Full Release

In this devlog video, I cover the final tasks before release including finishing the campaign content and updating the game's cover art and trailer.

3.0.0 Full release

  • Improved throwing AI and moved relic slightly in "Nuclear Propulsion"
  • Adjusted description of many chapter 3 missions
  • Adjusted splash screen
  • Moved feedback survey to information submenu
  • Emotes are disabled after entering a black hole
  • Patch notes
  • Updated devlog
  • Build and test
  • Disable emotes after enter black hole
  • AI throws more precisely in Nuclear Propulsion
  • Moved relic in Nuclear Propulsion
  • Adjusted ending unlock text
  • Adjusted Kill All Humans description
  • Adjusted Quantum Entanglement description
  • Misc typos
  • Changed relic debris description
  • Changed Singulari Trap description
  • Fixed typo in Necropolis description
  • Adjusted Double Roundabout, Necropolis, Supernova Stadium description
  • Watched chapter 3 playthrough
  • Prepped release posts
  • Release tournament post
  • Build and test
  • Reduced size of splash screen background for file size
  • Published final Steam achievements
  • Updated full game text in demo
  • Moved feedback survey to information submenu
  • Removed ratings from feedback survey
  • Removed Unity logo, record gameplay message and adjusted splash screen

Campaign Chapter 2

In this devlog video, I go through each mission in chapter 2, focused on wormholes.

In this video, I host a tournament bracket with a large prize pool.

In this devlog video, I give away the game for free (for tournaments), add a new black hole map, and tweak game balance.

2.2.3 Chapter 2 balance

  • Chapter 2 mission difficulty tweaks, changed descriptions and added hints
  • Changed "Worm Howling" to have fewer asteroids and closer wormholes
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Orbit angle less steep when close to the black hole in Planets To Self Destruct
  • Added hints to unlock new characters on every pick character mission
  • Adjusted description for Singulari Trap mission
  • Reduced number of asteroids in Worm Howling
  • Wormholes auto release grabbed bombs in Worm Howling
  • Moved wormholes closer in Worm Howling
  • Tested changes
  • Added arrows in Proxima c
  • Adjusted Proxima c description
  • Added a hint to drain the star in Galactic Gauntlet
  • Portal Pigsty hint to grab the star while teleporting
  • You can grab the wormhole infinitely in Asteroid Vacuum
  • Added Noom to beta tester credits
  • Reduced AI difficulty in Galactic Gauntlet
  • Finished watching the playthrough
  • Fixed typo in Thinking With Portals

2.2.2 Chapter progress

  • Chapter relic and goal time percentages moved next to the chapter name
  • "You Died" text only appears next to the controlled player
  • Goal player marked in cargo missions
  • Less frequent button prompts
  • Button prompts don't show on chapter 2 and 3 of the campaign
  • Fixed spin break prompt condition
  • Show game version on ending screen
  • Quantum planets marked as you
  • Fixed quantum tap spin
  • Fixed quantum camera logic
  • Fixed trickshot achievement with quantum planet
  • Moved status position in "Little Maneuver"
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • [Video] Description, chapters and captions
  • [Video] Music and refinement
  • [Video] Finished intro
  • Build and test
  • Chapter relic and goal time percentage moved next to the chapter name
  • Quantum planets marked as you
  • Goal player marked in cargo missions
  • Moved status position in Little Maneuver
  • You Died text only appears next to the controlled player
  • Fixed quantum tap spin
  • Fixed quantum camera logic
  • Fixed trickshot achievement with quantum planet
  • Refined prompt show conditions
  • Fixed spin break prompt condition
  • Watched a playthrough of most of chapter 1 from a key I sent by email
  • Fixed render texture warning
  • Less frequent button prompts
  • Button prompts don't show on chapter 2 and 3 of the campaign
  • [Video] Endings section
  • [Video] Spin messages
  • [Video] Kill your darlings section
  • [Video] Removed counter spin section
  • [Video] Emails and YouTube search section
  • [Video] Final beta and price increase sections
  • Speedrun rules
  • Show game version on ending screen
  • Speedrun.com game request
  • [Video] Achievements clip
  • Version of trailer with Steam logo
  • [Video] Finished trailer section
  • Tweets
  • Playtest follow up
  • Effective marketing Tweet
  • Emails
  • [Video] Edited part of intro
  • [Video] Sales section edit
  • [Video] Rivals 2 grab break clip
  • [Video] Edited faces and steam reviews
  • [Video] Edited different systems, spin and trailer intro sections
  • Marketing post

2.2.1 Rumble fixes

  • Controls settings work for single player
  • Improved performance and fixes for controller rumble
  • Updated to Unity 6
  • Adjusted health, positions and enabled grab recovery in Leech Health tutorial
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Controls settings work for single player
  • Prevent duplicate rumble for quantum players
  • Fixed rumble being updated every frame even when no change
  • Found out that the FPS issue on Mac was due to rumble
  • Playtest at FILTHY. Stephen beat me for the first time with me playing Jupiter.
  • Build and test for Unity 6
  • Updated to Unity 6 now that the input bug is fixed
  • Privacy policy
  • Sent emails to YouTubers
  • [Video] Devlog 16 thumbnail
  • [Video] Edited majority of the trailer section
  • [Video] Trimmed voiceover
  • [Video] Recorded voiceover
  • [Video] Refined script
  • [Video] Finished first draft of release devlog script
  • Sent emails to YouTubers
  • Sent emails to YouTubers
  • Sent emails to YouTubers
  • [Video] More sections to the release devlog script
  • Designed HTML email template
  • Researching HTML email beat practices
  • Sent emails to YouTubers
  • Sent emails to YouTubers
  • Sent emails to YouTubers
  • Grab recover on leech tutorial
  • Trying to find similar games without online is difficult
  • Adjusted health and positions in Leech Health tutorial
  • Sent emails to YouTubers
  • Sent emails to YouTubers

2.2.0 Counter spin removed

  • Spinning while grabbing no longer has an effect on grab time
  • Extra tips in the tutorial select menu
  • Spin rings glow white when maximum spin speed
  • Saturn ring image glows white on spin
  • Changed counter spin tutorial to leech health
  • Adjusted text describing spin
  • Initial state check for brake
  • AI able to release grab while grabbed
  • Reduced chance for AI to parry
  • Add a cap to prefer current behavior time
  • Reduced chance AI will grab your planet
  • Prevent mission select movement while spawning
  • Release trailer
  • Playtest at CWQLD Ranbat
  • Published build
  • Patch notes
  • Updated devlog
  • Extra tips in the tutorial select menu
  • Removed counter spin
  • Spin rings glow white when maximum spin speed
  • Saturn ring image glows white on spin
  • Changed counter spin tutorial to leech health
  • Adjusted text describing spin
  • Released beta build
  • Initial state check for brake
  • Survival spin tutorial foundation
  • AI able to release grab while grabbed
  • Reduced chance for AI to parry
  • Mission select error logging
  • Add a cap to prefer current behavior time
  • Reduced chance AI will grab your planet
  • Found a bug where AI priorities won't update while grabbed
  • Organized tasks
  • Prevent mission select movement while spawning
  • Watched a chapter 1 playtest
  • Prepared creator email template
  • Announced the full release date along with the new trailer
  • Researched reviewers
  • Updated trailer on all platforms
  • Updated Steam beta event image
  • Getting more beta testers
  • [Video] Changed a title card
  • Applied for Twitch Bounty board
  • Brainstorming release marketing strategy
  • Updated trailer on Steam and media kit
  • [Video] Recorded and edited the final shot
  • [Video] Version 2 of the trailer is done
  • [Video] Changed title card text again
  • [Video] Refined ending animation
  • [Video] New doubles clips
  • [Video] Redid some title cards
  • [Video] Title card sounds
  • [Video] Recorded a bunch and re-edited the customize and campaign sections
  • [Video] Recorded a new intro clip with a grab, bounce and win in 5 seconds
  • [Video] Trailer research
  • [Video] Recorded clips with fixed camera for a side by side shot. Took a lot of tweaking but I'm happy with it now.
  • [Video] Trailer intro gif
  • [Video] I found out that GIFs can only be a fixed number of centiseconds
  • [Video] More transitions
  • [Video] Being overly particular
  • [Video] Experimented with zoom transitions
  • [Video] Recorded new opening shot
  • [Video] Tried to make quicker edits in the middle
  • [Video] Got more feedback on the trailer which was quite helpful
  • [Video] Trailer feedback
  • [Video] Finished first draft of the trailer
  • [Video] Trailer refinement
  • [Video] Added clips to trailer
  • [Video] Added grab and bounce prompts to trailer

2.1.11 Cover Art

  • Updated splash screen art
  • Updated Steam branding and screenshots
  • Original Cosmos achievement
  • Bomb explodes from volatile asteroids while grabbed
  • Drain line able to be full core width
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Tested performance on Macbook and updated desktop background
  • Bomb explodes from volatile asteroids while grabbed
  • Drain line able to be full core width
  • Playtest at FILTHY. Jai accidentally opened the Windows magnifier during his set and we spent a bit figuring out how he did it.
  • VODs
  • Added button prompts to tutorial screenshots
  • Updated screenshots on Steam
  • Removed the word The from the Great Filter mission
  • Sumo and tutorial screenshots
  • Campaign mission screenshots for Steam
  • [Video] Went looking for old footage
  • [Video] Refined script
  • [Video] Wrote down all of the inspirations I could think of and scripted a good chunk of the inspirations video
  • [Video] Ideas for a video on the inspirations behind Sumorbit
  • Pitch in media kit
  • Organized tasks
  • [Video] Scripted a decent chunk of the release devlog
  • Trailer editing
  • Increased the price to 7.99 USD
  • Updated early access text
  • Discussed pricing
  • Original Cosmos achievement
  • Investigated price changes and discounts
  • Added new splash screen
  • Steam demo cover art
  • Updated cover art in media kit and elsewhere
  • Workshopping short description
  • Updated all Steam banner assets
  • Stars background for cover art
  • Updated Twitter banner
  • Found out the 4 player quantum performance issue is also caused by 4 gamepads on my MacBook

2.1.10 More achievements

  • Sun 'n Death achievement
  • Tie Fight achievement
  • Added an extra check to prevent defaulting to the first mission on return to mission select
  • Adjusted goal times for many missions
  • Black Hole Control relic as challenge
  • Varied pitch for change mission sound
  • Necropolis relic as debris rather than challenge
  • Removed button prompts and text from mission preview images
  • Can't start a sumo match without a controlled player
  • Added a button prompts toggle to campaign settings
  • Button prompts toggle applies to all prompts in the campaign
  • Hide logo in lobby when 5 or more players
  • Increased background size in lobby
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Seeing how the new cover art works in practice
  • Launch strategy
  • Made many goal times in chapter 1 and 2 easier
  • Refined cover art
  • Basic block out for new cover art
  • Added a button prompts toggle to campaign settings
  • Button prompts toggle applies to all prompts in the campaign
  • Hide logo in lobby when 5 or more players
  • Increased background size in lobby
  • Organized tasks
  • Can't start a sumo match without a controlled player
  • Removed text from mission images with text
  • Removed button prompts from tutorial images
  • Black Holosseum relic hint
  • Black Hole Control relic as challenge
  • Varied pitch for change mission sound
  • Necropolis relic as debris rather than challenge
  • Tested all chapter 3 missions and adjusted goal times
  • Added interpolation to rigidbodies that were missing it
  • Tried to replicate camera jitter but couldn't
  • Investigated the bug where it returns to the first mission on mission select. Added an extra check before defaulting to the first mission.
  • Prevent achievements during exhibit mode
  • Sun 'n Death achievement
  • Looked at other fighting games for achievement inspiration
  • Tie Fight achievement and icon
  • Title cards for release trailer

2.1.9 Menu refinements

  • Hide tooltip when not hovering a picker
  • Mouse position normalized in menus after a short time of no movement
  • Change mission sound
  • Prevent moon movement while grabbing picker
  • Moved grab dash tutorial before spin tutorials
  • Changed trigger button prompt icons
  • Changed ring bounce tutorial positions so the prompt is more visible
  • Proxima Ceased achievement
  • All missions achievement
  • Changed speedrun achievement to 16 minutes
  • Fixed speedrun achievement trigger
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Change mission sound
  • Refined tooltip timing
  • Mouse position normalized in menus after a short time of no movement
  • Build and test
  • Beta test post
  • Prevent moon movement while grabbing picker
  • Hide tooltip when not hovering a picker
  • Moved grab dash tutorial before spin tutorials
  • Prevented the virtual mouse cursor from getting closer to the planet on mouse controls in menus
  • Watched YagmanX's stream VOD
  • Organized tasks
  • Steam achievement icons
  • Planning remaining achievements
  • Removed RT0 icons
  • Looked into Steam controller input API
  • Changed trigger button prompt icons
  • Changed ring bounce tutorial positions so the prompt is more visible
  • Organized tasks
  • Proxima Ceased achievement
  • All missions achievement
  • Changed speedrun achievement to 16 minutes
  • Fixed speedrun achievement trigger
  • New Any% PB of 12:17
  • Figured out that you can do a route with basically no RNG
  • Reworked any% route
  • First Any% run of 17:43. Much longer than expected.

2.1.8 Chapter 3 updates

  • Made some chapter 3 missions easier
  • Grabbing stars gives 150% heath rather than 200%
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Made black hole bigger in Kill All Humans
  • Made black holes smaller, moved the relic and removed the auto bounce ring on Dangerous Cleanup
  • Removed the middle black holes on Schrodinger's Litter Box and moved an asteroid outside of the ring
  • Credited NavyBerry64
  • Extra lore to Kill All Humans
  • Portals slightly closer together on Double-Slit Experiment
  • Watched a playthrough of chapter 3
  • Grabbing stars gives 150% heath rather than 200%

2.1.7 Chapter 3 beta

  • 22 new missions
  • 4 different endings with end credits
  • 7 new achievements
  • 3 new skins
  • The final round music track does not loop
  • Prevented low range planets reaching beyond maximum range during the starting countdown
  • Added the star on Hyperdrive as a camera object
  • Handle pressing the back button while holding a picker
  • Fixed achievement trigger for completing chapter 2
  • Reordered maps
  • Beta post
  • Updated ruleset on website
  • Updated devlog
  • Published build
  • Bracket at CWQLD Ranbat
  • Build
  • Tested performance on missions with many objects
  • Chapter 3 tips
  • Black holes move faster
  • Omega Black Hole mission refinement
  • Black hole AI improved
  • Moving black hole fixes
  • Refined fade to black and credits timings
  • Updated mission descriptions, statuses and music
  • Delayed move prompts until after gain control in the final mission
  • Allow pausing on gamepad during all endings
  • Prevent music from being unpaused in incorrect timings
  • Updated mission preview images
  • Adjusted goal times
  • Improved black hole movement
  • Routed Any% including chapter 3
  • Hidden achievement titles
  • Reordered maps
  • Suggested ruleset changes
  • Refined missions and planets
  • Mission year exponents and black hole ratios
  • Refined Asteroid Chaos mission including relic and goal time
  • Asteroid belting mission with black holes
  • Chapter 3 planets assigned to missions
  • Last 2 relics
  • Updated ending text
  • Moon range scales with black hole size
  • Moon orbit distance on final mission
  • Better big rip sound
  • Laser sound effects
  • Rip sound effects
  • Relic lasers fail sound
  • Stop first beam if no second beam
  • Refined timings
  • Relic beam timing
  • Restart music on restart mission if no loop
  • Lasers stopped by debris
  • Beam emit from relic
  • [Video] Speedrun devlog scripting
  • [Video] Started scripting speedrunning video
  • Relic angles
  • Relic light hues
  • Relics start from top and go clockwise
  • Relics light up in time with music
  • Relic indicator light
  • Tweaked credits music
  • Refined ending timings
  • Retimed credits for all endings
  • Updated Big Freeze icon
  • Big Crunch ending
  • Retimed other endings
  • Remixed credits music
  • Updated Big Rip icon
  • Big Crunch icon
  • Ideas to rework the endings so one causes contraction, one expansion, and both causes the big bounce
  • Disable ending relics depending on collected count
  • 3 layered relic formation in final mission
  • Disabled sound effects and win indicators for final mission
  • Changed text on end screen
  • Chapter 3 mission order and descriptions
  • Updated Venn skin
  • Foundation for chapter 3 planets
  • Roots skin
  • Updated balance skin to be more flame like
  • Ending picker status
  • Omega Black Hole goal time
  • Stable Orbit achievement
  • Spin to Win achievement
  • Fixed achievement trigger for completing chapter 2
  • Handle pressing the back button while holding a picker
  • Reworked Betelgeuse to be a cleanup mission, relic and goal time, renamed to Necropolis
  • Chapter 3 character resolutions
  • Added star on Hyperdrive as a camera object
  • Improved camera on Hungry Hungry Black Hole
  • Objects removed from camera if enter black hole
  • Improved camera on Omega Black Hole
  • Arrows pointing to objects other than asteroids on cleanup missions
  • Objective text update
  • Correct black hole arrow radius
  • Prevent low range planets reaching beyond maximum range during starting countdown
  • Renamed Gaia Battle Hole to Black Holosseum
  • Renamed Quantum Sumo to Sumo Synergy
  • Remove AI enabled prompt on Force of Nature
  • Added more black holes to Force of Nature
  • Updated lore
  • Ideas for chapter 3 lore
  • Refined chapter 3 mission difficulty
  • Change location of target and relic on Little Maneuver
  • Can't grab own black hole
  • Better rip bounce icon
  • Pickers above black hole
  • Big Rip ending logic and animation
  • Ending icons
  • Refined ending selector
  • Show currently selected ending on picker
  • Working ending selector
  • Ending picker foundation
  • Universe ending research
  • [Video] Devlog on website
  • Pause music on pause if it doesn't loop
  • [Video] Announced video
  • [Video] Added last video's thumbnail as a test option
  • [Video] Added a $ to the 50 50 thumbnail option
  • [Video] Checked reupload for errors
  • Deeper big bang sound effect
  • Better big bang particle system
  • Don't loop some music tracks
  • Credits music interrupted based on progress
  • [Video] Voice enhancement and subtitles for Blurry
  • [Video] Exposure balancing for player cam
  • [Video] Captions timing
  • [Video] Chapter markers
  • [Video] Writing captions for commentary
  • [Video] Uploaded and asked for feedback
  • [Video] Devlog 15 export
  • [Video] Balatro score recording
  • [Video] 3 different thumbnail options, one of them was bad
  • [Video] Volume mixing
  • [Video] Finished adding music
  • [Video] Added music to losers quarters onwards and retimed clips to the music
  • [Video] Filled remaining edit gaps
  • [Video] First refinement pass
  • [Video] A few extra voice lines
  • [Video] Player cards
  • [Video] Edited cheque for thumbnail
  • [Video] Edited mid section and scoreboard replacement
  • [Video] Bracket transition clips
  • [Video] Synced phone clip with stream in editing
  • Thought of a Big Rip Bounce ending where multiverses are created
  • Two different endings
  • Player released at correct time in Fate of the Universe
  • Credits triggered at correct time
  • Fade to black before credits
  • Bing bounce ending explosion
  • Scale appear animations
  • Credits appear at the correct timing
  • End credits layout
  • [Video] Challonge bracket recording
  • [Video] Prepared Challonge bracket
  • [Video] Edited intro and Singulari Trap sections
  • [Video] Edited intro and interview sections
  • [Video] Finished editing the VOD portions
  • [Video] Edited awards
  • [Video] Edited VOD up to grand finals
  • [Video] Edited VOD up to losers semis
  • [Video] Edited Stacked vs THE RAT
  • [Video] Edited Artrix vs Stacked
  • [Video] Started editing Stacked vs THE RAT
  • [Video] Trimmed voiceover
  • [Video] Devlog 15 voiceover
  • [Video] Refined the script
  • [Video] Fleshed out the second half of the devlog 15 script
  • [Video] Fleshed out the first half of the devlog 15 script. This video is going to be huge.
  • Refined Chain Reaction mission including relic and goal time
  • Black hole counts as destroying relic debris
  • Goal time and relic for Hungry Hungry Black Hole
  • Goal time for Black Hole Control
  • Release grabbed objects entering controlled black hole
  • Thought about increasing the price of Sumorbit now for aggressive sales later
  • Create relics for Fate of the Universe
  • Win condition for Fate of the Universe
  • More black holes in Omega Black Hole
  • Prevent sporadic player positions after black hole combining
  • Black hole AI
  • More holes and refined Omega Black Hole mission
  • Menu black hole hide on player despawn
  • Hidden ring
  • Fate of the Universe mission foundation
  • Mission image sizes
  • Black hole above mission icon
  • [Video] Noted Blurry character stats
  • [Video] Devlog 14 Perth tournament short
  • Mission select black hole
  • Black Hole Control mission where you hunt alive planets
  • Mission ideas
  • Planets can start dead
  • Custom mission objective text
  • Alternate Cleanup win condition to destroy all objects
  • Black Hole movement refinement and bug fixes
  • Controllable black holes
  • Hungry Hungry Black Hole mission where you devour stars
  • Omega Black Hole mission where you devour other black holes
  • Black hole vs black hole interactions
  • Renamed Hungry Hungry Black Hole to Kill All Humans
  • Ideas for how to do player black holes
  • Sent a key to a YouTuber
  • [Video] Finished clipping gameplay from the VOD
  • [Video] 30 minutes of gameplay clips
  • [Video] Clips up to losers semis
  • [Video] Losers eighths match 1 clips
  • [Video] Cleaned up winners quarters edits
  • [Video] Cut up grand finals
  • [Video] All markers finished
  • [Video] Losers finals makers
  • [Video] Markers up to winners finals
  • Universe die sound
  • Music mix for credits
  • Black hole to star ratio parameter
  • [Video] Markers up to losers semis

2.1.6 Fixes and balance

  • Consistent scale for static effects
  • "Tie" text at the end of tied matches
  • Fixed a bug where the ring would stay white after the sun dies on missions with no ring shrink
  • Reduced difficulty of AI in "Galactic Gauntlet"
  • Adjusted stats of the green planet in "Galactic Gauntlet"
  • Ring bounce grab time reduced by one third rather than half
  • Renamed "Back to Lobby" to "Sumo Lobby"
  • Added a tip to conserve speed in "Hyperdrive"
  • Removed "Reconnect Controller" text on the end screen
  • Filter 0 FPS and always have 60 FPS option
  • Prevent the black hole singularity from moving
  • Singulari Trap boss mission
  • Hungry Hungry Black Hole mission working with relic and goal time
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Consistent scale for noise effects
  • Chapter 3 character planning
  • Tie text at the end of tied matches
  • Fixed a bug where the ring would stay white after the sun dies on missions with no ring shrink
  • Reduced difficulty of AI in Galactic Gauntlet
  • Adjusted stats of the green planet in Galactic Gauntlet
  • [Video] Markers up to Winners Semis
  • [Video] Second pass of Winners Quarters clips
  • [Video] Markers for first two sets
  • Paid prize money
  • [Video] Interview markers
  • [Video] SSU2 script writing and outline
  • [Video] Synced interview audio
  • [Video] Audio effects for interviews and commentary
  • Ring bounce grab time reduced by one third rather than half
  • Renamed Back to Lobby to Sumo Lobby
  • Added a tip to conserve speed in Hyperdrive
  • Removed reconnect controller text on end screen
  • VODs
  • Watched a playthrough of chapter 2
  • SSU2 Sumorbit bracket went well. Some very close sets. Good storylines. I commentated the whole thing with some other entrants.
  • [Video] Set up and interviews
  • Watched someone play through chapter 1
  • SSU2 final prep
  • Configured audio
  • Stream and recording tests
  • [Video] Interviews
  • Set up everything at SSU2
  • Researched players in Sumorbit bracket
  • Considering changing the SSU schedule. Turns out commentary makes a schedule change difficult.
  • Refined Singulari Trap mission including relic and goal time
  • Fixed orbit follow closest ring
  • Refined Singulari Trap mission
  • Fixed orbit for planets in Singulari Trap mission
  • Singulari Trap mission foundation
  • Humans can spawn bombs and fire them towards the player
  • Restart prompt work with cleanup humans
  • Hungry Hungry Black Hole mission working with relic and goal time
  • Prevent the black hole singularity from moving
  • Alternate objective text for kill all humans
  • Alternate win condition for cleanup mission to destroy all humans
  • [Video] Published devlog 14
  • SSU logistics
  • [Video] Prepared devlog announcement
  • [Video] Evo stage thumbnail
  • [Video] Over shoulder thumbnail
  • Filter 0 FPS and always have 60 FPS option
  • Webcam audio
  • Changed overlay font
  • Refined overlay text positions
  • Changed default overlay dark background color
  • Made doubles free
  • [Video] Metadata and captions
  • [Video] Tried pog face thumbnail
  • [Video] Added music
  • [Video] Added text
  • [Video] Finished the edit
  • [Video] Recorded a few extra voice lines
  • [Video] Refined edit
  • [Video] Finished editing Sol Survivor section
  • Preparing SSU2 entrants post
  • Set up raw caster recording

2.1.5 Spin fixes

  • Spinning in the wrong direction while grabbed is half effective rather than completely ineffective (for real this time). Spin tutorials and "Gas Leech" remain unchanged.
  • Fixed a bug where sometimes AI spin was only 90% effective
  • The default prompt for spinning on gamepad is spinning the left stick instead of pressing a button (to discourage pressing bumpers and triggers at the same time)
  • Renamed "Break Out" prompt to "Spin Break"
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Getting a bug where gamepad input randomly stops working. There is no error. After much testing I think it is a Unity 6 thing. I reverted to Unity 2023.
  • [Video] Edited particles, mission 2, and some of Sol Survivor sections
  • [Video] Spin editing
  • The default prompt for spinning on gamepad is spinning the left stick instead of a button
  • Renamed Break Out prompt to Spin Break
  • Made spinning in the wrong direction while grabbed half effective rather than completely ineffective (for real this time)
  • Reverted countered spin effectiveness for spin tutorials and Gas Leech
  • Fixed a bug where AI spin was only 90% effective
  • [Video] Recorded spin clips for the devlog and found bugs with spin effectiveness
  • Updated to Unity 6
  • Bought a Solar System crystal model for a trophy
  • Updated player tournament stats

2.1.4 Controller disconnects

  • Pause game on controller disconnect
  • Prevent resume game while controller disconnected
  • Disconnect player on controller disconnect in menus
  • Quantum Sumo mission
  • Don't fail mission if a quantum teammate is still alive
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • [Video] Recorded footage for devlog 14
  • [Video] Checked for any mistakes in the build
  • Email to YouTuber
  • [Video] Finished editing tournament and star visuals sections
  • [Video] Edited outro and part of star visuals
  • Applied for SXSW Sydney
  • SSU schedule
  • [Video] Bracket image
  • Got another review from someone with 5.5 hours in the game
  • Watched some Sumo vs AI and then chapter 1 of the campaign playtest
  • [Video] Added screenshots to rant section
  • Full controller, equipment and encoding test for livestream
  • Overlays and sources for other scenes
  • Attempted to change stereo pan of an audio mixer
  • Input controller while app not in focus
  • Set up source recording to separate gameplay from cameras for livestreams
  • Moved most picker text to scripts
  • Finished copying all strings from the code
  • Auto translate formulas
  • Looking into how the localization package works has killed my motivation for it
  • Extracted strings for localization
  • Reverted cursor changes
  • Show cursor on menus if the game is in windowed mode and there is no KBM player
  • Pause game on controller disconnect
  • Prevent resume game while controller disconnected
  • Disconnect player on controller disconnect in menus
  • Quantum Sumo mission
  • Refined Quantum Cleanup with relic and goal time
  • Renamed Quantum Cleanup to Schrodinger's Litter Box
  • Renamed Quantum Obstacle Course to Double-Slit Experiment
  • Don't fail mission if a quantum teammate is still alive

2.1.3 Black hole no friction

  • Removed additional friction while in the accretion disc of black holes
  • Fixed a bug where if one player grabs another and they both enter a wormhole on the same frame they would be teleported double distance
  • Supernova explosion now gives knockback
  • Fixed icons on gameplay demo text
  • Quantum Obstacle Course mission
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Supernova knockback
  • Organized tasks
  • Fixed a bug where if one player grabs another and they both enter a wormhole on the same frame they would be teleported double distance
  • Removed friction from black holes
  • Quantum Obstacle Course relic, goal time and refinement
  • Refined Quantum Cargo
  • Quantum Obstacle Course foundation
  • VODs
  • Fix icons on gameplay demo text
  • Playtest at FILTHY

2.1.2 Softlock fix

  • Fixed a softlock in the tutorials menu from changing missions while in the controls menu
  • Build and publish
  • Patch notes
  • Researching controller disconnect handling
  • Fixed a softlock in the tutorials menu from changing missions while in the controls menu
  • [Video] Top 3 photo partial edit
  • [Video] Voiceover, edited and scheduled part 13 portal loop short
  • Refined Moving Minefield mission
  • [Video] Edited rant with real audio

2.1.1 Reset best times

  • Option to reset best times for a mission
  • Spiral wormholes in "Portal Pass" that release grabbed objects on contact
  • Prevent emotes from showing after black hole eats a planet
  • Easier goal time for "Planets To Self Destruct"
  • AI doesn't bounce auto bounce ring
  • Star ring color correct during starting countdown
  • Bounce particles teleporting between rings fixed
  • Fixed a bug where holding on to an asteroid when it explodes
  • Moving asteroids can go through wormholes
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Bounce particles teleporting between rings fixed
  • Fixed a bug where holding on to an asteroid when it explodes
  • Moving asteroids can go through wormholes
  • Started Quantum Cleanup from scratch
  • [Video] Recorded and edited my rendition of the rant voiceover
  • [Video] Edited Perth tournament, new stars and map, part of rant section
  • [Video] Trimmed voiceover
  • [Video] Recorded devlog 14 voiceover
  • Spiral wormholes that release grabbed objects on contact
  • Ideas for how to make wormhole chain linking less frustrating
  • Objects don't collide with auto bounce ring
  • Star ring color correct during starting countdown
  • Asteroid destroyed by black hole
  • Refined Dangerous Cleanup mission
  • [Video] Refined devlog 14 script
  • Organized tasks
  • Prevent emotes from showing after black hole eats a planet
  • Easier goal time for Planets To Self Destruct
  • Option to reset best times for a mission
  • Explodrome relic
  • Refined chapter 3 missions
  • [Video] Part 13 intro short edit and schedule
  • Fixed website footer link colors
  • AI doesn't bounce auto bounce ring
  • A bunch more conditional formatting for any% route
  • Reposted about free copies for tournament organisers
  • Continued routing any%
  • [Video] Devlog 14 script additions

2.1.0 Spin Bounce

  • Spinning while bouncing transfers some spin into the object you bounce
  • You can now easily pass your moon through the middle of your planet while grabbing
  • Reduced health drain from grabs by one third
  • Increased grab recovery time for high grip and decreased grab recovery time for low grip
  • Made spinning in the incorrect direction as the grabbed player apply half spin breakout factor rather than none
  • You can once again parry while stunned (instead, AI planets won't parry if stunned)
  • Edge parry time reduced by a quarter rather than a half
  • Spin rings turn gray if spin is ineffective, and white if effective in grab breaks
  • Jupiter can move in "Beyond the Belt" so you don't have to be as accurate
  • Balanced spin tutorials and "Gas Leech" from health drain and spin changes
  • Renamed "Cross the Stream" to "Rescue Phobos"
  • Adjusted "Notched In" goal time for spin bouncing
  • Fixed IJKL moon movement
  • Added semicolon for grab when using IJKL
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • [Video] Devlog 14 script additions
  • AI won't parry if stunned
  • Edge parries reduced by 25%
  • Renamed "Cross the Stream" to "Rescue Phobos"
  • Tested knock on effects of mechanic changes
  • Jupiter can move in Beyond the Belt so you don't have to be as accurate
  • Watched a playthrough of chapter 1
  • Fixed IJKL hand movement
  • Routed chapter 2 any% speedrun
  • You can now easily pass your moon through the middle of your planet while grabbing
  • Chapter 3 progress achievements and speedrun achievement
  • Balanced spin bouncing other planets
  • Added spin bouncing
  • Adjusted Notched In goal time for spin bouncing
  • [Video] Mostly finished first draft of devlog 14 script
  • [Video] Devlog 14 script additions
  • Only show white or gray spin ring color if it affects spin breaks
  • Updated spin help text
  • Balanced spin tutorials and Gas Leech from changes
  • Spin rings turn gray if spin is ineffective
  • Reduced health drain from grabs by one third
  • Increased grab recovery time for high grip and decreased grab recovery time for low grip
  • Revert edge parry and no parry while stunned
  • Made spinning in the incorrect direction as the grabbed player apply half spin breakout factor rather than none
  • Playtest at CWQLD Ranbat. I think Uranus might still be overpowered.
  • Made a build with the old basic sun shader

2.0.0 Chapter 2 release

  • Repositioned some lobby pickers including moving the main menu action to the top level
  • Set right mouse button as an extra bounce input
  • "Hot Potato" AI less likely to throw bombs into space
  • Changed "Warp Drive" relic to not teleporting your planet
  • "Motion Blur" achievement: Complete "Hyperdrive" while going faster than the camera
  • Added arrows indicated the direction of the safe zone in "Warp Drive"
  • Add a brake prompt in "Notched In"
  • Goal time easier on "Notched In" and "Wormhole Warren"
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Fixed brake prompt condition
  • Uploaded trailer to Steam
  • Added beta features to release version
  • Brake prompt for Notched In mission
  • Goal time easier on Notched In and Wormhole Warren
  • Set right mouse button to bounce
  • Set random menu action to R
  • Resized R key icon
  • Added semicolon for keyboard grab
  • Hot Potato AI explodes itself if below a grab time threshold
  • Responded to feedback
  • Hot Potato AI less likely to throw bomb into space
  • Main menu action in top level lobby menu
  • Remove all AI players option moved up a level in ready actions
  • Repositioned some lobby pickers
  • Motion Blur achievement
  • Changed Handicap Race achievement icon
  • Added arrows to the Warp Drive mission
  • Changed Warp Drive relic to not teleporting your planet
  • Watched chapter 2 playthrough

Early Access

During the first month of release, I add an orbiting wormhole map, and quality of life updates for competitive play and speedruns.

In this devlog video, I add a supernova map, and polish the game for an early access release.

1.5.4 Parry changes

  • Players can't parry while in stun
  • Reduced stun time for parries without full planet-moon overlap
  • Doubled the amount of health you get from the sun in Sol Survivor
  • Stopped the AI from grabbing the sun in Sol Survivor
  • Updated chapter 2 mission previews
  • PlayStation light bar doesn't live update while selecting a color (for performance)
  • Fixed frame rate stutter the moment a mission or multiplayer round ends
  • Updated devlog
  • Build and publish
  • Patch notes
  • Tested MacBook performance, it seems to drop FPS completely at random but the two things I fixed no longer seem to be an issue
  • Can't parry while in stun
  • Reduced stun time for parries without full planet overlap
  • Responded to some negative feedback on the Sol Survivor relic
  • Doubled the amount of health you get from the sun in Sol Survivor
  • Stopped the AI from grabbing the sun in Sol Survivor
  • [Video] Devlog 14 partial script
  • PlayStation light bar doesn't live update while selecting a color
  • Prevented stutter the moment a mission or multiplayer round ends
  • Committed to a $200 pot bonus for SSU
  • Updated mission previews
  • Updated demo full game text
  • SSU start.gg
  • Prepared Steam settings for chapter 2
  • [Video] Captions
  • [Video] Chapters
  • Deciding whether to make the Sumorbit bracket free at SSU
  • [Video] Devlog 13 thumbnail
  • [Video] Refined chapter 2 trailer
  • [Video] Trailer thumbnail
  • [Video] Refined music and audio levels
  • [Video] Milky Winner and Galactic GOAT edits
  • [Video] Added music
  • [Video] Started adding music
  • [Video] Added a transition for each new planet
  • [Video] Refined edit
  • [Video] Finished adding clips to devlog 13
  • [Video] Recorded clips and edited intro
  • [Video] Recorded and added chapter 3 preview
  • [Video] Replaced chapter 2 trailer footage
  • [Video] Finished adding mission footage
  • Followed up beta testers

1.5.3 Pass juggling achievement

  • "Pass Juggling" achievement: Alternate which bomb your opponent catches in "Hot Potato"
  • Increased wormhole orbit speed in "Orbital Disportal"
  • [Video] Replaced and edited majority of devlog 13 with new footage
  • Build and publish
  • Patch notes
  • Increased wormhole orbit speed and reduced goal time in Orbital Disportal
  • Recorded footage for devlog
  • Pass juggling achievement and icon

1.5.2 New skins

  • A new skin for each of the 5 new playable characters
  • Increased resolution of all skins
  • Renamed skins to be separate from planet names
  • Fixed character and skin picker showing the wrong image
  • Chapter 2 character skin and color adjustments
  • Increased speed and reduced spin of Gauntlet b
  • Increased grip and decreased spin of Orbit b
  • Can pause or restart after entering a black hole
  • Removed line effects after players enter black holes
  • "Boomerang" achievement can't be gotten through a wormhole
  • Changed chapter 2 achievement icons
  • Grab wormhole prompt in "Hyperdrive" mission
  • Updated devlog
  • Build and publish
  • Patch notes
  • Team lines break when players enter a black hole after game over
  • Character skin and color adjustments
  • Increased grip and decreased spin of Orbit b
  • Increased speed and reduced spin of Gauntlet b
  • Clouds skin
  • Can pause or restart after entering a black hole
  • Removed indefinite health drain effect if you lose your moon to a black hole
  • Chapter 2 Steam achievement icons
  • Reverted boomerang and made sure it can't go through a wormhole
  • Changed boomerang achievement distance to work on the first wormhole cargo mission
  • Changed chapter 2 achievement icons
  • Designed and ordered business cards
  • Move wormhole prompt
  • Tried to make a spiral skin but it didn't look good
  • Added skins to planets
  • Scorched skin
  • Twisters skin
  • Put new skins in skin picker
  • All skins 512px
  • Renamed skins to separate from planet names
  • Fixed character and skin picker wrong sprite bug by changing the material
  • Veins skin
  • [Video] Added initial gameplay footage to the rest of devlog 13
  • [Video] Added portal diagrams

1.5.1 Bomb fixes

  • Fixed a bug where grabbing a bomb while a planet was touching it would cause it to explode immediately
  • Fixed bugs with multiple players grabbing the same bomb
  • Fixed the position of bouncing the small rings on the Singulari Trap map
  • Black hole force increases more with size
  • Moved the relic on Perihelion Passage so Neptune is still on the camera when it catches the cargo
  • Increased the text typing animation speed
  • Moved the "Worm Howling" mission to before "Worm Holodrome"
  • Adjusted starting text of chapter 2 sumo missions
  • Made the Proxima b planet hue a darker blue
  • Refined some chapter 3 missions
  • Updated devlog
  • Build and publish
  • Patch notes
  • [Video] Added hunger games clip
  • Moved the relic on Perihelion Passage so Neptune is still on the camera when it catches the cargo
  • Increased the text typing animation speed
  • Steam summer sale discount
  • [Video] Adding titles and outro
  • [Video] Edited part of Alpha Centauri and Worm Holodrome sections
  • [Video] Trimmed voiceover
  • [Video] Devlog 13 voiceover
  • [Video] Edit pass of devlog 13 script
  • Fixed a bug where grabbing a bomb while a planet was touching it would cause it to explode immediately
  • Fixed bugs with multiple players grabbing the same bomb
  • Gave someone beta access
  • Bomb explodes relic without collection sound
  • Prepared beta test post
  • Renamed Black Hole Driveby to Little Maneuver
  • Gaia BH1 relic where you lose your moon
  • Overhauled Nuclear Propulsion to have no wormholes, and the target catches and throws bombs
  • Chapter 3 mission order
  • Larger black hole on Black Hole Driveby mission
  • Black hole force increases exponentially with size
  • Option for linear black hole force
  • Refined double roundabout mission
  • [Video] Scripted intro and outro
  • [Video] Gauntlet and Holodrome script sections
  • [Video] Scripted Great Filter and Orbital Portal sections
  • [Video] Scripted chapter 2 premise and Alpha Centauri sections
  • Moved Worm Howling before Worm Holodrome
  • Added statuses to chapter 2 sumo missions
  • Cleaned up characters list
  • Made Proxima b hue darker blue
  • Luke played the first part of the chapter 2 beta
  • Submitted Offbrand pitch
  • Updated DotNet which seemed to fix the code editor issue
  • Fixed inverted ring bounce plate position
  • Playtested the new map at FILTHY. It seems to be good for high grip characters, and a little random but not too bad.
  • Added Sumorbit ad to Streameta
  • Sumorbit banner for Streameta
  • First draft of chapter 2 trailer

1.5.0 Singulari Trap map

  • A new map with a black hole in the center that grows from devouring stars. You'll always bounce off of the orange ring.
  • Chapter 2 refinement and beta release (including a new tense music track)
  • More complex foreground star visuals
  • "Sunglasses" settings toggle to reduce foreground star brightness
  • Reinstated behavior where stun is removed if bounced (rather than only when you bounce)
  • You don't take damage from red stars if you're grabbing them
  • Black hole force increases from scale
  • Removed the sun from the "No More Asteroids" mission
  • Able to grab objects in a black hole accretion disc
  • Bomb explosion can still be heard off screen
  • Mission previews scaled correctly with no borders
  • Tournaments website page
  • Reworked "Warp Drive" mission
  • Researched end of universe theories
  • Updated devlog
  • Build and publish
  • Patch notes
  • Made Hot Potato mission after Orbital Disportal
  • Tested all chapter 2 missions and refined some
  • Fixed mission preview scaling
  • Chapter 2 lore and hints
  • Beta build script
  • Updated mission previews for chapter 2 and new star visuals
  • Reinstated behavior where stun is removed if bounced
  • Reworked Warp Drive mission to have multiple rings and no asteroid belt
  • Refined orbit planets
  • One bomb on the enemy side and changed AI for Hot Potato mission
  • Refined gauntlet and filter planets
  • Can change the size of wormholes
  • Questioning whether the stars are distractingly bright
  • Refined Worm Holodrome planets
  • Sunglasses icon and settings toggle to reduce foreground star brightness
  • Moved FPS counter toggle to general settings
  • Recorded star visuals and new map clips
  • New star visuals post
  • Reduce star brightness toggle
  • Refined Singulari Trap ring sizes and shrink rates
  • Added stars to Singulari Trap icon
  • AI bounce correct side of inverted ring
  • Able to grab objects in a black hole accretion disc
  • Added rings to stars on Singulari Trap map
  • Can invert bounce direction of ring
  • Black hole force increases from scale
  • Modified Proxima Centauri AI to make the relic of sun damage only easier
  • Added new tense music track
  • Refined Centauri planets
  • [Video] Scripted devlog 13 star visuals
  • Made a better looking sun shader
  • [Video] Started scripting devlog 13
  • Researching fictional planetary systems
  • Chapter 2 beta post prep
  • Refining chapter 2 difficulty and planets
  • Chapter 2 mission descriptions
  • Chapter 2 planet variety
  • Perth Ranbat post
  • Console tax information
  • Keutz sent through video of the Perth Ranbat which was awesome to see
  • Great Filter relic
  • Milky Way vs Andromeda relic
  • Chapter 2 mission order
  • Refining TO conditions and form
  • Tournaments website page
  • Remove option buttons for results confirmation
  • Preparing TO conditions and form
  • Ideas for tournament organiser rewards
  • Watched a helpful video about influencer marketing. Sent an email to a space game creator from the comments.
  • Console logistics
  • No star damage if grabbing it
  • Radiation resist white atmosphere
  • Console logistics and equipment setup
  • Console SDK
  • Removed the sun from the No More Asteroids mission
  • Ring can still shrink if star is disabled
  • Refined black hole map
  • Auto bounce ring orange
  • Singulari Trap name and icon
  • Console equipment setup
  • Auto bounce ring
  • Foundation for black hole in center map
  • Bomb on Asteroid Vacuum is pre-armed
  • Bomb explosion can still be heard off screen
  • Yin Yang and Venn diagram skins
  • Perth Ranbat
  • Chapter 2 mission order
  • Bracket at CWQLD Ranbat
  • Ideas for new maps
  • Chapter 2 lore ideas
  • Planet design with jagged edges
  • Early chapter 2 lore
  • Proxima Centauri mission has you fight both planet b and d
  • [Video] Captions and metadata for shorts
  • [Video] Finalizing 3 shorts
  • [Video] Editing tournament short
  • [Video] Devlog 12 is getting a second wind
  • [Video] Editing money short

1.4.3 Particles toggle

  • Added a setting to reduce particle effects to improve performance
  • Fixed a bug where wormholes wouldn't function correctly on the Great Filter map if wormhole quality was set to zero
  • Build and publish
  • Patch notes
  • Calculated total hours to be 2884 so far, an average of 2 hours 10 minutes per day, so my guess of 2500 was quite accurate
  • Tested on old MacBook. Consistently staying around 60 and never below 50 FPS with optimized settings.
  • Space particles paused in menu
  • Portal and explosion particles enabled
  • Fixed a bug where wormholes wouldn't work properly on Great Filter if wormhole quality is set to zero
  • Particle effects settings toggle
  • Tested reduced particles on MacBook and it made a huge difference
  • Added a flag to stop particle effects
  • Ranbat post
  • Devlog video on website
  • [Video] Published devlog
  • [Video] Prepared Ranbat post
  • [Video] New metadata and subtitles
  • [Video] Devlog 12 re-editing
  • [Video] Animated Steam revenue footage
  • [Video] Recorded new voiceover
  • [Video] Re edited intro and tournament section
  • [Video] Adding Jokes to devlog 12 script
  • [Video] Devlog 12 intro rewrite
  • WA Ranbat logistics

1.4.2 Misc fixes

  • Fixed a bug where AI planets wouldn't grab as much if there were bombs on the map
  • Able to grab objects in an asteroid belt
  • Players spawn an equal distance from the black hole in 1v1 on Gaia Battle Hole
  • Renamed Pass On to Pass the Parcel
  • Hyperdrive mission
  • Hungry Hungry Black Hole mission foundation
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Fixed achievement description with Pass the Parcel mission name
  • Test all missions run
  • Console logistics
  • Chapter 2 planet planning
  • Hungry Hungry Black Hole mission foundation
  • Chapter 3 mission order
  • Chapter 2 music selection
  • Sombre music placeholder
  • Players spawn an equal distance from the black hole in 1v1 on Gaia Battle Hole
  • Non-game inspirations post
  • Console logistics
  • Sombre music reference footage
  • Chapter 2 mission order
  • Renamed Pass On to Pass the Parcel
  • Chapter 2 mission order
  • Hyperdrive relic where you have to be going faster than the camera
  • Able to grab objects in an asteroid belt
  • Build the hyperdrive yourself
  • Hyperdrive mission
  • Refined chapter 2 missions
  • Adjust asteroid belt speed
  • Fixed a bug where AI planets wouldn't grab as much if there were bombs on the map
  • AI will only move it's moon towards bombs that are within range
  • Found out the AI not grabbing bug was due to bombs
  • [Video] Devlog 12 metadata and subtitles
  • Console logistics
  • [Video] Edited music
  • [Video] Refined audio mix
  • [Video] Finished devlog 12 video edit
  • [Video] Misc footage and editing
  • [Video] Tekken ruleset recording
  • Updated devlog
  • Console logistics

1.4.1 Next mission fixes

  • Fixed a bug where restarting a mission after completion would go to the next mission
  • Fixed a bug where you could select the next mission after beating the last mission
  • Patch notes
  • Build and test
  • Fixed a bug where restarting a mission after completion would go to the next mission
  • Fixed a bug where you could select the next mission after beating the last mission
  • [Video] Found a couple of bugs while recording clips
  • Console account setup
  • [Video] Editing and footage for various sections
  • [Video] Edited part of speedrun section
  • [Video] Default sumo config clip
  • Console account setup
  • [Video] Downloaded Twitch clips
  • [Video] Took screenshots and edited Ranbat section
  • [Video] Devlog 12 thumbnail
  • [Video] Added emotes to devlog 5 thumbnail
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed new voiceover
  • [Video] Script editing
  • Console account setup
  • What's your job meme post

1.4.0 Add players menu

  • Multiplayer has been renamed to Sumo and is now the top option under "Play game"
  • New "Add players" menu as the top option under "Ready actions" in the Sumo lobby when only one player has joined
  • "Quick reset speedrun" option under campaign settings. It adds the ability to reset progress on the current profile in the pause menu.
  • "Next Mission" option in the campaign pause menu
  • Fixed bugs related to moving to the next mission without going back to mission select
  • Grabbing a player that ring bounces reduces maximum grab time by half rather than a full grab release
  • Higher contrast for stat value selectors
  • Console development applications
  • [Video] Additions to devlog 12 script for speedruns, add players menu and outro
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • New Any% PB of 1:23
  • Removed reset progress button from end screen
  • Fixed music changes on Next Mission
  • Planning SSU2
  • Added party tag on Steam
  • Small accounts Tweet
  • Fixed a bug with camera zoom on Next Mission
  • Fixed a bug with opposing AI teammate option
  • Next Mission pause option for campaign
  • Quick speedrun reset option if the final mission is not complete
  • Delete campaign profile pause option
  • Top 3 post
  • VODs
  • Higher contrast for stat value selectors
  • Add player to opposing team option
  • Add player subpicker order and appear conditions
  • Create players menu working
  • Moved and renamed pickers under Play Game
  • Started quick add players menu in lobby
  • Playtest at FILTHY. The new map seems good.
  • People played Sumorbit multiplayer at Squiggly River, on the projector this time. Got feedback that the multiplayer is a better introduction to the game than the campaign. Not sure exactly how to proceed with that but I think I agree.
  • Fixing custom domain email
  • Build and test
  • Bounce knockback x 1000 post
  • Added a footer with email and credits to the website
  • Added back to top button on all website pages
  • Finished email setup
  • Finished VPN setup
  • Submitted PlayStation application
  • Designed pitch document for PlayStation
  • Set up Tournameta email forwarding
  • Started PlayStation pitch document
  • Started PlayStation application
  • Had to transfer Tournameta domain to get email working
  • Got a static IP
  • Refund reasons
  • Updated website mechanic text
  • Grabbing a player that ring bounces reduces maximum grab time by half rather than a full grab release
  • Ideas for SSU pot bonuses
  • [Video] Edited part of maps section
  • [Video] Recorded some new voice lines
  • [Video] Recorded and edited map voting and ruleset clips
  • Looked into static IP
  • [Video] Edited devlog 12
  • [Video] Script extras for devlog 12
  • Console research
  • Game inspirations post

1.3.0 Orbital Portal map

  • A map where a wormhole pair orbits one star and teleports the other
  • Sunbathe achievement: Stay on the sun for 5 seconds in "Cross the Stream" without dying
  • Brake prompt
  • Stopped AI from attempting to parry while grabbed
  • Teleport Starboard wormhole orbit cargo mission
  • Portal Pigsty cleanup mission
  • Warp Drive wormhole orbit safezone mission
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Sunbathe achievement
  • Brake prompt
  • Recorded Orbital Portal map and added it to the website
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed devlog 12 voiceover
  • Chapter 2 progress achievements
  • Created a mission world record and speedrun leaderboard sheet
  • [Video] Edit pass of script
  • [Video] Refining devlog 12 script
  • Warp Drive wormhole orbit safezone mission
  • Portal Pigsty mission is set up but not very fun
  • Wormhole cleanup mission foundation
  • Ideas for a couple of chapter 2 missions
  • Finally happy with the wormhole orbit cargo mission with a relic and goal time. Named the mission Teleport Starboard.
  • Worked more on the wormhole orbit cargo mission. I haven't found an interesting configuration yet.
  • Orbital Portal map with two stars
  • Replaced the Milky Way vs Andromeda map with Orbital Portal
  • Orbital Portal map icon
  • Fixed inconsistently sized stars on the Alpha Centaurium map icon
  • Wormhole orbit cargo mission foundation
  • Refined chapter 2 missions
  • Stopped AI from attempting to parry while grabbed
  • Bracket at Smash by the Books. A random dad and son came into the venue and enjoyed the game.

1.2.1 Performance improvements

  • Reduced garbage collection for performance
  • Intercept Cargo mission working
  • Wormhole Orbit cleanup mission
  • Galactic Gauntlet mission
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • [Video] Scripted the start of devlog 12
  • Galactic Gauntlet mission refinement
  • Within range AI target method
  • Galactic Gauntlet mission foundation
  • Wormhole Orbit cleanup mission
  • Tested new build on MacBook
  • Fixed character default color action
  • Fixed delete character preset option visibility logic
  • Added soundtrack to media kit
  • Renamed press kit to media kit
  • Reduced mission preview images to 1024px
  • Color picker GC
  • Canvas enable and customize character GC
  • Fixed a bug where the save overwrite character preset option was sometimes unavailable
  • Reduce garbage collection from wormholes
  • Reduced garbage collection from getting active scene, updating team lines, changing mission badge
  • Figuring out how to view memory allocation in the profiler
  • Improving garbage collection performance
  • Fixed a bug where the last prompt display was still enabled in game
  • AttackingTucans played the game on stream
  • Goal time and relic for Intercepted Package
  • Planning overall chapter 2 structure
  • Intercept cargo mission working
  • Move towards disc if no radiation between AI behavior
  • Formatting speedrun spreadsheet
  • Posted my speedrun spreadsheet and any% run
  • Influencer marketing research
  • [Video] Reverted devlog 8 thumbnail to the crossroads
  • [Video] Added emotes to old thumbnails
  • Finished routing and did some test any% runs. Got down to 1:26.150
  • Speedrun routing
  • Made Mars more aggressive in Conveyor of Doom to make the relic challenge more reliable
  • Marketing tip research
  • Followed up with influencers
  • Tested on old MacBook in case performance was stable but it was much worse than the new one
  • Posted to Reddit indie Sunday. The post got removed again.

1.2.0 Map voting

  • Each player can vote for a map to play on
  • Wormholes on the Great Filter map on a global timeout
  • Great Filter map bigger and wormholes more spread out
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Ice Giants buffer hint
  • Solar Power boat row hint
  • Show current map vote icon
  • 8 colored Great Filter map icon
  • Random map icon
  • Fixed a bug where wormholes would be teleported to the incorrect position
  • Each player can vote for a map to play on
  • Adjusted recommended competitive ruleset to Tekken style
  • Wormholes on the Great Filter map on a global timeout
  • Great Filter map bigger and wormholes more spread out
  • Experimented with orbiting wormholes
  • Asked about running Sumorbit brackets interstate
  • Got 15 entrants at the Ranbat. Stephen and Yianni went to game 10 in grand finals.
  • Submitted Xbox game information
  • Thought about the logistics of a mobile version. The touch controls would be fun to experiment with but there are a lot of changes that would need to be made to make it viable for mobile.
  • Outer Wilds planet stats
  • Took reference screenshots from Outer Wilds
  • [Video] Scheduled short
  • Added hint to Reach for the Stars goal time
  • Added goal time hint for Perihelion Passage
  • Adjusted goal time hint for Out of Orbit

1.1.0 Bonus indicators

  • Indicators that show if relic challenges, goal times and achievements are still valid for the current mission attempt
  • New "Deadly Delivery" achievement: Kill the target planet in a cargo mission
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Deadly Delivery achievement where you kill the target player in a cargo mission
  • Indicator for valid goal time
  • Indicator for valid achievement
  • Indicator if relic challenge is still valid for an attempt
  • Getting support from the FGC players for the Ranbat

1.0.1 Pause fixes

  • Can always pause the game with escape, regardless of current player input devices
  • Able to select restart mission from pause menu after dying
  • Fixed a bug where you could still bounce the ring after the sun dies
  • New sun death sound effect
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Updated Out of Orbit mission preview
  • Updated Pass On mission description grammar
  • Watched SpiderMommyAz play the campaign
  • Added mechanic clips for swinging health drain and ring bounce grab release to the website
  • Fixed sun death
  • New sun die sound
  • Can always pause the game with escape, regardless of current player input devices
  • Removed generated inputs class
  • Made tilde key symbols smaller
  • Able to select restart mission from pause menu after dying
  • Show keyboard controls next to resume and restart in pause menu
  • No prompt to move your moon while it is detached
  • Game Cream made a video of the first 8 minutes of the game
  • Watching gameplay footage
  • [Video] Scheduled shorts
  • [Video] Part 11 early access short
  • [Video] Part 11 supernova short
  • [Video] Rerecorded short intro and outro voice lines
  • Applied for Xbox developement
  • Reapplied for Nintendo Switch development
  • Released the game in early access
  • Sent all of the announcement posts
  • Preparing release posts

1.0.0 Boss Music

  • Added a new music track to the "Sol Survivor" mission
  • A short version of the track plays in the last round of a multiplayer match
  • Updated devlog
  • Build, publish and test
  • Speedrun VOD
  • Music tweaks
  • Final music feedback
  • Tested the campaign 100% and all game modes with a livestream
  • Updated the website homepage Steam CTA
  • Added devlog video to the website
  • [Video] Added music
  • [Video] Rerecorded some voice lines where my voice was nasally
  • [Video] Finished editing
  • [Video] Captions and metadata
  • [Video] Finished adding clips
  • [Video] Filling in remaining sections with clips
  • [Video] Clips from playtests
  • [Video] Voice line about new music track
  • [Video] Recorded and edited Cross the Stream changes
  • [Video] Found clips for Supernova Stadium circle camping
  • Trying different cuts of the boss theme. One is just the intense parts for last round scenarios in multiplayer.
  • Boss music for Sol Survivor
  • Boss music for last round matches
  • Prepared release announcement posts
  • Listened to the boss music

Achievements

In this devlog video, I add achievements, update maps, and finish chapter 1 of the campaign.

0.16.14 Goal time adjustments

  • Adjusted goal times and hints
  • More accurate asteroid belt hitboxes
  • The camera follows your moon on Cross the Stream
  • Pause timer during restart fade out
  • Moving Minefield mission foundation
  • Nuclear Propulsion mission foundation
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Tested and increased goal times for sumo missions
  • Unity update
  • The camera follows your moon on Cross the Stream
  • Adjusted goal times and hints
  • Pause timer during restart fade out
  • Fixed occasional error with incorrect relic status text
  • Emails to Smash players
  • Sent emails to a few Punch A Bunch players
  • Looked at Punch A Bunch videos for creators to contact
  • Added a gif to emails
  • Sent the first 9 emails
  • Went through my full Twitch following list for creators
  • Influencer email template
  • Listing creators to reach out to
  • [Video] Rearranged devlog sections
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed voiceover
  • [Video] Added sections about Supernova Stadium balance and Cross the Stream rework to the devlog 11 script
  • [Video] Screenshots of demo players and feedback responses
  • Bombs can start armed
  • Moving Minefield mission foundation
  • Nuclear Propulsion mission foundation
  • More accurate asteroid belt hitboxes

0.16.13 Cross the Stream rework

  • Reworked Cross the Stream mission to collect Mars' moon from the asteroid belt
  • Supernova Stadium map adjustments
  • Added Media Kit to the website
  • Planets To Self Destruct mission refinement
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Removed the ring around the sun in Cross the Stream. It was a fun challenge to land perfectly on it, I might make it an achievement.
  • Reworked Cross the Stream mission to collect Mars' moon from the asteroid belt
  • Can donate moon to the sun
  • Donated moons can have set orbit distance
  • Ideas to rework the cross the stream mission
  • Adjusted goal time and hints for Asteroid Belting
  • Fixed sun drain health animation
  • Took ages to figure out
  • Updated Unity
  • Red sun has red timer base rather than grey
  • Supernova on Supernova Stadium happens when the sun dies
  • Increased red sun temperature to reduce health drained from grabbing it
  • Comparing spin breakout stats
  • VODs
  • Made a post about spin breaks
  • Top 3 post
  • Playtest at Squiggly River. Did some multiplayer and someone did the single player and naturally stopped at the exact point where the demo finishes which is reassuring that it's a good length.
  • Playtested Supernova Stadium at FILTHY. It seems mostly fine, but might lead to circle camping at optimal levels of play.
  • Orbit towards black hole AI
  • Bounce bomb AI behavior
  • Planets To Self Destruct mission refinement
  • Renamed wormhole maze mission to Wormhole Warren
  • [Video] Devlog 11 thumbnail
  • [Video] Overhauled devlog 9 thumbnail
  • [Video] Updated titles and thumbnails of old devlogs
  • Added Media Kit to website
  • Prioritizing tasks and checking anything needed for release
  • Checked other games releasing on Steam the same day as Sumorbit
  • [Video] Recorded clips and edited multiplayer balance section of devlog 11
  • [Video] Recorded clips and edited misc section of devlog 11
  • Marketing firm research
  • Different method for opening Steam page from the game
  • Checked Steam page opening from the game on Mac
  • More FPS tests and research
  • Testing on MacBook with 60 FPS and Vsync. I think the problem was just max FPS.
  • Prevent reopening an external link on window refocus
  • Credits and social media pickers do not go back on pick
  • Steam page URL backup

0.16.12 Wormhole lines

  • Added connective lines to wormholes
  • Explosions cause damage to stars
  • Planet Express achievement
  • AI can throw bombs and avoid black holes
  • Refined rumble
  • Show round timer for multiplayer toggle setting
  • Drain line thinner when swinging opponents to represent less health drain
  • "Catch With Dad" achievement no longer requires mission completion
  • Reworked Portal Pass mission to have a split relic where you need to send a wormhole through a wormhole
  • Post about wormhole lines
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Fixed an error from opening the Steam page from the game without Steam initialized
  • [Video] Edited and scheduled 3 more devlog 10 shorts
  • [Video] Part 10 ice giants short. First one in a while.
  • Catch With Dad no longer requires mission completion
  • Opening different versions of the game doesn't wipe achievement progress
  • Itch.io page
  • Organized tasks
  • Added connective lines to wormholes
  • Drain line thinner when swinging opponents to represent less health drain
  • Added lore for why the planets are trapped in Gas Leech
  • 2 weeks to go post
  • Increased tooltip title size to fit the word Interpretation
  • Renamed Ultimate Sacrifice to Force of Nature
  • Made the sun have more mass on Red Giant
  • Hint for Pass On relic
  • Checked for any remaining tasks for chapter 1 missions
  • Got inspired by the 3 Body Problem for Sumorbit lore
  • Grab overlap calculation uses rigidbody position rather than transform
  • Show round timer for multiplayer toggle setting
  • Explosions cause damage to stars
  • Researched game pass
  • Tested bouncing back and forth on the ring but speed is not conserved
  • Worm Holodrome mission relic
  • No score satellites on campaign
  • Going over ideas for future missions
  • Reworked Portal Pass mission to have a split relic where you need to send a wormhole through a wormhole
  • Prevent AI from putting spin on thrown cargo
  • Removed controls from campaign mission select to reduce clutter
  • Planet unlock hints
  • Planet Express achievement
  • Rumble testing with different gamepads
  • Rumble on bomb explosions
  • Refined rumble
  • [Video] Recorded clips and edited mission character select, end screen and supernova map sections of devlog 11
  • Added recommended competitive ruleset to the website
  • AI avoids black holes
  • Regular AI can grab and throw bombs
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed devlog 11 voiceover
  • [Video] Edited intro, outro and title cards
  • [Video] Uploaded trailer and thumbnail
  • Added margin to the bottom of the website homepage
  • [Video] Trailer audio balancing
  • [Video] Refined trailer edit
  • [Video] Finished off and refined devlog 11 script
  • Added beta testers to credits
  • Checked priority tasks for release
  • Organized planned achievements
  • Full game picker on demo links to Steam Page
  • Prompt to buy the full game on the demo end screen
  • Prompt to leave a Steam review on the full game end screen
  • [Video] Scripted the majority of devlog 11

0.16.11 Mission planet select

  • You can now play as any planet in the "Sol Survivor" mission
  • Unlock planets for "Reach for the Stars" and future missions by completing "Sol Survivor" with different planets
  • "Many Worlds Interpretation" achievement to beat "Sol Survivor" with every planet
  • Selecting a planet in the multiplayer lobby sets your color by default, with an option to keep your color
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Steam achievement for Many Worlds Interpretation
  • Achievement for beating Sol Survivor with all characters
  • Fixed issues with cloning missions without cloning players
  • Fixed early access pricing text from Steam review
  • Race to the Sun goal time reduced
  • Fix highlight current character
  • Consistent order for character select
  • Random character works for campaign
  • Keep color vs default color prompt text
  • Mission character analytics
  • Defaults to character completed mission with
  • Unlock characters from Sol Survivor
  • Keep track of which characters have beaten missions
  • Keep current color button on character select
  • You can pick your character for some missions
  • Fixed skin pickers
  • Darkened grid color for relics
  • Started eliminating the resources folder
  • It turns out the long loading is not due to resources
  • Adjusted feedback survey
  • Release date announcement post

0.16.10 Changed restart key

  • Changed restart key to ~ to avoid accidental presses
  • Relic debris can explode a bomb while still holding it
  • Grid pattern under relics to show they can't be moved
  • Added a message about recording or streaming gameplay on the splash screen
  • Can't bounce Jupiter's planet for the "Battle of the Gas Giants" relic
  • Added completion percentage and profile time to the ending screen
  • Extra mission hints
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Preparing release date post
  • Tilde key icon
  • Note about stopping at low speeds for brake description
  • Extra mission hints
  • Added completion percentage and profile time to ending screen
  • Can't bounce for Gas Giants relic
  • Changed status position for Gas Giants mission
  • Changed restart key to ~ to avoid accidental presses
  • Watched beta relics playtest and discussed changes
  • Prepared Steam page for early access
  • Unity update
  • Added a message about recording or streaming gameplay on the splash screen
  • Recorded blind character select and map select clips
  • Refined recommended competitive ruleset
  • Relic debris can explode a bomb while still holding it
  • Dynamic achievement page indexes
  • Show grid on relics to show they can't be moved
  • Watched a beta playthrough
  • [Video] Started devlog 11 script dot points
  • [Video] Devlog 10 is getting a second wind in views
  • Planned for potential major tournaments
  • Final early access research
  • Renamed Last Planet Standing to Sol Survivor
  • Wrote recommended ruleset

0.16.9 Boomerang achievement

  • Achievement where you throw cargo with spin to catch it again
  • AI bounce deadly sun to avoid damage from it
  • Asteroid bounce prompt
  • Move planet and move moon prompts only show once per round
  • Rebalanced Cross the Stream
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Build and publish
  • Rebalanced Cross the Stream, ring smaller, safe zone changed to reduce accidental clears, reduced asteroid belt friction and power, goal time quicker
  • Move planet and move moon prompts only show once per round
  • Asteroid bounce prompt
  • The ring shrinks faster on Asteroid Belting
  • Tip to bounce asteroids on Moon Amongst the Mess
  • Watched a playthrough and took notes
  • Boomerang achievement
  • Distances specified in Earth diameter units
  • [Video] Posted the devlog to X
  • [Video] Develog 10 actually got 1000 views
  • [Video] Published devlog 10
  • [Video] Exported short clip
  • [Video] Finished editing devlog 10, added music, description, subtitles and chapters
  • [Video] Recorded wormhole camera clip
  • [Video] Recorded clips and edited achievements, bombs and wormhole sections of devlog 10
  • AI bounce deadly sun to avoid damage from it
  • [Video] Having some errors with yt-dlp

0.16.8 Supernova Map

  • Supernova Stadium: The star will grow and do damage when you touch it. After some time, it will explode in a supernova.
  • Brake button to slow down your planet when not stunned
  • "Thanks for playing" screen on campaign completion
  • Bouncing the outside of the ring is less punishing
  • Ring bounce has more kickback and planet mass matters less
  • Forced grab release when a grabbed opponent ring bounces
  • "Catch With Dad" achievement
  • Face buttons as alternative grab and bounce buttons for menus
  • AI avoids deadly stars
  • Changed "Battle of the Gas Giants" mission to can't bounce the ring rather than can't bounce at all
  • Added Supernova Stadium map to website
  • Updated devlog
  • Patch notes
  • Hotfix build and publish
  • Fixed cursor and button interaction on end screen
  • End screen still shows after getting the relic on first clear of the last mission
  • Build and publish
  • Catch With Dad icon
  • Can filter player stats from analytics
  • Catch with dad achievement
  • Added a thanks for playing message, links to Discord and feedback survey on ending screen
  • Started making an ending scene
  • Changed Battle of the Gas Giants mission to can't bounce the ring rather than can't bounce at all
  • Release grab when a grabbed opponent ring bounces
  • Brake button to slow down your planet when not stunned
  • Face buttons no longer spin
  • Face buttons as alternative grab and bounce buttons for menus
  • Shift key icon
  • Toggle all maps button resets random map pool
  • Ring bounce better and mass matters less
  • Bouncing the outside of the ring is less punishing
  • Refined bounce off the ring strength
  • Supernova sound effect
  • Supernova map icon
  • AI avoids deadly stars
  • Outer Wilds mission uses supernova map
  • Supernova map
  • Sun supernova explosion

0.16.6 Grab time balance

  • Swinging players around for a throw no longer reduces grab time as much
  • Swinging players reduces health drained
  • A small amount of moon movement counts as zero movement for health drain
  • You gain more health while grabbing the sun
  • Skippable missions show a dashed line on mission select
  • Added a halo to the inner hitbox of wormholes
  • Wormhole through wormhole mission
  • Intercept cargo mission foundation
  • Infinite grab player limit
  • Move wormhole mission foundation
  • Can have multiple relic parts in a mission
  • Balancing Thinking with Portals mission
  • No moon delay for catch AI
  • Mission where you have to wrestle with your own AI to enter a black hole
  • Andromeda vs Milky Way mission
  • Wormhole bowling mission
  • Planets To Self Destruct mission foundation
  • Patch notes
  • Updated devlog
  • VODs
  • Published build
  • Testing all missions with new changes
  • Organized tasks
  • Top 3 post
  • Playtest at CWQLD Ranbat. Changes seem good but holding players outside the ring is strong. I think the whole time the problem with performance on my laptop has been overheating.
  • Build and test
  • Swinging players around for a throw no longer reduces grab time as much
  • Swinging players reduces health drained
  • A small amount of moon movement counts as zero movement for health drain
  • You gain more health while grabbing the sun
  • Skippable missions show a dashed line on mission select
  • Organized tasks
  • Added a halo to the inner hitbox of the wormhole
  • Unity update
  • Early access pros and cons
  • Wormhole through wormhole mission
  • Intercept cargo mission foundation
  • Infinite grab player limit
  • Refined Portal Pass mission
  • Move wormhole mission foundation
  • Don't teleport player with locked planet
  • Can have multiple relic parts in a mission
  • Balancing Thinking with Portals mission
  • Star has less mass on Proxima c
  • No moon delay for catch AI
  • [Video] Edited and scheduled bowling short
  • Planets To Self Destruct mission foundation
  • Beta test Discord role
  • Mission where you have to wrestle with your own AI to enter a black hole
  • Andromeda vs Milky Way mission
  • Planning mission order
  • Lore and mission ideas
  • Researched the local group, found out there are only 2 main galaxies in it, and every star we see in the night sky is in the Milky Way.
  • Wormhole bowling mission. Used copilot to generate code for the diamond pattern which worked flawlessly.
  • [Video] Devlog 10 thumbnail
  • Asked Oscar to do boss theme music
  • [Video] Editing new sections
  • [Video] Found the stuttering playback problem in Premiere Pro
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed new voiceover
  • [Video] Edited devlog 10 script
  • [Video] Added bridging sections to devlog 10 script
  • [Video] Scripted achievements section of devlog 10
  • [Video] Scripted beta test section of devlog 10
  • Renamed maps to Great Filter and Explodrome
  • [Video] TikTok violated guidelines because I put sumo wrestling in the description. Reuploaded and worked fine.

0.16.5 Tips and hints

  • View tips and hints on mission select
  • Made bomb have less mass
  • Doubled the relic hitbox size
  • Hold buffer bounce during countdown
  • Catching AI more accurate
  • Chapter 1 mission adjustments
  • Refined wormhole cargo maze
  • [Video] Gas Giants short
  • Build and publish
  • View tips and hints on mission select
  • Grab the tips picker to reveal hints one at a time
  • Prompt to view hints every 5 mission attempts
  • Added tips and hints to chapter 1 missions
  • Edited mission descriptions with tips in mind
  • You can skip one mission per relic collected text
  • Mission names in quotes in achievement descriptions
  • The sun has less mass on Reach for the Stars
  • Moved relic, less asteroid belt friction in Out of Orbit mission
  • Catching AI more accurate
  • AI less likely to catch an object it just threw
  • Organized tasks from playtests
  • Made teammate AI worse in Battle for Habitable
  • Fixed relic in Battle of the Ice Giants
  • Doubled the relic hitbox size
  • Made bomb have less mass
  • Moved bomb closer to relic on Race to the Sun
  • Beta playtest video review. So many notes to fix. Some of the goal times were easier than I thought.
  • Can't bounce during countdown
  • Hold buffer bounce during countdown
  • Changed can't grab color to pure black
  • Adjusted wormhole cargo maze, no stars, no moon for player, moved inner wormholes to interact with asteroid belt, increased belt friction

0.16.4 Mission select character

  • Set character on change players in mission select
  • Significantly improved initial load time
  • Bullet Time achievement
  • Navigate to next mission on load if the active mission is the last completed mission
  • Build and publish
  • Fixed bugs with the demo from new changes. Did around 5 builds before I found all the bugs.
  • Navigate to next mission on load if the active mission is the last completed mission
  • Fixed order of mission select character change
  • Updated auto next mission toggle subtitle
  • Fixed logic errors on last completed mission check
  • Took brand and mission images out of the resources folder which has significantly improved load times
  • Set character on change players in mission select
  • Show player character on mission select
  • Researching which consoles are worth publishing on
  • Bullet Time achievement
  • Brighter Trickshot achievement icon
  • Check achievements after game load

0.16.3 More achievements

  • Handicap Race achievement
  • Scenic route achievement
  • Neptunian Year achievement
  • Show achievement count on menu
  • Eris range increased and moved closer for Out of Orbit mission
  • Build and publish
  • Eris range increased and moved closer for Out of Orbit mission
  • Out of Orbit goal time reduced
  • Watched beta playtest footage
  • Neptunian Year achievement
  • Show achievement count on menu
  • Set achievement menu page number
  • Handicap Race achievement
  • Scenic route achievement
  • Track player teleport count
  • Researching Unity Netcode. The game will probably be harder to market without online but it seems like too much effort to be worth it at this point.
  • Couldn't get remote play to work with Mac as the host
  • Thought of a solution to potential physics problems with netcode
  • Tested remote play together with hotspot. I can't get it to run terribly with just myself.

0.16.2 Trickshot achievement

  • Achievement where you throw an asteroid into another
  • Adjusted AI and player limits on Gas Giants and Ice Giants missions
  • Renamed maps
  • Build and publish
  • [Video] Recorded and edited a clip of carrying a bomb through a wormhole
  • Adjusted AI and player limits on Gas Giants and Ice Giants missions
  • [Video] Recorded and edited end of chapter 1 missions
  • [Video] Recorded and edited tutorial 8 clip
  • Renamed maps
  • Trickshot achievement

0.16.1 Wormhole hitbox

  • Can grab anywhere on a wormhole to move it
  • Wormholes are easier to move and can be grabbed for longer
  • Ring shrinks slower on Sun 'n Death
  • Stat pickers scale with stat value to make them easier to grab when minimum stat values
  • Updated devlog
  • Updated website mechanics text
  • Build and publish
  • [Video] Voiced and edited extra wormhole changes
  • Allow for planets over stats budget
  • Allow for stat values above 8
  • Foundations for Outer Wilds mission
  • Stat pickers scale with stat value to make them easier to grab when minimum stat values
  • Ring shrinks slower on Sun 'n Death
  • Can grab anywhere on a wormhole to move it
  • Wormholes are easier to move and can be grabbed for longer
  • Posted about beta testing in the Squiggly Discord. It's been difficult to get longer form playtests at events since people usually only have time for the demo.

0.16.0 Achievements

  • In-game and Steam achievements
  • Track tutorial progress
  • Bolt icon for relic challenge
  • Chain Reaction mission
  • Set star temperature
  • Radiation resistance player limit
  • Hazard mechanic videos for the website
  • [Video] Scheduled shorts
  • [Video] Edited mission 9 and 10 shorts
  • VODs
  • Organized tasks
  • Published build to Steam
  • Top 3 post
  • Got some good feedback on moving wormholes
  • Updated devlog
  • [Video] Scheduled mission 7 and 8 short
  • Playtested new wormholes
  • Set up stream at FILHTY
  • Sent game info to SideQuest
  • Build
  • [Video] Edited short for mission 7 and 8
  • Reviewed similar games pricing and it looks like $5 USD is the go
  • Got Steam achievements working
  • Included AI and Character names in analytics
  • 120 sumo rounds achievement
  • 21 relics achievement
  • 21 goal times achievement
  • Track tutorial progress
  • Complete all tutorials achievement
  • Trigger achievement on specific mission completion
  • Steam achievement trigger
  • Prevent achievements in the demo
  • Steam achievement icon template
  • Save and load achievements
  • Show which achievements have been completed
  • Achievements picker and icon
  • Achievement foundations
  • Wrote ideas for a bunch of achievements
  • [Video] Edited part of wormhole and bomb map sections
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed devlog 10 wormhole and bomb map voiceover
  • Chain Reaction mission
  • Set star temperature
  • Updated website to include wormhole grab chain clip
  • Hazard mechanic videos for the website
  • Wormhole updates post
  • Sent an email to Jonas to play the game
  • Researched Interstellar system
  • Bolt icon for relic challenge
  • Count campaign mission type distribution in spreadsheet
  • Ideas for Outer Wilds reference
  • Researched Alpha Centauri planets
  • Thought of an idea for the true ending of the campaign
  • Refined Proxima C mission
  • Able to set camera proximity for relics
  • Added a section to The Last Star where you have to drag it with you to the safe zone
  • Radiation resistance player limit
  • Proxima Centauri B & C planets

Demo

In this devlog video, I add emotes and respond to feedback from the Next Fest demo.

0.15.11 Chapter 1 Changes

  • Changed the Reach for the Stars mission to drag the sun through the wormhole
  • Neptune orbits faster in Perihelion Passage
  • Moved Uranus further away in Pass On and moved the relic
  • Made Race to the Sun smaller and moved the bomb
  • Wormholes can go through wormholes
  • Camera movement speeds up during teleports
  • Wormhole timer has a static texture
  • Foundations for a mission where dead planets stay moving
  • Feed black hole to get an asteroid in Dangerous Cleanup mission
  • Quantum entangled cleanup mission
  • Researched Proxima Centauri B and decided on stats between Earth and Mars
  • Red Giant is the best performing short yet with 9k views.
  • Published build
  • Text for hazards website mechanics page
  • Updated devlog
  • Ring shrinks on No More Asteroids mission
  • Refined mission descriptions and screenshots for chapter 1
  • Static texture no longer pauses
  • Wormhole timer has a static texture
  • Changed the Reach for the Stars mission to drag the sun through the wormhole
  • Moved wormhole on Proxima Centauri mission
  • Made Race to the Sun smaller and move the bomb
  • Made the Pass On relic harder to cheese
  • Moved Uranus further away in Pass On
  • Neptune orbits faster in Perihelion Passage
  • Set map maximum camera size
  • Delay on volatile animation for launched asteroids
  • Beta testing post
  • [Video] Refined part of devlog 10 script
  • [Video] Edited and scheduled mission 4 and 5 shorts
  • [Video] Edited and scheduled an expanding sun short
  • [Video] Posted the new devlog video in a few Discords
  • [Video] Added devlog video to the website
  • [Video] Scripted wormhole and bomb changes for devlog 10
  • Updated devlog
  • [Video] Stephen gave a bunch of feedback on the devlogs
  • [Video] Devlog 9 thumbnail
  • [Video] Description, captions, end screen
  • [Video] Added music and refined edit
  • [Video] Edited sound effects section
  • [Video] Recorded impact textures
  • [Video] Finished editing emotes section
  • [Video] Found VODs for character balance and maps sections
  • [Video] Edited Next Fest and character balance sections
  • [Video] Recorded clips
  • [Video] Edited AI customization section
  • [Video] Edited campaign missions section
  • Quantum entangled cleanup mission
  • Able to have more asteroids than the number needed to destroy
  • Include quantum entangled players in the camera at all times
  • Feed black hole to get an asteroid in Dangerous Cleanup mission
  • Foundations for a mission where dead planets stay moving
  • Adjusted safe zone mission objective text
  • Researched supernova and neutron stars
  • [Video] Edited and scheduled short for campaign mission 1 and 2
  • Wormholes can go through wormholes
  • Camera movement speeds up during teleports

0.15.10 Wormhole Timeout

  • Changed teleports to include grabbed objects
  • Wormhole timeout on the exit portal that pauses when a warpable object is touching it
  • Got moons to teleport stable
  • Can't teleport while grabbing and entering the same wormhole color
  • Prevent physics of point satellites from affecting the moon
  • Wormhole maze mission refined
  • Build and publish
  • Fixed the join prompt not moving when AI players are in the lobby
  • Prevent physics of point satellites from affecting the moon
  • Fixed bugs related to script execution order
  • Code cleanup
  • Consistent grab priority order for cargo, asteroids, bombs and wormholes
  • Wormhole timeout on the exit portal that pauses when a warpable object is touching it
  • Can't teleport while grabbing and entering the same wormhole color
  • Got any number of warped grab connections working. The new system seems better in some scenarios but not others.
  • Got moons to teleport stable
  • Started changing teleports to include grabbed objects. Found some logical problems. Wracking my brain to think of solutions.
  • Made portals in the Wormhole Maze mission send you to the middle of the ring rather than the outside
  • Playtested Bomb Battlefield with Stephen and found some bugs with two players grabbing a bomb

0.15.9 Quantum entanglement

  • One controller can control many players
  • Quantum entanglement missions
  • Hot Potato mission where you catch and throw bombs between an AI
  • Bomb Battlefield mission
  • Unfocus mute picker able to be displayed
  • Build and publish
  • [Video] Bounce damage and spin bug clips
  • Unfocus mute picker able to be displayed
  • Unfocus mute icon
  • Refactored gamepad vs KBM detection
  • Quantum Obstacle Course mission foundations
  • Fixed mouse movement for quantum entanglement
  • One controller can control many players
  • Quantum Entanglement cargo mission
  • Fixed pause with quantum entanglement
  • Researching controls rebinding
  • Planning missions in other star systems
  • Star system research
  • Bomb Battlefield mission
  • Planning future mission concepts
  • Mission completion percentage in spreadsheet
  • Mechanic matrix for mission ideas
  • [Video] Steam Next Fest screenshots
  • AI won't grab space in a small ring
  • Hot Potato mission where you catch and throw bombs between an AI
  • AI catch and throw bombs
  • Set bomb temperature
  • Planet facts in mission descriptions
  • [Video] Added a Next Fest results section and an outro to the devlog 9 script
  • [Video] Recorded voiceover

0.15.8 Wormhole performance

  • A single camera for all wormhole previews
  • Wormhole quality setting
  • Random character for single player presets
  • Grab timers on moons have higher contrast
  • Moon skin toggle
  • Working black hole maze mission with relic and goal time
  • Refining the start of chapter 2
  • Build and publish
  • Added a wormhole to Proxima Centauri mission
  • Proxima Centauri relic
  • Alpha Centarui relic
  • Working black hole maze mission with relic and goal time
  • Started properly designing the black hole maze mission
  • Changed some mission names
  • Added extra lore to mission descriptions
  • Moon skin toggle
  • Correctly set planet rings picker badge when change character
  • Higher contrast on grab bar
  • Edge grab unavailable grab bar set to the player color
  • Reduced opacity of moon image
  • Darker color for attempting to grab when you can't
  • Updated devlog
  • Tested controller turbo and it seems not particularly useful which is nice
  • Random character for single player presets
  • Organized tasks
  • Early access questionnaire
  • Testing wormhole cameras on Mac. Getting above 60 FPS on 1x on Sun 'n Death on my old MacBook.
  • Wormhole quality setting
  • Watched Wolf play the demo
  • Single wormhole camera working
  • Made grab dash tutorial smaller for performance
  • Testing performance on builds
  • I don't think custom render texture zones will work
  • Updated wormhole visuals
  • Proof of concept using a single camera for all wormholes
  • Troubleshooting wormhole camera performance
  • [Video] Scheduled map shorts
  • [Video] Edited 4 map shorts

0.15.7 Mission Select Cleanup

  • Cleaner and simpler mission select look
  • Easier to track campaign progress
  • Shows the difference between your best time and the goal time
  • New start mission icon
  • Your teammate no longer smiles when you die
  • Made app download smaller
  • Build and publish on Steam
  • Teammate doesn't use positive emotes when you die in campaign missions
  • Removed unused assets
  • Percentage format handle NaN
  • Show chapter percentage complete
  • Show objective percentage per chapter
  • Show difference from goal time
  • Objective incomplete badge
  • Percentages on objective pickers
  • Relic challenge complete text on picker
  • Mission index fit better on tooltip
  • Show chapter icon
  • Mission icons change size depend on distance from player
  • Objective and best time picker icons greyed out until complete
  • Moved mission title and description to regular player tooltip
  • Rocket ship mission start icon
  • Moved attempt count to times

0.15.6 Mission Adjustments

  • Beyond the Belt mission no longer locks your moon in place
  • Always fail mission if die
  • Bomb must be armed to explode on anything other than a bounce
  • Less explosion damage and stun if bouncing
  • Mission adjustments
  • Changed Beyond the Belt preview image
  • Build and publish on Steam
  • Balanced damage and stun reduction from bouncing bombs
  • Moved player closer to the asteroid belt and reduced drag on Cross the Stream
  • Less explosion damage and stun if bouncing
  • Bomb must be armed to explode on anything other than a bounce
  • Always fail mission if die
  • Made a note about team lines in Red Giant mission description
  • Can adjust temperature of cargo
  • Beyond the Belt mission no longer locks your moon in place. Not sure if it will be any easier but it will allow for more agency.
  • Percentage relic and goal time completion analytics
  • Stream still had 180 viewers so I left it on all night. It had 10 viewers when I woke up so I stopped it.

0.15.5 Analytics Fix

  • Analytics fixed and updated
  • Next Fest livestream is getting over 400 viewers. I think something was wrong the first time.
  • Filtered infinity values from analytics
  • Extra mission analytics fields
  • Steam build and publish
  • Added mission name and index to analytics
  • Found out the analytics problem was sending Infinity as a float value
  • Ideas to make the campaign menu less cluttered
  • Dad played the campaign demo. It took him a while to get it, but he finished it.
  • Trying to figure out why Unity Analytics are so wrong for campaign mission completion

0.15.4 Sun Damage Fix

  • Sun damage fixed
  • More automated build process
  • More automated build process with better folder structure and deleting DoNotShip folders
  • VODs
  • Sun damage fixed
  • Hotfix build and publish
  • Top 3 post
  • Playtest at Squiggly River. Found out the large sun doesn't do damage.
  • Bomb Battlefield playtest at FILTHY

0.15.3 Bomb Battlefield

  • Map with multiple bombs
  • Bomb explosion causes stun and damage
  • Bomb enters a volatile state on release where colliding with anything will explode
  • Demo mission refinement
  • Published game update to Steam
  • Updated devlog
  • Explode bomb on release of touching planet
  • Map update recording and post
  • Generic overlap function
  • Bomb damage and stun based on overlap
  • Build and test
  • Grabbing a volatile bomb removes volatile attribute
  • Updated Moon Amongst the Mess image and description to prompt bouncing asteroids
  • Made volatile asteroids flash orange
  • Made asteroids volatile when thrown
  • Fixed sun bloom effect
  • Made AI harder on Conveyor of Doom mission
  • Moved Conveyor of Doom mission text to the middle
  • Made Cross the Stream asteroid belt force weaker
  • Solution to Cross the Stream no longer spoiled in the image
  • Bomb flashes orange when it is volatile
  • Fixed bugs related to new bomb mechanics
  • Bomb map icon
  • Adjusted spawn positions on bomb map
  • Prevent camera from following bombs on sumo objective
  • Map with multiple bombs
  • Bomb enters a volatile state on release where colliding with anything will explode
  • Bomb explosion causes stun and damage
  • Next Fest livestream. Fluctuated between 2 and 6 viewers.
  • Set up Steam livestream

0.15.2 Spin tutorial updates

  • Spin tutorial AI spins predictably
  • Spin tutorial AI changes based on score
  • Prevented glitchy sun bounces on some tutorials
  • Added cancel despawn prompt on mission select
  • Show character and AI behavior on copy player in the lobby
  • Published game update to Steam
  • Updated devlog
  • New tutorial mission preiews
  • Added cancel despawn prompt on mission select
  • Spin tutorial AI spins predictably
  • Spin tutorial AI changes based on score
  • Prevented glitchy sun bounces on some tutorials
  • Added to TikTok social to the game
  • Added TikTok link to website
  • Posted in the OS Discord
  • Show character and AI behavior on copy player
  • Added more lore to the Pass On mission description
  • SpiderMommyAz livestream
  • Next Fest posts and browsing
  • The game is featured prominently on local multiplayer, controller and fighting game sections of Next Fest
  • Published next fest livestream events
  • [Video] Edited emotes section
  • [Video] Added title cards
  • [Video] Changed the title and thumbnail for devlog 8

0.15.1 Demo Update

  • Modified positions of asteroids, bomb and relic in Moon Amongst the Mess mission
  • Pause and restart gamepad button prompts on the pause menu for the campaign
  • Finished relic and goal times for all chapter 1 missions
  • AI can bounce asteroids
  • Build script creates demo, release and full versions
  • Updated trailer to include single player and multiple maps
  • Added a gif to Steam description
  • Refined Steam description
  • Made a meme post about having to survive the big bang to get here
  • Published Steam demo update
  • Updated devlog
  • Build and test
  • Build script creates demo, release and full versions
  • [Video] Edited the reddit comment intro for devlog 9
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed voiceover for devlog 9
  • Modified positions of asteroids, bomb and relic in Moon Amongst the Mess mission
  • Experimented with multiple players in the Cross the Stream mission
  • Pause and restart gamepad button prompts on the pause menu for the campaign
  • Improvement ideas from feedback
  • Contemplating changing the first bomb mission
  • [Video] First edit pass of devlog 9 script
  • [Video] Changed the title and thumbnail again to reference rollback netcode
  • [Video] Gave devlog 8 a new title again
  • Made an analytics query for mission completion. People seem to be favouring the tutorials over the campaign.
  • [Video] Turns out the Instagram reel did okay. Posted another one.
  • [Video] Finished scripting campaign chapter 1 missions
  • [Video] Part of campaign missions script
  • [Video] Scripted character balance and AI customization sections of devlog 9
  • [Video] Posted a TTS message in PirateSoftware channel about my shorts
  • [Video] Scripted emotes, map updates, visual and sounds sections of devlog 9
  • [Video] Published new trailer to Steam
  • [Video] Changed the title and thumbnail for devlog 8
  • [Video] Finished the new trailer
  • [Video] Rough cut of new trailer
  • [Video] Devlog 8 thumbnail
  • [Video] Captions
  • [Video] Description
  • [Video] Re-edited mission 4 section
  • [Video] Speedrun category titles
  • [Video] Export and upload
  • [Video] Finished editing intro
  • [Video] Re-recorded outro voiceover
  • [Video] Edited outro
  • [Video] Added music
  • [Video] Refined some edits
  • [Video] Rescripted intro
  • [Video] Edited intro section
  • [Video] Devlog 9 script outline
  • [Video] Edited part of devlog 8 intro
  • [Video] Captured screenshots for the demo section
  • [Video] Editing demo section of devlog 8
  • [Video] Trimming fat from the voiceover
  • [Video] Re-recorded some voice lines for devlog 8
  • [Video] Edited and scheduled all remaining tutorial shorts
  • [Video] Recorded new footage for tutorial 3 short
  • [Video] Scheduled tutorial 3 short
  • [Video] Made a demo CTA image for shorts going forward
  • Organized tasks needed for release
  • Steam broadcast assets
  • Set up broadcast from VODs
  • Tested Restream for Steam and Twitch broadcast
  • Researched best stream practices for Steam
  • Asked for demo feedback on Discord
  • Chapter 2 mission ideas
  • No More Asteroids relic where no bounces are allowed
  • AI can bounce asteroids
  • Balanced Leech and Breakout Spin missions
  • Goal time for Leech and No More Asteroids missions
  • Leech relic to finish in 3 grabs
  • [Video] Scheduled tutorial 2 short
  • [Video] Pass On mission post
  • Updated devlog
  • Updated screenshots
  • Chapter 1 build flag
  • Corrected music track for some missions
  • [Video] Tried posting an Instagram reel
  • Recalculated the number of tournaments per playtester

0.15.0 Released Demo

  • Fixes and polish for the demo
  • Bounce damage rebalanced
  • Bounce sound pitch variation
  • Released the demo on Steam and announced on Discord
  • Fixed parry tutorial
  • Fixed active tutorial on mission select after playing campaign
  • Changed order of regular playtesters
  • Made the camera bigger and swapped planet positions on spin tutorials to see prompts
  • Prevented camera rubber banding at the start of Red Giant mission
  • Prevent AI from grabbing during countdown
  • Default mouse position up
  • Ring bounce tutorial camera size
  • Tested every feature of the demo on my old MacBook. Decent performance, found a few bugs though.
  • Unity update
  • Picker listing full game features in demo menu
  • Changed Chapter Complete text to Demo Complete
  • Play game picker subtitles
  • Added the indie tag on Steam
  • Researched the timeline of the universe and found out about the degenerate era
  • Renamed campaign chapters to eras
  • Prepared demo Discord post
  • [Video] Finding clips for the new trailer
  • [Video] Edited tutorial 2 short with additional voiceover
  • [Video] Prepared first tutorial short
  • Prevent player game stats from incrementing while dead or game over
  • AI ID in analytics
  • Fixed ring bounce sounds
  • Bounce sound pitch based on planet mass
  • Bounce sound pitch variation
  • Prevented bounce damage from being triggered multiple times with bounce trades
  • Bounce damage speed factor calculated before bounce
  • Bounce speed more important than overlap for bounce damage
  • Bounce damage halved while grabbed
  • Prepared Next Fest post
  • Refined feedback survey
  • Moved feedback button to main menu
  • Updated devlog
  • Published VODs
  • [Video] Edited and published part 5 balance short

Emotes

In this devlog video, I add emotes and respond to feedback from the Next Fest demo.

Unfocus Mute

  • Mute audio on unfocus window
  • Pause sound effects on pause game
  • Added more planets to No More Asteroids mission
  • Breakout spin mission with custom AI
  • Demo bracket playtest. I think that being bounced while grabbing is more of a problem than I thought. Also I think speed could have more influence than overlap for bounce damage.
  • Build and test
  • Breakout spin relic and goal time
  • Cross the stream mission post
  • Updated mission screenshots
  • Removed the sun from later missions
  • Breakout spin mission with custom AI
  • Moved bowling mission to chapter 1
  • Fixed a bug with music being 100% on load
  • Added more planets to No More Asteroids mission
  • Made planets not always show for cleanup missions
  • [Video] Edited and published part 5 visuals short
  • Adjusted colors on Sun 'n Death icon
  • Hit over 200 wishlists on Steam
  • The combinations video didn't flop like I expected. There were some comments taking the 1 million characters line a little too seriously.
  • Tested if parry works while dead
  • Tested bounce damage while grabbed
  • Fixed MacBook OBS
  • [Video] Cut short down to 60 seconds
  • [Video] Edited part 5 combinations short
  • Updated devlog
  • Mute audio on unfocus window
  • Pause sound effects on pause game

8 Wormholes Map

  • 8 wormhole pairs on Sun 'n Death map
  • Adjusted mission difficulty
  • Black holes grow bigger when they consume mass
  • AI grab space for less time
  • Keep track of best relic time
  • Foundations for a mission where you fight AI on your own planet
  • Foundations for a mission where you grab the sun for health
  • Ability to set minimum camera size for maps
  • Fixed sumo demo bugs
  • Teleport sound
  • VODs
  • Playtest at FILTHY
  • Show You Died text on teams missions when your teammate is still alive
  • Bouncing orbiting asteroids releases grab
  • Moved the safe zone further away in the Cross the Stream mission
  • 4 people played the demo at Squiggly River. One person struggled with it from the start but got it eventually which was nice to see. Got ideas to rebalance some levels.
  • Build and test
  • Black holes grow bigger when they consume mass
  • AI grab space for less time
  • Keep track of best relic time
  • Teleport sound
  • Changed developer to Jett Williams
  • Adjusted short bio
  • [Video] Re-edited and reposted the balance short since it performed badly
  • Adjusted mission goal times
  • [Video] Added speedrun footage
  • Tried all speedrunning categories for the demo. Realized any% needs a final mission, some relics have infuriating RNG, 100% can be done after all missions.
  • Recorded and posted clip of 8 wormhole pairs
  • 8 wormhole pairs on Sun 'n Death map
  • Zoomed out camera on Sun 'n Death map
  • Ability to set minimum camera size for maps
  • [Video] Screen recorded a bunch of gameplay for update posts and devlogs
  • Added devlog 7 video to website
  • [Video] More mission clips
  • Custom AI behaviors for Leech mission
  • Foundations for a mission where you fight AI on your own planet
  • Chapter 2 and 3 mission ideas in the spreadsheet
  • Adjusted wormhole maze mission
  • [Video] Edited a bunch of the campaign missions section
  • Added asteroid belt to Asteroid Belting mission
  • Adjust asteroid count and size for asteroid belts
  • Asteroid hitbox enables later after spawn
  • Planet asteroids visible before spawn
  • Refined Bowling mission with bombs
  • Asteroids destroy 2 seconds after being affected by a bomb
  • Bomb explosion active for one frame only
  • Track moon grabs
  • Moon grabs only for Survival Spin relic
  • Foundations for a mission where you grab the sun for health
  • Refactored AI system to make arbitrary AIs in missions
  • Spin influence player limitation for orbit AIs
  • Always grab boolean for AIs
  • Made AI more difficult in the New Moons mission
  • [Video] Titles for devlog 8
  • [Video] Teams short edited and scheduled
  • [Video] Edited and scheduled part 4 balance short
  • [Video] Edited and scheduled lobby short
  • [Video] Finished the final edit pass of devlog 8 script
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed voiceover. There were some minor plosives but not worth rerecording.
  • [Video] Finished first edit pass of the script
  • [Video] Finished the rest of the devlog 8 script
  • [Video] Finished scripting the missions section
  • [Video] Fleshed out the intro and mission objective sections of the devlog 8 script
  • [Video] Published devlog 7
  • Show game version in the menu
  • Disable text wrapping on tooltip icon text
  • [Video] Scripted speedrun section of script
  • Checked speedrun.com game submission process
  • Prevented the teams picker from being disabled if the two remaining players are in a team
  • Researched Steam broadcast
  • [Video] Went through all devlog videos and noted short clip opportunities
  • Re-enabled saving character presets
  • [Video] Started re-editing the trailer to include the new maps and campaign
  • Researching localization
  • Fixed a bug where wormhole cameras option wouldn't show
  • Fixed a softlock from saving character presets
  • [Video] Scheduled Neptune short
  • Added asteroid belt map to the website
  • Updated devlog
  • [Video] Exporting short clips
  • [Video] Captions and end card
  • [Video] Devlog 7 thumbnail
  • [Video] Description and chapter markers
  • [Video] Finished devlog 7 edit
  • [Video] Oscar VO processing
  • [Video] Added music
  • [Video] Fine tuned edit
  • [Video] Recorded extra maps clips
  • [Video] Finished editing maps section
  • [Video] Cut a bunch of voiceover out of the marketing section
  • [Video] Re-recorded some voice lines
  • [Video] Marketing screen recordings
  • [Video] Finished the marketing section
  • [Video] Finished rough cut of edit
  • [Video] Maps section editing
  • Added 2 more wormholes to the Sun 'n Death map
  • Dynamic ring start size for Sun 'n Death map
  • Fixed tooltip icon text width
  • Prevent emotes from appearing behind players
  • Announced next fest demo
  • [Video] Edited Alpha Centarui map section
  • Decoupled AI in sumo demo
  • Prevented prompts in sumo demo
  • [Video] Edited music section
  • [Video] Scripted intro of devlog 8
  • [Video] Scheduled Uranus short
  • VOD review for bugs

Asteroid Belt Map

  • Asteroid belt map
  • Separate add, remove and possess player pickers
  • Copy existing player character and AI to a new bot player
  • Chapter 2 & 3 missions foundations
  • Fixed menu bugs
  • VODs
  • Changed ready actions and game options description for demo
  • Can't change mission while despawning in mission select
  • Fixed tutorial mission select
  • Relic found text higher priority than new best time
  • [Video] Trimmed Oscar's voiceover
  • Campaign demo playtest
  • Testing the asteroid belt map in tournament
  • Set up stream at FILTHY
  • Build and test
  • [Video] Finished editing intro, outro and character preset sections
  • Character default option on color picker
  • [Video] Added to devlog 8 script outline to include the rest of the demo missions
  • Finished going through every task for priority
  • [Video] Published Saturn short to TikTok
  • Stay on skin menu when select a skin
  • Fixed teams picker folder badge
  • Updated main menu picker subtitle
  • [Video] Edited Oscar's music section script
  • Prioritising remaining tasks
  • [Video] Started recording clips and editing marketing section
  • Recorded updates
  • Disable player pickers if can't add or remove any players
  • Quicker despawn on remove players
  • Fixed issues with recreating pickers while the menu is open
  • Copy player handicap
  • [Video] Scheduled Saturn short
  • [Video] Destroy my game sound effects
  • Copy existing player character and AI to a new bot player
  • Submenu for modify players
  • Copy player icon
  • Separate add, remove and possess player pickers
  • Idea for copy player picker
  • Remove players sun picker
  • Asteroid belt map icon
  • Asteroid belt map
  • Updated devlog
  • More mission preview images
  • Removed the sun from existing missions
  • Foundation for missions using existing maps
  • Foundation for cleanup mission with black holes
  • Organized tasks

Refined Demo

  • Refined campaign demo missions
  • Pitch variation for typing sounds
  • Inform player of error loading save data
  • [Video] Edited part of character preset section
  • [Video] Finished editing playtest section
  • [Video] Figured out how to transfer files between PCs on the network
  • Submitted demo build for review
  • Quicker delete text
  • Build and test for first submitted demo
  • [Video] Scheduled Jupiter short
  • [Video] Edited most of the playtest section
  • [Video] Published Mars short to TikTok
  • [Video] Getting footage from phone
  • Website 404 page
  • [Video] Emotes recording and post
  • [Video] Changed devlog 3 thumbnail
  • [Video] Destroy my game text
  • [Video] Part of maps section
  • [Video] Title cards
  • Relic explode sound
  • [Video] Started editing devlog 7
  • [Video] Edited Uranus and Neptune short
  • [Video] Schedules Mars short
  • [Video] Edited Jupiter and Saturn shorts
  • Renamed some missions. Tried using ChatGPT for ideas which didn't help.
  • Finished the analytics funnel
  • Inform player of error loading save data
  • Updated demo survey
  • Pitch variation for typing sounds

Bomb

  • Bomb object
  • Debris relic type that must be blown up by a bomb
  • Mission where you blast past the asteroid belt from a bomb
  • Mission where you fight Mars next to the asteroid belt
  • A short video for each planet
  • Removed extras from the demo
  • Set last hovered mission as active mission when reopening the game
  • Cleanup mission while avoiding hostile planets
  • Option to hide sun
  • Improved performance
  • Build and test
  • Relic challenge for Use the Belt mission where you can't attack your opponent
  • Updated mission preview images
  • Removed sun from New Moons mission
  • Fixed pass on mission
  • Speedrun all demo missions took a little over 2 minutes
  • [Video] Edited Mars short
  • [Video] Uploaded Earth short to TikTok and added captions
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed voiceover
  • Balanced goal times
  • Added relic to Race to the Sun mission
  • Removed teams from Race to the Sun mission
  • Sun disabled from the start of the match
  • Option to hide sun
  • Accurate bomb collider
  • Set last hovered mission as active mission when reopening the game
  • Mission where you fight Mars next to the asteroid belt
  • Mission where you blast past the asteroid belt from a bomb
  • Explosion sound
  • Show debris icon and description on mission select
  • Different descriptions per relic type
  • Drop bomb if explode while holding
  • Explode on contact with debris
  • Trigger relic found
  • Added bomb to Moon Amongst the Mess mission
  • Explosion force
  • Explosion particles
  • [Video] Refining YouTube shorts section of script
  • [Video] Extended YouTube shorts section in the devlog script
  • Use debris sprite
  • Bomb object
  • Bomb sprite
  • Debris sprite
  • Relic particles
  • Organising current missions to plan future missions
  • Foundation for cleanup mission while avoiding hostile planets
  • [Video] Scheduled Earth short
  • Fixed volume selector
  • Prevented mini previews from saving on back on percentage selectors
  • AI traits post
  • Fixed rounding on percentage selectors
  • [Video] Added an outro to Venus short
  • [Video] Scheduled Venus short
  • [Video] 2k views on the Mercury short
  • [Video] Responded to comments
  • [Video] Added intro to Mercury short
  • [Video] Published Mercury short
  • Removed extras from the demo
  • Updated analytics to remove crash bug
  • Fixed bugs with picker disable
  • Removed wormhole camera option for demo
  • Significantly improved lobby performance by disabling pickers when not visible
  • Improved picker performance
  • [Video] Venus short
  • [Video] Edited Mercury short
  • [Video] Devlog #8 script outline

Emotes

  • Emoji faces for planets
  • AI shows different expressions for different start and lose conditions
  • Prevented kiss emote if first to 1
  • Prevented AIs from sharing current action timers
  • Discovered a bug with AI behavior in single player
  • AI shows different expressions for different start and lose conditions
  • Fixed emote face scale
  • AI can use emotes
  • Emote tap vs hold
  • Mouse scroll icon
  • Controls refactor
  • Emote flipped based on face direction
  • Number keys icon
  • Show emote controls in menu
  • Emote keyboard controls
  • Emote controls
  • Added emote images to the game
  • Updated the Discord server emoji and made a post
  • Emoji faces for planets
  • [Video] Second pass of devlog 7 script
  • Explode relic if not collected by mission end
  • Animate relic to disc
  • Analysed performance bottlenecks
  • Improved radial selector performance
  • Updated devlog
  • Updated character stats and attributes on website
  • Ring disappears when sun goes into a black hole
  • Items that enter black holes are always moved to the center

Customize AI traits / Bounce damage

  • Customize AI precision, adaptability and aggression
  • Bouncing into other planets does a small amount of damage to them
  • Bounce time and recovery part of temperature stat
  • Tested a bunch of matchups against Jorsa's Uranus
  • Found that Saturn is really good on the Sun 'n Death map
  • Played against Swate to test bounce damage. Seems to have helped somewhat but not a huge amount.
  • Playtest at Pissmas
  • Recorded bounce damage clip and prepared post
  • AI enabled status only show in game
  • Build and test
  • Disable AI customization on demo
  • [Video] Published devlog
  • [Video] Finished first script pass of devlog 7
  • [Video] Captions
  • [Video] Re-recorded some voice lines
  • [Video] Uploaded for feedback
  • [Video] Thumbnail
  • [Video] Added music
  • [Video] Finished edit other than music
  • [Video] Recorded and edited adaptive AI section
  • [Video] Recorded and edited extra footage of visual settings and AI behavior
  • Custom AI icon
  • Custom AI text
  • [Video] Edited end of FNS section
  • [Video] Finished new logo section
  • [Video] Space color section
  • Fixed value selector and tooltip position for trait selector on possessed players
  • Summary of traits on picker description
  • Hide customize AI picker when AI is off
  • Fixed AI trait meters
  • AI trait pickers working
  • Adaptability and precision icons
  • Bounce damage part of bounce stat
  • Bounce time and recovery part of temperature stat
  • Gave Saturn less grip and higher temperature for stat uniformity
  • AI trait picker descriptions
  • Foundation for behavior trait pickers
  • Wrote down plans for controls customization menu
  • Separated character select and customize
  • Planning controls profile, character presets and AI menus
  • Updated devlog
  • Organized tasks
  • Testing
  • Prevent max distance joint from enabling in menu
  • Stat descriptions as bullet points
  • Delay before bounce damage indicator goes away
  • Health change indicator fully black or white
  • Bounce power determined more accurately
  • Reduced ring size for high mass planets
  • Bouncing into other planets does a small amount of damage to them

Grab dash tutorial / Orbiting asteroids

  • Grab dash tutorial
  • Mission where Saturn has a bunch of orbiting asteroids
  • Bounce asteroids for parry stun
  • Cargo from Uranus to Neptune mission
  • Made Eris a character
  • Option to disable analytics
  • Relic sprite based on Voyager 1
  • Space habitat sprite
  • Order campaign profiles by last used date
  • Arrows to asteroids instead of circles
  • Save extra stats and analytics data
  • VODs
  • Bracket playtest. Managed to win the bracket over Uranus with Venus. Still I think there is balancing to be done.
  • Interesting discussions on game balance. People seem to have different maps as their favorite which is cool.
  • Setup stream at FXLTHY
  • Windows build menu option
  • Prevent bounce opportunity counts from inflating
  • Unity update
  • Build and test
  • Researching auto translation
  • [Video] Finished editing intro
  • [Video] Edited banner art section
  • [Video] Placed some clips for the AI section
  • Grab dash tutorial
  • [Video] Edited parts of the intro and new logo sections
  • [Video] Captured screenshots of logo sketches
  • Added parried and bounced stats
  • Stats get sent to analytics
  • Unity 2023.2 update
  • Build test
  • AI traits analytics
  • Match ID for reference
  • Character ID in analytics
  • Reordered some menu pickers
  • Fixed credit picker badges
  • Separate player round stats from match stats
  • Save tutorial stats
  • Fixed bugs with end time of missions
  • Prevent save data from being overwritten if there was an error loading it
  • Total gameplay and campaign time stats
  • Mission attempt stats
  • Map ID on round stats
  • Profile ID on mission stats
  • Save stats data locally for rounds, round players and missions
  • Track total game sessions
  • Show total multiplayer time in game stats
  • Goal time recording and post preparation
  • Arrows to asteroids instead of circles
  • Prevent new best time status from showing on tutorials
  • Spin break prompt can be set to white even when no longer grabbed
  • Fixed what I thought was a problem with spin prompts, then thought it was a problem with spin logic, but it was actually a problem with device input
  • Order campaign profiles by last used date
  • Tried speedrunning and beat chapter 1 in about 4 minutes not very optimized
  • Profile name status on select and on profile delete subtitle
  • Added devlog video playlist to the website
  • Made ring bigger for Through the Belt mission
  • Made space bigger for Last Planet Standing mission
  • Relic picker icon changes if it's a relic or a challenge
  • [Video] Edited main menu section
  • Refined demo feedback survey
  • Relic sprite based on Voyager 1
  • Ideas for relic sprite and blowing up space junk with bombs
  • Space habitat sprite
  • Adding lore to mission descriptions
  • Adjusting mission years
  • Organized tasks
  • Option to disable analytics
  • Bought font licenses
  • Made Eris smaller with 0 mass stat
  • Added extra lore to the first few mission descriptions
  • Noting what concepts are left in chapter 1 for future missions
  • Cargo from Uranus to Neptune mission
  • Researching Neptune and Pluto
  • Replaced Earth with Mercury for the first cleanup mission
  • [Video] Edited trailer section
  • [Video] Edited tutorial and outro sections
  • Added YouTube and X icon to the website
  • Relics and best times for a bunch of missions
  • Bounce asteroids for parry stun
  • Posted Asteroid Belting clip
  • Delay before asteroid has a hitbox
  • Planet orbiting asteroids
  • Mission where Saturn has a bunch of orbiting asteroids
  • Experimenting with controlling a moon attached to a different player
  • Made Eris a character
  • Made the Out of Orbit mission easier
  • Note for spin indicator on spin tutorial descriptions

Demo preparation

  • Steam demo setup
  • Single map and no character customization for demo
  • Updated socials
  • Extra sound effects
  • Improved sound mixing
  • Leech mission foundation
  • Updated devlog
  • Reordered some missions to spread out the cargo missions
  • Campaign playtest at Squiggly River. I think I need to add more Sumo missions.
  • [Video] Title cards
  • Build and test
  • Fixed saving new profile
  • Output which build failed
  • Unity update
  • Spin mission adjustments
  • [Video] Recorded voiceover
  • [Video] Second script edit pass
  • New feedback icon and survey link
  • Replaced Twitter with X logo
  • Added YouTube link under socials
  • [Video] First edit pass of devlog 6 script
  • [Video] Editing first part of script
  • Leech mission foundation
  • Researching alternative relics
  • Uploaded demo build
  • No character customization for demo
  • Single map for demo
  • Set up demo build settings on Steam
  • Ideas for lobby menu changes inspired by NASB 2
  • [Video] Intro script
  • Demo page banners
  • Started setting up Steam demo page
  • Demo feedback survey
  • Deadly sun cause health drain particles and sound
  • Relic collect sound effect
  • Core bounce only triggered by certain objects
  • Fixed a bug where players were teleported to the wrong location
  • Calculated I've spent about 2000 hours on Sumorbit so far
  • Spatial audio for asteroids
  • Asteroid explode sound
  • Removed blank space at the end of music tracks
  • Balanced music volume
  • Improved sound mixing
  • Adjusting sound mixing
  • Additional sound for bouncing while touching an object
  • Fixed core bounce condition while outside the ring
  • Recorded and posted Battle for Habitable mission video
  • Trying out procedural sounds with Helm
  • [Video] Some scripting for devlog 7
  • [Video] Scripted Steam page and end of FNS section
  • [Video] Finished writing out rough sentences for most sections of the script
  • [Video] Part 6 script outline and some fleshing out
  • Updated devlog

Campaign

In this devlog video, I add a single player campaign demo.

Relic conditions

  • Alternative relic conditions such as finish with a full health bar, or without bouncing
  • Hide pickers on despawn
  • Wormhole maze is now actually a puzzle
  • Campaign analytics
  • Cargo disc curveballs fixed
  • Fixed menu bugs
  • Automated build script
  • Save more data in files
  • AI target options
  • Asteroids can be destroyed by throw or bounce
  • Published devlog video #5
  • [Video] Added combinatorics text
  • [Video] Published
  • Investigated character preset save bug
  • Fixed camera and AI bugs from disconnecting players
  • Fixed Venus skin that had a flat edge
  • [Video] Captions
  • [Video] Replaced the minimum stats clip
  • Reduced FPS counter lag
  • VODs
  • Hopefully improved color picker performance. Though unable to reproduce any FPS issues at home.
  • Bracket playtest. Tried to fix performance issues but couldn't.
  • [Video] Audio levels
  • [Video] Explosion sound
  • [Video] Upload
  • [Video] Edited controller grab. Looks decent even though I swapped hands.
  • [Video] Recorded controller grab footage
  • Build and test
  • [Video] Chapter markers, description and preparing captions
  • Relic as no bounces for Clear the Belt mission
  • Asteroids destroy a short time after thrown
  • [Video] Music volume
  • [Video] Thumbnail with AI generated image
  • [Video] Added music
  • [Video] Finished assembly other than the final clip have to film
  • [Video] Button prompt clips
  • [Video] Game dev meetup playtest footage
  • [Video] Finished the AI rework section with some time remapping
  • [Video] AI action list
  • [Video] If statements screenshot
  • [Video] Actions per input text
  • Alternative relic conditions
  • Relic condition for Last Planet Standing at finish with a full health bar
  • AI always target player in Last Planet Standing mission
  • Balanced AI target system between random and closest opponent
  • [Video] Filled in missing clips from intro and balance sections
  • Selecting tasks needed for demo release
  • Hide best time and objective pickers from tutorial mission select
  • Moved game stats to a file
  • Moved some settings data to a file for cross device sync
  • Settings data structure
  • Maximum spring distance between planet and moon to prevent infinite distance when grab time is infinite
  • Removed references to GitHub for feedback
  • Set up Discord forum for feedback and bugs
  • Updated tags and metadata on steam page
  • Applied for Steam Next Fest
  • Campaign screenshots on Steam page
  • Keep mission save data if a mission is removed from the game (for a demo)
  • Posted Red Giant mission clip
  • Finally got build architecture working
  • Define for demo build
  • Trying to get build architecture working from script
  • Editor script that builds for both Windows and Mac
  • Looking into demo build options
  • Re-ordered Steam page screenshots to show new maps earlier
  • Continue to show dead player on safezone missions
  • Page number hides when a subpicker is selected
  • Relic doesn't affect physics of disc when attached
  • Made spin movement influence depend on mass, allowing for cargo curveballs again
  • [Video] Edited tooltip descriptions
  • Testing analytics funnels
  • Mission attempt data in Unity analytics
  • Fixed Unity analytics
  • Mission attempt report for analytics
  • [Video] Edited status and phrases clips
  • [Video] Prepared phrases comment
  • Prevent errors from objects being destroyed that are still in the moon collision list
  • Added a campaign section to the Steam store page
  • Prompt to collect relics to skip missions if fail a mission 10 times in a row
  • Wormhole maze is now actually a puzzle, along with relic
  • Updated devlog
  • Renamed map to Sun 'n Death
  • Hide pickers on despawn
  • Don't go back a menu level if cancel despawn
  • Have to bounce to destroy stationary asteroids
  • Asteroids can be grabbed and can collide with each other
  • Moved an asteroid next to the ring to encourage bouncing the ring
  • Planning missions
  • Added missing full stops to mission descriptions

Cleanup Objective

  • Mission objective to destroy all asteroids
  • Survive a throw by spinning mission
  • Points are angled in the direction of asteroids for cleanup missions
  • Status text for new best time, goal time beaten and relic found
  • Bowling mission
  • Clear the Belt mission
  • Screenshot previews of all campaign missions
  • Show objects based their proximity to the camera
  • Mission adjustments and balance
  • Survive a throw by spinning mission
  • Changed Battle for Habitable mission to a 2v2 battle
  • Prioritized campaign mission tasks
  • Campaign playtest at Squiggly River. Someone played the whole way through.
  • [Video] Edited custom and random stats clips
  • [Video] Combinations text
  • [Video] Intro editing
  • [Video] Smash Bros roster footage
  • [Video] Exponential graph footage
  • [Video] Base code and ChatGPT screenshots
  • Fixed a bug with renaming profiles deleting parent pickers
  • Build and test. Seems to run smoothly with Steam and OBS recording.
  • Improved spin mission
  • Researched Steam demos and next fest
  • Orange glow around asteroids to make them easier to see
  • Tested goal time for clear the belt mission
  • Correctly display hours in profile timer
  • Points are angled in the direction of asteroids for cleanup missions
  • Mission music reference enum
  • Prevented asteroids from giving double score when bounced
  • Updated mission previews for cleanup missions
  • Adjusted status position for first cleanup mission
  • Found out that the line renderer bug has finally been fixed
  • Reverted line renderer materials
  • Updated mission preview images with new team lines
  • Combined and synced save data
  • Unity update and build test
  • Looked into how other games save data. Some of them don't bother encrypting so I don't think I will either.
  • Tested Steam cloud save
  • Looked at Next Fest details
  • Removed Unity cloud save
  • Set up Steam cloud save
  • [Video] Edited part of balance and AI sections
  • [Video] Edited visuals section
  • Player status text larger for campaign
  • Status text for new best time, goal time beaten and relic found
  • Winning status only shows on first player for campaign
  • Campaign settings not based on profile
  • Fixed total mission time when auto next mission is enabled
  • Prioritized tasks for initial release
  • Refined rethinking with portals mission
  • Planning future missions
  • Adjusted thinking with portals cargo mission
  • Show asteroid count as score for cleanup missions
  • Set asteroid bounciness
  • [Video] Edited outro
  • Asteroid camera proximity
  • Fail cleanup mission if die
  • Cleanup objective icon
  • Remove Asteroids from camera objects on destroy
  • Bowling mission
  • Clear the asteroid belt mission
  • Renamed Survive objective to Safezone
  • Create singular asteroids in maps
  • Cleanup objective win condition
  • Asteroid trails
  • Set portal color based on campaign chapter
  • Properly set up VSCode to work with Unity
  • Clipping and posting about the first campaign mission
  • Installed Unity recorder
  • Took screenshots of all campaign missions
  • [Video] Title cards
  • [Video] Tried for too long to edit a voice line, just re-recorded it
  • [Video] Recorded and trimmed voiceover
  • [Video] Pretty much finalized devlog 5 script
  • [Video] Rearranged parts of the script and editing
  • [Video] Scripting a paragraph about the Unity line renderer bug
  • [Video] Scripted a section for a future devlog about how I started making devlog videos for marketing
  • [Video] Finished first draft of devlog 5 script
  • Option to set minimum camera size for missions
  • Zoomed out camera on Asteroid Belting mission
  • Restart prompt shown sooner on first mission
  • Show object based on its proximity to the camera
  • One regular and one aggressive AI on Battle for Habitable mission
  • Set AI move direction to nothing on death
  • Reduced AI difficulty and placed relic on Battle for Habitable mission
  • Prevent relic from being bounced
  • Testing missions for goal times
  • [Video] Scripted balance section
  • Any grabbed object is released when moved through a wormhole
  • Removed black hole from first portal cargo mission
  • Show back prompt text as Done on customize character picker
  • Fixed an issue where selecting campaign profile submenus would select the first profile on back
  • Increased goal time for Red Giant mission
  • Prevented controller from disconnecting after renaming campaign profile
  • Organized task folders
  • Investigated Discord forums for bug reporting
  • Updated devlog
  • Tag devlog entries with [Video]

Asteroid launcher

  • Improved single player camera when no other objects are on screen
  • Controls pickers shared between menus
  • Snowflake and flame impact textures
  • Quick restart toggle in lobby settings
  • Tested the game with 8 gamepads
  • Throw cargo past the Kuiper belt mission
  • Disc catch and throw AI
  • Pass cargo between planets mission
  • Asteroid projectile spawner and mission
  • Wormhole cargo maze mission
  • Asteroid belt options
  • Menus handle any aspect ratio
  • Reworked button prompts
  • Made a maps page for the website
  • Rename and delete campaign profiles
  • Published devlog video #4
  • VODs
  • Organized tasks from playtest
  • VOD review for goal times
  • Playtest at CWQLD Ranbat. 4 people tested the campaign.
  • Playtest setup
  • Build and test
  • Improved single player camera when no other objects are on screen
  • Fixed mission status text positions
  • Controls pickers shared between menus
  • Removed old surface implementation
  • Surface based on temperature and bounce stats
  • Fire impact texture
  • Snowflake impact texture
  • Adjusted gas and crack impact textures
  • Quick restart toggle in lobby settings
  • Experimenting with 5/6 speed, I don't think it's any better
  • [Video] Scripted part of visuals section
  • [Video] Organized remaining script
  • [Video] Scripted stats picker section
  • Tested the game with 8 gamepads
  • Edited in game credits
  • Reordered some missions
  • [Video] Scripted AI rework
  • [Video] Devlog 5 intro script
  • Prevented mission player data from affecting menu player
  • Added devlog video to devlog page
  • [Video] Prepared Tweet
  • [Video] Final checks and publish
  • [Video] Captions
  • [Video] Music volume and timing adjustment
  • [Video] Chapters
  • [Video] Uploaded for feedback
  • [Video] Recorded mouse movement clip
  • [Video] Slowed, zoomed and tracked the grab portion section
  • [Video] Added devlog text to thumbnail
  • [Video] Finished editing music
  • [Video] Added all remaining clips, except for mouse control
  • [Video] Added half the music
  • [Video] Smash Bros team color clip
  • [Video] Edge grab clip
  • [Video] Edited menu confusion section in outro
  • Workaround for asteroid belt not showing on first load
  • Only increase mission attempt count if time is above zero
  • [Video] Edited teams section and other missing clips
  • Fixed asteroid belt spawning
  • Throw cargo past the Kuiper belt mission
  • Tested color picker performance on build but can't reproduce the low frame rate any more
  • [Video] Edited keyboard controls graphics
  • Random launched asteroid rotations and speeds
  • Organized campaign mission tasks
  • Asteroids explode with particles on contact
  • Ideas for space junk missions
  • Testing asteroid launcher mission
  • Spawn astroid launchers in maps
  • Survive asteroid launcher mission
  • Asteroid launcher spawn, speed and bounce adjustments
  • Attempted to downgrade URP package
  • [Video] Edited devlog 4 outro
  • [Video] Edited devlog 4 intro section
  • Adjusted throw disc AI
  • Adjusted asteroid physics
  • Adjusted re-catch mission
  • Option for AI target the closest player
  • Disc throwing AI
  • Pass cargo between planets mission
  • Organized tasks
  • Researched Kuiper belt
  • Solidified ideas for campaign missions
  • Asteroid projectile spawner
  • Ideas for a mission where asteroids fly at you
  • Teleport relic with disc without movement glitches, though there is still a double teleport bug
  • Missing asteroid belt segments changed to thin segments
  • Clockwise asteroid belt
  • Finally got the wormhole cargo maze critical maze critical path to work, had to change the angle of the asteroid belt force
  • Implemented new cargo wormhole maze design, it's close to working
  • Able to exclude effector sections of asteroid belt
  • Implemented the cargo wormhole maze and realized it was too complex, so I simplified the design
  • Designing wormhole cargo maze
  • Can adjust force and drag of asteroid belt
  • Asteroid sprite in particle system with random rotation
  • Asteroid sprite
  • Asteroid belt has correct force directions around the belt
  • Resize asteroid belts
  • Random asteroid particle size
  • Maximum prompt move speed
  • Prompts bigger for single player
  • Always have 1080p resolution option
  • Allowed resizable window
  • Made sure the join prompt is visible on all aspect ratios in the lobby
  • Scaled UI text with screen size
  • Fixed camera handles changing aspect ratio
  • Campaign menu work on less wide resolutions
  • Adjusted bounce ring mission starting positions and status text
  • Additional mission failed text as "You Died"
  • Unity update
  • Playtest at Squiggly River. Really struggled to get the controls, but got through the missions eventually.
  • Build and test. I realized the campaign menu doesn't show everything on narrow resolutions.
  • Stat picker icon depth
  • Change mission prompt only appears when more than one mission unlocked
  • Prompt repeat timer
  • Fixed missing prompt used triggers
  • Prompt testing
  • Prompt linger time
  • Fixed a silly bug where prompts wouldn't show in game
  • New prompts controller working other than timers
  • Prompts display controller rather than multiple individual ones
  • Move moon prompt properly set as used with mouse input
  • Aggressive and defensive AI icons
  • Organized tasks
  • Easy, hard and adaptive AI icons
  • Rename profile working
  • Rename profile picker
  • Shared rename logic
  • Can't rename to blank string
  • Delete profile working
  • Return two pickers back on profile delete
  • Confirm delete picker
  • Delete campaign profile picker
  • Posted an update on the line renderer bug report
  • Substitute parry line material
  • Prepared a post about the Qualbert article
  • [Video] Devlog 4 thumbnail
  • [Video] Edited part of doubles section
  • [Video] Changed Devlog 3 thumbnail to show E Honda over Zangief
  • [Video] Edited game options and Smash Bros interference sections
  • [Video] Edited player pickers and part of balance sections
  • [Video] Edited visuals section
  • Updated devlog
  • Made a maps page for the website
  • Configured spell check
  • VOD review

Cargo Music

  • Music for cargo missions
  • Updated visuals for cargo disc and relic
  • Better movement while grabbing the sun, a balance between being able to drain health and to move it
  • Show chapter number/name and mission year on campaign menu
  • Alpha Centauri and Proxima Centauri missions
  • Made Worm Holodrome map bigger
  • Campaign profile setting toggles
  • Foundations for wormhole maze missions
  • Option to disable wormhole cameras for performance
  • Edited and published devlog video #3
  • Devlog video #4 script
  • Organized tasks
  • Fixed some typos
  • Adjusted goal times for missions 1 and 3
  • VODs
  • Bracket playtest. I found throwing was stronger which was good. Moving the wormholes was really fun.
  • Swate playtested the campaign. He got pretty much all of the relics and goal times on chapter 1.
  • Build, test and publish
  • [Video] Intro and outro clips
  • [Video] Devlog #4 titles
  • Anchored year text to the bottom
  • [Video] Trimmed voiceover
  • [Video] Recorded devlog 4 voiceover
  • [Video] 3rd pass of devlog script, reworked the intro
  • Updated Unity
  • Changed the planet image material to prevent a solid white image during masking
  • Option to disable all wormhole cameras for performance
  • Wormhole camera icon
  • Looked into wormhole camera performance
  • [Video] Second devlog 4 script pass
  • [Video] Posted YouTube short
  • [Video] First draft of devlog 4 script. Smashed the whole thing out in one session from the outline.
  • [Video] Edited and posted short
  • [Video] Set up final video for publishing
  • Looked at the status of my Unity bug report, it's under consideration. Couldn't find a work around either, nobody seems to be talking about it.
  • [Video] Edited vertical clip
  • [Video] Subtle devlog audio changes
  • [Video] Exported short clip
  • Made a post about all the changes from the last month. It took a while.
  • [Video] Video cards, end screen and subtitles
  • [Video] Uploaded the devlog for feedback
  • [Video] YouTube metadata and chapters
  • [Video] Fine tuned music volume
  • Option to disable wormhole camera for performance
  • [Video] Finished adding music
  • [Video] Added music to some sections of the devlog
  • [Video] Filled all missing clips, first rough edit done
  • [Video] Filled in missing clips for the intro and other sections of the devlog
  • [Video] Re-recorded a few voice lines
  • [Video] Found a clip for the Pluto section of the devlog
  • [Video] Final Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn devlog clips
  • Ability to manually set the music for missions
  • Renamed To Other Worlds mission to Reach for the Stars to give a hint on how to beat it
  • Organized tasks
  • Tested wormhole performance without cameras which helped
  • Foundations for wormhole maze mission
  • Foundations for a cargo mission with multiple wormholes and asteroid belts
  • No player limits in menu
  • Set starting mission based on progress
  • Fixed double music bug
  • Mission index relative to chapter rather than full campaign
  • Objective icon on mission select tooltip
  • Don't navigate to next mission if manually change mission first
  • Unity update
  • Navigate to next mission when return to mission select on mission complete
  • Show profile timer toggle on profile settings
  • Toggle to load next mission or mission select after mission complete
  • Campaign profile setting toggles
  • Fast forward icon
  • Chapter complete text on mission end
  • [Video] Devlog 3 edit almost done
  • Settings icon as single cog
  • Repositioned multiple elements on the mission select screen
  • More room for mission descriptions
  • Made the Sun red at the end of To Other Worlds mission
  • [Video] Uranus devlog clips
  • Fixing score bugs
  • Handle restart button after game over
  • Researching space habitats
  • Posted about QLD games festival video
  • Final cargo music feedback
  • Unity update
  • Cargo music in game
  • [Video] Added a lot of character clips to the devlog
  • Music adjustment feedback
  • Cargo music feedback
  • Ring can have a different start size and still be dynamic based on players
  • Made Worm Holodrome map bigger
  • Fixed a bug where temperature of a previously grabbed object would affect space grab time
  • [Video] Neptune clip
  • Planning chapter 2 and 3 missions
  • Alpha Centauri mission
  • Proxima Centauri mission
  • [Video] New thumbnail for devlog 3 comparing Jupiter to Zangief
  • Discs and relics part of mission rather than map
  • [Video] Venus and Mars devlog clips
  • Hide year on tutorials
  • Chapter title different for tutorials
  • Show mission year
  • Grabbing the edge of black holes is like grabbing space
  • Prevented error from objects entering black holes
  • Relic can enter black hole
  • Load next mission on mission complete
  • Show chapter number and name on campaign menu
  • Organized tasks
  • Rounded corners on star icon
  • Better movement while grabbing the sun, a balance between being able to drain health and to move it
  • Spring strength affected by range again, but not as much as before
  • Wormholes can warp multiple objects simultaneously
  • Sun lowers temperature on death
  • Actually warp on To Other Worlds mission
  • Don't always show wormholes if too far away
  • Made grabbing the sun the same as grabbing space for player movement
  • Removed hole from disc
  • Disc trails
  • Relic is now a star
  • Changed disc to blue and relic to yellow
  • Enabled interpolation on relic
  • Updated survive objective icon
  • Recorded map select and campaign profiles footage
  • Updated devlog
  • [Video] Devlog titles
  • [Video] Edited planet visuals and lobby sections of the devlog
  • Looking into Steam sign in with identity parameter. The Unity code samples for Steam auth are incomplete. I filed feedback about it.
  • Use default character color hue for missions
  • Mark player with "You" in tutorials
  • [Video] Edited devlog #2 thumbnail to use planets instead of question marks
  • [Video] Redesigned devlog #3 thumbnail to feature all-rounder and grappler text
  • [Video] Found and edited clips of lobby confusion
  • [Video] Found a good clip for the Mercury section of the devlog
  • Renamed maps to Gaia Battle Hole and Sun & Death
  • Added a status at the start of campaign missions that shows which character is playable
  • [Video] Can't get Premiere to play back two videos smoothly, even tried proxies
  • [Video] Found out the the issue was OBS remux causing a variable frame rate which Premiere didn't like
  • [Video] Installed ffmpeg to convert to CFR. Also changed OBS to record directly to MP4, hopefully no crashes.
  • [Video] Made proxies for fast playback in Premiere. It can now play two clips side by side.

Campaign profiles

  • Create multiple profiles for the campaign
  • Completely rebalanced grip, temperature and spin breakout
  • Campaign mission 4 and 5
  • Ability to set radiation color
  • Show check badge on mission objective, time and relic pickers depending on completion
  • Goal times for missions
  • Keep track of total campaign time and completion percentage
  • Locked missions behind previous mission completion and relics found
  • Stars and other space elements scale for missions with large maps
  • Increased starting ring size based on average player speed
  • [Video] Edited devlog video #3
  • [Video] Edited spin vs temperature clips
  • AI disabled when dead
  • Fixed a bug where players stayed grabbing while dead
  • Sun starts dead on To Other Worlds mission
  • Bigger space area for bigger maps
  • Organized notes from playtest
  • Campaign playtest at Squiggly river. Super interesting to see someone who had never played the game have it be their introduction.
  • Completely rebalanced grip, temperature and spin breakout
  • Discovered that spin breakout factor was using the grabber's stat rather than the grabbed players stat
  • Decreased sun temperature
  • Made it so throw force is calculated by a difference in speed rather than spring force. This reduces force when just holding the right stick in the same direction.
  • [Video] Recorded the difference between high temperature and high spin. Ended up finding out that having high temperature is just better.
  • [Video] Recorded and edited planet stats sections of devlog, with added planet titles and taglines
  • [Video] Making visual changes to the game to record planet stats for devlog
  • Testing high particle count on Macbook. Seems to handle it fine.
  • Show radiation on wormhole
  • Organized feedback from playtest
  • Reviewed cargo mission music
  • Tested Steam remote play together with Oscar as the host. It's difficult to grab small planets with lag, but not too bad with large characters.
  • Unity update and build
  • Removed relics from missions where that haven't been placed yet
  • Added more black holes to the obstacle course mission
  • Mars AI after grab on White Dwarf mission
  • Refined White Dwarf and Battle for Habitable missions
  • Ability to set radiation color
  • Radiation blue color to show the habitable zone on missions where the heliosphere isn't small yet
  • [Video] Recorded video of the stars background
  • [Video] More animated text for the stats section of the devlog
  • Organized video ideas
  • Organized campaign ideas document
  • Foundations for Battle for Habitable mission
  • Player plays Mercury in White Dwarf mission
  • Foundation for White Dwarf mission
  • Disc has temperature so it can't be grabbed infinitely
  • Handle mission having no goal time
  • Hide mission badge when planet covering it
  • Show check badge on mission objective, time and relic pickers depending on completion
  • Moved position of campaign menu pickers
  • Made radiation larger on To Other Worlds mission
  • Goal times for missions
  • Goal times count towards completion percentage
  • Testing for appropriate goal times for the first several missions
  • Organized tasks
  • Track total time on a per mission basis
  • Track attempt count for each mission
  • Different play campaign profile icon to root campaign icon
  • Show total time per mission
  • Show mission attempt count on mission select
  • Always show timer during campaign and tutorial missions
  • Option to show campaign profile time for speedruns
  • Fixed starting with locked moon player limit
  • Planning upcoming announcements
  • Can't grab until starting countdown is over, but can hold buffer a grab
  • Mission timer starts after countdown
  • More accurate time keeping
  • Show total time on profile select
  • Keep track of total campaign time
  • Correctly add to campaign time on application quit
  • Check and cross badges for toggle pickers
  • Campaign completion percentage breakdown viewer
  • Simpler implementation of tooltip icon for read only pickers
  • Play campaign sub picker
  • Planning campaign profile options menu
  • Campaign completion percentage
  • Select and create new campaign profiles
  • Updated devlog
  • [Video] Jupiter vs Mercury real size comparison
  • Saw the Queensland Games Festival video and asked for a copy of my segment of it
  • Save relic found status
  • Copy missions for different profiles
  • Made the second campaign mission slightly easier
  • Load campaign profile data
  • Save campaign profiles
  • Recorded mission select and wormhole movement updates
  • Announced wormhole movement update
  • Mission lines change opacity if unlocked
  • Locked missions behind previous mission completion and relics found
  • Updated dev progress on Steam store page
  • Planning campaign profile menu
  • Show check badge on completed missions
  • Check, cross, lock and unlock badges
  • Space shader and radiation particles stay the same density when scaled
  • Stars and other space elements scale for missions with large maps
  • Increased starting ring size based on average player speed
  • Set starting status locations for missions where it was off screen
  • [Video] Script outline for devlog #4
  • [Video] Some notes for future devlog videos
  • [Video] Editing some lobby sections
  • [Video] Editing balance section
  • Testing the game at different speeds. Might be worth slowing it down a bit.
  • Saturn escape Uranus grip mission
  • [Video] Posted devlog to showcase in Game Dev Brisbane Discord

Maps

In this devlog video, I add new maps, custom character presets and music. As well as find new events to playtest the game and discuss marketing strategy.

Move wormholes

  • Wormholes can be moved by grabbing them
  • Tap the spin button to toggle spin while grabbed, stunned or grabbing
  • Devlog #3 script and voiceover
  • Player stats and map balance
  • Tap spin toggle icon
  • Organized tasks
  • Spin toggle controls option picker
  • Moved back to main menu ready action to the bottom
  • Tap the spin button to toggle spin while grabbed, stunned or grabbing
  • The skin not being changed appears to be a Unity bug
  • Starting status location defined in map
  • Ring shrinks on sudden death map
  • Can grab and move wormholes
  • Added all planets to the To the Sun mission. More challenging now.
  • Increased throw strength with mass
  • Swapped bounce opponent and bounce ring tutorial order
  • Reduced health on bounce ring tutorial to avoid winning without bouncing
  • VODs
  • Playtest at CWQLD July Ranbat. Was cool to have Swate and Embo back for brackets. Was somehow able to switch the game having frame drops to instead having OBS have frame drops, which was better. Stephen tested the campaign mode.
  • Build and test
  • Sporadic clips in the timeline
  • Stats list text
  • Edited intro and outro
  • Trimmed voiceover. I'm surprised it added up to 8.5 minutes.
  • Recorded voiceover for devlog 3
  • Edited characters section of script
  • Opted to scrap the section where I go over each stat, and instead organically mix it in when describing each planet
  • Second edit of script
  • First pass of devlog 3 script editing
  • Finished first draft of part 3 script
  • Recorded cargo missions footage for music reference
  • Utilized the number on the podium for the devlog number in the thumbnail of part 2
  • Scripted planet attributes and characters section
  • Devlog 3 scripting lobby section
  • Organized tasks
  • Single player campaign camera zooms out more with more speed
  • Fail sumo campaign missions if die
  • Idea for relics to be used to skip missions
  • Show dead player on camera if single player
  • Dynamic camera objects system and refactor
  • MapObjects in a single file
  • MapObject class and refactoring
  • The YouTube short got around 2k views
  • Devlog #3 scripting intro and stats section
  • Added devlog video to the website
  • Edited a vertical short for the devlog
  • There was an editing mistake in the devlog video. Luckily caught it before it got many views.
  • Published devlog part 2
  • Made a last minute voice line change from feedback

Better Random Map

  • Random map doesn't pick the same map twice in a row. Will cycle through all maps in the pool before repeats.
  • Refined the first few missions
  • Asteroid belt for missions
  • Finished devlog video #2
  • Added new battle music loop to the game
  • Queensland Games Festival
  • Devlog captions
  • Exporting devlog
  • Posted about the festival on Twitter
  • Queensland Games Festival. A volunteer was showing my game to people even though they were figuring it out themselves. A group of kids got really into the game. Had an interview on camera and also on stage about the game. I noticed that people would like to swing around, but went out of control a lot. Some people only played one best of 5, but others played for longer. Had about 30-40 people try the game. The event was very valuable.
  • Build and test
  • Random map doesn't pick the same map twice in a row. Will cycle through all maps in the pool before repeats.
  • Swapped campaign and single player presets positions
  • Added an explosion to the stakes text
  • Underlaid gameplay footage in text sections
  • Preparing for Queensland Games Festival
  • Scripting outline of devlog part 3
  • Only show bounce ring prompt if the ring can be bounced
  • A replacement basic health drain line until line renderer materials are fixed
  • Refined the devlog edit. Posted it for feedback.
  • Added new battle music loop to the game
  • Added music to the devlog
  • Refined devlog edit to the music
  • Added title cards
  • Looking into Sydney games fest
  • Rerecorded the intro to have better matching voiceover
  • Unity update
  • First tournament bracket screenshots
  • Animated stakes text section
  • Finished the first cut of the edit
  • Editing missing sections
  • Edited an image resembling a YouTube click for the devlog
  • Playtesting missions and noting any bugs or design flaws
  • Tutorial button prompts for the first two missions
  • Restart prompt for cargo missions only
  • Planet able to spawn with no moon
  • Remember selected mission on return to mission select
  • Renamed restart point to restart mission for campaign mission pause menu
  • Adjusted relic and disc positions for first 3 missions
  • Prevented releasing grab while moon is locked
  • Camera follows disc until it is too far away
  • Move moon prompt doesn't appear while grabbing space
  • Change mission prompt on mission select
  • Best time counts for a single point in tutorials
  • Asteroid belt particles
  • Define asteroid belts in maps
  • Asteroid belt physics
  • Lock moon player limit
  • Through the asteroid belt mission foundation
  • Updated devlog

Selector badges

  • Badges for menu pickers to show what action will happen when selected
  • Devlog video #2 editing
  • Sun can expand
  • Sun able to be deadly to players
  • Picker badges announcement
  • Edited first FNS playtest and ranking data sections
  • Hit 100 wishlists on Steam
  • Unity update, still no shader fix
  • Edited parry and color selector sections
  • Fail survive mission if ally dies
  • Moved relic and disc for expanding sun mission
  • Sun able to be deadly to players
  • Sun particle color
  • Sun start size, sun growth rate, sun color
  • Planning how to optimize space particles for large maps
  • Single page of AI behaviors
  • Edited intro and prizes section
  • Updated devlog
  • Organized tasks
  • Bounce ring icon
  • Fixed stat values not showing
  • Top 3 video clip
  • Sudden death map recording and announcement
  • Edited final tournament section
  • Edited ranking section and outro of devlog
  • Updated Unity
  • Exit badge for external links
  • Badge color based on player color
  • Better selector icon
  • Fixed incorrect badges for some pickers
  • Toggle and selector picker badges
  • Folder badge
  • Portal badge for pickers that go to another scene

Sudden death map

  • Map where the ring can't be bounced and also has two wormholes
  • Devlog video #2 voiceover and editing
  • Made the AI not hug the sun on the sudden death map
  • Sun starts dead on sudden death map, harder than expected to do
  • Sudden death map icon
  • Wormholes not always on camera for Sumo objective missions
  • Sent assets for Queensland Games Festival
  • Downloaded Twitch clips
  • Edited part of the intro
  • Got accepted for Queensland Games Festival
  • Edited core and mantle, bounce reducing stun, color picker sections
  • First bracket seeding image
  • Recorded an extra voice line about spin ring growth and shrinking
  • Edited spin ring and sun health sections
  • Map where the ring can't be bounced and also has two wormholes
  • Reported Unity shader bug. It turns out the bug is not just the line renderer, it is the shader graph itself.
  • Idea to toggle spin and turn it off situationally
  • Editing the first bracket section of the devlog
  • Trimming voiceover. The video will be 6-7 minutes long.
  • Recorded voiceover for the second devlog
  • Second script pass
  • First edit pass of script

Mission select

  • Mission select scene for campaign and tutorials
  • Foundations for campaign missions
  • Win condition for cargo missions
  • Catch disc AI behavior
  • Disc shader
  • Camera more focused on single player missions
  • Safe zones for survival missions
  • Devlog video #2 script
  • Devlog thumbnails
  • Finished the first draft of devlog part 2 script
  • Tutorials use mission select scene
  • Fixed a bug where players would let go of grabbing space when an opponent's planet collided with their moon
  • Hoping a patch with fix the line renderer
  • Trying to figure out why line renderers aren't working after the Unity update. Something to do with sprite materials.
  • Show preview screenshot of mission in a portal
  • Screenshots for tutorial preview portals
  • Devlog scripting
  • Show if relic has been found for a mission
  • Campaign icon
  • Organized tasks
  • Wrote the second quarter of the devlog part 2 script
  • R key for restart
  • Fixed safe zone center not being safe
  • Black hole obstacle course mission
  • Show wormholes on camera
  • Cargo missions with wormholes
  • Deleted old cargo mission data
  • Formatting story document
  • Cargo missions with one and two black holes
  • Mission where you move the sun towards a wormhole
  • Mission where you fight all other planets to be the last one standing
  • Survive mission objective win condition is all team players being in safe zones
  • Create safe zones from map
  • Safe zone object
  • Don't show bot players in the camera if they are too far away
  • Center of black hole map repositioned so background elements are in the center
  • View best time for campaign missions
  • Changed timer format to exclude hours
  • VODs
  • Playtest with new maps
  • Tested OBS settings to record without dropping frames
  • Organized tasks
  • Adjusted timing of switching missions
  • Missions are masked out by portal
  • Portal changes color based on mission objective but takes too long to change currently
  • Portal handle not having a player attached
  • Portal on campaign menu
  • Spiral pattern for menu missions
  • Different mission positions for campaign menu
  • Tutorial missions accessible from campaign menu
  • Devlog part 2 scripting outline
  • Devlog #3 thumbnail
  • Might remove episode numbers from the thumbnails
  • Thumbnail for devlog #2
  • Thinking with portals clip and Tweet
  • Show mission index
  • Show mission year in exponential form
  • Show mission title and subtitle on campaign menu
  • Looking at devlog video analytics
  • Foundations for Red Giant mission
  • Foundations for To The Sun mission
  • Missions default first to 1
  • There's quite a few mechanic changes just to do these few missions
  • The devlog video got picked up by the YouTube algorithm a bit
  • Win condition for cargo missions
  • Catch disc AI behavior
  • Set mission starting phrase to appear
  • Restart prompt if the disc goes off camera
  • Rebound restart to right mouse button for quicker access
  • Relic attaches to disc with joint
  • Disc shader
  • Spawn relic and disc
  • Implementing first campaign mission
  • Posted YouTube short
  • Announced Ranbat and random map selection

Wormhole

  • A map with a wormhole to teleport you to either side of the star
  • Wormhole working to teleport players
  • Different player spawn locations per map
  • Menu music different from game music
  • Finished and published first devlog video
  • Updated the devlog page of the website to include a devlog video at the top of the relevant section
  • Updated devlog
  • Added new map screenshots to Steam page
  • Premiered the devlog video, a couple of people watched
  • Added the YouTube thumbnail to the short vertical clip
  • Posted the video to TikTok
  • Vertical short clip for devlog
  • Devlog video captions and scheduling
  • Followed a tutorial for voice compression
  • Updated the audio mix
  • Final devlog video tweaks
  • Planning later solar system story missions
  • Splitting story into chapters
  • Indie dev night at Netherworld. A bunch of people tried my game, got some positive feedback. It's interesting how some people pick it up immediately, but some people can't even figure out the menu
  • Devlog part 2 scripting
  • Realized tutorials were broken from the maps update and fixed them
  • Build and test
  • Videos Discord role
  • Wormhole map recording and announcement
  • Got some feedback on the devlog video
  • Added text when I was listing additions I'd made
  • Updated future features progress on Steam page
  • Spawn positions for wormhole map
  • Different player spawn locations per map
  • Spawn locations for binary star map
  • Wormhole map icon
  • Refined devlog edit and audio
  • Asked for feedback on the video
  • Finally finished the first cut of editing the devlog video
  • Dragging away from Smash Bros clip
  • Devlog editing spin section
  • Set wormhole color
  • Inner glow for wormholes
  • Wormhole hitbox darker
  • Brainstorming map names
  • White dwarf clip
  • Spin and sun section editing
  • Release a player if they warp while you're grabbing them
  • Going through a wormhole releases grab
  • Wormholes can interact with players again
  • Reduced particle count on portals for performance
  • Menu music different from game music
  • Curveball clip

Black Hole

  • A map where a star orbits a black hole
  • Black holes are deadly
  • Black hole shader
  • Devlog video voiceover and editing
  • Smash tournaments clip
  • Website, overlay, logo and score clips
  • Devlog music
  • Updated devlog
  • Devlog CSV to HTML handles blank entries
  • Update recording and Tweet
  • Planet stays in the black hole once collided
  • Black hole map icon
  • Black hole disables player
  • Black hole reduces colliding objects health and scale
  • Black hole touching a moon detaches it from its planet
  • Added music to half of the devlog
  • Music feedback
  • Researching music on other devlogs
  • Spiral shader for black hole
  • Sun orbiting black hole map
  • Tweet screenshots
  • Smash tech clip
  • Bounce clips
  • Devlog thumbnail
  • Scripting second devlog video
  • Main ideas for multiple future devlog videos
  • Devlog editing
  • Recorded Unity checkbox
  • Wishlist on Steam clip
  • Beat me at my own game clip
  • Parry clip
  • Devlog editing
  • Heliosphere clip
  • Edited intro
  • Found a better speedrunning movement clip
  • Editing
  • Editing devlog video
  • Rough edit of the voiceover
  • Recorded voiceover for the first devlog video
  • Updated devlog

Multiple maps

  • Alpha Centauri map with 2 orbiting suns
  • Map selector
  • Single player campaign menu foundations
  • AI handle multiple suns and rings
  • Devlog video script refinement
  • New thumbnail and title for camping video
  • Trimming the fat of my original devlog video script
  • New map recording and announcement
  • AI don't bounce the ring if the sun is dead
  • AI don't grab the sun if it's dead
  • AI move towards the sun if the ring can't be bounced
  • Map icons
  • AI won't cross a radiation gap to get to an opponent
  • Thinking about the best way to determine if players have radiation between them
  • AI correctly determine closest sun
  • Fixed sun orbit path to be more circular
  • Single player presets as its own menu
  • Researching black hole systems
  • Testing Mac performance, the frame drops seem arbitrary
  • Maps can spawn black holes and wormholes
  • Changed wormhole background color to dark blue
  • Sun can orbit a point
  • Researching Alpha Centauri
  • Made a map for Alpha Centauri A & B with 2 suns
  • Factor all rings for outside ring portion calculation
  • Prevented players from losing health during the starting countdown of a game
  • Spawn multiple rings
  • Dynamically create sun and ring
  • Option to toggle all maps
  • Show map name on first round
  • Add or remove maps from the map pool
  • Pick a random map from the map pool for each match
  • Class for map data
  • Disabled planet spin rings while editing stats
  • Playtest at Ranbat
  • Playtest setup
  • Devlog video planning
  • Draw lines between missions
  • Missions animate into position
  • Build for Ranbat
  • Sharing sound effects
  • Decided to move the missions rather than the player for mission select
  • Refined positioning in campaign lobby
  • No points in campaign lobby
  • Replaced with slider joint with the existing target joint which is much simpler
  • Target mission for slider joint
  • Slider joint for campaign mission selection
  • Came up with a system where each mission is a power of 2 years apart
  • Planning campaign story and missions
  • Back to mission select pause option for campaign
  • View objective picker
  • Clock icon
  • Sumo and Cargo objective icons
  • Create mission nodes for all campaign missions
  • Play mission icon
  • Create mission object
  • Mission object
  • Mission objective setup
  • Play mission picker
  • Navigate between main menu and campaign menu
  • Campaign pickers foundation
  • Campaign menu planning
  • Campaign menu foundations
  • Control stick press icons
  • Posting the new video to Reddit
  • Published the video to TikTok. It performed decently on TikTok and Twitter.

Character Presets

In this devlog video, I add new maps, custom character presets and music. As well as find new events to playtest the game and discuss marketing strategy.

Camping video

  • This video shows four reasons why you won't get camped out in Sumorbit due to it's game design
  • Made a vertical version of the camping video
  • Looking at old devlog video script and edit
  • Default character hue fix
  • Updated devlog
  • Fixed background color hue on win
  • Unity update and cleanup
  • Camping video captions and release
  • Camping video thumbnail
  • Added a Feedback reaction role in Discord
  • Made a camping AI for recording purposes
  • Recorded clips for camping video
  • Finished draft of camping video
  • Voice volume and effects
  • Voiceover and edited start of camping video
  • Started gathering clips for camping video
  • Researching anti-camping video
  • Music / SFX message
  • Organized tasks
  • Ranbat announcement

Cloud save

  • Save custom characters locally and in the cloud
  • Sync up-to-date data when returning online from offline play
  • Polished renaming
  • Random character picks from all characters
  • Option to set character stats to minimum to allow for easier modification
  • Updated devlog
  • Show character name on spawn. Hid it due to it lingering and being distracting.
  • Build and test
  • Cloud save synced with offline fully working
  • Load local save data if offline
  • Tested offline loading
  • Refactored save and load functions
  • Fixed errors with reading and writing files
  • Load characters from local file and combine with cloud save data
  • Save deleted character data in cloud
  • Keep track of deleted characters
  • Unique ID for new characters
  • Steam Auth setup
  • Cloud save data between devices
  • Load character stats from cloud
  • Load custom character data from cloud
  • Save custom characters in cloud save
  • Option to set character stats to minimum to allow for easier modification
  • Random character picks from all characters
  • Prevent a keyboard player from joining while renaming
  • Fixed color of character actions icon after character change
  • Text input overflow handling
  • Updated devlog

Rename characters

  • Rename characters
  • Delete characters
  • Save overwrite characters
  • Custom characters sorted by last used date
  • Character save actions icon
  • Update recording and announcement
  • Deactivate keyboard for keyboard player while renaming
  • Done renaming prompt
  • Able to cancel renaming on controller
  • Rename from text input working
  • Disable normal actions while renaming
  • Edit input field text
  • Single source for character and hue data
  • Input text field
  • Fixed plus on save as new icon
  • Custom characters sorted by last used date
  • Save overwrite character preset
  • Ring opacity implied by thickness
  • Create new character name if name already exists
  • Default and custom characters have separate lists
  • Delete character preset
  • Character comparison functions
  • Set up conditions for character save actions appearing
  • Delete, favorite, rename and save new icons
  • Customize character icon
  • Updated devlog

Character presets

  • Save character presets
  • Character skins menu
  • Show or hide planet rings toggle
  • Organized pickers into more submenus
  • Organized notes from playtesting
  • Playtest at CWQLD Ranbat. Got some good feedback.
  • Fixed visual settings menu
  • Build and test
  • Getting random frame drops on Mac, but seems to be stable when no other programs are open
  • Update recording and announcement
  • Fixed set color of save icon
  • Save icon
  • Researching cloud save options
  • Change color when select custom character preset
  • Save character as preset
  • Characters and skins as separate lists
  • Planning character preset menus
  • Fixed a bug where bot players were set to ready on creation
  • Playtests and updates reaction roles on Discord
  • Playtest at CWQLD Ranbat announcement
  • Steam page QR code and banner for playtests
  • OBS settings on MacBook
  • Asked start.gg to add Sumorbit to their database
  • Followed up about QLD Ranbat
  • Sumo setting toggles submenu
  • Enable handicaps toggle
  • Show current skin
  • Looked at the state of Sumorbit one year ago. Crazy how much progress has been made.
  • Option to toggle planet rings
  • Working skin picker
  • Skin picker foundations
  • Got a nice Reddit comment with a couple of questions I replied to
  • Customize character submenu
  • Single player and multiplayer under a play game menu
  • Sumorbit icon for play game
  • Information parent picker
  • Settings parent picker
  • Organized ideas
  • Ideas for single player modes. One where you have multiple golf shots, one where you clear space junk.
  • Posted to r/Games
  • Submitted to the Twitch IGDB
  • Updated devlog

Steam Page

In this devlog video, I overhaul the game's logo and banner art, implement a main menu, tutorials, updated visuals and player AI.

Steam Page

  • Steam page release
  • New trailer
  • Published Discord server
  • Added music to the game
  • Game stats viewer
  • Option to cancel despawn
  • Posted to r/IndieGames
  • Did a slight edit of the trailer audio
  • Released the steam page and announcement
  • Game stats viewer
  • Game stats icon
  • Track total rounds played
  • Recorded and Tweeted about the color picker
  • Prepared announcements for Earth Day
  • Looking at Subreddit posting rules
  • Added new music
  • Preparing for the Earth Day announcement
  • Posted the trailer to the Destroy My Game Subreddit. Didn't get any feedback on the post.
  • Edited the trailer to the finished music
  • Team lines sound
  • Testing Steam Remote Play Together. Works surprisingly well.
  • Last planet standing clip for trailer
  • Organized tasks
  • Researched Steam hardware and software stats
  • Mac ICNS file
  • Added music to the game
  • Configured Steam playtest
  • Tested installation from Steam
  • Got a build uploaded to Steam
  • Researched deployment
  • Added Steam links to website
  • Option to cancel despawn
  • Made maximum range longer for short range stats
  • Fixed spawn position on return to main menu from a tutorial
  • Trailer text
  • Corrected some overlay colors in the playtest footage
  • Trailer music feedback
  • Making trailer title and description
  • Gameplay screenshots
  • Steam page description
  • Submitted Steam page for review
  • Watching Steam page tips video
  • Recording mode variable
  • Logo clash scene and recording
  • Refined trailer edit
  • Updated Sumorbit characters and colors in Streameta
  • Planet emotes for Discord server
  • Asked playtesters permission for trailer
  • Researched Discord role bots
  • Trailer logistics
  • 8 player, teams and logo crash footage
  • Recorded customization options
  • Recorded starting clip of trailer
  • Solar system scene for the trailer
  • Animated hero art and logo for trailer
  • Planning extra trailer footage
  • Updated devlog
  • Exported trailer rough cut
  • Rough cut of trailer

Analytics

  • The game shares post-game analytics to a database
  • Round timer
  • Gathering clips for a new trailer
  • Trimming clips for the trailer
  • Testing analytics in a production build and while offline
  • Adaptive AI defaults to set precision when actual precision is zero. This allows matches with only adaptive players to still work.
  • Renamed analytics events and parameters
  • Added start health analytics parameter
  • Round UUID analytics parameter
  • Separate round from player analytics event
  • Organized tasks
  • Tutorial menu stays open on returning to the main menu from a tutorial
  • Replaced website text in the lobby with the Sumorbit logo
  • Logo disappears with more than 4 players
  • Downloading trailer clips
  • Filtering playtest footage for trailer
  • Round timer not connected to FPS
  • Looking through playtest footage for trailer clips
  • Show round timer in top left corner
  • Round timer toggle setting
  • Time of round and time of death for analytics
  • Character stats in analytics
  • Report to compare a character stat to average ending health
  • Analytics SQL test
  • Unity analytics setup
  • Updated devlog
  • Update recording and Tweet

Single player menu

  • Quick presets for single player: 1v1, 2v2, practice, 4 player free-for-all
  • Post game stats report for analysis
  • AI can grab space
  • Mouse back and forward buttons for spin
  • Able to control planet while dead
  • Refactored pause system
  • Playtest & VODs
  • No post game stats report for demo
  • Demo uses hard AI rather than adaptive AI
  • Post game stats report shows health
  • Low precision values makes AI spin less
  • Fixed a bug where finishing a tutorial would take you to the lobby rather than the main menu
  • AI can grab space for longer and orbit its moon to build speed for bounces
  • AI grabs space to quickly get back inside the ring
  • AI grabs space randomly
  • Prompt to join another controller if press the join button with an already connected controller
  • Researched Twitch bounty board
  • Figured out how to access debug logs from a standalone executable
  • Can pause while dead
  • Able to control planet while dead
  • Removed legacy not-ready picker
  • Organized tasks
  • Refactored pause system
  • Disabled pause menu inputs while unpaused
  • Grab button can be used to select in pause menu
  • Main menu option in pause
  • Back to lobby disabled for tutorials
  • Mouse forward and back icons
  • Decided not to make pause like the other menus. Too complicated for little benefit.
  • Mouse back and forward buttons for spin
  • Started reworking pause
  • Testing AI expected vs actual precision
  • Unused stats no longer count towards average precision
  • Fixed a bug where parrying while grabbing caused stun to go down
  • Debugged misreported parry opportunities and opponent bounce stats
  • Report of actual action precision for bots to compare with set precision
  • Different winner status text if the full set is won
  • Reset action separate button from random action in menus
  • Temporary icons for tutorials
  • Tutorials menu under single player menu
  • Quick presets for single player: 1v1, 2v2, practice, 4 player free-for-all
  • Setting a confidence rating for each planet stat
  • Thinking of potential stat changes for other planets
  • Earth grip +1, temperature -1. Making grabs more effective in Earth mirror matches, which is the default state.

AI difficulty

  • Different AI difficulty levels
  • Different AI levels of aggression
  • AI can match opponent skill and aggression
  • Menu options are shown in multiple pages if there are more than 8 options
  • Rumble toggle
  • Update recording and Tweet
  • Updated devlog
  • Researching price point of similar games
  • Multiplayer picker that goes straight to the lobby
  • 3 player and 4 player icons
  • Single player picker options with appropriate icons
  • Fixed an issue with paginated picker angles
  • AI adaptability now mirrors opponent aggression
  • Different AI difficulty levels
  • Aggressive and defensive AI options
  • Planning play game menu
  • Ideas for character presets menu
  • Reverted back to the original LT and RT icons
  • Reset tutorial progress prompt
  • Better system for multiple button prompts
  • Pickers can have multiple pages of subpickers. Surprisingly easy.
  • Show current page index and page count
  • Prevented portal sounds from stacking
  • Prevented grab effects when pressing the grab button without any grab time
  • Different inputs for random action in lobby
  • Removed a bunch of no longer used bloat from pickers
  • Reordered some lobby pickers
  • Made Uranus have no skin image
  • Planned submenus for the lobby
  • Rumble toggle
  • Rumble icon
  • Consistent player color for tutorials
  • Controls submenu
  • Organized tasks
  • DPad icons
  • New trigger icons with the T morphed to look like a trigger
  • AI can orbit the sun defensively away from the player
  • AI adaptability causes it to be more aggressive against defensive players and vice versa
  • Calculate ratio of aggressive vs defensive movement
  • AI traits foundations
  • Precision trait determines how accurately it will bounce off the ring
  • Adaptability trait for AI updates it's precision value to be closer to it's opponent
  • Determine human player precision value
  • Fine tuned precision values
  • Precision trait affects all necessary actions
  • Home icon

Tutorials

In this devlog video, I overhaul the game's logo and banner art, implement a main menu, tutorials, updated visuals and player AI.

Tutorials

  • 7 short tutorials with each teaching a specific mechanic
  • Custom AIs for tutorials
  • Player limits such as no bounce, no grab, no movement
  • Gamepad left and right face buttons for spinning
  • Spinning in the same direction as the grabber no longer punishes the grabber as much
  • A different AI off icon for non-controlled players
  • Updated devlog and made two new sections
  • Foundation for play game submenu
  • Game notes on music references
  • Listening to music references
  • Recording and splitting tutorial gameplay
  • A different AI off icon for non-controlled players
  • Descriptions for behaviors when picking
  • Human icon to show AI is off
  • Organized tasks conceived from playtesting
  • Playtest at BIG Dev
  • Forced someone to go through the whole menu process of creating opponents and it was difficult for them
  • Got someone to play the whole tutorial and it worked for the most part
  • Made the AI not bounce the ring every single time
  • Mac build and testing
  • Show completion progress in tutorial menu
  • Removed player limit comes back between rounds
  • Grab space prompt after being bounced
  • Refined tutorials
  • Fixed parry prompt in tutorial
  • Bounce ring tutorial AI
  • Grab space tutorial AI
  • Parry tutorial AI
  • AI can counter spin while grabbing
  • Spin breakout tutorial refinement
  • Orbit and parry behavior for bounce opponent tutorial
  • Adjusted spin break tutorial
  • Spinning in the same direction as the grabber no longer punishes the grabber as much
  • Specific ring shrink rate option
  • No grab recovery player limit
  • Refined spin counter tutorial, it actually works now
  • AI starts after sun countdown
  • Removed reaction force from grabs when both players planets are locked for tutorials
  • AI for spin counter tutorial
  • AI behavior priorities can be affected by the bot title
  • AI for spin break tutorial
  • Specific ring start size
  • Refining spin break tutorial
  • Fixed bounce opponent prompt
  • Update recording and Tweet
  • Gamepad left and right face buttons for spinning

Lobby improvements

  • Show which option is currently selected for pickers
  • Modify any players team connections more intuitively
  • Back button returns a moon from a possessed player to the sun and from the sun to the original player
  • Tutorial features
  • FPS counter
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Updated devlog
  • More efficient player data structure construction for missions
  • Return to main menu on tutorial finish
  • Tutorial player position refinements
  • Assigned a prompt to each tutorial
  • No prompts are displayed for impossible actions
  • Always show button prompts in tutorial
  • Moon maximum range applied on game start even if planet is locked
  • Ability for static player spawn positions
  • Unlock planet on bounced option
  • Reduce player stun on bounced
  • No grab and no bounce player limit
  • Unlock player on grabbed option
  • Lock planet player limit working
  • Handle if the teams picker is open on the player being removed
  • Fixed a bug where the game could start with one team
  • Fixed issues with subpickers being recreated while they were open
  • Trying to debug player indexes being wrong on teams picker
  • Differentiate between join team and add to team
  • Modify any players team connections more intuitively
  • Allowed for commas in devlog CSV to HTML script
  • Fixed PS5 controller connection to MacBook
  • Hid current picker highlight during gameplay
  • Back button returns a moon from a possessed player to the sun and from the sun to the original player
  • Show which option is currently selected for pickers
  • Fixed a bug where gamepad players were shown keyboard controls
  • Tested FPS on other devices. With more than 2 players my old laptop drops below 60 FPS.
  • Steam system requirements
  • Setting to toggle FPS counter
  • New monospace font for tooltip value and FPS counter
  • FPS counter
  • Recorded update video and Tweet
  • Updated devlog

Atmosphere glow

  • Planet atmosphere and heliosphere glow
  • New sound effects
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Updated devlog
  • Researching publishers
  • Preparing extra social icons
  • Steam page settings
  • Added Discord link to website
  • Updated videos on the characters page of the website
  • Made planet mass have more effect on making the ring bigger
  • Ideas for dynamic music based on average planet stats
  • Set up OBS scene and desktop audio for playtests
  • Testing controls always displaying as keyboard bug on Mac
  • Testing the difference between fullscreen modes on Mac
  • New explosive planet bounce sound
  • New planet grab and release sounds
  • Stun static sound that increases in volume with stun time
  • Implemented new sound effects
  • Sound for bouncing without hitting anything
  • Making sound effects with Chiptone
  • Researching AI tools
  • Organized tasks
  • Slight inner glow for portals
  • Planet and moon atmosphere glow
  • Experimented with making planets look more spherical, it messed with the texture images
  • Solar system ring inner glow
  • Mission data for all planned tutorials
  • Mouse sensitivity under controls picker
  • Updated social icon to have a deep blue background
  • Updated devlog
  • Before and after edit of blue space
  • Tooltip subtitle text faster
  • Fixed mouse sensitivity selector for player 2+
  • Reverted restart to backspace rather than right click
  • Typing animation not tied to FPS
  • Game dev Brisbane meetup

Blue space

  • Space is now deep blue rather than black
  • Stars and comets are larger
  • Tutorial foundations
  • Extra menu sound effects
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Dark blue scene fade transition
  • Extra loading time between scenes
  • Made space dark blue
  • New swirling space shader
  • New star shader
  • Made stars and comets bigger
  • Prompts show in tutorial when they are turned off in the lobby settings
  • Prevented edits to tutorial missions in game
  • Made a silly edit of the Evo lineup to include Sumorbit
  • Planet orbiting sun behavior with lots of trial and error
  • AI that slowly spins and orbits moon
  • Selecting a tutorial waits for the portal to close before loading it
  • Starting phrase based on tutorial
  • Tutorial subtitles
  • Winning phrase shows as Success or Failure during tutorials
  • Fixed an issue where the game would remain paused if navigating back to the lobby from the pause menu
  • Only custom mission is affected by lobby changes
  • Tutorials selector
  • Load tutorial mission working already
  • Some tutorial mission data
  • Started new missions data structure
  • Prevented portal sounds from playing when they shouldn't
  • Typing sounds for status
  • Tutorial planning
  • Tutorial plans
  • Tutorial ideas based on existing systems
  • Tooltip typing sounds
  • Portal open and close sounds
  • Researching Steam remote play
  • Refined script for anti-camping video
  • Updated devlog
  • Splash screen background

Scene transitions

  • Fade to black between scene changes
  • More store assets
  • Update recording and Tweet
  • Mac build
  • Pause menu options wait for scene transition
  • Found the voice actor for Kurzgesagt
  • Researching steam demos
  • Planning single player mode
  • Plans for demo release
  • Fade to black for scene transitions
  • Tried to test the game on Linux which didn't work
  • Steam page settings
  • Set up subreddit
  • Steam library assets
  • Looking at steam pages for other games
  • Updated devlog
  • Different banner sizes for Steam
  • Attempted to calculate the number of possible stat combinations using ChatGPT
  • Made a simple script to figure out the correct combination total. It is over 1 million. Chat GPT was wrong.
  • Animated the banner image with PixaMotion

Main Menu

In this devlog video, I overhaul the game's logo and banner art, implement a main menu, tutorials, updated visuals and player AI.

Banner art

  • AI art for promotional banners
  • Mouse sensitivity setting
  • AI improvements
  • Lobby bug fixes
  • Github for game feedback
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Updated Twitter banner
  • Cool looking banner art with Midjourney. Retouched in Photoshop.
  • Experimenting with AI art
  • Experimented with mouse sensitivity values
  • Spaced out AI picker options
  • Researched animation in Unity
  • Public GitHub for bugs and suggestions
  • GitHub link in game
  • Only lock cursor when a keyboard and mouse player is active
  • Save prompts enabled setting between sessions
  • Organizing tasks
  • Tooltip properly hides when transferring moons between players in the lobby
  • Save mouse sensitivity between sessions
  • Mouse sensitivity picker only appears for keyboard and mouse player
  • Mouse sensitivity picker
  • Mouse move icon with arrows
  • Mouse sensitivity setting
  • Fixed duplicate button prompt while player ready
  • Prevent player actions while paused
  • AI can move towards and maintain a set distance from the sun
  • AI can grab the sun
  • AI has a chance to release grabs
  • AI better at throwing
  • AI moon doesn't always target opponent
  • Planning trailer
  • Converted all picker icons to vector graphics
  • Tested actual FPS and it's plus or minus a few FPS per frame
  • Updated devlog

Audio/visual settings

  • Volume adjustment
  • FPS and VSync adjustment
  • Antialias adjustment
  • Select fullscreen mode and resolution
  • Save settings between sessions
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Resolution picker polish
  • Update recording and Tweet
  • VSync and frame rate options saved between sessions
  • Different frame rates for VSync
  • Changed text align on the tooltip value and adjusted all pickers accordingly
  • Scaled rectangle icons for resolution picker
  • Started an FPS icon shader
  • VSync icon and better looking fullscreen icon
  • Basic VSync toggle
  • Fixed bugs with toggles as subpickers
  • Changed the order of visual settings subpickers
  • Basic frame rate picker
  • Set frame rate to unlimited
  • Basic screen resolution selector
  • Researched Steam Cloud
  • Slightly better fullscreen icon
  • Different fullscreen modes for Windows and Mac
  • Save settings between sessions
  • Fixed some sound effects not affected by volume settings
  • Researched save data and mouse sensitivity
  • Master volume and sound effects icons
  • New volume selector shader that increases width around the circle
  • Selector amount moves with moon
  • Extra volume icon shader that doesn't change width
  • Fixed bugs with volume pickers
  • Volume picker mostly done
  • Opacity ring shader grows from 0 to 1
  • Started volume selectors
  • Opacity ring shader
  • Researched more visual settings
  • MSAA picker
  • Visual settings picker
  • Anti-alias icons

Main Menu

  • New main menu design similar to the lobby
  • New logo
  • Game credits
  • Social media links
  • Created Discord server
  • Updated devlog
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Had to re-setup some OBS settings
  • Update recording and Tweet
  • Wait for the original player to fully despawn before spawning a new player in the main menu
  • Players despawn with portals for smoother scene transitions
  • Correct player is spawned on main menu when returning from lobby
  • Function for detecting whether the current scene is a menu or gameplay scene
  • Audio settings and visual settings icons
  • Developer, test and quit icons
  • Change antialias samples via script
  • Credits and music icons
  • Credits picker
  • Socials and website icons
  • Game icon and splash screen logo
  • Added Twitch and Discord pickers
  • Social media picker with Twitter link
  • Can't get a gradient vector logo to work on pause screen
  • Improved the look of the main menu
  • Updated website and socials with new logo
  • Created Discord server
  • Refined logo
  • Got logo colors looking decent
  • Logo design I'm happy with
  • Proof of concept for new logo design
  • Player data saves between lobby and main menu
  • Got main menu scene working
  • Multiplayer and quit pickers
  • Ideas to make the main menu like the lobby
  • Audio mixer control
  • Sound effect plays on release volume slider
  • Volume slider
  • Options under submenu in main menu
  • Prevent player prompt and status showing at the same time in game

Space puns

  • Random phrases are shown when starting or winning a game
  • New AI is now finally as competent as the old system
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Basic Itch.io page setup
  • Recorded and Tweeted update
  • Looked back at old clips of the game
  • Random phrases are shown when starting or winning a game
  • Saturn rings have a new partially transparent whole ring underneath
  • No player button prompts in demo
  • Made the resolution dropdown dark mode
  • Fixed default selected resolution
  • Screen resolution dropdown in main menu
  • Reactivate cursor on back to main menu
  • Prevent AI from rumbling gamepad
  • Calculate object top speed and use it for intercept calculation
  • AI is now finally as competent as the old system
  • Separated util functions into separate classes
  • Fixed AI for player 1
  • AI bounce chance based on bounce meter available
  • Target intercept movement from AI
  • Updated devlog
  • Changed random action to buttons that are harder to press by accident
  • Made spring strength the same for all stats to prevent crazy stretching

Player status

  • Status text box to show when options have changed
  • AI has a state for each of the five main actions
  • AI randomly selects behaviors from weighted priority list
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Fixed player 1 AI target finding
  • Ideas for saving character presets
  • Launch plans
  • Second prompt in lobby for randomizing stats and characters
  • Fixed an issue where back prompt would persist when useless
  • Update recording and Tweet
  • Option to toggle button prompts for all players
  • Organizing tasks
  • Pick statuses for all necessary pickers
  • Fixed softlock from canceling start game while possessing another player
  • Organized tasks
  • Status text on the sun in the lobby
  • Status typing animation
  • Finished styling status text
  • Made a player status text box to show when options have changed
  • AI randomly selects behaviors from weighted priority list
  • Keep track of how long AI has spent in a behavior
  • Function for AI to prefer its current behavior over switching in some scenarios
  • AI spin to break out of grabs
  • AI throw opponent after grabbing
  • Easy to implement new AI behaviors with the new system
  • AI moves moon toward opponent
  • AI moves toward opponent
  • Got AI working with new structure
  • Renamed all behavior classes as it was confusing
  • Started restructuring AI to split states by the five major actions
  • Thought of an idea to separate states by actions and to have an overall brain state which controls each smaller action
  • Wrote down plans for AI
  • Added grab opponent and parry actions to AI

Picker polish

  • Fine tuning lobby option pickers
  • AI improvements
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Player to player states class for distances between players
  • Ideas to handle multiple behavior states
  • Function to calculate distances between planets and moons
  • Made a player state class to keep track of all variables used to make decisions for AI behaviors
  • AI bounces when it's planet touches another planet
  • AI is disabled if controls are used during game
  • Fixed an issue where devices were assigned to bot players
  • Fixed issue where picker was still active for buttons after being canceled
  • Back button prompt correctly highlights on bounce
  • Pressing back on color picker returns to previous color
  • Prevented pickers from being moved while being grabbed
  • Organized tasks
  • Tooltip icon text based on type of picker
  • Updated devlog
  • Too high stat value picker view only
  • Moved ready picker to be in line with it's parent picker

Customization

In this devlog video, I implement 1 million character combinations as well as overhauled AI and button prompts.

Custom stats

  • Customize planet stats within a budget
  • Randomize planet stats
  • Pickers scale up on hover
  • Game options work with tap grab
  • Lobby more spread out
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Picker reveal refactor
  • Pickers scale up on hover
  • Recorded update video
  • Made it easier to pick stat pickers when they are bunched up
  • Character name shows Custom if stats have been customized
  • Random stats don't total over or under budget
  • Randomized stats by spinning during stat selection
  • Multiple strengths and weaknesses listed per character
  • Canceling picking only goes back one level
  • Picking on a subpicker only goes back one level
  • Restored tooltip icon text
  • Stat pickers correctly move after stat change
  • Planet attributes are immediately changed after stat changes
  • Picking new stat values limited by total stats budget
  • Colored pie portions for selecting new stat values
  • Customizable stats partially working
  • Update any stat from pickers
  • Started restructuring stats
  • Got stat value icons working
  • Finished stats restructure
  • Organizing and writing for a tips menu
  • Planning solution for tooltip with long description
  • Increased distance between planets in the lobby to allow more space for the tooltip description
  • Updated devlog
  • Cancel picking and random character while possessing another player
  • Don't show prompt on AI player
  • Tooltip target correct for possessed player color picker
  • Mostly fixed game option pickers and changing moon anchors

Tap pickers

  • Lobby pickers activate on tap grab rather than hold grab
  • Partially transparent button icons
  • Lobby picker improvements
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Update recording and Tweet
  • Different tooltip icons for read only pickers
  • Player ready state working
  • Color picker working with tap button
  • Color picker not active during other picker selections
  • Subpicker that follows moon during color picking
  • Picker activates on release of button
  • Sun picker fixes
  • Prevent pickers from moving
  • Stats picker fixes
  • Consistent picker icon size
  • Picker sprite renderer refactoring
  • Fixed tooltip for subpickers
  • Getting more pickers to work with tap
  • Move player button prompt to new picker anchors
  • Button prompt on sun
  • Random character on spin
  • Got moving moon to sun working again
  • Distinguished controlling player and affected player for pickers
  • Got some pickers working with tap button
  • Press bounce to cancel picking
  • Lobby rearrange ideas including a text help menu
  • Always default moon orbit distance in lobby
  • Made picker hitbox bigger
  • Started changing picker hold grab to picker tap grab
  • Display two input icons per action in the control viewer
  • Show action icons on controls viewer
  • Removed action icons from controls viewer due to busyness
  • Pause and backspace icons
  • Support multiple icons per input action
  • Organized tasks
  • Made parts of button icons half transparent
  • Changed trigger buttons to say RT and LT

AI restructure

  • AI makes decisions from a prioritized list of actions for its current state
  • Playtest at BIG Dev. Got some good feedback.
  • Building and testing
  • Planet in bounce range state
  • Basic AI priority action flow
  • New AI behavior data structure
  • Listing AI parameters
  • Planning AI adjustments
  • Researching ML agents
  • Moved bounce scale to fixed update to prevent inconsistencies
  • Investigated bounce not reducing parry stun bug

Softlock fix

  • Prevented softlock from lobby pickers
  • Main menu additions
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Build and test
  • Think I found a solution to prevent softlocks
  • Attempted to prevent softlock from lobby pickers
  • Links to website and Twitter on main menu
  • Back to main menu ready option
  • Updated devlog

Visuals

In this devlog video, I implement 1 million character combinations as well as overhauled AI and button prompts.

Bounce scale

  • Planet scales up on bounce
  • Prevented the same prompt from showing too often in a row
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Recording bounce scale update
  • Changing main menu text to TextMeshPro
  • Organized tasks
  • Fixed planet layer order on spawn
  • Testing bounce scale
  • Planet scales up on bounce. Though getting some weird physics issues.
  • Finally fixed the physics issues with a kinematic rigidbody
  • Figured out the real problem was the point satellites scaling
  • Removed target joints from other objects
  • Prevented the same prompt from showing too often in a row
  • Show character strengths and weaknesses when hover stats picker

Prompt improvements

  • Added remaining missing prompts
  • Prompts can have alternate icons
  • Balanced grab duration
  • 7 entrants and full bracket finish
  • VODs
  • Increased temperature effect on grab time
  • Decreased grip effect on grab time
  • Counter spin stats tracking
  • Counter spin prompt condition
  • Keep track of spin grab breaks
  • Condition for showing break out prompt
  • Re-enabled spin break out and counter spin prompts
  • Alternate action icon for prompts
  • Steam page basics
  • Thinking of ways to balance grab duration
  • Prompts don't show up if performed action a set number of times
  • Updated devlog

Smart prompts

  • Button prompts for players if the game notices they aren't doing certain actions
  • Prompt visual improvements
  • More game stats tracking
  • Website advertisement text
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Uranus seems a bit strong at the moment
  • Update recording and Tweet
  • Refined prompt conditions
  • Controls descriptions
  • Increased tooltip typing speed
  • Fixed grabs for controllers with analog triggers
  • Made headway on the issues
  • Lots of problems running on the new MacBook
  • Added the website URL the top of the lobby
  • Prompts now have medium brightness
  • Prompt changes to bright color when action is used
  • Track opponent bounces and opportunities
  • Detect missed ring bounces
  • Detect parries and missed parries
  • Parries show up after basic prompts are complete
  • List all stat values for debugging

Large prompts

  • Button prompts are easier to see
  • Prompts in priority queue
  • Track player game stats
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Prevent prompt showing on spawn
  • Secondary picker actions shown on large prompt
  • Disable prompts if AI enabled
  • Simplifying prompts for build
  • Update recording and tweet
  • Prompt better positioned in lobby
  • Prompt doesn't disappear when still relevant
  • Updated Unity. The new input package finally works.
  • Prompts enabled by default
  • Cleaned up prompt update functions
  • Re-enabled move planet and moon prompts
  • Removed old button prompts
  • Large prompts obey player prompt setting
  • Refactored condition for prompts to show
  • Prompt stop following player when no longer active
  • Track number of ring bounces
  • Track prompt activations per player
  • Prompt follows player
  • Button prompts in priority queue
  • Refactored prompt check based on stats
  • Only show grab prompt if a player has missed multiple grab opportunities
  • Tracking for grab opportunities
  • Player game stats foundation
  • Ideas for a post-game winner screen with game stats
  • Ideas for a more subtle tutorial style
  • Hide prompt after time period
  • Basic large button prompt setup
  • Planning anti-camping marketing video

Tooltip improvements

  • Separate larger tooltip text for numeric values
  • Character strengths and weaknesses
  • Character stat descriptions
  • More prominent bounce visual
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Updated devlog
  • Recording update videos
  • Thicker bounce ring visual
  • Bounce color whiter
  • Bouncing on the ring now correctly makes the planet core light up
  • Character strengths and weaknesses on tooltip
  • Tooltip separate value text
  • Stat descriptions

Larger ring

  • Larger ring overall, particularly for characters with high mass and range
  • More dynamic camera that takes player velocity into account
  • Character balance
  • Playtest & VODs. The bigger ring seems to make things last longer and be more fun.
  • Ideas for story mode
  • Made the camera movement based on camera velocity
  • Increased ring size based on average character range
  • Increased planet mass for higher mass stats
  • Zoomed out the camera more at the beginning of a match
  • Low health stat characters can be more outside of the ring and take less damage
  • Increased throw force for high mass stats
  • Made grabs last slightly longer while under force
  • Increased camera padding to account for bigger ring size
  • Sketched logo design
  • Updated devlog
  • Tooltip recording and Tweet

Tooltip

  • Redesigned tooltip for lobby options
  • Lobby option descriptions
  • Character taglines
  • Playtest. Got some good feedback.
  • Tooltip shows controls icons for controls picker
  • Testing Mac build
  • Text typing animation
  • Refactoring tooltip text set functions
  • Fixed tooltip despawn when return to sun from AI player
  • No tooltip in gameplay
  • Tooltip titles and subtitles
  • Tooltip cleanup
  • Show and hide tooltip if change player
  • Implemented character taglines
  • Ideas for character taglines
  • Tooltip cleanup
  • Button prompt text for tap
  • Tooltip titles and subtitles
  • Character archetypes
  • Hide and show tooltip line animation
  • Changed tooltip subtitle font back to Renogare
  • Animated tooltip target movement
  • Tooltip working with subpickers

Survival AI

  • Supporting multiple AI behaviours
  • Survival AI behaviour
  • Demo mode working again, where AI play after a period of inactivity
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Tooltip pointer snap to picker on hover
  • Tooltip text on picker hover
  • Tooltip color
  • Recording new AI and demo updates
  • Added tooltip to sun
  • Refined tooltip style
  • Tooltip pointer follow moon
  • Finished implementing tooltip design
  • Tooltip design
  • Looking for fonts
  • Researching neural network AI
  • Correct picker icon on respawn
  • Behavior picker label format
  • Behavior picker icon change to selected icon
  • Demo working again
  • Changed demo button prompt
  • Moved start demo logic to lobby
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Behaviours picker options
  • New survive behaviour that doesn't attack opponents
  • Support multiple AI behaviours

Team line waves

  • Wavy line effect to show teams
  • Keyboard and mouse button prompts
  • Doubles playtest & VODs
  • Update Tweet
  • Prevented dead players from being parried
  • Updated team link icons
  • Antialiasing team lines
  • Adding variance to the team lines shader
  • Writing story
  • Listening to reference music
  • Music feedback
  • Prevented new team lines from spawning during start game player despawn
  • Team line despawn state
  • Prevented visual glitch on team line spawn
  • Team lines reused properly
  • Team line spawn animation
  • Separated time line into its own script
  • Went through tasks
  • Team line helix shader
  • Different actions picker icon for not ready
  • Keyboard and mouse button prompts
  • Music feedback
  • Got controls picker working with new data structure
  • Setting up input action icons data structures
  • Updated devlog
  • Moved tutorial data into a spreadsheet

Planet grid

  • Grid to show when a planet can't move
  • Grids aligned with each other
  • Portal bug fixes
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Fixed canvas show and hide problems
  • Recorded planet grid update
  • Investigating pause bug
  • Reduced planet grid area
  • Fixed canvas showing
  • Got a Mac build working
  • Got grid alignment working and it looks great
  • Trying to get grids to align
  • Grid to show when planet can't move
  • Bot players properly set to ready on respawn
  • Saturn rings show and hide with portal
  • Made stars twinkle
  • Pickers hidden on disconnect
  • Updated devlog
  • Controls disabled during game if AI enabled
  • Fixed score display in game

Player portals

  • A portal appears around players that are ready
  • Portal spawn and despawn animation
  • The game is started automatically when all players are ready
  • The sun shows the portion of ready players in the lobby
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Portal animations can be interrupted
  • Trails masking and canvas disabling
  • Can interrupt start game animation
  • Set player to unready when disconnected
  • Set bot players to ready on respawn in lobby
  • Hide space grab grid for bot players in lobby
  • Players despawn on start game in lobby
  • Different portal timing for gameplay vs lobby
  • Masked player points
  • Fixed subpicker mask
  • Health set timing on portal animation and refinement
  • Got portal mask working on player
  • Scale portal mask independently from particles
  • Player portal on disconnect
  • Make portal appear in front or behind player
  • Portal particles correct color on spawn
  • Prevented sun from peaking put behind timer
  • Portal opens and closes on player spawn
  • Figured out a plan for masking
  • Looking into portal masking methods
  • Improved look of portal
  • Bot players automatically set to ready on moon transfer
  • Portal grow and shrink based on ready status
  • Health change shows faster
  • Start game action sets all players to ready
  • Player portal in lobby with color
  • Countdown timer adjustment
  • Start game after countdown if all players ready
  • No sun emission particles in lobby
  • Sun health portion shows number of ready players

Health handicap

  • Set a starting health handicap for each player
  • Option to show button prompts during gameplay
  • Toggle pickers change to dark color when disabled
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Toggle pickers change to dark color when disabled
  • Button prompts toggle picker
  • Bot icon
  • Handicap recording
  • Picker disable collider on hide
  • Removed controls from pause menu
  • Unheld space key icon
  • Controls picker changes if using keyboard and mouse
  • Keyboard and mouse icon
  • Looking into scenes within scenes
  • Handicap working
  • Handicap picker icon
  • Handicap picker
  • Handicap icons

Join prompt

  • A prompt to show what buttons to press to join a player
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Update Tweet
  • Escape key icon
  • New start button icon
  • Doesn't show keyboard join prompt if already joined
  • Join prompt change location on player disconnect
  • Join prompt moves to next player position
  • More button icons and tweaks
  • Prompt to press a button to join in the lobby
  • Use pickers from other folders
  • Removed duplicate picker icons
  • Dynamic picker icons folder
  • Hide controls picker on AI player
  • Trying antialias settings

Lobby

In this devlog video, I overhaul the pre-game lobby menu, as well as implement keyboard and mouse controls, update visuals and game balance, and implement a teams gameplay mode.

Teams picker

  • Create teams while orbiting the sun
  • Updated devlog
  • Organised tasks
  • Increased size of ready action subpickers
  • Only possess first created player
  • Conditions for teams picker appearing
  • Recorded mechanic update
  • Add to and remove from team icons
  • Spaced spawn positions to prevent team line overlap
  • Teams picker

Players picker

  • Add AI players without a second controller
  • Transfer your moon to an AI player to possess them
  • Disconnect other human players
  • Fixed a bug preventing player joining
  • Prevented glitchy movement on spawn
  • Lobby and game use the same create player function
  • Easier way to do player index
  • Refactored check for controlled player
  • Can't grab other players in the lobby
  • Hide moon text on moon hide
  • Reuse earlier player slots if available
  • Random character for AI player
  • Ready picker only shows when more than one player
  • Player pickers adapt when human player disconnects
  • Hide ready picker for AI player
  • AI player moon is hidden in lobby
  • Fixing bugs with player index
  • Reuse non active player slots when too many players
  • Handling player indexes
  • Fixed stats picker stat value text
  • Pickers not enabled on respawn if AI player
  • Changed condition for disconnect vs possess player
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Regenerate player pickers when selected
  • Disconnect another human player
  • Regenerate player pickers when selected
  • Refactored changing moon anchor
  • Fixing player index issues
  • Trying to create a player without assigning devices. Finally found a workaround.
  • Started add player function
  • Refining Earth design
  • Changed default start color
  • Swapped color picker and stats picker positions
  • Tried new planet skins in game
  • Looking for music examples
  • Made an evaporated Earth
  • Made planet designs less obstructive
  • Disabled multiple players picking game options while possessing
  • Able to return from a possessed player
  • Able to possess another player
  • Add Player picker
  • Music ideas document
  • Made a help icon
  • Planning tutorials
  • Playtest & VODs. A new player really enjoyed the game.
  • Planning dynamic music

First-to picker

  • Transfer your moon to orbit the sun in the lobby
  • Change the number of wins required for a match
  • Recorded first-to picker video
  • Return to planet picker in correct direction for each player
  • Only one player control sun pickers at a time
  • Picker index independent of array index
  • Fixed relative joint bug when changing moon anchor
  • Return hand to player from sun
  • Number of points updates on players when first-to value changed
  • Other sun picker icons
  • Infinity symbol for win count picker
  • Picker icon updated based on current first-to value
  • Zero wins becomes infinite wins
  • First to picker working
  • Still able to reference the player while using sun pickers
  • Refactored picker angle selection
  • First To icon design
  • Pickers start hidden
  • Sun pickers correctly positioned
  • Sun in camera when one player
  • Transfer moon to the sun in lobby

Slingshot & character balance

  • Ability to slingshot
  • Ability to have your character randomly selected
  • Spin accelerates and decelerates faster
  • Heavy characters made more powerful and easier to control
  • Mercury faster and heavier
  • Reduced Mars grip strength and bounce duration
  • Playtest & VODs
  • Made range more uniform
  • Updated devlog
  • Basic Unity netcode tutorial
  • Researching how mythology could fit with the game due to the planet and moon names
  • Ability to have your character randomly selected
  • Reduced grip strength at low grip stats
  • Bounce duration reduced for high bounce stats and increased for low bounce stats
  • Throw strength Tweet
  • Made slingshot Tweet
  • Low health stats need a larger portion of their planet outside the ring to take damage
  • Made color picker icon thicker
  • Organised tasks
  • Prevented spin while grabbing a picker
  • Spin deceleration slowed while in stun
  • More spin refinement
  • Disabled spin tap toggle
  • Spin while grabbing an opponent refined
  • Refined spin
  • Made spin accelerate and decelerate faster for higher spin stats. This makes Jupiter and Saturn easier to control.
  • Increased planet move acceleration and deceleration
  • Made arena size even bigger for large characters
  • Added the ability to slingshot. Fun but might need some balance.
  • Testing spring strength
  • Have slight moon control while moon being grabbed
  • Able to move hand while grabbed
  • Health not affect grab time
  • Ready picker no longer toggles off when active
  • Moved ready picker location
  • Health drain outside ring more uniform
  • Made spin influence speed less
  • Increased speed for high speed stats
  • Found out that moon grab thrust was not related to mass like it was supposed to be. Increased moon thrust on higher mass characters.
  • Made mass higher for small planets and large planets but the same for regular sized planets
  • Ideas for balancing
  • Playtest and VODs
  • Playtest and VODs
  • Playtest and VODs
  • Updated devlog
  • Replaced main branch with lobby branch

Lobby overhaul

  • Players are locked in place in the pre-game lobby
  • Radial planet selector
  • Selector for disconnecting, starting the game and showing opponents you are ready
  • Controls viewer
  • AI toggle
  • Smooth planet scale on character change
  • No parry while stunned
  • Reduced moon orbit distance in lobby and game start countdown
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • Build and bug checking
  • Allow players to join if another player is holding down the join button. Later realised this caused bugs with Xbox 360 triggers.
  • Only start game if more than one active team
  • Can only pick when subpicker fully revealed
  • Ready action as toggle
  • Recording ready actions picker update video
  • Back text when no subpicker selected
  • Prioritised tasks
  • Gaps in between subpicker actions when selecting
  • Removed legacy lobby code
  • Trimmed more update clips
  • Recorded lobby overhaul
  • Improved character picker icon
  • Increased moon movement speed when not grabbing
  • Fixed camera on player disconnect
  • Lobby help text no longer appears off camera
  • Fixed stats picker
  • Refactoring stats picker
  • Learned about input rebinding
  • Looked further into Unity animations
  • Refactored character picker
  • Spawn distances implemented
  • Calculating spawn distances
  • Cleaned up ready actions pickers
  • First part of tutorial scripted
  • Planned tutorial
  • Gave picker icons a slight hue
  • Transferred picker joints to a new rigidbody
  • Increase moon speed in lobby
  • Refined picker locations. Starting color green
  • Update point positions on planet scale
  • Moon orbit in lobby affects maximum distance rather than fixed distance
  • No parry while stunned
  • Smooth planet scale on character change
  • Found out the change of moon scale causes issues on character change
  • Fixed moon orbit distance in lobby and game start countdown
  • Added rings to Saturn on character picker
  • Fixed color picker angle
  • Updated to Unity 2022
  • Removed unused packages
  • Getting merge conflicts for no reason after downgrading back. I think I'll be overriding main rather than merging back.
  • Getting random crashes
  • Updated devlog
  • Looked into issue tracking solutions

Line effects

  • Energy drain effect when grabbing opponents
  • Static wave effect on parry
  • Controls viewer picker
  • Controls viewer picker
  • Recorded new line effects
  • Plus and minus icons
  • Subpicker refactoring
  • Refactored subpicker code
  • Looked into Unity animations
  • Merge line effects into main and resolved conflicts
  • Refined parry line
  • Parry line effect
  • Ended up making a cool energy shader when trying to make lightning
  • Tried to make a lightning shader
  • Drain line working decently
  • Drain stop and start animation
  • Drain width
  • Drain position and color

Memory leak

  • Fixed a memory leak from the static effect
  • Character picker
  • Ready actions picker
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • Prevented point prefab from changing color
  • Fixed material memory leak
  • Moved drain line to main branch
  • Looking into how to prevent material memory leaks
  • Found out there's a memory leak in the latest build
  • Noise wave shader
  • Controller icon
  • Done picker icon
  • Refactored pie and circle fade shaders
  • Started refactoring rainbow shader with polar coordinates
  • Action icons
  • Ready picker action
  • CompareTag optimisation
  • Organised tasks
  • Fixed picker references
  • Planned lobby spawn locations for number of players and screen sizes
  • Disabled some help prompts for the lobby
  • Cleaned up pickers
  • Functional start game and disconnect actions
  • Action picker displays options
  • Started actions picker
  • Picker refactoring
  • Refactoring pickers
  • Any picker can have subpickers
  • Moved picker hover text to pickers
  • More lobby ideas
  • Ideas for combining pickers
  • Ideas for testing within the lobby
  • Character picker changes character
  • Picking hides other pickers
  • Characters picker shows options
  • Redid picker folder structure
  • Playtest
  • Learned about Unity netcode
  • Main menu adjustments
  • Changed picker names to plural
  • Deleted old commented out code
  • AI toggle

Stun static

  • Static effect when a player is stunned
  • Started lobby overhaul
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • Behavior and sun picker icons
  • Recording of static effect
  • Merged back into lobby branch
  • Managed to merge noise branch into main
  • Finished noise effect. It works well.
  • Adding noise to stun bar
  • Disconnect picker working
  • Start game from picker
  • Sketched Space Off logo
  • Got pickers working properly again. Was a pain to deal with transforms and offsets.
  • Refactoring picker transforms
  • Sun pickers
  • Pickers for all 8 player actions
  • Refactoring pickers
  • Started character picker
  • Moved pickers to their own parent object
  • Prevented point color saving to the material
  • Player can't move in lobby
  • Lobby spawn positions
  • Removed planets from lobby
  • Started lobby overhaul
  • Increased speed of grab portion animation

Edge grab

  • Grab portion affects maximum grab time rather than grab depletion rate. This means grabs aren't instantly depleted when grabbing the edge of an object.
  • Improved devlog video loading performance
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • Slight nerf to grab recovery rate
  • Recorded edge grab update video
  • Added AI enabled variable
  • Added moons to team link icon
  • Organised tasks for lobby overhaul
  • Add, remove and possess player icons
  • Planning lobby overhaul
  • Current character in view stats text
  • Grab portion affects maximum grab time rather than grab depletion rate
  • Uploading devlog
  • Split devlog into eras
  • Devlog updates
  • Devlog organisation
  • Updating devlog
  • Improved YouTube video loading on devlog
  • Splitting devlog into pages with major versions

Surfaces

  • Each planet has it's own surface type for impact textures
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • Might have settled on Space Off
  • Thought of new name ideas
  • Venus using gas impact texture
  • Temperature in its own script
  • Corrected sun surface
  • Each object has a surface property
  • Started refactoring surface and temperature
  • Removed R restart key

Mouse movement

  • Made moon movement with the mouse much better and more precise
  • VODs
  • Playtest with keyboard and mouse
  • Watched back the doubles set
  • Hid mouse cursor except when paused
  • Made moon movement with the mouse much better and more precise
  • Fixed spawn distance with inactive players
  • Players have to press specific buttons to join
  • Organised classes
  • VSCode exclude folders
  • Refined solar system icon
  • Solar system icon
  • Disabled restart point during game over state
  • Changed Restart text in the pause menu to Restart Point

Teams

In this devlog video, I overhaul the pre-game lobby menu, as well as implement keyboard and mouse controls, update visuals and game balance, and implement a teams gameplay mode.

Teams

  • Players can form teams
  • VODs
  • Playested doubles. It was fun.
  • Planned lobby overhaul
  • Ideas to overhaul the lobby
  • Teams update Tweet
  • Different impact image for gas giants
  • Thought about balance changes
  • Fixed a strange bug with the back to lobby button not resetting score if done during game over state
  • Self playtesting
  • Prioritised grabbing higher health players
  • Prioritised grabbing opponents if teammates overlap
  • No stun from parrying teammate
  • AI doesn't target its own team
  • Team picker disappear on color picking
  • No stun if grab teammate
  • Team picker icon
  • Able to leave team
  • Team points in sync across players
  • Organising tasks
  • Adjusted team lines to work with teams
  • Created team picker
  • Next hue function working with multiple players per team
  • Finally got around to changing the code for multiple players per team
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • Thought of Off Orbit as a potential new name

Improved visuals

  • Crack impact texture
  • Planet visual refinements
  • Version control
  • Foundations for teams
  • VODs
  • Playtest. A few interstate players tried the game.
  • Update tweet
  • Looking into new sound effects
  • Character sorting order
  • Crack impact working in game
  • Crack texture
  • Set up git
  • Looking into version control
  • Lines are destroyed when players die. Lines in game and lobby
  • Dynamically creates lines to link all players together
  • Team link line thinner and darker
  • Adjusted Earth clouds
  • Made Earth and Moon sprites more see through
  • Line drawn between two players
  • VODs

Stylised visuals

  • Planets are more stylised
  • Grid effect when grabbing space
  • Impact effect when grabbing another planet
  • Adjusted movement
  • Playtest
  • Update Tweet
  • Updated Unity
  • Getting inconsistencies on the build
  • Update recordings
  • Moon sprite
  • Jupiter sprite
  • Neptune looking decent
  • Music ideas
  • Added spots to Mars
  • Added /8 at the end of each stat to show the maximum stat number
  • Mars sprite looks passable
  • Earth sprite looking okay
  • Clipping mask in Illustrator not working properly
  • Refined impact shader
  • Tried the old vs new movement system side by side and there is almost no difference
  • Got new movement feeling good
  • Adjusted the movement to make it easier to change directions without being dragged down in speed while holding the same direction as you're going
  • Removed keeping spin toggle on holding move direction since it's not intuitive
  • Playtesting by myself
  • Fixed shaders
  • Added impact mask to remaining objects
  • Grid and impact persistent transform after grab release
  • Started grab impact shader
  • Grid when grab space fully working
  • Global reveal animation function
  • Grid shader working
  • Saturn's rings. Colour is a bit vibrant but that might be okay.
  • Venus refinements
  • Uranus as plain circle
  • Got Mercury looking decent
  • Venus is more difficult to design
  • Mercury design
  • Tested the new art style in game and I think it looks better
  • Saturn drawing
  • Looking at Kursgesagt art style for planets

Stats viewer

  • View the stats of your selected character in a pie chart
  • Many more button prompts
  • Foundations for ready portal
  • Planets enlarge on hover for character select
  • The ability to stop still at low speed and low stick movement
  • Saturn ring texture
  • Updated website with videos
  • Recorded new mechanics
  • Updated website with videos
  • Updated devlog
  • Prompt to move moon after inactivity
  • Move planet prompt after 5 seconds of inactivity
  • Trying to figure out the hand glitch on character select bug
  • Looking into netcode
  • Relative joint doesn't change distance when grabbing picker
  • Stat picker icons in middle of pie chunks
  • Moved color picker degree text to help text
  • Stat values shown
  • Fixed stat picker positions
  • Started positioning stat pickers based on values
  • Stats picker always positioned relative to color picker
  • Stat picker reveal animations working
  • Stat reveal bugs
  • Reveal amount function for all pickers
  • Stats picker hide show animation
  • Fixed color picker reappear
  • Hide other picker on picker grab
  • Correct placement
  • Duplicating stat pickers
  • Picker prefab
  • Stat picker prefab
  • Designed character attribute icons
  • Grabbing stats picker shows big stats pie
  • Stats picker grabbable
  • Idea to spin to coerce asteroids into your orbit
  • Stats picker size and angle
  • Generic picker control class
  • Saturn ring texture fully functional and looking decent
  • Figuring out Saturn ring texture
  • All text as TextMeshPro
  • Spin help text
  • Added the ability to stop still at low speed and low stick movement
  • Detect other planets for bounce help
  • Refined help
  • Added note if you are already a character
  • Lobby ideas
  • Bounce help text
  • VSCode settings
  • Got ready point working with joints
  • Think I'm going to use joints rather than effectors to prevent jitter
  • Created ready portal
  • Thought of ideas for the lobby
  • Got planet hover working better
  • Spinning the control stick no longer simulates tapping a spin button
  • Planets enlarge on hover for character select
  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Swate gave feedback on the spin hold system
  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • VSCode somewhat set up
  • Setting up VSCode with autocomplete
  • Fixed SVGs
  • Check for debug build
  • Loaded up on Windows
  • Transferring from Mac to Windows

Spin hold

  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Spin tap mechanic stays on until you let go of the control stick
  • Spin tap triggers after rotating the stick enough
  • Gamepad Dpad acts as control stick
  • Thinking of how to rework spin again
  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Playtest. Tried round robin for 3 people.
  • VODs

Characters

In this devlog video, I implement the 8 planets as characters and try to balance their strengths and weaknesses.

Character balance

  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Increased low end of grip strength
  • Reduced high end of health
  • Reduced high end of grab recovery
  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • VODs

Infinite grab fix

  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Hopefully fixed infinite grab bug

Parry fix

  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Can no longer get parried while grabbing
  • Looked at VODs
  • Found out you can get parried while grabbing space

Grab portion balance

  • Playtest
  • Made the grab portion depend on the size of the object you're grabbing if it's not 1
  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • VODs

Bounce adjustment

  • Made bounce slightly worse
  • Playtest
  • VODs

Spin rework

  • Playtest. Bounce seems overpowered.
  • Testing and posting about the new spin. Spin is a bit weird now.
  • Made bounce better at lower values
  • Reduced spin time from toggle to 1 second
  • Got the PS4 back button attachment and tested it
  • Tested new spin mechanics
  • Increased lobby planet sizes distances. Made them dynamic for ease of adjustment.
  • Made spin movement more interesting but is better without using the movement stick due to less drag
  • Made some progress with spin movement
  • Made speed higher for slower planets
  • Found out I hadn't finished spin velocity influence for characters
  • Thinking about how to rework spin to give Saturn better movement
  • VODs

Bounce rework

  • Reworked bounce to be better at low speeds
  • Started a pie chart for the stats of each character
  • Made grabbing the sun more worth it
  • Playtest. Bounce seems better.
  • Update Tweet
  • Control the moon extend distance with the scroll wheel. Seems to work well.
  • Updated devlog
  • Matching HSL colors to fully saturated underlay with transparent greyscale overlay
  • Sketching logo concept
  • Pie chart based on character stats
  • Attribute icons
  • Stats shader done with colors
  • Stats shader mostly working
  • Started stats shader
  • Cleaned up folder structure
  • Went through every task and prioritised them
  • Improved minimum range
  • Playtesting matchups
  • Found out parry size was the same on all planets and fixed that
  • Made grabbing the sun more worth it
  • Made bounce reduce all stun
  • Made bounce sparks power calculation better but still bad
  • Refined bounce
  • Testing different bounce methods
  • Made grab recovery rate more uniform
  • Disabled bounce plate on death
  • Reworking bounce
  • Culling physics layers
  • VODs
  • Bounce balance ideas

Planet visuals

  • Planet and moon textures
  • Click in joysticks to spin
  • Tap a spin button to toggle it
  • Character attribute balance
  • Playtest. Bouncing is still underpowered.
  • Fixed spin help position
  • Maximum moon overlap grab portion
  • Spin options Tweet
  • Planning tutorial
  • Playtested and balanced bounce
  • Made core bounce collider based on character bounce stat
  • Made the bounce collider smaller than the effector which seems to help
  • Struggling to make bounce better for low mass planets
  • Made grip strength stronger at lower values
  • Got spin toggles working
  • Started spin tap toggle
  • You can now press the joysticks to spin. It has pros and cons.
  • Thinking of special moves for characters
  • Moon images
  • All planets have images working in game
  • Transparent planet textures
  • Tried an FNS custom sun image
  • Got planet texture working in game
  • Making top views of planets from textures
  • Looking for planet top view images. Only found a good one of Jupiter.
  • Tried overlaying a planet texture on a coloured circle and multiply blend mode seems to work quite well
  • VODs

Character balance

  • Visual representations of character attributes
  • Made each attribute have the same total number
  • Adjusted formulas for many attributes
  • Starting ring size changes with average planet size
  • Playtest. Bouncing is very bad making Mercury and Mars bad. Neptune and Uranus feel good though.
  • Starting ring size changes with average planet size
  • Spin velocity influenced by mass and character
  • Adjusted formulas for many attributes
  • Spin grab breakout factor from character
  • Made bounce influenced by mass
  • Bounce no longer exponential power
  • Bounce physics material affected by character
  • Made bounce influenced by mass
  • Updated website character stats
  • Made bounce timing more uniform
  • Adjusted range
  • Implemented adjusted character stats
  • Refining character stats
  • Uniform planet stats
  • No outside ring damage in lobby bug fixed
  • Researching solar system
  • Planet grip and range canon stats
  • Researching planet stats
  • Figuring out best attribute visuals and balance
  • Note sure whether to make core size represent temperature or inverse of bounce
  • Made grip strength increase size of the moon
  • Made speed stats more uniform
  • Attempted to edit more of the devlog video
  • Increased planet sizes in lobby
  • Devlog update
  • VODs
  • Ideas for visual representations of attributes

Multiple Characters

  • Pre-game lobby
  • Pick one of the eight planets to play as
  • Eight character attributes
  • Characters website page
  • Started editing first devlog video
  • Characters might be a bit overtuned
  • Playtesting new characters
  • Removed keyboard player input for FNS build
  • Ideas for custom image skins
  • Bounce attribute has less variance
  • No prompt to grab another player's color picker
  • Character attribute descriptions
  • Lobby video on characters page
  • Characters page attributes description
  • Fixing navbar style
  • Mobile table styling
  • Characters page
  • Changed summary to include planets
  • Refining website mechanics page
  • Researching sumo
  • Added character icons to Streameta
  • Started making character icons
  • Fixed spawn positions when there deactivated players
  • Fixed not returning to lobby after set win
  • Recorded a video announcing the lobby which took a while to get right
  • Added moons to lobby planets
  • Devlog editing
  • Ran into a confusing bug with player indexes but fixed that eventually
  • Controller reconnects with the same player data
  • Player deactivates when dying in lobby
  • Ideas for teams mode
  • Disable everything on death in lobby
  • Stopped player spin on die
  • Finding speedrun clips
  • Tasks and devlog editing
  • Think I finally fixed rotation after release bug which took some effort
  • Fixed regrab collision bug with a checkbox
  • Splitting up Playtest 2 recording
  • Did a thumbnail with planets on top of sumo wrestlers. Not sure it works super well but looks okay.
  • Ideas for titles and thumbnails
  • Edited prototype and throw physics sections
  • Got pause working again but it was a nightmare and probably needs to be reworked
  • Slowly fixing pause
  • Game end timer 5 seconds
  • Start and end timer 2 seconds rather than 3
  • Splitting up first playtest recording
  • Realised I'm using footage from later builds too early and it might not show progress properly
  • Devlog video editing
  • Saturn's ring color changes on color change in lobby
  • Player can't move when picking color
  • Fixed lobby respawn radius
  • Player points in lobby
  • Lobby spawn positions
  • Handle controller disconnects somewhat
  • Got players synced to devices between scenes
  • Trying to keep player controls between lobby and sumo scenes

Competition

In this devlog video, I start testing the game in a competitive setting, balancing the game and seeing who comes out on top of the rankings.

Rankings

  • Power rankings
  • Scripted first devlog video
  • Lobby foundations
  • Character foundations
  • Button prompt positions change with character
  • Character name on hover
  • Grab help text
  • Posted rankings
  • Double checked data for rankings
  • Rankings image
  • Made a fairly objective ranking
  • Prototype Playtest edit
  • Prototype platest footage
  • Got about 10 minutes of text to speech audio in the project
  • Trying Google text to speech for voiceover draft
  • Proof read devlog script
  • Script
  • Half finished first devlog video script
  • Trying to fix pause and add a back to lobby option
  • Made planet ring opacity be variable
  • Figured out why orbit ring thickness was inconsistent
  • Ring thickness fully working
  • Saturn's rings show constantly
  • Rings show for Saturn on character select
  • Character spin ring thickness
  • Script for devlog videos. I want to make the video but script writing is really hard to motivate to do.
  • VODs
  • Match histories
  • Playtest
  • Started making characters page for website
  • Fixed color picker text size
  • Fixed spin help
  • Correct color picker location on spawn
  • Spawn from left side again
  • Increased spawn distance to prevent grabbing the sun during countdown
  • Fixed particle effects and trails for sizes
  • Random battles and balancing
  • Pretty much implemented all attributes
  • Health and other stats
  • Testing mass
  • Copied character stats into code
  • Thinking about character stats
  • Each stat has a best/worst character
  • Character stats budget
  • Defined 8 key stats
  • Probably just going to do manual attributes for characters rather than trying to make formulas to fit the real stats
  • Character attribute factor function with weighting
  • Character spin and mass attributes
  • Task organisation
  • Hand and player attributes in character
  • All body parameters in character
  • Match histories
  • Dynamic character properties
  • Automatic character properties
  • Not sure what units to use under the hood for characters
  • Character attributes
  • Worked out that 1 second in game is around 35 minutes in real time with earth speed of 5 units per second
  • Trying to figure out what units and conversions to use for characters
  • Tried Neptune having high reach
  • Character archetypes
  • Planet research
  • Planet temperatures
  • Better idea of planet strengths and weaknesses
  • Got accurate to date planet positions working in the lobby
  • Trying to find planet positions based on date
  • Correct colors and characters from lobby to game
  • Back to lobby on game win
  • Grab sun to start game
  • Sun can't move in lobby
  • Transferred lobby data to sumo control
  • Easy way to tell which scene is active
  • Lobby ideas
  • Can't grab another player's color picker
  • Fixed grabbing players in lobby
  • Color picker lowest grab priority
  • Sun in lobby
  • Color picker lowest grab priority
  • Fixed grabbing players in lobby
  • Sun in lobby
  • Tasks
  • Trail sizes fixed for characters
  • Made lobby planets on body layer
  • Finally got color picker resize working
  • Position and resize color ring on character change
  • Character selection seems to work really well
  • Researching solar system
  • Scaled planets down
  • Orbit distances
  • Grid shader
  • Orbit ring in centre of planet
  • Planet colors
  • Correct planet sizes
  • Multiple planet orbits in lobby
  • Planet with distance joint from centre
  • There doesn't seem to be an easy way to keep track of a device ID on reconnection
  • Remembers player index on death in lobby
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • Thought of using electricity to show energy and other cool visuals
  • Looked into Steam page admin and there are a lot of settings
  • Organised tasks
  • New player colors working in lobby
  • Transferring more over to lobby
  • Transferring logic from game to lobby
  • Looking into beat way to define character properties
  • Added static constructors to some classes
  • VODs

Definitive Single Character Patch

  • Fixed grabbing a bouncing opponent
  • Level generator for single player mode
  • Playtest. Feel happy enough with the mechanics to move on to characters.
  • More basic levels
  • Started making first level
  • Added gravity fields
  • Can spawn multiple rings
  • Can position goal ring and player
  • Position cargo goal from data
  • Setting up mission parameters
  • Unifying game and pause control across game modes
  • Got cargo working again
  • Started to get cargo working again
  • Updated devlog
  • Preventing grabbing a bouncing opponent
  • VODs

Color Picker Magnification

The color picker magnifies when trying to select a precise color.

  • Playtest. Super bounce on the same frame as grab bug seems to be back.
  • Was easier than expected to get the magnification for pausing within a small hue range
  • Took far too much effort to get color ring magnification to work but it's working now
  • Magnification almost working in game
  • Got the magnification for the rainbow shader working properly
  • Tried to get magnification for the rainbow shader. Got it close to working but using some funky numbers in one part.
  • Attempted to allow for fine color hue adjustment
  • Looking at example devlog videos
  • Devlog video script
  • Updated devlog and mechanics pages
  • Extra devlog text and videos
  • Ideas for devlog videos
  • Added more videos to devlog
  • Updated devlog
  • VODs

Color Picker

  • Players can pick their color
  • Buffer grab out of stun
  • Bouncing and being bounced reduces stun
  • Playtest. Patch seems to fix the parry bounce issue, but bouncing into people isn't very effective.
  • Update Tweets
  • Recording update videos
  • Streameta colors
  • New player color hue picks the furthest color from the current colors
  • Increased maximum stun time
  • Stun rate from grabs reduced
  • Bouncing and being bounced reduces stun
  • Organising tasks
  • Fixed sun bloom
  • Color picker hue number
  • Looked into scene transitions
  • Color picker appear animation
  • Rainbow portion shader
  • New under the hood score keeping
  • Player colors remembered between rounds
  • Health bars face sun direction on game start
  • Organised tasks
  • Default starting colors with color picker
  • Color picker correct direction
  • VOD review
  • Grab fail sound
  • Hold buffer a grab while in stun
  • Hand turns black when trying to grab while stunned
  • Tried to fix sun bloom effect
  • VODs

Core

  • Separated planets into core and mantle pieces to make bounces easier to see
  • Amount of grab stun based on reaction force
  • Parry induces stun
  • Parry sound
  • Discussed game balance
  • Playtest. Bouncing into an opponents moon is too effective with the new parry stun mechanic.
  • Stun bar no longer lingers on death
  • Horizontal player spawn positions
  • Updated devlog
  • Refined parry
  • Made core area equal to mantle area
  • Recorded and scheduled new mechanic Tweets
  • Match histories and head to head
  • Parry sound
  • Parry induces stun
  • Amount of grab stun based on reaction force
  • Core bounce visual
  • Made the health bar fit in the core size and changed the bounce bar to be behind it
  • Researching planet layers
  • Ideas for core bounce mechanic
  • VODs
  • Playtest
  • Found out VFX graph isn't supported on 2D
  • Moved some tasks into a design document
  • Looked into VFX graph
  • Devlog
  • VODs

Sun Death

  • Made the ring not able to be bounced when the sun fully dies
  • Basic Earth shader with linear moving clouds
  • Fixed bugs previous builds
  • Playtest
  • Recorded Earth Day preview
  • Pressing start during demo exits demo
  • Ring bounce no longer lingers after sun dies
  • Recording update videos
  • Change land color of Earth
  • Basic Earth shader with linear moving clouds
  • Planet shader looking better
  • Sun die sound effect
  • Made the ring not able to be bounced when the sun fully dies
  • Brainstorming
  • Drew a sketch of cover art
  • Made a rainbow ring shader but couldn't get dynamic thickness to work
  • Color picker adjustments
  • Researching planet symbols
  • Investigated bug where the you can't regrab a player sometimes. Found out it has to do with triggers exiting when attached with a joint.
  • Updated devlog
  • VODs

Sun Health

  • Players are able to drain health from the sun
  • Added a bloom effect and particles to the sun
  • Fixed bugs from the previous build
  • Playtest
  • Updated devlog
  • Updated mechanics page
  • Recorded new sun mechanics
  • Updated devlog
  • Fixed jittery health bars
  • Made the sun health change bar only show when a player drains it
  • Fixed point ring thickness bug
  • Sun particle emissions
  • Start timer on sun rather than ring
  • Ring shrink on sun health
  • Grab time shorter when grabbing objects with higher temperature
  • Default sun health
  • Fixed health bar bugs
  • Can take health from the sun
  • Moving health to its own script
  • Thinking of how best to do new sun mechanics
  • Looking into renderer types
  • Thought of new sun mechanics
  • Sun bloom
  • Investigated ring thickness bug
  • Fixed undo point after reset score bug
  • VODs

Shaders

I learnt how to make my own shaders in Unity.

  • Custom shaders allowed for everything to be updated to vector graphics
  • Tweaked grab and bounce strength
  • Undo point button
  • Playtest
  • Made bounce slightly less effective
  • Made grab slightly more effective
  • Signed up for SteamWorks
  • Learning about different UI systems in Unity
  • Undo point button works across score resets and is disabled when not applicable
  • Undo point button
  • Trying to make an earth shader
  • Struggle to get textures to work as intended but proof of concept works
  • Tried making an earth sprite that accepts other colours. Looks good but having trouble adjusting the shader.
  • Submitted an application for Nintendo Switch development
  • Ideas for custom image skins
  • Can now add a sprite to be circle masked. Need to experiment with color blending.
  • All graphics now vector
  • Applying new rings
  • The circle and ring shaders seem to just work with radial image fills which is great
  • Successfully made a ring using shaders
  • Started URP shader setup
  • Watched an intro to 2D shaders
  • Character strengths and weaknesses
  • VODs

Spin Indicator

  • Indicator to show whether players are spinning effectively
  • Button prompts option for new players
  • Made it harder to bounce on the outside of the ring
  • Easier to maintain spin speed using the control stick
  • Extra sound effects
  • Playtest
  • Updated devlog
  • Throw sound
  • Health drain and ring blip sound effects
  • Prioritised character attributes
  • Fixed wormhole mask
  • Spin indicator rings consistent size
  • Character customization ideas
  • Manual navigation wrap
  • Tried to get toggle text to change color as well as the checkbox
  • Button prompts option
  • Fixed demo
  • Updated website spin mechanics
  • Spin ring recordings
  • Adding Sumorbit colors to Streameta
  • Prompt to grab when above a certain speed and not in stun
  • Disable help function
  • Spin help working
  • Started spin help
  • Bounce help handles multiple collisions
  • Bounce help
  • Made it harder to bounce on the outside of the ring
  • Spin ring appearance thresholds
  • Easier to maintain spin speed
  • Multiple spin rings
  • Looks like it might be difficult to have a consistent spin ring width
  • Spin indicator depth
  • Can now maintain stick spin at full speed
  • Spin indicator functional
  • Started adding a visual indication for spinning
  • Thought of ideas to convey spinning effectiveness
  • VODs

Balance

Weekly competitive brackets helped to regain interest again. A balance patch was made with feedback from players.

  • Ring shrinks faster
  • Bouncing into opponents sends them further
  • Bounce more effective to parry grabs
  • Bounce further off the ring when timed
  • Break out of grabs faster by spinning
  • Counter opponents spin direction to prevent grab breaks
  • Wormhole for single player cargo mode
  • Balance patch playtest
  • Updated devlog
  • Recorded new mechanic clips and updated website
  • Fixed menu buttons
  • Made AI movement prediction less extreme
  • Stopped AI from spamming bounce at the ring
  • Added button icons to pause menu
  • Made some website text more clear
  • Adjusted some more icons
  • Stick rotation icons
  • Can now act during the countdown except for movement
  • Balance patch Tweet
  • Organised tasks
  • Balancing spin
  • Got bounce working better
  • Trying to figure out how to make bounce more effective but not broken
  • Made ring bounce more effective when timed
  • Made parry more effective
  • Can spin while being grabbed
  • Fixed parry bug
  • Made ring shrink faster
  • Organised scripts into folders
  • VODs
  • Bracket playtest
  • VODs
  • Bracket playtest
  • Finished Tweeting all the mechanics
  • VODs
  • Bracket playtest found some new fairly effective strategies like grabbing just to drain health
  • Wormholes looking good. Figured out the mask bug was the ring mask interfering.
  • Got wormhole cameras working. There's a weird bug where the mask only works when an object is on the way out.
  • Wormhole cameras
  • Wormhole color
  • Basic wormhole function
  • VODs
  • First bracket playtest
  • Stream overlay

Minimum Viable Product

In this devlog video, I cover the process from a prototype to releasing the first trailer for the game.

Website

Interest in the playtest had dwindled after the fourth week. I released the website and decided to run competitive brackets from the next week.

  • Website released
  • Website design and content
  • Cargo single player mode foundations
  • Character select foundations
  • Player color picker foundations
  • Made videos still work if no intersection observer but still not loading on iPhone 6
  • Checking website cross browser
  • Google search tools submission
  • Video playing much more efficient and loads on mobile
  • Website back to top button
  • Got website background working better
  • Flex layout working for website
  • Devlog up to date
  • Grab help
  • Bounce help fully working
  • Help color seems to need a different asset for both sprite and UI
  • Got bounce help prompt working
  • Bounce help sprite
  • Got antialias working
  • Trying to get anti aliasing to work on vector UI
  • Vector UI image
  • Got vector graphics working
  • Website improvements
  • All UI buttons and keys
  • Logo CSS animation
  • Playtest setup
  • Homepage design
  • Devlog videos from early playtests
  • Set color works fully
  • Working color picker
  • Better keyboard and mouse control
  • Lobby no longer has errors
  • Separated pause from game control
  • Adding functionality to lobby
  • Main menu functional and lobby scene
  • Playtest
  • Black hole looking decent and rings correct size
  • Functional relic
  • Looking at ways to render black hole
  • Cleaner ring size functions
  • Basic cargo level. Nice proof of concept. A bit less intuitive than expected with current controls.
  • Multiple rings working
  • Basic cargo and black hole
  • Playtest
  • Got cargo scene no errors
  • Separate game logic for all game modes and sumo mode
  • Starting making objects work in multiple scenes
  • Tried to use target css selector for subpage nav
  • Researched man made objects in space
  • Thought of idea for single player Sumorbit delivery game
  • Translating devlog to website proved to be easy
  • Filtered devlog entries
  • Thought of ideas for character select and lore
  • Devlog page
  • Website design improvements and homepage content
  • VOD review
  • Set up playtest and stream
  • Thought of rest of website design
  • Finished off mechanic videos and text
  • Recording final mechanics
  • Filled website with mechanic videos and refining text
  • Mechanic videos
  • Mechanic videos
  • Splitting mechanic videos
  • Mechanic page data and functionality
  • Website style
  • Website design
  • Website mechanics page
  • Website mechanic text

Promotion

I announced the project to a mass audience for the first time. With the return of Friday Night Smash, people would be able to playtest the game each week.

  • Social media
  • Improved logo
  • Gameplay trailer
  • Point satellites to show win count
  • Set up playtest. I wasn't able to set up the stream in time.
  • Finished trailer
  • Trailer editing
  • Sifting through music and footage for trailer
  • Recording for trailer
  • Prep for trailer recording
  • Stream overlay
  • Found out that there are more than 360 hues for HSV colour
  • Planning character select
  • Planning character select
  • Basic icon to logo animation
  • Logo animation prep
  • Ring timer uses update rather than fixed update
  • Added outside ring threshold
  • Ring joint better to sun
  • Change character on key press
  • AI improvement
  • Point spawn spacing for different characters
  • Adjust win count with keyboard
  • Playtest prep
  • Updated logo
  • No Rumble in demo
  • Happy with logo
  • Logo refining
  • Points fully working
  • AI no longer grabs sun
  • Score functional
  • Working on score
  • Point visuals working
  • Points color and more
  • Thought of how to do character select
  • Win circles
  • Making test footage for website
  • Windows build
  • Started website foundation
  • Improved logo
  • Trying redesigning the logo
  • Demo screen

Sun Movement

The sun now stays in the middle of the ring. It can be moved by grabbing and bouncing, but the ring moves with it.

  • Playtest
  • Made a playtest slide
  • Fixed bounce plates to align with moving ring
  • Experimented with sun gravity
  • Fixed bounce plate position
  • Spent a bit too long trying to set the sun brightness with 3 linear equations
  • You can move the heliosphere by moving the sun
  • Researching sun
  • Thought of an idea to improve the sun
  • Spin speed stats

Spinning

  • Players can spin their planet for movement options and survival
  • Spinning other planets before throwing them for mixups
  • Playtest
  • Big fixes and organising tasks
  • Playtesting and balancing
  • Can now spin by spinning with stick
  • Hand becomes spring joint when grabbed
  • Finishing out core sizes for gas giants
  • Moon detaches from planet on death
  • Spin with stick LR and fixed bugs
  • Consolidated body and ball spin code
  • Hand spins on grab
  • Spin movement feeling cool
  • Planet research
  • Found out pretty much all moons have the same face facing the planet at all times
  • Tried spinning with the hand and it seems like a cool mechanic
  • Spin balance
  • Got spin working decently
  • Experimented with spin
  • Characters have half reasonable stats might move on to something else
  • Speeds
  • Orbital speed stats
  • Learning about planets
  • Fixed planet mask then didn't want to do any particle effects anyway
  • Finally figured out that my player particles were effected by the ring mask
  • Trying to mask particles is not working properly and doing my head in
  • Planet research
  • Looked into planet images
  • Body and hand masses
  • Planet densities
  • Take damage when partially out of ring
  • Hand dull when can't grab
  • Hand turn white on grab
  • Health turn white on bounce
  • Made bounce more effective

Visuals

  • Radiation outside of the heliosphere, stars and comets
  • Controller rumble
  • Multiple characters somewhat balanced
  • Playtest
  • Character balance
  • Now have 8 planets of somewhat balanced size
  • More planet stats
  • Planet object restructure and colors
  • Planet sizes and scale functions
  • Looking into ways to scale the planet and moon sizes appropriately
  • Planet stats
  • Character attribute optimisations
  • Organising tasks
  • Tried effector for grab parries
  • Bouncing inside an object with no speed causes power bounce
  • Brainstorming new names
  • Gravity waves and starting to understand potential usage of gravity
  • Experimented with gravity
  • Ring flashes when about to run out
  • Stun doesn't reset if grabbed while stunned
  • Made the radiation rainbow coloured and it looks amazing
  • Made stars
  • Researching solar system
  • Looking into planets
  • Rings for bouncing instead of circles
  • Refined rumble
  • Made Rumble add and only update on change
  • Adding Rumble to different actions
  • Got rumble and light bar working on PS4 controller
  • Health change bar working fully
  • Started showing health bar change
  • Made bounce particles rings rather than circles
  • Got grab parry working without too bad side effects
  • Experimented with movement
  • Checking if Pro controller worked with Rumble which it didn't
  • Implemented Rumble for bouncing but the only controller on Mac that supports it is PS4

Bouncing

  • Bounce into other players for offense
  • Bounce off of the ring for survival
  • Bouncing ball object
  • AI players
  • Foundation for multiple characters
  • Playtest
  • AI can now bounce
  • Sorting details for playtest tonight
  • Bounce timer and cooldown
  • Particles and optimisations
  • Player can bounce off ring
  • Figured out a decent way to get bodies to collide with their own bounce plate only
  • Trying to figure out how to make an object only collide with a specific object
  • Figured out bounce cooldown mechanic
  • Ball bounce off ring works
  • Bounce plate
  • Bounce pulse
  • Thinking of ideas
  • Physics set to 60 fps
  • Mouse deadzone
  • Organising tasks
  • Sort order based on health and if grabbing
  • Collision polish
  • Collision particles and sound
  • Mouse control
  • Started implementing bounce
  • Thought of lots of ideas for how bounce can work
  • Trails to make the game look more appealing
  • Functional ball that stays inside ring
  • Making ball
  • Looking into bouncing off ring
  • Grab thrust attribute
  • Trying always starting half health
  • Movement speed attribute
  • Character attributes
  • Foundation for multiple characters
  • Made AI predict future position of opponent
  • Fixed bugs
  • Organising tasks
  • Fixed infinite grab bug
  • Investigating infinite grab bug
  • Testing AI
  • AI is pretty decent already despite being simple
  • AI changes target if it's outside ring
  • AI moves toward random player
  • AI setup and looked into script interpreting
  • Grab pulse
  • Testing bounciness values
  • Figured out the issue with joints and collisions
  • Got good feedback and implemented collision

Throw Physics

The game proved to be much easier to make with Unity. Using the built-in physics and a set of built-in joints.

  • Throw physics
  • Grab space for movement options
  • Particles represent health changes
  • Moving camera
  • Sound effects
  • Brainstorming character ideas
  • 3 player test
  • Playtest
  • Pause menu button highlight with colour
  • Correctly calculating grab portion surprisingly complicated but eventually got it
  • Code cleanup
  • Moving health to player object
  • Particles from grabbing
  • Particles emit correct color and outside ring
  • Particles
  • Competitive game balance
  • Grab stun
  • Pause menu design
  • Help on pause menu
  • Controls help text
  • Multiple grab buttons fixed
  • Made any combination of controllers / keyboard work
  • Got Xbox controller and 2 simultaneous controllers working
  • Ring reduction based on average lowest player distance
  • Finally got controller and keyboard working with UI simultaneously
  • Failing to get UI to work with a gamepad
  • Pause menu adjustments
  • Pause menu
  • Global actions working on keyboard and gamepad simultaneously
  • Added fun depth to the movement
  • Grab timer a function of grab area and force
  • Right stick can be used when grabbing opponent
  • Body has higher drag while grabbing opponent
  • Better hand angle after grab release
  • Handling multiple collisions
  • Hand extension
  • Pause
  • Cleanup and fixing bugs
  • Discovered relative joint works the way I wanted
  • Attempted to use hinge and wheel joints
  • Health drain depending on player count
  • Ring timer and start size
  • Code cleanup
  • Cleaned up code
  • Got controller and keyboard fully working simultaneously for two different players
  • Partially got multiple controllers to work
  • Looking into multi controller
  • Cleaning up code
  • Sound effects
  • Made grab sound effect
  • Camera cleanup
  • Camera follows midpoint of players
  • Camera smoother and X axis matters
  • Camera size determined by players
  • Spawn angle
  • Cleanup and spawn locations
  • Progress up to web prototype
  • Game start / end conditions
  • Camera follow ring
  • Ring size reduction
  • Cleaning up code
  • Looked into interpolation for physics
  • Grab take away health
  • Grab timer bar
  • Code cleanup
  • Made player prefab
  • Making it easier to spawn players
  • Ring and health
  • Clean Up
  • Sprite order
  • Got a pie mask to work but it uses UI
  • Tried to find a way to do a pie shape without using UI canvas
  • Looking into circle sprites
  • Fixed grab logic
  • Refined movement
  • Got proper control schemes working
  • Trying new input system
  • Got grabbing and throwing other players working
  • Attempted to get collision working
  • Got physics feeling decent
  • Got spring joints working in Unity
  • Had some cool ideas for Sumorbit design

Prototype

In this devlog video, I cover the process from a prototype to releasing the first trailer for the game.

Prototype

Development originally started along with developing a custom game engine using JavaScript canvas. This ended up being needlessly difficult when it came to implementing physics.

  • Playtest
  • Adjust the number of players
  • Grab cooldown is shown
  • Controller order can change
  • Grab opponents
  • Changed default colors to orange and cyan
  • Dynamic spawn points
  • Collision detection
  • Health system
  • Reduces health when touched or outside of the ring
  • Detects winner
  • Restarts after winner is declared
  • Multiple players
  • Refined controls
  • Gamepad support
  • Basic graphics
  • Basic movement