Update #9 Zurich Pop Con 2024 & Alpha Demo

 

Hello everyone!

I’m excited to share some thrilling new footage with you, including the very first prologue cinematic and a look at the sword combat mechanics. Plus, I’ll fill you in on the outcome of Zurich Pop Con 2024! Let’s dive in!

This entry video introduces our hero, Paran, as he catapults into a vast desert landscape on a specific mission: to retrieve an ancient artifact—the legendary sword of Durendal!

I’ve also decided to showcase two additional previews of cutscenes: the intro to the first enemy and the moment of retrieving the legendary sword! I needed these for the event in Zurich to create some flow for the story in the demo presented. Both scenes are still works in progress and will need some polishing and extra lines added, but I’m excited to share this early look with you!

As you may have noticed, the main story cutscenes will feature motion capture and full voice acting. In addition, Paran will stay in radio contact with Sumael throughout the prologue. This dynamic will help players familiarize themselves with the characters, the story, and the lore of MidKnight Story. 

Sword Combat - The basics!

As soon as Paran retrieves the legendary Sword of Durendal, he'll seamlessly be able to execute a wide range of melee attacks. These include light and heavy land combo attacks, aerial combo sequences, air chain attacks, and ground executions. As Paran levels up, his combat abilities will expand, unlocking new combo extensions and powerful attack skills to further enhance his fighting prowess.

Zurich Pop Con 2024 Aftermath!

Zurich Pop Con has come to an end, and I have to say, it was an incredible experience! I met dozens of people who had the chance to try out the game and share their feedback with me. The enthusiasm and insights I received were truly valuable. I was also delighted to see four backers stop by to greet me, and they were impressed with what was showcased.

Here’s a list summarizing the common feedback I’ve gathered:

Graphics & Art Style:

  • Players loved the visual design and overall artistic direction of the game.

Animations:

  • The animations were praised for their quality and smoothness, contributing to an immersive experience.

Gameplay Fluidity:

  • Many appreciated how fluid the gameplay felt, with seamless transitions between actions.

Intuitive Controls:

  • The game's controls were highlighted as intuitive, making it easy for players to pick up and play.

Difficulty Progressing in Certain Areas:

  • Players found it challenging to advance in specific sections, particularly the bay area where Paran needs to climb the broken bridge to progress.

Lack of Visual Cues for Climbing:

  • Many felt that more visual information was needed to indicate where Paran can climb. It wasn’t immediately clear that climbing was an option.

Climbing Mechanic Awareness:

  • Players noted that they weren't aware that Paran could climb in the first place, suggesting the need for better communication or tutorialization of this feature.

The experience was incredible! Watching players experience the game firsthand was both exciting and eye-opening. They approached challenges in ways I hadn’t anticipated, and it was fascinating to see them explore different strategies. A few bugs surfaced during the event, and I made sure to take notes so I can address them swiftly this month. Overall, it was great to see how players tackled the challenges presented in the prologue.

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Things I need to add and improve before the Alpha Demo can be released:

Improved Cinematics:

  • Add additional dialogue, animations, subtitles, and skip cutscene option. 

Radio Contact Exchanges (Almost completed):

  • Implement exchanges between Paran and Sumael to enhance mission flow. 

Puzzle-Solving Elements (Almost completed):

  • Include puzzles and lore descriptions to deepen player engagement. 

Dismemberment of Skeleton Bandits (Almost completed):

  • Introduce a chance for Skeleton Bandits to lose limbs during combat, adjusting their animations to reflect these changes and modifying their AI behavior to become more aggressive or defensive based on their condition. 

New Enemy Type:

  • Introduce an additional enemy type to diversify gameplay.

Level-Up Mechanic (Almost completed):

  • Polish the existing level-up mechanic and how Paran acquires Experience Points

Bug Fixes:

  • Address bugs that emerged during the gaming convention's pre-alpha version.

Additional Tutorials:

  • Add more tutorials to guide players through the game.

Level Design Improvements:

  • Enhance the level design flow to help players navigate the world without getting stuck.

What's next?

The next update will showcase the missing features we just discussed, including the level-up system, a deep dive into the enemy lore and their typology, and more! After this upcoming update, I will finally release the long-awaited Alpha demo, which is nearly ready. It just needs some final polish and a couple more features I've mentioned before. 

That's it for this update. I look forward to seeing you next month for the next one!

 
Mattia Ciurlino