Refining the concept

Solveland is still being worked on! However, there were several points that had to be addressed in order to progress further into development.

New Features

The game and the concept needed some refining work. The core of the game still is the same, which is solving puzzles. However, in the downtime, there needs something else that the player can do.  Something that keeps the player interested and that helps created rewards for solving puzzles. There will be collectibles in the game, but they will not be essential. More on this will come.

Research into multiple topics

During the refining of time concept time, I had to do research on a lot of different topics. Ranging from being stuck in Unreal or the game itself, to finding new ways to keep the player interested in solving puzzles. 

Converted planning to Trello

During the time off, I also converted my planning to Trello. This will keep me organized and prepared. It is always clear to me what I can do on a daily basis.

Tools were created

Bridge Tool

Something that I had no experience with, was creating tools. This tool helps me create bridges between floating islands in a much faster pace, compared to creating separate bridges in 3D software. 

Fence Tool

Like the bridge tool, I have also created a tool for fencing. Which helps out a tremendous amount. There will be more tools in the future that will help me grow understanding the engine, blueprinting, and speed up the development process.

Improved overall User Experience

Puzzle Overview Boards

The game contained several issues regarding the user experience and readability of the puzzle. One solution that I have added to the game is an overview board, that showcases in real-time the state of each puzzle. 

Endpoint per level

Based on feedback that I have received near the end of my graduation project, which was that it would be nice to have a visual endpoint sticking out at the end of each puzzle. A great point that will also increase the overall user experience. 

Decreased height of the ruins

The height of the ruins was a big issue. It causes the problem that there was nearly no way for the player to understand what was happening on the other side of a rotating cube. The previous two points also help a ton in that area, but being able to see what paths the cube in front of you is creating, is very much needed. The height can be one thing, but as long as the player can see what is happening behind the wall in front of the player is crucial. 

A tutorial is being worked on

A proper tutorial is in the work, which will help explain the backstory of the game, an introduction of the mechanics that the player possesses, and the overall goal of the game.

Tooltips are being added

Tooltips are also added to the game. Some of them might be temporary. I hope one day to be able to replace most tooltips with voice lines. 

Demo first

The game was getting quite large and lengthy with all the different puzzles. I was focusing a ton on adding puzzles and levels to showcase the puzzle design skills that I gained during the creation of this project. However, now that I am trying to work this project towards a full release, I had to take a step back to see how it all connects. To get a grasp of the project scale and to get a functional and visually pleasing build, I should be focusing on creating a small part of the game first, a demo, a vertical slice. 

My focus and energy are going to the first hub of the game. This contains the tutorial, introduction of the game mechanics, and a bit of the backstory. My goal is to create this section to a finished or nearly finished state first.

Thank you

The reason why I write these devlogs is to log my work publicly. To give a sense of pressure to me. However, I am always open to feedback and constructive criticism. If you have a question or feedback, feel free to leave it below! Thank you again for reading!