Devlog: The Fighters Roguelike Prototype Footage/GDC/More!

Let's get dumb with it. SB here, edited an incredible video to show off why we've been a bit more quiet- We have a massive deadline looming we've all been working on to hit. And that is to get the first prototype of the roguelike up and running with the ideas we pitched internally and to the community. As of now it's up and running, all systems are built and the single player proto will be complete and sent off on March 15th. It's been crazy but it's now playable, up and running and coming together with each passing hour. And it's fun, just needs more content!

Gameplay footage of prototype is in above video after the intro we edited together showcasing everything below in action.

Let's go over what we're looking at here- You'll be able to select a character, embark on a journey into the paradox void and build up a moveset, artifact set and deal with varied enemies, minibosses, special encounters and events that progress the story along. Each character will play differently, have their own unique movesets and upgrade trees.

Volley will be known as The Constant. She will start with a Lv. 1 Sidewinder (Projectile) and her artifact is her companion Beep Boop, who will heal her after every match (He'll also be able to be upgraded.)

Every run will start with a meeting with the mysterious Void Emissary, who's role will be fleshed out as the single player progresses. She's a benefactor who greets you every time you plunge back into the paradox void and offers you boons. What's her true role remains to be seen.

The world map will feature the following types: Fight, Miniboss, Area Boss (Like the godbuster picture above), Mystery Event, Shop and Camp. As you progress you will have encounters that can both benefit, hurt, or even curse your character as you run through it. With Zone1 we are embracing a familiar tone with the badlands. We will have multiple acts and hopefully an overworld area as well for plot progression.

 Now where it gets interesting- The combat will be dynamic, just like a fighting game. However, your opponents will behave like more pattern oriented enemies as opposed to fighting say, another Volley. That means they'll behave in ways that can be learned over time, with unique patterns so you get better over time. In the case of the starter enemy Shambler pictured above...Just don't get too close or his malfunctioning body will shock the crap out of you.

On winning each match, your moveset progresses and can be leveled up! You have a total of five slots to fill for each run, with multiple options offered. The moves atm have a Lv. 1-3 version, as well as crazier Alpha and Omega variants. These can also be upgraded via getting artifacts, which apply modifiers to your character, enemies and more. Where do you get artifacts? From the shop, from enemy drops, from defeating minibosses and bosses. And those all have rarity tiers too.

The artifacts is where stuff gets really interesting. On top of move upgrades, these items will offer permanent/temporary boons to your run that can radically modify how the game plays and feels each run. As of now we have 74 artifacts on paper, about 30 implemented, and the plan is to have 100+ unique artifacts. We feel like we're just scratching the surface.

The idea with artifacts is that over time they will start to do some seriously wierd stuff if you roll the dice wrong. Take a risk on an event with a merchant? You might get the bad end of the stick. And the bad rolls might stack. With this many moves and artifacts the potential combinations will be in the millions, which is cool. And we have some very wild ideas we're looking forward to integrating.

Our trusty imprisoned shopkeeper Dee will keep you company and provide you high quality artifacts and consumables to ensure you survive your harsh journey into the paradox void. How did she end up there? Does she even care? We must protect her at all costs.

In terms of move variety? The current slots are as follows:

(Rigman has been animating FRANTICALLY to get all these moves built)

-Projectile, Command Normals,Utility, Special Punch and Special Kick. You can only have 1 move per slot. So if you choose to swap out for something else, you'll lose any upgrades to the existing move and have to move your way up the upgrade tree again.

Above is an anim for the projectile move Volley can pick up- Korbit Optics without the VFX yet, still working on those (A Level 3 variant), an eye beam based attack that will cut through robotic opponents like butter. This would replace the classic Sidewinder Volley is associated with.

We are also experimenting with visual changes when you pick up certain moves. This would only happen with specific moves, but this would add some dope changes to the model to signify certain specific moves you might have picked up.

There's a lot going on right now. Basically all the systems are built now, we just need to add content and populate as the next step. New enemies, new events, new artifacts, moves etc. and each run will get more fun. We are collaborating with multiple artists on generating art for events, icons and more.

Whatever is being pitched in our Discord's brainstorming channel is all being looked at. And we hope to have a more fleshed out version of this demo available to Patrons to start testing soon once we get more content in. We will be able to shift to playable builds every few months, a new perk.

I leave you with a WIP of one of the characters you'll meet in Paradox. See you all soon in the void friends. <3 Till the next update!