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Penultimate V.2 Blog

  • XBuster
  • 09/17/2020 11:23 PM
  • 957 views
Greetings to you all! Today, we have a LOT to discuss in terms of this project. There's quite a bit of info incoming and I don't plan on holding back as we are swiftly nearing the ending of the development of version 2. That said, let's take a deep dive into what we have in store for you all today!

Overall Progress

Before we kick things off, I'd like to let you all know that progress has been going incredibly well. Things have been knocked out left and right and I'm happy to say that we are about 92-95 percent complete. This new version focuses primarily on expanding the game in just about every category. There are still a wealth of unexplored ideas however, but for this version they have been scrapped to save for another time or for entirely different projects.

3rd Anniversary Coming Up!

The first thing I'd like to discuss is that the 3rd anniversary of the project's first reveal is coming up on October 31st, which is directly on Halloween. However, I am currently working as fast and efficiently as possible to make sure we have enough time to give testers the opportunity to play it before then.

Testers Needed Soon?

In terms of testers, currently we have seven different individuals (myself included). That is a large boost from the initial one that we had when we first released the game earlier this year. We will all be meeting on Discord in a private group. We could use more if you are ever interested in joining us. But, there is one requirement I have to test the update, you must have a game clear save file.

Screenshot Updates


A completion percentage bar and combo meter have been added to the save menu!


The options menus have finally been categorized! A new option has also been added that will allow you to turn off the scene controls and skip information.


The Shantae seals have been relieved of their duties as the talisman icons and now every one is different.


Each bond now has type information!


Extra Synth Crystal Collection

Within the next update, there were originally planned to be 30 new Dream Gates. But, I pick certain numbers in the game for a reason. There are 120 of them in all and that number is based on Super Mario 64's 120 Power Stars. So, instead of letting those 30 variables go to waste, I decided to place them around the base world map for you to find. Some of them will only appear if you do something within the screen they are located as well. I'm kind of tempted to add 20 more though...



The Bond Barrier

One crucial addition that had to be added was the "Bond Barrier" system. Basically what this means is, you will NOT be able to use the abilities of individuals you have not met yet. The reason why this was done is because there are some new bonds in the game and I wouldn't want you to get their abilities without even knowing who they are or who does what.

The second main reason this was implemented is because there are ultimate bonds in the game that will allow you to equip every ability of that particular bond type. But, unlike in version 1.4, you must meet each individual to add that ability to the ultimate's arsenal.

The Colosseum Update

Since one of the top focuses in this project is its battle system and character variety, there was one ultimate option I wanted to add to increase the combat capabilities even further. That option is the ability to fight any boss with any character.

Now, you have the complete freedom of choosing a party or going in solo. If you decided to go solo however, at the beginning of every battle, you will be taken to the character select menu to choose who you want to be.

On top of that, battles have now been categorized so that you can find them much easier. This includes single, double, and special. And just in case you want to change your combat class without leaving the simulator, you can also change it on the battle selection menu too.




NPC And Chat Additions

As mentioned before, nearly all directories of the game are receiving either slight or heavy expansions. Two of the smaller ones include the addition of new NPCs and chats!




World Map Polishing

In addition to all of the content above, some cherry-picked areas of the world map have been expanded, altered, or remade entirely to fit the new content and to celebrate the upcoming release of a large expansion. I won't say which areas they are in particular, but you're bound to see them sooner or later.

New Art Pieces!

Along with the update will come 2 new art pieces submitted by Paulo Munir. The first one is older, but the 2nd one is recent. He is a wonderful artist and he was kind enough to let us use both of them for the game's gallery. If you are seeing this now, thank you so much, Paulo!





New Music Tracks!

Another update to the game is a shift in some of the tracks as well as new ones being added. There are over 12 new locations (some big, some small) and it is good to have ones that will fit the areas necessary. I also would like to once again thank my buddy, Swine is Online for continuing to make new tracks for areas that are needed as well as agreeing to assist me on the upcoming revival of the project, Monster World Legends.

Miscellaneous Updates

  • New Pepelogoo Courses

  • Extra scenes galore

  • New enemy spell: Floor Freeze

  • Sound effect authenticity nearly complete

  • New books

  • You can now end the game via the pause menu

  • Some NPC objects have their functions back

  • The 2nd theater at Starlight Park now has a movie too

  • Active and Wait party swap modes


Thank you

To put it in simple terms, this has been one of the greatest experiences of my entire life. Working on it has brought me much joy and the vast number of individuals and collaborators I've met on this nearly 3 year journey has been something truly surreal. Your feedback, suggestions and overall warmth has really driven me to want to complete this update and get it out to all of you as fast and efficiently as possible.

Thank you all so much for everything you have done or said, whether it be public or private. It truly means the world to me and I do hope that this has been a wonderful experience for you too. That said, this is all I have for you all today. I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting some things, but if they come back to me, they'll be edited in as soon as possible.

We hope you are looking forward to this as much as we are and until next time! :D

Posts

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author=orochii
Oh those shiny new arts are awsum :^DD! Also great progress and pretty glad to see there's gonna be a v2 soon.

Cheers!


Haha! Thank you very much, bud! I'm certain Paulo would love to hear that, too! We're deep into the polishing phase, so we could very well be playing in less than two weeks. Keep your fingers crossed ^_^
Oh those shiny new arts are awsum :^DD! Also great progress and pretty glad to see there's gonna be a v2 soon.

Cheers!
Pages: 1