Development Blog 1/25/16: The Bounty: Deluxe Edition

​(MASSIVE UPDATE, GET COMFORTABLE!)

​A demo is about to make it's way out in a few days time- so let's go over some of
the cool changes, without spoiling anything!

This demo consists of the first episode- so let's go over how that has changed in terms on content. There have been new levels added, with some sweet secrets and
what have you. There's more treasure and gear to be found. In fact, there have been 25 new pieces of equipment added to the game in the last week alone, though everything spans the whole game, of course. It's a generally meatier experience, and I can't wait for you to play it in a few days.

The only thing holding back this demo build's release is a couple of really odd bugs- these are concerning the dynamic lighting and in-game volume control. I believe I've (seemingly) traced it back to a Windows issue, but bear with me for the time being.

Hey, it's that dynamic lighting I won't shut up about!

​So, what else is new? Well... the graphics are upscaled and in some cases re-done. I mentioned the dynamic lighting (which REALLY adds to the experience!). You can now control with a keyboard, gamepad (customizable), and even mouse or touch. The Dragon Quest style black background for battles has been changed to an out-of-focus view of the room you're in- I still like the DQ homage (and it's still used in a few spots), but the new way makes battle feel less disconnected from the rest of the game. 

Map screen, before battle.

In battle- you can see the map from the position you were standing when the encounter started.

​One of the issues with earlier versions of the game is that while you are playing somebody that is playing a game to save Walter Day from The Bounty- that idea was scarcely represented, much less represented well. That's no longer a problem! From the intro and lobby to more frequent fourth wall-breaking secrets, the point comes across much better, in a more fun way.

The lobby serves as an interim between Indie Game Studio X's office and the RPG dungeon world of The Bounty that Walter Day's consciousness has devised.

There are times that you can see through the illusion of the game...

​There are a few other little tweaks to gameplay, including player speed. The option to walk or run with a press of a button (or locked to dash always on) has been added. Traps and monsters have been adjusted accordingly, of course. Difficulty has been scaled down slightly in the beginning, and rises at more of an arc, rather than just slamming into a brick wall. ;) 

This adjustment in difficulty suits the much longer game well. The forest episode (2) has a secret temple for you to discover, as well as a different ending and boss; which leads to the new Episode 3. E3 is another change in pace and tone from the separate level format- it provides a refreshing kind of challenge before the oppressive vibe of the dungeons and crypts of the final(much bigger) episode. 

That'll do it for now, huh? I'll be tightening this demo down and releasing it ASAP. The next dev blog will be a recap of Bug Attack!'s last month of development, before moving to a more succinct and regular dev blog for The Bounty: Deluxe Edition.

Thanks for your patience and support, as always. I hope you'll enjoy your trip through The Bounty in the near future.
           Dave Vogt