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Games Wishmere – pixel 2D fighting game [out now on PC/Mac/Linux]

Discussion in 'Works In Progress - Archive' started by CrayderStudios, Jul 4, 2015.

  1. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    About:

    Wishmere is an accessible brawler-fighting game that is a mix of Smash and the wilder elements of Blazblue and Guilty Gear. Our intention was to make something that was fun for single players, co-op, and versus (both casual and competitive players).

    You can play it like a beat-em-up or a competitive fighting game (we have taken great effort to balance the game! :D)

    Story:

    The game's story revolves around the eternal battle between The God of Dreams and his arch-nemesis Doubt. When the world is being overrun by Doubt's forces, Elreed, the King empowers 6 teenagers to be his fighting team called the Wishmere in order to battle Doubt.


    Gameplay:


    We wanted players to feel like Wishmere could be played flexibly (single player, co-op or versus). Accessibility is a big thing for us, as we know that some fighting games are hard to get into. To address this, we've added several gameplay elements to keep things easy for players to jump in (simple inputs, slowing down time, Skill Trees to upgrade your character, a 4 player co-op mode)

    In Wishmere, players can play with a keyboard, a gamepad or even a fightstick.


    Features:
    • Simpler inputs – similar to Smash, but simpler (direction + attack button, i.e. no tilts).
    • Fate system – can use a full Fate gauge to a) slow time to a crawl (allow setups or extend combos) or b) break out of any damage
    • Edge – gauge-based character maneuvers that accentuate a character's playstyle, depending on the character (eg: a teleport to a point on the screen or a critical hit for the next successful attack)
    • Skill Trees
    • Movement - Airdashing, running, throws and blocking
    • Several game modes – 4 player co-op beat-em-up style to take down a boss at the end of a stage; single player story mode to learn the lore or fight against your friends with up to 4 players
    Progress:

    Currently, we're 85% complete! Right now, we've finished all work on our playable characters, backgrounds, enemies, bosses. We just need to work on story mode elements, polish up, test and add some little extras in there. We're close, guys! :D

    About Us:

    We're Crayder Studios, a two-man team who just happen to also be brothers (the real kind!). We've been working on Wishmere since 2015.

    The game's soundtrack is being done by Zack Parrish, who composed the OST for Valdis Story. As a preview, check out Wishemere's main theme track here and a character track here.

    Where can I get it?

    You can get Wishmere on Early Access on Steam, Humble or itch.io. We'd love to hear from you and help us make Wishmere the best it can be: any feedback you have is good!

    For more information, our website has movelists, screenshots and details about the game system.

    Thanks all!

    EDIT: first post rehauled
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2017
  2. LaneDavis

    LaneDavis

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    This deserves some attention. The animation looks nice, and the pixel FX are gorgeous.

    I'm excited to test out the multiplayer - particularly the team-up supers. Any idea on whether that stuff will find its way into the upcoming free build?
     
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  3. Grimbyte

    Grimbyte

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    Really cool looking game, keep it up!
     
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  4. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    @LaneDavis : Thank you for the comments! Our artist was really pleased you said that.

    Yes, we are planning on having multiplayer functionality and team-up supers in the upcoming build. We're planning to have one fully functional stage, so players can experience the game's main features. That way we can also get some great feedback from the community.


    @Grimbyte : Thanks Grimbyte!
     
  5. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #1:

    Hey guys. We've been working the main character, whose name is Earle, Super Arts (our super moves), which have just been completed. We're quite happy with how the Super Arts compliment Earle's playstyle, and we're excited for people to try it out for themselves.

    Earle's Level 2 Super Art, obliterating 3 enemies.
    We've also been working on the functionality of interactable items, such as health or H-Gauge refills. We've implemented "Pack Enemies", high priority enemies that carry valuable items.

    Poor guy was just minding his own business.
    We're planning on releasing some footage very soon, so keep a lookout for that!
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2015
  6. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #2:

    Hey guys. We're really excited to give you our first video log for Wishmere! It's the first of a running video series that will explain the mechanics and newest features as Wishmere is developed.


    In terms of development, our recent focus was sprite layering. 2D Beat'em ups as a genre place great importance on sprite layering, as it indicates depth on what is really 2D. We have been working on fine tuning more complex sprite layering, focusing on how layering affects directional dynamic lighting. This will add a stronger sense of realism to the game.

    Finally, Wishmere's logo has received a visual upgrade!



    Our latest logo was created by the talented MossedNeuronn. You can view his other works here.

     
  7. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #3:

    Hope everyone's having a good week. These last couple of days have been pretty busy for Wishmere. We've announced our second playable character, Safford! Safford is Elreed's most trusted companion. We're excited to show you his moves and playstyle soon, which will be sometime in the near future.


    With Earle gravely injured, Safford is determined to protect him.

    We've also been working on two player functionality, which is coming along well. The playable build will have both Safford and Earle fully playable in one stage, so that's exciting to work on.

    As things continue to flesh out, the next main gameplay element we've slated to develop are the stage features. Dynamic item spawns values (more health when more injured etc.) and scaling enemy difficulty based on the number of players are all heading your way. Will keep you posted!
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2015
  8. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #4:

    Hello everyone. Time flew by these past few days and I can't believe we're already at the end of the month. How about those Evolution 2015 Ultra Street Fighter finals and GGXrd drama though? Great stuff by the competitors this year. This past week, we've worked on many things on Wishmere.

    We've worked on Safford and he's got almost all his attacks done and his meta is coming along nicely. He's not a straight forward in-your-face brawler like Earle and provides an alternative gameplay style for players. He's mid-ranged and a little slower than Earle in movement and attack speed, so he's not so suited in the heart of the fray.

    Safford's Ability utilizes his sword for a mid-ranged attack.

    Safford's movespeed is a little bit slower than Earle.
    We've also worked on the UI on the game, which we're trying to get the look and feel of it right, even on our demo. And to top it all off, we've worked on smoothening out bugs and working on the flow of the game.


    We're nearing playable completion of our game, so a free playable demo is coming up real soon. Looking forward to hearing everyone's feedback!
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2015
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  9. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #5:

    Hey everyone. It's been an extremely crazy week for Wishmere. We're in the midst of finishing our alpha build so everyone can give it a go! We're very close to releasing it, so we've been pulling up our socks very high (and our sanity might be affected).

    We're working on finalizing our actual in-game backgrounds for the game. In our screenshots thus far, we were using a placeholder background to illustrate what the actual background will look like. We're proud to say that the new background designs for Wishmere are going to really compliment our visual vision for the game!


    A sneak peek of the Teamup Combination!
    We've worked on and finalized a big feature in our game this week: the TeamUp Combination. It further accentuates traits specific to the characters and at times, even demonstrates the camaraderie between the two characters through post-attack taunts and through the character animations. Every combination of characters have their own TeamUp Combination (and they're not always an attack). The TeamUp Combination is only available in Co-Op play.

    Doubt looms.
    We've also finished up working on character animations for the demo; and that means a glimpse of our final boss: Doubt! He's pure evil and has no redeeming qualities about him. He lives as long as there is evil in the world. And he also has yellow teeth and yellow eyes, so his hygiene probably isn't very good.


    We can't wait to show you guys the demo!
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2015
  10. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #6
    Hello all. There have been a tons of things worked on for Wishmere! The alpha build is solidifying and the day of release is near! Please do keep a look out for the alpha build release and don't worry; we will notify you!

    Earle discusses his training with Elreed and Safford.
    One feature that has been finished and implemented for our alpha build is the Dialogue and Cutscene mechanic. In Wishmere, you can be contacted by Elreed, the King of Dreams. In these conversations (which not all are mandatory to sit through), you'll get to know more about the lore of Wishmere, some fleshing out of the characters and even some tips on how to progress in the stage. I'd say it is very reminiscent of the Lost Vikings and Megaman X series in particular.

    Safford exploring the new background.
    We're also very happy to show off our first actual in-game background! We find it fits Wishmere much more than the previous one. We've added new dynamic lighting to the stage and have reduced the 'bevel' in the lighting to make it more atmospheric and less 'realistic'. Let us know what you think. We're looking to fine-tune the dynamic lighting to the stage as we progress development. We feel this new lighting really gives it 'presence'.

    The Lives System in action.
    We've also implemented a Life system, where when players reach 0 HP, they'll be knocked unconscious and return back to life, but at a cost of a Life. We felt this was necessary as the game was starting to feel a little difficult, but worry not; it's still a real challenge and besides, there'll still be plenty of time to work out the kinks and play around with the meta of the game; which we're really excited to get players in on!

    Have a great week ahead, and do keep up to date with us on Twitter!
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2015
  11. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #7

    Wow, how time passes so quickly. There's so much to Wishmere content to get you guys up to date on. Gameplay stuff and even a Steam Greenlight announcement; so let's get started!


    Earle disposes of enemies while water flows behind.

    We've finally got the animation and motion down in our first stage, known as 'the Prologue'. In the stage, we've got flowing water from a sewer pipe and some faulty lights that give the sewers a dark and slightly ominous feel. We felt that both the dynamic lighting and the animation will be the factors are what will help give each stage a different feel.


    A rough representation of the bombs mini-game. Edits like the shadows changing in size will be added soon.

    In addition, we've also implemented our mini-game section that will be interspersed between sections of combat. It'll challenge the players to think fast on their feet, react with strategy (hopefully) and even have a little extra fun beating their teammates (if they are playing co-op). Here's a little teaser on what to expect with the mini-games. Expect this to be much grander in the actual game / demo!


    Dove enters the battle, ready for the fight ahead.

    We've also added our third playable character, Dove! She's wields a magical bow and excels from far ranged situations, but is perfectly capable of beating enemies up from up close too. She has a variety of far ranged tools and an interesting mechanic that makes her unique compared to the rest of the cast.


    Wishmere will be hitting Steam Greenlight very soon (around a week's time), and we've got a great trailer coming out to show everyone what they can expect from Wishmere. In addition, we've got some other announcements coming up, so do stay tuned!
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2015
  12. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #8

    Hello everyone! How has September been treating everyone so far? We've got an important update for Wishmere in today's devlog; we're very excited.


    And as stated in our previous blog, we've got annoucements to make: first, Wishmere will be hitting Steam Greenlight within a week or so. Do keep an eye out for it!


    Also, in the developmental team side of things, we would like to welcome two very talented people to the Wishmere project. First, we have a reoccuring collaborator in the speciality of music composition, Gas1312. Gas1312 will be doing the entire music soundtrack for Wishmere. And last but not least, we have a fantastic and talented artist in Lachlan Cartland, who will be working with us to craft the in-game backgrounds. The detail in his stages is tremendous and we're really happy to have him on board!


    Dove is deadly at both long and close range.

    We've added Dove's Abilities, which focus on utilizing her bow and arrow for far range destruction. She can zone out her enemies extremely well and when the going gets tough, has some close ranged attacks that'll allow her to stuff enemies who fall between the cracks.


    Safford slashing through enemies on the Space Station.

    We've also added another stage to the game, the Space Station. It's a space bridge built around a mysterious planet. In the background, there is a nebula-like star that looms over the players. It's definitely our most sci-fi stage and it'll be inhabited by artificially created enemies.


    Keep a lookout for us in the next couple of days, where we'll announce our Greenlight page and also one more character in the works!
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2015
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  13. TheValar

    TheValar

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    This looks super cool! Love the sword attack and the sewer waterfall animation!

    How do you have everything set up for movement along the "z" axis?
     
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  14. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Thanks for the kind words TheValar!

    We made the Z axis the same as the Y axis. So the Y value indicates how deep into the background the character is, which controls our sprite layering.
     
  15. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Are you using colliders and physics at all for jumping/knockback or doing it all manually?
     
  16. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    We had a specific vision for the physics of Wishmere to be modeled after fighting games, so we ended up using a combination of our own mechanics and Unity based physics.
     
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  17. TheValar

    TheValar

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    Cool! Based on the GIFs you did a great job capturing that classic fighting game feel
     
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  18. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Thank you! We're huge fans of the fighting game genre and it was really important to us to get it right. It really means a lot that you feel it's been captured well.
     
  19. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #9

    Hello everyone! Today is a big day for us and Wishmere. Character announcements and Greenlight announcements and no sleep (kidding... I think). Lots of exciting stuff these past few days!

    First off, Wishmere has hit Steam Greenlight! This is the first step in being able to release the game, and we hope to release it to Steam, along with other platforms that we've been eyeing. First, we have to pass Greenlight; then there are a lot of exciting things in line after that. You can check out the page at: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=506763848. Do cast a vote and share it with you friends if you can!


    Earle and Safford use their TeamUp Combination!
    As for development, we've been working hard at adding all the Abilities and working on balance and the stage development. The game is now at a stage where it can be released as a beta! If all goes well, it should be very soon. We've also finalized our first TeamUp Combination! We hope it scores high on the wow-factor as its one of our favorite features. The quivering dynamic lighting on the beam was a lot of fun to get done, due to its 'shakiness'.

    Spritz can control enemies from afar using his telekinesis.
    And finally, we've announced our fourth playable character: Spritz. Spritz is a lumbering giant who is turned into a robot and has the ability to cast forcefields and use telekinesis to defend himself (and his teammates) from enemy attacks; and also can be used to attack enemies. He's a little weak on the melee side of things, but has tons of tricks to get by and do some damage.


    So, do check out our Steam Greenlight page for Wishmere and cast a vote. We're really excited to get the game out and hear everyone's feedback; but first: Greenlight! Thanks everyone.[/SPOILER]
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2016
  20. imaginaryhuman

    imaginaryhuman

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    Very cool, but way too many gif anims on one page ;-)
     
  21. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Haha thank you. And yes, perhaps I should hide the older GIF's behind spoiler tags!
     
  22. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #10

    What a great few days for Wishmere! Wishmere has been on Steam Greenlight for about 2 days now and it's been so exciting. We've all been working hard on the development of Wishmere for the past 4 months and we're thankful for everyone's feedback, good or bad. It's been a great feeling to get to share something we've been working on for this long, so thanks everyone for the support so far. If you haven't checked out Wishmere's Greenlight page, head over to http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=506763848 and cast a vote!


    These few days we've been working on adding in the boss of the Space Station stage. He's a scientist that uses technology to become a robot. For his design, we've tried to incorporate some robots inspired by anime and Transformers. We couldn't quite decide on his stance, so here's a look as how we fared:



    A few of sketches of the robot boss


    Once we chose a stance, the details were filled out


    The final product. Do you think we made the right selection?

    We also worked on getting the flow of the game set up, down to character interactions / conversations, hammering out everyone's meta (changing values for damage for instance, or an attack radius); just gearing up for our demo / Beta. Also, here's a quick bug that occurred during our playtesting that we found funny and a little reminiscent of Ranma.


    Don't think she was supposed to turn into Earle there...

    Thanks again for the support and interest everyone!
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2015
  23. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #11:

    Wishmere has been Greenlit! Thank you everyone for your support and interest in Wishmere over the course of our Greenlight campaign. It was an exciting and a stressful time, and we're happy that we made it through without much loss of sleep or sanity.


    Now that we are through Greenlight, we aim to release a demo and an Ongoing Beta to the public very soon! Our demo will be free, with 1 or 2 characters playable over the course of 1 stage. The gameplay and features will be intact and will give players a good taste of what Wishemre is about. Our Ongoing Beta will be a progressive release with constant weekly updates, while we get feedback from players and try implementing a variety of things to see what works best for the game. We've got a lot of variances in mind, so we hope to involve the players with the process to see what is best!


    We're very excited to move on to the Ongoing Beta phase of Wishmere.

    For this week while monitoring the Greenlight campaign, we've worked on the UI and HUD end of things. We've upgraded the UI to a smoother and sleeker feel, and added in the menu screens as we head towards the release of our Ongoing Beta and demo combo.


    The new UI is sleeker in design.
    Also, we have continued to work on the character meta, Skills and Abilities. This is something we're taking a lot of pride in, because in Wishmere, the differences between the characters are intentional, and the Abilities they have are what rounds out their classes (Fighter, Sharpshooter, Support, and so on). For example, some characters excel from afar, while others protect their teammates while pushing enemies around towards the more melee centric characters. And while you fight, you'll build up your characters by upgrading different Skill sets to craft your own build. This is something we feel will bring an extra flavor to the game.

    Visual representations of a character's strengths and weaknesses.
    We'd like to do another dev log entry that will include the breakdown of the different terms and systems in Wishmere soon! Thanks!
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2016
  24. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #12:

    Hello! How's everyone doing? Our apologies for being away for some time; as there was lots of Wishmere related dev work, admin and mountain climbing (literally). There have been tons of progress on the game, so let's begin.

    After working on a Skill Upgrade matrix, so we can determine the potential builds characters can go into, we've implemented a Skill Upgrade system. By defeating bosses and exploring the stage, players collect Supercharged Hope Crystals (SHC for short). Players can upgrade their character's Skills into different builds. Some upgrades are more costly than others, but this is to achieve a nice balance between the characters and also keep things interesting for player's spending habits. Skill Upgrades can affect anything from walking speeds, character specific Abilities or even alter how an Ability works. We're hoping this will lead players to exploring the potential for each character and find the best builds.

    Earle's upgraded Super Art 2 shoots two projectiles instead of 1
    We've also worked hard on the second stage, the Space Station. This stage is quite different from a traditional beat 'em up, in that the main enemies and obstacles are projectile related, so it involves a lot of dodging and planning instead of running headlong into the fray. We're happy to say that we're planning to have our stages all have their own 'personality and design', both on an aesthetic level and from a gameplay level.

    A need to navigate: a pure bullet storm!
    And lastly, we're very close to releasing the Ongoing Beta version of Wishmere. Our Ongoing Beta is a combination of how Early Access functions, in that we'll be developing over time, and also draws inspiration from how fighting games balance their games (in their tests, they're called location tests / loketests), in that we plan to get player feedback as often as possible and try to shake things up with forms of A / B testing for some of the game's features. For those who would like to just try out the game first, we'll be releasing a free Alpha version of Wishmere too, where players can play through the Prologue stage, though without any Skill upgrades.

    In our next post, we'd like to go through our earlier idea of a post that details the different terms and systems in Wishmere. Thanks for reading!
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2016
  25. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #13:

    We have fantastic news! Wishmere has officially launched as an Ongoing Beta on Early Access! You can get the game on our website, itch.io, Steam or Humble Store! If you get Wishmere on either our site or itch.io, you'll pick up the Hero Edition for the same price, which comes with a free Digital Artbook & Compendium when Wishmere fully launches)

    For our Ongoing Beta program, we are looking to fine-tune and perfect the character balance and meta, while we tune the game to be as challenging as possible while we keep the game's difficulty realistic. To achieve this, we want to include the players as much as possible with discussions, possible A/B testing, implementing changes to the game, characters and meta, based on feedback from the community. As we're avid fighting game fans, we love the process of 'loke-tests' and beta tests, and getting feedback while incorporating changes based on feedback. We plan to update Wishmere every week / week-and-a-half, adding in new major and minor content, balance fixes and meta changes, making aesthetic updates along the way.

    Dealing damage and avoiding enemy attacks are key

    These past few weeks, aside from getting our Ongoing Beta / Early Access build ready, we've added in a Tutorial Mode based on focus testing feedback. This is a run-through of the game's core mechanics and is great for a new comer to the beat 'em up genre. We tried to keep it as intuitive as possible without making everything seem 'obvious'. We love the Training BGM done by our musician, Gas1312 too. What a legit-boss track! We also tuned the Training Mode for players to try out their combos on a training dummy (don't worry, he's used to taking a beating!)

    It’s important to master what works for each class!

    The exciting part of hammering out every characters' meta along with their Skill Upgrades took a lot of playthroughs to see what was exciting while keeping things fresh for every character. This part of the Ongoing Beta will be a continuous work-in-progress, as we try to make every Skill Upgrade matter, while balancing their costs and effectiveness; as well as the Skill Upgrade's impact on the shift of character meta. I know we've all played a game or two where one particular character upgrade was 'broken', and that's something we definitely want to avoid!

    The Autoguard upgrade absorbs damage while you get to deal damage

    We have a lot of exciting additions to come for Wishmere like: 3 more exciting characters, the full implementation of TeamUp Combinations (currently only Earle & Safford have theirs), crazy bosses and stages, more strategic parts of stages that require a little more thinking, and much more.

    Thanks for reading everyone, and we're looking forward to the Ongoing Beta / Early Access ride along with you guys. Do check Wishmere out and let us know what you think!
     
  26. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #14:




    Happy New Year to all! And to celebrate the new year, we've got our first update for Wishmere, packed with lots of changes. Once releasing Wishmere into Early Access, we got feedback from the community and are pleased to announce the Change Log for Update 1. Check out our new Wishmere Update 1 Video to see a quick rundown of what we've updated. It also features a combo video midway through, that should please fighting game fans!


    Dove battles on the new stage, the Ice Wasteland.

    We've added our next stage: Ice Wasteland. It features enemies from a legendary army that fight with more structure and strategy than other stages. There's snow, slippery ice floors, platforming and lots of tough enemies that pack their own surprises.


    The game speed has been increased.

    For Update 1, our goal was to make the game a little faster, give the player more defensive options and add more strategy and tension to combat. We sped up game in both in movement speed and in combat recovery, both to the playable characters and to the enemies. This gives the game a much faster pace; and this was a heavily requested change for the game!



    Safford utilizes the Codex Barrier to ward off enemy attacks.

    We also added two defensive tools in the forms of Codex Block and Codex Barrier. These can be performed at any time when grounded (besides taking damage) and will block enemy attacks. The Codex Block is more precise with its timing, while the Codex Barrier is an extended version of the Codex Block, and blocks everything thrown at the player. The downside is, this costs Super Meter to perform.


    We also changed the HP system to to lifebars, so each enemy attack now does different damage and hitstun to the player. This makes the game less punishing for getting hit, but we also made it possible for the player to be comboed by enemy attacks-- so player will have to be careful when surrounded! It's a nice balance between having many opportunities to move around the battlefield instead of counting your health, but also makes a player weary to join crowds of enemies without thinking; which is something we wanted to place high importance on.


    On a side note, controller configuration / remapping was something that was very, very important to us; so we've taken these past few weeks to get the entire controller function to include remapping, multiple controllers, and even allowing a maximum of 2 players on a keyboard. Our solo dev (he's a crazy one) was extremely particular about these functions and sacrificed the lives of 2 gamepads for this function, so we hope the gamepad's lives are not in vain.


    Thanks for reading everyone, do check out Wishmere in case you haven't already checked it out!
     
  27. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #15:

    How is everyone? One month into the year already... who else thinks 2016 is moving a little fast? Wishmere has been out for about a month and so far we are moving the gameplay into a direction that we're very comfortable with. We'll be adding some core features / options into the game in the coming updates that will finish setting the foundation for Wishmere, so we're really looking forward to that.


    Safford destroys a white barrel before facing Dr. Chaka.

    Our second update (Update 2 – Variance) has gone live! For this past week, our main goals were to amend features by adding variance (hence the name!) and adding in features suggested by the community. By adding some variance in item drops and types of 'containers' that hold the item drops, it adds some randomization to the game. We've also implemented our different item drops such as Super Meter pickups and Supercharged Hope Crystals (used for Upgrades). Each 'container' has different drop percentages, so they are not just for aesthetic purposes!


    Enemy lifebars give players the ability to target weakened foes.

    As for suggestions by the community, we've added in visible HP bars for all enemies, so you know just how much punishment you're inflicting to the poor badguys. We feel that this is a great addition as it really adds some strategy and anxiety to get rid of the enemies that are near-death.

    We've also made the defensive tools (both the Codex Block and the Codex Barrier) in the game more viable, by increasing the defensive active frames and decreasing the recovery time for both. We'd like the game to be a melding of both offense and defense, so it is important to get the defensive tools right, while keeping the transitions from defense and offense very easy.


    Earle's new Super Art 3 is a devastating flurry of attacks.

    And finally, we've added in all the Super Arts for the currently playable characters. As we launched the game with some super moves missing, we've now completed all the characters' movesets. We designed the Level 3 Super Arts to embody a character's meta, and added high amounts of flair to the moves. We hope they are visually pleasing. Our favorite right now is Earle's, due to it's explosiveness and characterization!

    Thanks for reading, have a good weekend everyone!

    To view the Change Log for Wishmere: Update 2 – Variance, check it out here.

    To read up on the gameplay in-depth for Wishmere, check out the Official Wiki.
     
  28. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Update #16


    It’s another Wishmere update! Our third update (titled ‘The Feast) has gone live!

    ‘The Feast’ features our newest character, Pandy entering the mix. Pandy is a vampiric ninja (as in, a vampire who is also a ninja) with an attitude. She’s an aggressive and very mobile damage dealer that has the lowest HP in the game. She’s full of offensive Abilities and utility Super Arts, making her the ultimate killing machine! She has great range on her Abilities and a teleport that helps her get around the battlefield; all working towards her core strategy: don’t get hit—hurt people. Check out the video above of Pandy in action!


    Pandy mauling a few unfortunate enemies.

    We also added in an exciting and challenging mode to the game, called Arcade Mode, which is currently in beta. In Arcade Mode, the player selects from a number of ‘Bases’ filled with enemies. Each base has their own rounds of enemies and bases varying from easy, medium or hard difficulties. When the player progresses from round to round in a base, they’re rewarded with random item drops and Skill Crystals to upgrade their character. We thought this mode of play would be best for players that want to jump right into the combat. We’ll be adding more bases and enemies as we develop!


    Dove arrows an enemy and breezes through to the next round.
    For our next update, we’re looking to be adding more characters, enemies and more bases to Arcade Mode to fill out the game’s feel and meta. We’ll also look to add the Versus Mode, where players will get to fight their friends in battles with up to 4 players, into the build. Thanks for reading!

    For view the Change Log for Wishmere: Update 3 – The Feast, check it out here.
    To read up on the gameplay in-depth for Wishmere, check out the Official Wiki.
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2016
  29. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    GDC is on the horizon! How has life been treating everyone? With GDC coming up, everyone must be excited. We've been on turbo for the last couple of weeks, trying to churn out lots of content for our update.

    Update 4 – Fate has just launched and we're really excited for it! For this update, we added a core gameplay mechanic into the game called the Fate system. The Fate gauge fills up over time and when it is full, you'll be able to use the moves from the Fate system: the Fate Advance and the Fate Burst. Performing either move will deplete the Fate gauge and it will begin refilling once more.


    The Fate Advance gives Safford time to unleash a flurry of offense.

    The Fate Advance slows down time for enemies for a few seconds, moving two-times as slow as usual. During this period, the player can move around as normal, leading to vicious offensive potential or get them out of trouble when taking damage. Fate Advance can be performed at any state (aside from taking damage when playing Versus Mode, done for balance reasons). We really love the sound effect used for the Fate Advance and think it sounds unique but at the same time not too jarring during gameplay.


    With Dove's Guard Meter running low, she utilizes the Fate Burst to buy her some space.

    While the Fate Advance leads to limitless possibilities for both offense and defense, the Fate Burst is purely for defensive purposes. When in a defensive state (taking damage or blocking), the player can initiate an emergency burst of a forcefield, knocking away all enemies. The Fate Burst is fast to execute and very wide in its range, making it a great tool and a keep-out maneuver.

    We're also been working hard on finishing all character attacks, from a variety of Normal Attacks to completing all their Super Arts. Every character's moveset is structured to fit their class and their meta, and done in a way that every character has their own advantage and disadvantage. We'll be working on balancing the characters as we progress but man, did it feel good to finish their movesets!

    Lots of content was done from this update (from boss tweaks to more enemy variety) but the one of the biggest ones was the addition of Versus Mode. Now, players can take to battling their friends in local multiplayer combat with up to 4 players. This was a feature we were very anxious to get out, due to the character difference and the multiplayer nature; we felt that it was quite natural to have a multiplayer mode pitting the players against each other. Looking at the character roster, we'll be keeping a close eye on keeping everyone balanced but each with its own strategy and reward.

    Thanks for reading, and do check out the Change Log for a full list of changes (it might be a little long, our apologies!)

    To view the Change Log for Wishmere: Update 4 – Fate, check it out here.

    To read up on the gameplay in-depth for Wishmere, check out the Official Wiki.
     
  30. jaelove

    jaelove

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    Very cool
     
  31. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Earle and Dove battling in the updated Base of Darkness mode.
    We're happy to make the announcement that Wishmere is back! We know it's been a while since our last content update, we spent some time to take a step back and have an honest look at Wishmere as a whole while thinking of features and design principles that would make Wishmere more enjoyable to all.​

    We've made a whole bunch of new changes to Wishmere, including working on the highly requested Online Mode, which allows players to play each other all over the world. It's a big task, especially nailing down the synchronization of player actions to be as precise as possible but we're soldiering on.

    In addition to the Online Mode, we've also added a plethora of new stuff (completely revamped gameplay, a new soundtrack and more) to Wishmere, more of which you can read about on our website or check out our Steam announcement.
     
    Last edited: Oct 28, 2016
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  32. QFSW

    QFSW

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    Just found this and it looks really solid, keep it up!
     
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  33. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Thanks a lot QFSW! We'll keep this thread updated as we develop Wishmere and should have an updated build of the game within a week or two. Thanks again for dropping by!
     
  34. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Sabson is the newest character in Wishmere!
    Hey guys! We're working hard on getting the newest update to Wishmere out within a week or two. Coming with the update is our newest character Sabson! He's an all powerful magician whose mastery over magic gives him the ability to counter any attack thrown at him. We want to create new characters that each bring a new playstyle to the game so that players can make distinct character choices that really fit with their playstyle. You can watch the rest of the character trailers on our Youtube channel.


    Sabson effortlessly counters Earle.
     
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  35. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    These schoolkids get really excited when a fight breaks out.
    The huge Wishmere update looms around the corner, as we've just about finished up and we're testing the game rigorously to snuff out those irritating bugs. One of the many additions in the upcoming update is a new stage, the school. This is the location where our heroes, the teenagers of Hazelroad High, initially find themselves before ascending into the Wishmere.

    The new stage, along with a plethora of other changes, will be documented and released once the update drops. We've got a lot more additions, such as new enemies, a completely redone combat system, a rehauled Base of Darkness mode and tons more.

    The update will be dropping next week, so keep a look out for it!
     
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  36. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Huge update for Wishmere has just launched! Check it out and punch things (digitally). It's been a long couple of months slaving away on the new update, tons of changes and lots of love put into the update.

    The gameplay has been rehauled in a major way. It now plays much closer to a lovechild of the Smash series and the Blazblue series. And a whole new OST thanks to the awesome Zack Parrish.



    Our newest character Sabson, showing off his skills


    Get it on Steam, Humble or itch.io and if you do get a chance to play it, do let us know what you think of it!

    For a list of all the changes (we tried to keep it condensed), check out this post.
     
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  37. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Our latest update has just launched! This update comes with 2 more characters, Duu Shen and Spritz, to spice things up in Wishmere.


    Duu Shen is a cocky show-off who has insane offensive capabilities. He utilizes flames to char his foes and is the most combo-heavy character in the game. His Edge allows him to cancel any attack and dash quickly into any direction, providing limitless offensive opportunities. And the ladies love him.


    Spritz has returned with a completely redeveloped moveset. He is a lumbering grappler that if an opponent is unfortunate enough to get within his reach, has devastating damage. But if the player is patient enough to use Spritz's Edge, he gains a shield that absorbs damage and gains some much needed mobility.

    Lastly, holiday cheer has come to Wishmere as all characters now have a limited time holiday themed color palette. The Ice Wasteland has also started snowing and the treasure chests in the Base of Darkness have a chance to be replaced with a present!


    For a list of all the changes, check out this post.
     
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  38. QFSW

    QFSW

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    Looks awesome!

    whats Duu Shen's weaknesses? needs to be balanced :p
     
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  39. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Thank you QFSW! Your support during Wishmere's development is really appreciated.

    Duu Shen's main weakness comes from his lack of range and safe knockdowns. He's flashy and incredibly damaging, but he needs to get closer than most other characters in order to do get damage!
     
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  40. QFSW

    QFSW

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    So a high risk high reward kinda character? If so, then I really dig it.
     
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  41. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Yep! That's exactly what he is. Thanks for the feedback, we're glad you like his design :)
     
  42. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Doubt is here! Our final character and the main antagonist in Wishmere is now a playable character.


    Doubt is a devious, manipulative entity hell bent on bringing darkness to the world. He utilizes dark energies to control his opponent’s movements, forcing them to confront him face to face where he is strongest. His Edge places a dark cesspool of energy that constantly saps the life of his foe, complimenting his control oriented moveset.

    We’ve also added a Tutorial mode, which will help players understand the various gameplay mechanics in Wishmere. This was something we really wanted to go in-depth with, as we wanted every player to know exactly what to do when playing the game.

    This will likely be the final big content update before the final release of Wishmere, though we will still be fixing bugs along the way. The final developmental milestone is Story mode, which will not be available during the Early Access period. We’re very excited to bring you the final chapter to Wishmere!

    For a list of all the changes, check out this post.
     
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  43. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    We've played around with a feature known as hitstop: where the game stops for when an attack collides with a target, emphasizing the impact of said attack (our previous hitstop was way too short)


    Previous hitstop


    Current hitstop
    This gives time to players and the audience to decipher what is going on onscreen. It's normal for fighting games and some beat-em-ups. We think this makes every attack look more impactful and makes the game easier to follow.
     
  44. QFSW

    QFSW

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    Ooh hitstun, nice nice, make sure not to overdo it and it could be great. maybe have hitstun another trait of attacks ;)
     
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  45. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Thanks QFSW! Yep, we're constantly reassessing the level of hitstop to ensure it feels just right to make sure it feels like attacks have impact without hurting the smoothness of gameplay. We'll try not to overdo it! :)
     
  46. QFSW

    QFSW

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    Good work :)
     
  47. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    With hitstop out of the way, we've jump at the next element to try to get game looking visually pleasing: dynamic lighting. Previously we had dynamic lighting that was simply an 'overlay' and didn't interact that much with objects around it. We're in the midst of redoing it for every stage.


    Old dynamic lighting


    New and (improved!) dynamic lighting​

    This was achieved by editing the material used for the backgrounds and smoothing out the normal maps. Our intention was to give every background it's own mood and feeling, trying to keep the environment unique. Hopefully it'll work!
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2017
  48. QFSW

    QFSW

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    Ooh very nice :) How's the performance with such dynamic lighting?
     
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  49. CrayderStudios

    CrayderStudios

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    Thanks man! We haven't noticed any differences in performance actually. Our previous normal maps were a bit too busy so it was both inefficient and not as pretty as our current one :)
     
  50. QFSW

    QFSW

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    Ah I see, glad you could make it better without a performance hit
     
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