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Engaging Destiny Demo Release
🕑 Added 2021-10-31 17:22:18 +0000 UTCHey folks! The end of the month is finally here, and with that comes the release of the demo we've put together for Engaging Destiny!
This is an 18+ NSFW demo!
We join Calen, a squire of Galanor to be knighted before he's to embark on a mission with his near-lifelong mentor, Warrick. This takes place on the continent of Lorithel, so it's the same world as Endless Bounty and the story I wrote and simply titled, Dragon.
It's a side-scrolling game that's got more of a focus on the story and characters than anything. There are plenty of things you can look at, some places to explore and people to talk to. You'll be introduced to most of the main cast here with some touching in the 18+ NSFW stuff. The future release will include far more of that though!
I'll remind you all that the demo is Patreon exclusive for now, and the final release for the game will -not- be posted to Patreon.
This demo shows off a lot of the core features and concepts we are working with, and there are still a few other things left to implement (like a map, day/night cycles and maybe some kind of quest log).
There's essentially 3 'quests' you can do right now beyond getting to start knowing the characters. Armor, Node, Plant. Complete those three quests, and that's basically the extent of the demo. Otherwise, spend time talking to folks and just looking around!
PLEASE READ THIS - BUGS AND GLITCHES
PC is the MOST OPTIMIZED version, so we strongly recommend playing on PC!
I need to point out that devices (Phone/PC/MAC) might run this completely differently than what we've tested on. We've spent the last few days testing it on multiple devices, and it can be hit or miss at times. This mostly seems to be apparent on Android devices. If you experience weird issues, we're sorry, but it's still something that needs some more work! It should be playable with minimal issues, but due to the variety of phone configurations and hardware profiles, we can't guarantee that it will work correctly across all devices.
Be sure for android that you allow your device to install it! It might get flagged as unsafe or the like.
That being said, in case of wiggly/jittery images, there is no need to report those kinds of things to us. It's still something we're working on across all devices.
FEEDBACK
We would appreciate getting feedback on what we have so far! We've all played this backwards and forwards, so things that might seem clear to us might not be clear to others, so we encourage you guys to leave feedback for us. Plot, characters, mechanics, all of that stuff! Let us know what you think about what you've gotten to experience so far! Like it? Let us know! Something annoys you? Share your thoughts!
I shared feedback we got from Endless Bounty, and we've built upon some of the most common things people seemed to have gripes about to hopefully improve that. Of course, not all of that is available just yet, but we're getting there!
Please keep in mind that we can't always appeal to everyone either, but we'll do our best to make something enjoyable.
TEAM
Huge thanks to the team and all the hard work they've put into getting this demo ready to go.
Lead Artist - Gavel
Lead Programmer - Medwyn
Lead Scriptwriter - Myself! (DyneWulf)
Lead Sound Designer - Civ Valian
Testers - Grawl, Toby and GonTigger (to promote the testers a bit more, Grawl and Toby are working on a project of their own too. Check out Four Way Junction!)
There's still a lot to be done, but these guys have all be stellar at what they've done already, and we're super excited to share this with you all! We might release a second demo further into the project for extra feedback, but that's still up in the air.
Thank you all so much for letting us work on this through the month! Extracurricular Activities updates will resume now. Please be sure to check out my schedule to see what's coming up after Richard's update on the 16th this month!
(And for anyone confused, the downloads are attached to the Patreon post! PC/MAC/ANDROID/LINUX)
Comments
DyneWulf
You should be able to interact with the closet between beds (it wont have any indicator). If not, there might be a bug for me to figure out.
AxlAlecksAkra
By Warrick? I seem to be unable to pick it up.. all it does is make me be sad about Warrick (android version)
DyneWulf
It's in Warrick's room
AxlAlecksAkra
I cannot find Warrick's armor..
AxlAlecksAkra
Post says Plant, Node, Armor, so I would assume no, you can't do the cave or fountain quests
Either Iβm just really oblivious or itβs something that wasnβt added yet. Can you do the cave and fountain quest in the demo? If so, can someone give a man some help? ππ»ππ»ππ»
Medwyn
One of the neat perks of building Engaging Destiny is the chance to hide nifty things! Has anyone found Daisy yet? My twitter has a clue! https://twitter.com/Medwyn_
DyneWulf
I used an Xbox One controller myself. I think it's just something we'll have to figure out in regards to joysticks in general ;3 Always glad to hear when people read that story too! I wrote it a few years ago during a writing challenge I put on myself. I like to go back and read it from time to time too
DyneWulf
It'll be on Steam and Itch.io! I'll be sure to share more info about that in the future~
Jo_Jo1999
Can I ask (sorry if you may get this question a lot) where will I be able to purchase the game once finished I know you mentioned it before but I had completely forgotten.
LLVPandaSevron
That'd be nice, no need for neon signs or what not, just something so they stand out. I mean plant/flower in forest is just π¬π
DyneWulf
Haha, thank you! One other piece of info I picked up from EB was people wanted to get to know everyone in one playthrough, so hopefully I have that under control here. I want folks to really enjoy the characters as much as they can! I'm gonna work on the indicators a bit more, so we'll see what I can do there too.
DyneWulf
It isn't gonna be out in the open, and it's in the forest! Maybe that'll help ;3
DyneWulf
It's all helpful, so thank you! One thing I will point out is time will be handled completely different. It was a big thing folks didn't seem to like in EB. I didn't know how else to handle it then, but now we have someone that knows how to code things, so... I want time to be more based on something like "2 minutes our time is 1 hour in game". Something like that! I have something in mind with indicators, so we'll see how that works out~
man, I dunno if im just smooth brain, but I cannot for the life of me find that Node lol
LLVPandaSevron
Finally got to start the game and I gotta say I'm loving it. I like that we have full control, it was the one thing I didn't like about the last game, just the full mobility is amazing...hard to adjust to but still just have to test each key. The map is challenging especially with the tasks and finding two flowers was hard since they weren't marked so maybe something to indicate we found them would help out a great deal. The current characters we get to know are really interesting; got my eye on a boar (wink wink nudge nudge), the healer is really nice and cuddly looking for a bear that's standard though, the baker is really fun and I can't wait to learn more about him, and of course Warrick is already so deep and just getting to spend more time with him sounds like a blast. Certainly I like all four (shhh hide the "5th" from Gavel) and I'd really love to see how we get to interact with them, hopefully at least in a similar way as last time, though part of me wishes we can get to know them all in one playthrough ;P
StandardFare
That seems like it would be difficult to balance. Maybe a help window that shows what you're looking for so you can keep an eye out for it? Or maybe making the item stand out a bit more from the background art? Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure it'll be great. For me it wasn't obvious that there would not be an indicator above my head, so I spent a while wandering around waiting for it to pop up. Then I tried spamming and found the flower randomly. I would have never found it just looking without spamming since it looks like it belongs in the background. Another example was the armor. I knew I should look by Calen's bedside, but I just couldn't find the armor without spamming the button. I kept getting the chat dialogue. For the platforms, I felt like I had to jump far earlier than it looked to avoid falling off the edge. If it's going to be like EB, then every step you take burns daylight, and I would be frustrated trying to navigate platforms with a finite clock if I kept falling off even though it looked like I was still on the platform. Hope that helps. <3
Chapomon
I also made some time to read Dragon (something I've been meaning to do since I played EB). That was a cute story! I wonder if they found that new life peaceful but adventurous life they wanted?
Chapomon
In case it helps, I was playing on Windows 10 using an old Xbox 360 controller though that shouldn't be a surprised that I encountered no bugs if it was optimized for windows.
DyneWulf
Interaction points is something I was having a hard time balancing. I don't think -everything- needs to have an indicator for it (namely minor interactions or hidden things), but at the same time, I don't really want players running around mashing the button to examine stuff x3 What about the platforming didn't feel great to you that makes you think day/night would be frustrating? I never even put the healing thing together with EB, hah. Didn't even cross my mind there, but now that you've mentioned it... Thanks so much for all the feedback too! Lots for use to look at here!
DyneWulf
Thanks for all the feedback, Chapomon! It definitely wasn't an issue with your controller, haha. I tend to use the D-pad on my controller just because of that, so hopefully we can get that kink worked out in the future. We're getting a lot of similar input about the items too, so it's definitely something we'll be looking at to adjust too. Thanks again!
StandardFare
So far so good on Android 12. Very few bugs. I had difficulty climbing up ladders. I kept getting stuck trying to go past any platforms above me while I was climbing. I think it was a little frustrating to find where to interact with items on the map. I spent a lot of time just running and tapping the eyeglass button instead of exploring. I think there should either be an indicator above the character's head that you can interact with something or it should be much more obvious visually. The platforming bit didn't feel great. I imagine that could be really frustrating when the day night cycle is implemented. The sprites, music and animation were all great! The world looks and feels very vibrant and interesting. The story so far seems interesting. I'm curious to know more about the world they live in and the role humans play in it. I like the similarities between this and endless bounty, but spending the first part of the game searching for components for a healing potion feels maybe too similar. Really looking forward to the rest. Thanks for all your hard work.
Medwyn
Yep, v-sync is one option Iβve looked at, but I have a few other tricks up my sleeve ;3
Medwyn
Amazing feedback, thanks! Controls were designed around XBox 360 controller on windows, we tried to make it as consistent as possible across keyboard / game pad / touchscreen so it would be pretty seamless regardless of which device / OS you are playing on. Def more work to be done on the joysticks, they can be annoying at times! No bugs makes me the most happy!
Chapomon
This is looking very promising! I dig the art style and the characterization. I can't wait to hang out with these characters and see how their relationships develop with Calen. It did take a bit of getting use to not trying to point and click as if I was playing Endless Bounty but the manual walking around does me feel more involved in getting Calen to perform actions. I did struggle with the controls a bit, mostly since it seems to operate more as a Japan's Playstation Controls with the selection button being Circle/B on Xbox. I'm not sure if adding the ability to remap buttons would be an issue. I'm also not sure if it's my older controller, whenever I would walk around, if I had the joystick pressed slightly upward but in in the direction I would enter, Calen would interact with doors/transition points. I also had a similar issue when it came to climbing ladders, I kept sliding off of them though again, I'm not sure if that's just an issue with my controller. I agree with Lyxalot's previous comment about a dedicated inventory button, it would make it feel less clunky to be able to cut out navigating an additional menu. I was pressing a couple of buttons initially before realizing I need to go into the game pause menu to get to the inventory screen. My fault though for not reading the controls before jumping in. As far as bugs, I don't believe I encountered anything that seemed like a bug. Overall, I'm looking forward to what this team is putting together! From a game development aspect, I'm curious to see what changes other changes in mechanics the team is going to try out that are different from Endless Bounty. And, of course, I'm looking forward to seem more fantasy men play with swords.
DyneWulf
I look forward to writing more with Kalcephalos ;3 Thanks for the feedback too!
Frost Knight
Just finished the three quests, I think it's a promising start! The forest is a little difficult to navigate, especially since it's not always easy to spot the branching paths. I liked all the characters so far but definitely want to get know that baker dragon better. Can't beat hot scalies and carbs.
DyneWulf
Glad to hear you think it's fun so far! About the V-sync... I'll mention that to Medwyn!
DyneWulf
That plant can be tricky, but I'm sure you'll find it ;3 (If you haven't by now!)
Frost Knight
Just started today, it's fun so far! I love me some anthro knights. I've been running around the forest area for a bit and I've noticed some distracting screen tearing, especially while running. If possibly it might be good to add a v-sync option for future updates.
idontknow
This is really good, finished the armor and node quests but my smooth brain's been running around the forest for an hour looking for the plant still lol
Alain
So I think I did the 'Armor' and 'Plant' quests, as far as I think I can do them. However, I don't know what the Node quest is. Any hints?
Darkpaladin
Love the game so far! Does the demo have any signpost on when you've come to the end of the included content? I haven't found any way to reach the areas (I think) where the spring water and mushroom are located, so I'm just wondering if it's just me derping.
DyneWulf
Oooh, an item button isn't a bad idea! We were talking about some way to make presenting items feel less tedious (it was kinda late when I added a ton of item interactions). Gavel appreciates the compliment on the art too, btw! Always happy to hear it
DyneWulf
Well thanks! It's a fun story, and I would sure love to see it fully illustrated, haha
Tore91
My heart can't be worried for another lion daddy which I can't have anyway... Btw digging up into the older posts... "Heavencrest ruins"... Interesting map i see there
Lyxalot
Absolutely loving it. Pixel stuff is dear to my heart! I wonder if you'd consider adding an item menu button along with the menu button. The extra step process for repeatedly selecting different items to try out conversations with is an extra step feels it could be skipped. (Also I hope Gavel doesn't find that hidden dude!)
Tore91
why you make all your lions so damn good looking? To think i usually prefer bellies... My compliments to Gavel and the whole team for the art so far! Question: the final game will be sold on both itchio and steam? Like EB and EC. (lot of games starting with E omg)
The dragon story is great, i went back to endless bounty to realize that the story is the background for human/dragon couple .. the story should be illustrated. Thereβs so much detail.
DyneWulf
I don't think you're the only one. Medwyn mentioned Patreon not altering him either.
DyneWulf
That was a fun little thing to go through and add. Lots of things to check out there. Thank you!
Tore91
I had no notifications from Patreon the whole month... I missed all this... Can't wait to play!
Solid demo! Love that the major npcs will react to items you hold out!π
DyneWulf
I'll be sure to share that info again when the time comes, but it'll be listed on Steam and my Itch.io page.
Shane Ferguson
Just wondering, since you mentioned that the final build would not be posted to patreon. Where would we look for getting the final release when it would come out?
DyneWulf
We can't wait either x3
DyneWulf
We're excited for folks to try it!
Naesaki Ashwell
Can't wait to dive in :D
Koit Nurme
I'm so excited!!!!
