I call that a successful EA launch. I’m usually pretty on the nose on the sales numbers but my launch day estimate was only a third of the real numbers. Feels good to see people excited in the game we’re creating!
It’s a bit of a conflict – it’s nice to see people appreciate and enjoy the game for what it currently is. However, sometimes I wish I could reveal all that it’s going to be. I suspect the feeling is similar to seeing a toddler’s first steps, at the same time knowing the same adult’s footsteps will make the very halls of destiny tremble!
Still, I’m a proud father of EA CD2.
We’ve already released a few patches to take care of the more immediate problems and respond to our fans’ requests. Currently we’re a good way into the Grave Digger update – the first major update for Cave Digger 2. It’ll happen around Halloween, so it fits the theme nicely.
It’s hard to pick my favourite thing we’re adding in the first update, but here’s a few: Hexabody, set piece rooms, first issue of the Story and fire physics!
Hexabody brings us more physicality, allowing the player to jump, climb and use the tools to interact with the environment. You can use a pickaxe to pull yourself up ledges or even slide down a rope. We’re using it for climbing also, but that will come in a later update.
Setpieces will be found at the end of all mining runs, featuring for example something that we’re affectionately calling the Mama Nautiloid. They’re premade rooms containing boss fights and other special events. We’ve got a good bunch already done and will be adding more in later updates.
And the story! I just printed the first issue in color and the art is just beautiful, thanks to our amazing texture/comic artist Jussi Pylkäs. It sets out to tell the story of Clayton and how he came to discover the Valley. Already in the first issue there are hints of the darkness beneath the surface of the Valley and also within Clayton’s consciousness.
Finally, fire. I have a lot of love towards environment interaction in games (think it started when my actions affected the alien races on the star map of Star Control 2 and how their influence spheres grew and shrunk fighting each other). We are already giving the player fire and our environment is mostly destructible, so the only logical conclusion is allowing the player to set stuff on fire. Including enemies, naturally.
So enemy projectiles can light objects on fire. Burning enemies can ignite other stuff on touch. All explosions ignite objects as well.
It’s going to be beautiful chaos.
-Kharan (Jaakko Asikainen)
Random development quote: “Mä oon nähnyt kenttäsuunnittelussakin massiivisia falloksia siellä sun täällä”.