Through the Dead City - (Interaction Range & Object Highlights)

The latest feature I’ve added is highlights on interactive objects(doors,windows,containers,etc.). With that, I’ve also finally changed the range of interaction to be within a few feet of each squad member. Objects within range have a green highlight and objects out of range have a red highlight when hovered over with the mouse.

This is just the first of a few new things I have planned for Alpha 0_0_0_4, but I’ll be busy this weekend since I’ve decided to take part in Ludum Dare 26.

You can download and follow Through the Dead City on Indie DB.

Through the Dead City - Alpha 0_0_0_3 Update! The latest version of Through the Dead City is available to download on IndieDB. Alpha 0_0_0_3 Change list: support for more screen resolutions GUI placement corrected for different screen resolutions the game now pauses and mutes when not the active window player no longer loses their items upon death (other survivors still have perma-death and drop their items) Slightly improved survivor AI & spawning Option Settings are now saved (there are still currently no game saves though) Link to feedback/Bug Report form on the pause screen Improved title screen Fixed bug where melee weapons would hit the same target multiple times per swing. Pressing ‘R’ will no longer show the reload animation if your weapon is already full. Holding melee attack button will keep swinging automatically Check out the News Post for more details.
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Through the Dead City - Alpha 0_0_0_3 Update!

The latest version of Through the Dead City is available to download on IndieDB.

Through the Dead City - Alpha 0_0_0_3

Alpha 0_0_0_3 Change list:

  • support for more screen resolutions
  • GUI placement corrected for different screen resolutions
  • the game now pauses and mutes when not the active window
  • player no longer loses their items upon death (other survivors still have perma-death and drop their items)
  • Slightly improved survivor AI & spawning
  • Option Settings are now saved (there are still currently no game saves though)
  • Link to feedback/Bug Report form on the pause screen
  • Improved title screen
  • Fixed bug where melee weapons would hit the same target multiple times per swing.
  • Pressing ‘R’ will no longer show the reload animation if your weapon is already full.
  • Holding melee attack button will keep swinging automatically

Check out the News Post for more details.

Through the Dead City - (Alpha Release!) It’s finally here! I’ve posted the first alpha build to IndieDB and it has been Authorized. If you want to give it a shot, here’s the download page. I’ve also posted a news update on IndieDB explaining everything but that might take a little while before it goes through. If you have any trouble figuring things out, you can send me a message/ask on tumblr and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. If you do try it out, you can let me know what you think by filling out this quick little feedback form. Thanks to anyone who does!
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Through the Dead City - (Alpha Release!)

It’s finally here! I’ve posted the first alpha build to IndieDB and it has been Authorized. If you want to give it a shot, here’s the download page.

I’ve also posted a news update on IndieDB explaining everything but that might take a little while before it goes through. If you have any trouble figuring things out, you can send me a message/ask on tumblr and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

If you do try it out, you can let me know what you think by filling out this quick little feedback form.

Thanks to anyone who does!

Through the Dead City - (Health Items and Alpha Release Date) Well, I’ve finally decided on an alpha release date. I’m going to be uploading the current build to IndieDB on March 31st. I have my fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly! As for actual game updates, Yesterday I took the day to add the health items. There are: Bandages: heals 10 HP Pills: heals 25 HP Med-Kits: heals 50 HP Syringe: heals 100 HP Other than that, I’ve been working on a lot of little tweaks and bug fixes. You can now right click items to use them. If it’s a weapon, it’ll equip it to whichever survivor has it in their inventory. Health items will heal whoever is holding them as well. I’ve also added a delay between melee weapon swings because they were ridiculously overpowered if you can click fast enough or in the hands of the AI. Fall damage is another thing I added recently which I keep forgetting about. I used to jump off buildings once I reached the top, so now I still do it impulsively sometimes and realize half way down that I’m just plummeting to my death. Follow Through the Dead City on IndieDB!
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Through the Dead City - (Health Items and Alpha Release Date)

Well, I’ve finally decided on an alpha release date. I’m going to be uploading the current build to IndieDB on March 31st. I have my fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly!

As for actual game updates, Yesterday I took the day to add the health items.

There are:

  • Bandages: heals 10 HP
  • Pills: heals 25 HP
  • Med-Kits: heals 50 HP
  • Syringe: heals 100 HP

Other than that, I’ve been working on a lot of little tweaks and bug fixes. You can now right click items to use them. If it’s a weapon, it’ll equip it to whichever survivor has it in their inventory. Health items will heal whoever is holding them as well. I’ve also added a delay between melee weapon swings because they were ridiculously overpowered if you can click fast enough or in the hands of the AI. Fall damage is another thing I added recently which I keep forgetting about. I used to jump off buildings once I reached the top, so now I still do it impulsively sometimes and realize half way down that I’m just plummeting to my death.

Follow Through the Dead City on IndieDB!

Through the Dead City - (New Inventory Update)

Sorry for the delay since my last update. I was away for a couple weeks and didn’t get any time to work on TTDC. This week, however, I did have a lot of time so I redid the inventory system. The old one was really basic and frustrating to use once you had more than one survivor in your squad.

The new system shows the inventories of all your squad mates at the same time. This way you can quickly trade items around between your squad mates. I’ve also worked on the actual mechanics of the inventory system. It’s now possible to split a stack of items by holding “Ctrl” while clicking and dragging.

I’m working towards an early alpha build that I’ll let people play hopefully before the end of March. Since this is my first time, if anyone has any suggestions or advice on how to go about releasing an alpha, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Through the Dead City on IndieDB

Through the Dead City - (Building Update)

I’ve started adding some new building types to TTDS. It IS supposed to be a city after all.  So far I’ve got 2 variations of regular office buildings. The interiors are the same as the houses for now though, I’ll have to add some office props next.

Through the Dead City on IndieDB

Through (Update) I’ve added health and ammo displays for the survivors. There’s also larger displays in the bottom corners of the screen for the health and ammo of the current player controlled survivor. Other than that, I’ve just been cleaning up the code a bit. I’ve been busy with other things lately so I don’t want to start working on anything too big. Cleaning things up lets me feel like I’m still working on the game but can be done in short bursts rather than dedicating a huge chunk of time to implementing a new feature.
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Through (Update)

I’ve added health and ammo displays for the survivors. There’s also larger displays in the bottom corners of the screen for the health and ammo of the current player controlled survivor.

Other than that, I’ve just been cleaning up the code a bit. I’ve been busy with other things lately so I don’t want to start working on anything too big. Cleaning things up lets me feel like I’m still working on the game but can be done in short bursts rather than dedicating a huge chunk of time to implementing a new feature.

Stress Test

(This video does not represent normal gameplay!)

The video is of a stress test to see how much stuff I can have going on at the same time. Fraps kills the frame rate a little; Without it, I could get similar results with 100 survivors. But there will almost definitely never be this many survivors, zombies and items on screen during a normal play-through of the game anyways.

Between Dark Souls and Borderlands 2, I haven’t spent much of my free time working on the game this past week. I did, however finish the ammo system to my liking. When you equip or reload a gun, it takes the required ammo out of your inventory. Unequipping or dropping the gun replaces the ammo left in the clip into your inventory. That way you won’t lose any ammo when dropping a gun.