Droid Productions
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Development Update
🕑 Added 2024-05-17 05:34:26 +0000 UTCSo, after posting the last update (literally from Airport) I took a quick holiday with the family. I didn't get as much writing done as I had hoped, but I did get a lot of thinking and designing done. Now that I'm back on
The two big systems that still need love in Morningstar is the gem based combat and the optional replayable paths (the Maze). I spent a fair bit of time fleshing those out, and looking at how to improve them.
The gem combat is getting a reasonably large overhaul; a 'refactoring', which is programmer speak for "time to rip this thing apart and put it back together again". Kinda like kids and grandfather's clock. I'm changing how move data is stored, and shifting it out to a google sheet, because I need a LOT more skills before I'm happy. In addition I'm cleaning up how things like HP is calculated, and fixing various small bugs in the system. I expect that'll take the next couple of weeks to complete.
I also wanted a replayable place to fight; I'm a little less sure of this, because for about 60% of the game there's nothing that it makes sense to hunt. I can make some non-humanoid things (giant rats, middle-aged mutant turtles, etc) that he can fight, but killing humanoids becomes problematic for the kind of guy he is (unlike Love of Magic's MC, who's got a higher bodycount than Kim Kardashian).
Anyway, I was working through the stuff that would need to change when it struck me that either I postpone this until after the Early Access launch, or I risk launching into EA while in the middle of open-heart surgery on the combat system. Not an ideal situation.
I decided to push the launch out, and skip Early Access altogether. Tentatively that's a rather optimistic End of September, but as always the truth is that it's done when it's done.
How does that change things for Patreons? Not much. Builds will keep coming, with new side content for Saoe, Mu Lau & Saffron and Lin now rendering. I'll be pushing out the first version of the refactored combat/upgrade system either next week or the week after, and then getting back to writing again.
As always, if you want a Steam Key to keep any eye on progress and help play-test, let me know. 
As always, thanks for the support, and let me know what you think in the comments.
Comments
Droid Productions
Development Branch is always latest.
Rellik6801
ok i had to uninstall and redo on steam, not showing any updates on there page,might be cuase not out out yet i will start a new run later, should on what they call stable beta or the development ?
Droid Productions
Any patreon that wants a key gets one; that's the best way to stay up-to date. Just let me know in the comments or DM me, and I'll send it out.
Rellik6801
Here or on steam ? im on the 4.0 from this site didnt see a option for that just 3 things start load etc. ? or do i need download again ?
Droid Productions
If you're on the Beta branch, I just updated a bunch of skills for Emily, Katie and Mu Lau this week.
Rellik6801
yeah on emily, she said she will teach me, but can not to get that working ?
Tim Adams
ok so I have 4 up twice with Light and Fire, I have also explored submission some and shadow. I look forward to new abilities Similar to Emily's.. lets face it exploding rules.
Droid Productions
Not really changing it, just rewrote it to make adding more skills easier, balancing easier and fix up various reported bugs and issues.
mazerunner
Keep the combat system simple. I enjoy playing for the story and the pictures!
Bruce Mellish
Middle-aged Mutant Turtles....? As opposed to Teenage Ninja ones ;)
Pax
Great news, Thanks!
Tor Cha
You know you keep Making Such Beautiful Renders, Your Lady may think that the renders are prettier than she is, & you know that's not true Your Lady is a very good looking Lady.
Droid Productions
The fights in the Maze would gain XP; I need to balance how much it does, but it should be similar to fighting Emily and Katie, maybe a little more if you min-max.
Droid Productions
Yes, it's a commonly requested feature :)
Pax
Will you add in a reset for how we spend our skill points so that we can try out different builds, given that preferred builds may no longer hold that position post gem combat reset?
Kaiko
Adding a replayable fighting system would take away time that seems needed to imptove skills. We already have the option to fight Emily and Katie in the Gym. Actually I think that is enough fighting option already.
