Devlog: Badlands Rebuild, PAX West, Kiera Merch, More! (Patreon)

Hey again! July is behind us and we've been hauling ass on multiple fronts. We've been a little quiet as we've been busy getting everything lined up logistic wise for PAX. More on that shortly. 

Badlands 2.0

One thing we've been busy on is improving our starting stage, Badlands with a full rebuild from the previous iteration. Due to the new combat systems the stage had to be rebuilt completely different to acommodate

We concepted a bunch of new props that were recently completed by our buddies at Bitgem- including some new items that Volley will be able to interact with. Elevators that require batteries, drawbridges and some other miscellaneous props. 

The new map as a result of the new combat is about 3 times as big as the original layout we had prior to redesigning how combat worked. Due to the fact that you'll  be having multiple encounters the spaces needed to be much larger compared to the older version (see below).

This older version was fine but after playtesting we realized Volley just didn't have much to do to progress. In the new version she'll interact with Casey in a much more meaningful way and need to do tasks to actually progress to the encounter with the Godbuster below- Including gathering parts to reactivate the elevator, fighting a heavy bot, clearing obstacles and more.

One thing we're also introducing is verticality. Volley will be able to descend, and ascend vertically with the help of Beep Boop. Verticality really helps push the isometric angle.

Heavy Bot

Rigman was  busy this week rigging up the heavy bot, who will make up one of the more difficult mini encounters in the Badlands area. Compared to the lighter brawler bots this one will be way more tanky and able to shrug off attacks from Volley. You should be able to see him in action shortly.

Hacking Minigame

To access various terminals, we've been working with Siegfried Croes on our own version of a hacking minigame, which will riff off a pipe game style template. In order to unlock certain doors and terminals, you'll be required to manipulate pathways to lead an electric current from point A to B. This one is fully functional and gets more difficult as the grid increases.

We went for a 16 bit look on this, but Siegfried knocked it out of the park so far. It's pretty fun and can be a bit mind bending in the more difficult stages. We spent a while trying to figure out an interesting hacking minigame but this one seems to be the most intuitive and easy to pick up. It'll probably be first seen during the Emerald Coast chapter which follows Badlands.

PAX Stuff/Kiera Merch/Diamond Backer

We were suprised at how well we did with merch at PAX East (We were able to recoup the cost of the booth and then some), so we've been working on some new items. Hopefully we can get it all done in time or else we might have to push it to online only or for the next con we attend next  year.

Kiera Pin

A new Kiera pin is now completed and in hand. Featuring art by MissIcy, this one turned out absolutely huge compared to the Volley one! It's dope and has the same nickel plating which gives it a cool glossy look. These will be on sale at PAX West and offered in a care package for Diamond Backers that will be shipped out around October.

Following the original thumbnails we did a combination of A & D based off the votes we got, which were pretty split between these two.

Holographic Tote

One issue that was a major problem at PAX East was that they discontinued handing out large bags to all attendees, which they could use to easily transport stuff they bought. In previous years you'd get a bag with your badge with a bunch of swag/promotional items inside. As a result this affected ALL vendors trying to sell as attendees found themselves with no way to carry their stuff around easily. So as a result we're producing a series of large holographic tote bags that look dope. We're kinda hoping we'll fill a niche for people that realize they have no bag at the con. 

Kiera Plush

SB here, this one's been a doozy but we've been rushing to get a finalized prototype of the Kiera plush made in time for PAX West. We commissioned 3 prototypes:

A) Vendor A rejected it due to it being too complex. (They said fuck it basically)

B) Vendor B did a decent job but the likeness and quality of materials wasn't to our liking. Some corners were cut it seems and they didn't do a good job addressing our issues. 

C) Vendor C had some issues with likeness but were able to revise it to a good state. Materials were much better than sample B.

As of now they're being shipped to us for final inspection, so I'm rushing to get this done in time. It's tight but I'm hoping we can get this all sorted.

We're also getting some stickers made, but those are still early. As usual all these items will be sent in a care package to our Diamond Backers.

Last but not least, a secondary reminder. We will be at PAX West! Our booth will be #3107 and this time we're going to have double the space. A good chunk of the team will be there this time. So hope to see you all.