KickStarter Mechajammer (formerly Copper Dreams) - cyberpunk RPG from Whalenought Studios

[jungl]

is this the real cyberpunk 2077?

 

[mediocrepoet]

is this the real cyberpunk 2077?

It is the Cyberpunk that will be released in 2077 if that's what you mean.

 

[buffalo bill]

 

[grimace]

See: https://whalenoughtstudios.com/community/forums/topic/build-update-log/

joseph

[ NEXT ]
___________( 5.15)___________

___________for testing

* Character creation clarity
* All melee weapon types included with respective ranges for testing.

___________ui

* cursors and KO/suppressing fire gauge updated for more clarity
* psycho/stim/ailment dice additions to rolls

___________art

* Adjusted character sprites (easier to target, more clarity, more iso perspective)

[ PREV ]
___________( 5.14)___________

___________ testing

* stun grenades
* character creation
* adjustments for UI for clarity

___________ implemented

* character creation UI
* small mutant town area to run around and test basics

 

[buffalo bill]

Every iteration has gotten better (though there are still the same bugs I mentioned earlier, like I am stuck with "female face #1" regardless of my choice at character creation, the exit to menu button doesn't work so I have to control+alt+delete to close the game, and there is some sort of funny formatting problem with the skill points in the character screen after the game starts).

I LOVE that they made dialogues skippable. It was getting annoying watching the same dialogue slowly appear every time I started a new game.

Getting items off of the ground was a pain in the ass pixel hunt in the previous iteration, and it is better now, but the best was when nearby items on the ground would show up on the side of the screen and you wouldn't have to find just the right spot on the map to click to pick up the tiny ammo item or whatever. Not sure why they dropped that system.

Really, it feels smoother and smoother in combat. Recently, the only way I play the beta is to get some weapons (and maybe a companion or two, though they make the game too easy) and then start a fight with the thugs-for-hire who are hanging out in a corner of the map. They actually have weapons and can kill you if you are not careful—it's the only interesting fight in the current map. Genuinely fun, and I actually have to think about what to do.

Something I really don't like is the "warp technology" that instantly brings you back at location X on the map with full health and all your items any time you die. It makes dying trivial. There was a moment when the beta had battle-mode and one of the maps had permadeath. It really, actually made the game way more intense and fun thinking you could not die or that was it. Of course, I play roguelikes, and in general I like games of that sort—with actual consequences for your actions that cannot be reversed with the click of a button—but I guess the devs are not planning on making a game with permadeath, and I guess they think that by making death trivial it will eliminate the need for save-scumming. But really, it would be better if death were not trivial.

Here's an alternative idea (that I know they won't implement because most game players are too casual): autosave at the beginning of a map, and allow the player to revert back to that save any time they want. Also allow the player to save and quit any time after that (but not to save-and-NOT-quit), but if death occurs, the player can only go bak to the autosave at the beginning of the map.

Really anything other than the current system in which death makes absolutely no difference to you in the game.

Oh, also keyboard controls are nice, but there should be additional controls for diagonal movement. Out of combat you can hold down two x/y-axis buttons to move diagonally, but currently keyboard inputs don't allow for diagonal movement in combat. And sometimes I want to walk diagonally, damnit.

 

[cyborgboy95]

Something I really don't like is the "warp technology" that istantly brings you back at location X on the map with full health and all your items any time you die. It makes dying trivial. There was a moment when the beta had battle-mode and one of the maps had permadeath. It really, actually made the game way more intense and fun thinking you could not die or that was it. Of course, I play roguelikes, and in general I like games of that sort—with actual consequences for your actions that cannot be reversed with the click of a button—but I guess the devs are not planning on making a game with permadeath, and I guess they think that by making death trivial it will eliminate the need for save-scumming. But really, it would be better if death were not trivial.

Here's an alternative idea (that I know they won't implement because most game players are too casual): autosave at the beginning of a map, and allow the player to revert back to that save any time they want. Also allow the player to save and quit any time after that (but not to save-and-NOT-quit), but if death occurs, the player can only go bak to the autosave at the beginning of the map.

Really anything other than the current system in which death makes absolutely no difference to you in the game.

I can live with a lenient approach to death & resurrection as long as the enemies revert back to full health when you die... do they?

 

[buffalo bill]

Something I really don't like is the "warp technology" that istantly brings you back at location X on the map with full health and all your items any time you die. It makes dying trivial. There was a moment when the beta had battle-mode and one of the maps had permadeath. It really, actually made the game way more intense and fun thinking you could not die or that was it. Of course, I play roguelikes, and in general I like games of that sort—with actual consequences for your actions that cannot be reversed with the click of a button—but I guess the devs are not planning on making a game with permadeath, and I guess they think that by making death trivial it will eliminate the need for save-scumming. But really, it would be better if death were not trivial.

Here's an alternative idea (that I know they won't implement because most game players are too casual): autosave at the beginning of a map, and allow the player to revert back to that save any time they want. Also allow the player to save and quit any time after that (but not to save-and-NOT-quit), but if death occurs, the player can only go bak to the autosave at the beginning of the map.

Really anything other than the current system in which death makes absolutely no difference to you in the game.

I can live with a lenient approach to death & resurrection as long as the enemies revert back to full health when you die... do they?

Well, health regenerates pretty quickly as time passes. And sometimes more enemies spawn. I think enemy spawning happens when I piss off everyone in town though (but can't be sure tbh).

But the enemies you have killed will still be dead.

 

[buffalo bill]

 

[buffalo bill]

 

[buffalo bill]

Joe responded to a post I made on the forum (basically the same as my last in-depth post here about bugs and criticism of the current "warp" system and so forth). I find the care taken in his response to be super impressive.

Hey— thanks for the list, the in-game user reporting will be coming with 6.0 so those will be easier to track.

Noted points on all, thanks for aggregating all those!

_____________

This area was just testing Character Creation implementation and a variety of system odds and ends in-game, those fights weren't really designed at all. 6.0 will have a variety of combat difficulty scenarios though.

We can add the QWEASDZXC diagonal buttons in the keyboard screen, some of those are designated as other hotkeys at the moment, but those can be dragged around. I think you can only move diagonally on the keyboard right now by pressing two direction at the same time, which, yeah, isn't precise.

Inventory ground items are going to be a bit larger to be easier to click in the next build or two — I hear you though. We can add those pop-ups on the side again to toggle through, maybe optionally, as we didn't necessarily want to clutter the screen space too much. They were becoming problematic because there were more items than keys on the keyboard, but we'll at least have them up to click on to give an alternative to the pixel hunt. Thoughts on keyboard clicks for those (arrow,tab?)

______________

As for the star trek warping, the actual open-world gameplay will [ hopefully ] ensure re-spawning is not trivial, and we'll be doing that with an assortment of punishments a player would rather avoid. It's certainly gamey, but not FILTHY CASUAL like rapid-fire save/reloading.

Something like the save on map load and then just on-exit was an idea we had a while ago as well — issue being there aren't maps (it's all seamless), and that can still lead to scumming around a map, and we want to simplify that. Obviously just making it permadeath would be the answer, but the game isn't as randomized as it would need to be for that to be interesting, and it's somewhat story heavy by our standards so redoing that over and over wouldn't be fun.

Getting that snappy Diablo death/reload is the current goal for keeping it progressing but making you think twice before getting killed. Warp punishments in progress for 6.0 are:

* leaving all your items on ground (TBD on if this is just from scavenger-like NPCs killing you and taking it all, or just every time. Will be looking on feedback for what seems fair)

* developing mutations on warp — ( curable with certain medicines at clinics )
* developing mutations based on what killed you

* getting warp-blocked and healed elsewhere. This happens in a few events in-game, and more frequently if MFI (the city enforcers) drop you and you end up in a prison, or if Slavers/Pit fighters find you and set you up in the pits.

* Enemies repopulate — healing takes ~8 hours, and in that time certain types of enemies can repopulate an area. If you're attacking a holdout of scavengers, as you do in the 6.0 build, scavengers will completely repopulate in 24 hours, unless you wipe them out or turn off the base.

* Simple distance away due to map size. Especially if items are left behind, getting back to your previous location means stealing/getting a vehicle and returning, an adventure in and of itself if the area is dangerous.

_________

The mutants in 5.0 are constantly coming out of the jungle anyway, so them re-emerging after time isn't a thing. We'll be looking for more feedback on that once we get to 6.0, as that will be the first sizable map in the game and have typical dungeon areas for a gameplay flow.

Cheers!

 

[buffalo bill]

From Hannah in the forum:

Cheers, send the Codex my love

 

[buffalo bill]

From forum:

Followup on these for testing —

Dialogue is getting comic bubbles for player responses (as well as larger NPC panel for more animations) that you can just tap on for confirmation. Ground items now popup on the top right, and you can tab through and press (currently) G to pop into inventory if space is available.

We also came up with a suitable design for a grid based inventory that’s still to a cozy standard, that should be more organized, though there will have to be be more nested bags. Or pack-mule homeless people to follow you around.

These will be in either the next build for testing or the following. 9 directional keyboard keys is in as well.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Was it Ultima VII styled clusterfuck before?

 

[buffalo bill]

On the forum I asked about the possibility of implementing sorting tabs in the inventory. Here's Joe's response:

Thanks! Yeah it’s sort of a Resident Evil 4 perspective version, digging it.

It’s not a hill I’ll die on, but I’m hesitant to add too much Excel/spreadsheet functionality into what’s supposed to be part of the game, but I hear you. It’s a balance between the desired experience of simulating an adventure’s worth of stuff in your packs, and not making it too much of a chore. It comes down to the itemization and how much you’re actually picking up, too. If we wanted to streamline it we’d just make a big grid for a text, which of course is an option, but not quite as immersive.

To help with that:

* character weight limitation based off Virtue: Muscle Mass

* not having tons of garbage crafting components

* not having a need to vacuum everything, as items will show sell value in their description

The advanced game of inventory management will be equipping your companions with whatever you find, or offloading heavier sellable items onto them and getting back to a shop

Nested bags will of course be an added step to getting to certain items, but I like the simulation of that. Stuff needs to be carried in stuff!

We’ll continue to tweak if it’s looking too tedious during an actual dungeon jaunt of items in 6.0. This first updated version will be in the next build tonight.

"not having tons of garbage crafting components" = incline imo

 

[buffalo bill]

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

Mechajammer is a MECHASLAMMER!

Thank me for that headline, PC Gamer.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[Lacrymas]

I don't get what this game is supposed to be gameplay-wise? RPG, but a snappy death/load mechanic? Is it like Hotline Miami or something?

 

[Baron Dupek]

Why not make RPG and small spin-offs / unlockables / game mods in Extras menu, where they turn this game into different, more action focused genre (some arena mode would be nice) as a bonus.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[Pearass]

I must admit to becoming a skeptic after witnessing all the artstyle changes (and the odd name change), but I truly appreciate all the little development snapshots being dolled out recently. I enjoy the style, and I hope that they do not change it again. I wish nothing but the best for Hannah and Joe.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[Siveon]

Well, again, after all of that I'm happy they're still making a product I want. Heck it's PS1 again. Please, just, stop changing that and I'll be okay. It's a little too painful. At this point I don't think I can take another art style I like be thrown away.

Good monkey. I wonder if they're thinking of adding a robot companion..?