I can also see that causing some issues in the community, to see the entire game function fundamentally differently... while it is NOT in alpha.
While we are obviously not changing the perspective again, we are making some pretty huge changes. The issue of community acceptance or rejection of the new stuff is something that we take seriously, though, so we're taking some measures to make sure that people don't lose the current way things work while we are also giving everyone access to the new way things will work. Can't say more in detail about that yet, but for now I will misleadingly say that you can think of this as introducing two "modes" to the game. One that is the present way things work, for those who want to continue to have that experience and even the current art, and then a new way that has the new art and improved functionality and which will be where 99% of future development efforts are put for the game.
We have a pretty cool game at the moment, and we don't think that embarking on a new way for the game to work should do away with the stuff you already like. Now -- everything that I said above was true in the strictest sense of the word, but there were some definite half-truths there. Just so nobody calls me on that when we reveal what we're actually doing. We're trying to make sure that we can get a major press story out of this when we announce it, which seems likely -- but not if we blow the story here before that happens.
Plus all that stuff with tipping our hand too early in general, and then people jumping in with wrong assumptions, etc, etc.
Well, that's just super. Now I'm more confused than I was before. ....not that that's hard to achieve, hah.
Though I'm wondering exactly how dramatic of a change this is going to be, whatever it is. Doing things like revamping specific mechanics, like the crafting system, or stuff like that, is pretty dramatic as it is, when you think about it. Mostly, I'm hoping this isnt gonna change too much of the most basic fundamentals of the game: The game, in it's most basic description, is a randomly-generated Metroidvania-ish platformer with shmuppy sort of combat, with items, loot, and spells to get to power up your character, and a focus on exploring efficiently as opposed to trying to go through every room ever, and a world-map system that ties all the areas together and has some special functions of it's own. Those are what I consider the absolute basics, all of the more detailed mechanics then get built on top of that. Are we looking at changing/removal of any of these things, I wonder? Hoping not, but the possibility does occur to me.
Beyond that though, the idea of multiple "modes" intrigues me. I tend to find that games with many modes to choose from offer quite alot more content and replay value than games that just have ONE mode. I can think of a mode I'd love to see sometime, something like a boss rush mode. Love that idea in any shmup or in anything that's remotely like a shmup, and in platformers too.
Is this an idea that you've had in the works for awhile, or is this something that just suddenly came to you recently?
Well, I look forward to it, whatever it is. I'm gonna guess and say that it's probably something pretty awesome.
