version of Planet Escape is in the first post, v0.5.5! This version doesnât have a lot of new content, but I decided it was better to release what I have now than to keep waiting until I finish the more significant things I have planned. I think this update does make the content already in the game easier to explore, though.
There are a lot of behind-the-scenes changes in this version, but there are also a few interesting new features too:
Save format has been overhauled
Sound effects and music have been added!
Chest capacity has been increased from 6 to 12
Limit on number of chests allowed in world has been removed
Chest contents are cached in memory and saved and loaded individually from the SD card
The game autosaves after changing the contents of a chest so they can be saved to SD
Quest log has been added
New quests give players tasks to do and keeps track of which tasks have been completed
This new quest system hopefully will serve as both a guide to what can be done next and incentive to keep exploring
Notification system has been added
Text can now pop up at the bottom of the screen to notify the player of a new log entry or other important game events
Combat has been rebalanced, with knockback significantly reduced and reserved only for more powerful weapons. Night is more dangerous now.
Misc. bug fixes
The quality of the music could be better, and I might try some things to reduce noise in the music, but I think that slower, quieter music just might not fare as well with 8-bit samples at a low sample rate.
Saves from older versions will not be compatible with this version, and likely saves from this version wonât be compatible with the next version either. Please give it a try anyway and let me know what you think!
After 8 months, another update to Planet Escape, v0.6.0! I wanted to post an update to show the game is still being worked on and share my progress.
This update still does not include an ending, but itâs getting closer. There is only one more stage of player progression I need to add before the ending. This update is an intermediate step towards that.
The update includes:
A boss battle!
More music and sound effects
New weapons, a new digging tool, and several new crafting ingredients
Redone loot drop system - now you can come across containers full of loot
Quality-of-life inventory improvements
The item in your hand no longer uses an inventory slot
Armor equips instantly instead of needing to be âusedâ
Almost all items (except for weapons) can be used as a weak digging tool
