This week the web team continues their ecommerce work. They’re working on improving the look and flow of everything in the Shop section. Jesse showed off a design that has each game package color coded to quickly and easily tell them apart, and a table style view highlighting each specific item, making it easier to compare what comes with each package. Jared is still hunting down a few bugs and layout issues, but the new look should be ready, along with a mobile layout, by the end of the week.
The spawn area is getting some attention too. While it may not be as beautiful and vibrant as the flowered wilds of Lahaina, the sewer starting area provides a safe and somewhat smelly place for players to collect a few basic items, and to respawn safely away from whatever might have torn them limb from limb. We’re adding some final details and audio support to make the slime and dripping water more authentic. We talked about what items should be available to players, and you can see in the shot below where we plan to drop a few survival tools.
The conversation about survival gear led us down a rabbit hole about the perfect item and survival food. We discussed: the pros and cons of including an emergency potato, whether or not there was a better food or tuber to have after civilization has been wiped out, how compact it was by natural design, and the many other uses the root vegetable offers. Luckily, before we spiraled into a completely potato themed meeting, San joined, added the potato clock to our long list of uses, and made us move on. However, if you think you have a better idea for a survival food, let us know in the forums.
Speaking of teamwork, we’re working on creating a team system. Our goal is to create a game that inspires group play and cooperation to survive. The team is working on a way for you to keep track of the location of group or House members, so you don’t get separated in a firefight, or during an ambush. We’re working on some campfire improvements that will help a team regroup and resupply, and a way to revive gravely injured players, so you won’t have to leave anyone behind. You can still ditch the carless or tactically unsound of course, but you don’t have to.
The web team is wrapping up the last of the work on the Veil News Network (VNN) newsticker version 1, as well. We talked about making it more factual until we figure out a good solution for randomizing the language of headlines, and worked out the last of the layout and overlapping issues. We discussed adding video and focusing on including a live stream link for specific highlighted stories in the next version.
Finally, with the last of the performance improvement work finishing up, we turned once again to adding new places to explore, and things to chase you when you get there. There will be a mine and an oil tanker in the game soon, and we took a look at some concept art of other Lahaina hotspots. Here’s a look at what Front Street could look like soon, although we’d change the graffiti to make it a little less death metal, and a little more island appropriate.
That’s it for now. We’ll be back later with the latest tuber news, updates, and screenshots.
