When things are feeling a bit rough, I like to list the pros and cons. Usually cons first… to, you know, end on a positive note.
So, cons:
Yes, we are a day late. I personally like to believe in “better late than never.” So, here we are. Tada.
Another con – we’re feeling a bit burned out. We’re not sure if it’s just the last three weeks or the entire year so far catching up to us. I hope it’s the former… because we really can’t afford to lose steam.
On my side (Megan), I think it’s a combination of things – both personal and game-wise. We’re facing a lot of new tasks that require us to learn as we go. And sometimes, that can be simultaneously exciting and daunting. It’s difficult when you have one wolf in you saying, “It doesn’t have to be perfect,” and the other saying, “This will never be good enough.” I’d like to include these conflicting feelings as a con we’re currently facing.
Now, the pros:
Harv managed to sort out our mailing situation.
We’re still pretty much on schedule. We’re still showing up. We’re still in this. We’re still making progress. That’s what really matters, right?
What We’ve Been Working On
Megan: Artwise
I started this sprint with some in-game character art. So, I’d like to introduce you to two characters you’ll encounter in the demo.
First up, our main character: Alex Vanguard.
And then… a mysterious figure you’ll meet early in the game – a beacon in the dark: the Shadow Behind the Door.
After wrapping up those characters, I moved on to one of the first creatures you’ll come across in the game.
(This led to some intense foot-dragging and a healthy dose of self-loathing – but hey, I finished it after a couple of weeks.)
These are what we call: Flesh Mounds.
“I can hear it… like a death rattle. One that never ends.”– Alex
Harvey: Dev Update
Compared to Megan’s progress, this update is definitely a bit lighter. With my day job ramping up and throwing more tasks my way, I haven’t been as productive on Vanguard as usual. That said, I did get some essential housekeeping done in the codebase.
Inventory System Fixes
I tackled several bugs and quirks in the inventory system:
- Items weren’t clearing properly after use.
- Pickup events weren’t updating the correct quantities.
- Holding down the pickup button duplicated items. (This one was particularly dumb.)
- Sprinting didn’t stop when stamina hit zero.
- Sprinting while shooting caused a weird stuck state.
- The player could still move, shoot, or interact with the world while UI menus were open.
These have all been fixed!
Backend & Systems Work
Behind the scenes, I also laid some groundwork for future features—important stuff that players won’t notice if I don’t mention it here:
- Hooked up the Dialogue Manager to the level management node.
- Connected the Tutorial Manager to the level management node.
- Implemented behaviour for power cells and generators.
- Created a centralised Logging Manager for tracking and debugging game events.
Now that the kids are back in school after a full week off, I’m hoping to get back into the swing of things. I love those little boneheads, but when two chaos goblins are home all week while Mom and Dad still have to work… let’s just say the urge to hammer-throw them into orbit is real.
What’s Next?
Art (Megan):
- 3D assets for 2 additional creatures
- 3D texturing for power cells you’ll use in the game
- 3D asset for Shadow Behind the Door
- Additional UI elements
Mechanics/Development (Harvey):
- Completing the generator and power cell behaviour
- Dialogue system
- Fleshmound polish
