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#minervalabyrinth — Public Fediverse posts

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  1. I'm experimenting with more lightweight symbols and environmental art for gameplay events (such as item caches) and supplemental decoration. To support the change from the big plate icons in ML1, I added a "search here" HUD icon and slightly focused view (for certain objects) to mark searchable tiles. Some of them will be secrets, though. 🤫

    Again, this is all highly experimental, but overall I like the results so far.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth #DungeonCrawler

  2. I'm experimenting with more lightweight symbols and environmental art for gameplay events (such as item caches) and supplemental decoration. To support the change from the big plate icons in ML1, I added a "search here" HUD icon and slightly focused view (for certain objects) to mark searchable tiles. Some of them will be secrets, though. 🤫

    Again, this is all highly experimental, but overall I like the results so far.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth #DungeonCrawler

  3. A basic but overdue technical upgrade: migrating my portrait components from hand-colored sprites (a prototyping solution that I never replaced) to palette-swap shaders. This should clean up my sprite work quite a bit and make it a lot easier to add new models and colors. Hair in particular was getting to be unmanageable, with six styles and ten colors split into three layers.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth

  4. A basic but overdue technical upgrade: migrating my portrait components from hand-colored sprites (a prototyping solution that I never replaced) to palette-swap shaders. This should clean up my sprite work quite a bit and make it a lot easier to add new models and colors. Hair in particular was getting to be unmanageable, with six styles and ten colors split into three layers.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth

  5. I implemented preliminary support for difficulty settings with several different factors that I can control. This is something I wanted to do for ML1, but by the time I was considering it, I felt it was too late in development to do it in the way that I wanted (it would require an editing pass over every encounter in the game, just for starters). This time I'll have it ready on the ground floor and can test and refine it as I go.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  6. I implemented preliminary support for difficulty settings with several different factors that I can control. This is something I wanted to do for ML1, but by the time I was considering it, I felt it was too late in development to do it in the way that I wanted (it would require an editing pass over every encounter in the game, just for starters). This time I'll have it ready on the ground floor and can test and refine it as I go.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  7. First draft of item enchanting. It took some iteration to figure out the layout and what information is needed. How this all actually works and what options are available (or even if it's a worthwhile addition at all) will need playtesting, but it's a start.

    The idea is to add a small additional vector for gear customization and loot via these rare enchanting materials.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth

  8. First draft of item enchanting. It took some iteration to figure out the layout and what information is needed. How this all actually works and what options are available (or even if it's a worthwhile addition at all) will need playtesting, but it's a start.

    The idea is to add a small additional vector for gear customization and loot via these rare enchanting materials.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth

  9. I'm messing around with adding enchantments to items. Here's a weapon with an accuracy bonus applied. I'm not sure yet if I'll actually use this in the game or not, but I felt like implementing it just for fun. Plus, I had to do some refactoring to how items are managed in order to support it, and those changes will allow me to track other instanced item data, if I want.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth

  10. I'm messing around with adding enchantments to items. Here's a weapon with an accuracy bonus applied. I'm not sure yet if I'll actually use this in the game or not, but I felt like implementing it just for fun. Plus, I had to do some refactoring to how items are managed in order to support it, and those changes will allow me to track other instanced item data, if I want.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth

  11. I'm working on some shop GUI enhancements. I added a "buy and equip" feature so you don't have to leave the shop interface, and I tried to simplify the compare panel on the right. It now gives a basic up/down based on item tier and displays a more readable full stat breakdown in buy+equip mode.

    The goal is to reduce menu friction and make it easier to find what you want. I'm open to feedback.

    Video is "after," screenshot is "before."

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth #ScreenshotSaturday

  12. I'm working on some shop GUI enhancements. I added a "buy and equip" feature so you don't have to leave the shop interface, and I tried to simplify the compare panel on the right. It now gives a basic up/down based on item tier and displays a more readable full stat breakdown in buy+equip mode.

    The goal is to reduce menu friction and make it easier to find what you want. I'm open to feedback.

    Video is "after," screenshot is "before."

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth #ScreenshotSaturday

  13. Some work for my next game that I wasn't looking forward to: upgrading the automap with a scrollable viewing area to support bigger levels. I actually didn't need to add a whole lot of code, though. It was mostly updating a bunch of finicky math to work for a more general case.

    ML1 was locked to 16x16 maps, but I can make them much bigger now. 🤔

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth #DungeonCrawler

  14. Some work for my next game that I wasn't looking forward to: upgrading the automap with a scrollable viewing area to support bigger levels. I actually didn't need to add a whole lot of code, though. It was mostly updating a bunch of finicky math to work for a more general case.

    ML1 was locked to 16x16 maps, but I can make them much bigger now. 🤔

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #ScreenshotSaturday #MinervaLabyrinth #DungeonCrawler

  15. I officially started coding work on my next dungeon crawler today. I'm starting out by refactoring some years-old pain points and implementing my tentative new design for how stats will work.

    I'm moving up to #GodotEngine 4.6.1 this time. So far so good. It seems more streamlined and performant than 4.4.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth #Godot #MadeWithGodot

  16. I officially started coding work on my next dungeon crawler today. I'm starting out by refactoring some years-old pain points and implementing my tentative new design for how stats will work.

    I'm moving up to #GodotEngine 4.6.1 this time. So far so good. It seems more streamlined and performant than 4.4.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth #Godot #MadeWithGodot

  17. I'm off this week, and I spent most of it putting this update together. I've been wanting to revisit and refine some skill mechanics for a while, but I needed a break and some distance from launch to get into the right head space for it.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth

    midnightspiregames.itch.io/min

  18. I'm off this week, and I spent most of it putting this update together. I've been wanting to revisit and refine some skill mechanics for a while, but I needed a break and some distance from launch to get into the right head space for it.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth

    midnightspiregames.itch.io/min

  19. Only one more review to reach Steam's visibility threshold. If you've played Minerva Labyrinth and have thoughts, would you consider leaving one?

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  20. Only one more review to reach Steam's visibility threshold. If you've played Minerva Labyrinth and have thoughts, would you consider leaving one?

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  21. A late #ScreenshotSaturday. Before and after shots of the subway (tutorial/prologue). This is a very grey area, so I wanted to add a little more color. While I was at it, I also noticed that the shading was pretty dated. I brightened up the wall and floor tiles a bit, gave them a bit more dimension, and changed the tiles for the west set of tracks from red to blue. I also replaced the grey gates with the gold ones that are used everywhere else in the game.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  22. A late #ScreenshotSaturday. Before and after shots of the subway (tutorial/prologue). This is a very grey area, so I wanted to add a little more color. While I was at it, I also noticed that the shading was pretty dated. I brightened up the wall and floor tiles a bit, gave them a bit more dimension, and changed the tiles for the west set of tracks from red to blue. I also replaced the grey gates with the gold ones that are used everywhere else in the game.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  23. This #ScreenshotSaturday, here's a small effect I'm trying out: a new portrait for your operational support when she contacts you remotely. Previously, these dialogues just used her regular in-person portrait (similar to the player portraits at the bottom). This is closer to how I imagine it.

    It's a tiny detail that doesn't come up too often, but I think it's fun and communicates the event a bit better.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  24. This #ScreenshotSaturday, here's a small effect I'm trying out: a new portrait for your operational support when she contacts you remotely. Previously, these dialogues just used her regular in-person portrait (similar to the player portraits at the bottom). This is closer to how I imagine it.

    It's a tiny detail that doesn't come up too often, but I think it's fun and communicates the event a bit better.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  25. I've been working on a few new character classes and passive skills. Admittedly it's pretty late in development to be doing this, but there are a few gaps that I've been wanting to fill for a while. Hopefully this adds a little more build variety.

    In the end, the goal is to reduce the enemy's HP to zero and I can only provide so many ways to do that, but turn-by-turn decisions make a difference in play, I think.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  26. I've been working on a few new character classes and passive skills. Admittedly it's pretty late in development to be doing this, but there are a few gaps that I've been wanting to fill for a while. Hopefully this adds a little more build variety.

    In the end, the goal is to reduce the enemy's HP to zero and I can only provide so many ways to do that, but turn-by-turn decisions make a difference in play, I think.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  27. I'm doing a final writing pass to polish up the script. This is not a "story game" and was never meant to be, so a lot of it was written piecemeal on the fly over several years. Continuity is a little rough, and a few spots need a bit more fleshing out.

    I ended up writing (and caring) more than I originally expected, so even though it's all ultimately context for the gameplay, I want to get it into the best shape that I can.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  28. I'm doing a final writing pass to polish up the script. This is not a "story game" and was never meant to be, so a lot of it was written piecemeal on the fly over several years. Continuity is a little rough, and a few spots need a bit more fleshing out.

    I ended up writing (and caring) more than I originally expected, so even though it's all ultimately context for the gameplay, I want to get it into the best shape that I can.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  29. Continuing with making game information more accessible. When I first scrapped the tutorial in its previous form, I transferred all that information (with additional detail) to a menu kiosk at HQ. I've now made it an option in the field menu instead, so it can be accessed anywhere in the game. This basically serves as the game's manual. I've also stripped the old help screen down to basically a quick-reference card and made it accessible from here as well.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  30. Continuing with making game information more accessible. When I first scrapped the tutorial in its previous form, I transferred all that information (with additional detail) to a menu kiosk at HQ. I've now made it an option in the field menu instead, so it can be accessed anywhere in the game. This basically serves as the game's manual. I've also stripped the old help screen down to basically a quick-reference card and made it accessible from here as well.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  31. A small improvement I'm working on. My skill descriptions are bit untidy and probably not clear to a new player, so I added a dynamic line that explicitly states the range and area of effect of each skill. I am also color-coding damage/heal values by damage type, or adding ENR to energy damage if the color assist is turned on. This should make it easier to understand the skill's effects at a glance.

    #ScreenshotSaturday #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth #DungeonCrawler #CRPG #SoloDev

  32. A small improvement I'm working on. My skill descriptions are bit untidy and probably not clear to a new player, so I added a dynamic line that explicitly states the range and area of effect of each skill. I am also color-coding damage/heal values by damage type, or adding ENR to energy damage if the color assist is turned on. This should make it easier to understand the skill's effects at a glance.

    #ScreenshotSaturday #IndieDev #GameDev #MinervaLabyrinth #DungeonCrawler #CRPG #SoloDev

  33. I spent many, many hours trying to get my tutorial right, but judging from feedback and from watching people play, it was a failure and a wasted effort - so I gave up, threw it all out, and replaced it with a handful of absolute bare-minimum, one-line prompts during the prologue level. All of the more detailed information is available in the help screen or from a kiosk at HQ.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #DungeonCrawler #MinervaLabyrinth

  34. I spent many, many hours trying to get my tutorial right, but judging from feedback and from watching people play, it was a failure and a wasted effort - so I gave up, threw it all out, and replaced it with a handful of absolute bare-minimum, one-line prompts during the prologue level. All of the more detailed information is available in the help screen or from a kiosk at HQ.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #DungeonCrawler #MinervaLabyrinth

  35. Pushed my 0.7.6 update just in time for #FeedbackQuest tomorrow, which among other things includes revamped skill sets for several classes. I have done a ton of content tuning and polish as well since my last public release, but most of that is for the full game.

    Currently I'm planning for this to be the last demo release before launch. I don't usually post my patch notes here, but today I feel like it. 😛

    #IndieDev #GameDev #DungeonCrawler #MinervaLabyrinth #CRPG

    midnightspiregames.itch.io/min

  36. Pushed my 0.7.6 update just in time for #FeedbackQuest tomorrow, which among other things includes revamped skill sets for several classes. I have done a ton of content tuning and polish as well since my last public release, but most of that is for the full game.

    Currently I'm planning for this to be the last demo release before launch. I don't usually post my patch notes here, but today I feel like it. 😛

    #IndieDev #GameDev #DungeonCrawler #MinervaLabyrinth #CRPG

    midnightspiregames.itch.io/min

  37. #MinervaLabyrinth cleared with no healer 💖 This proves that it's doable, with deliberate play and plenty of items. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's winnable with literally any party build, but this is a really important data point to have.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #DungeonCrawler

  38. #MinervaLabyrinth cleared with no healer 💖 This proves that it's doable, with deliberate play and plenty of items. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's winnable with literally any party build, but this is a really important data point to have.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #DungeonCrawler

  39. Here is a partial look at a mid-game dungeon floor layout, courtesy of my current playtesting run. In this one, I experimented with interconnecting it with the floor above, so that traveling between the two at different points is required to progress.

    #ScreenshotSaturday #IndieDev #GameDev #DungeonCrawler #CRPG #MinervaLabyrinth

  40. Here is a partial look at a mid-game dungeon floor layout, courtesy of my current playtesting run. In this one, I experimented with interconnecting it with the floor above, so that traveling between the two at different points is required to progress.

    #ScreenshotSaturday #IndieDev #GameDev #DungeonCrawler #CRPG #MinervaLabyrinth

  41. Third dungeon complete on my healerless run. One more to go. 👀

    This run is actually serving another purpose as well. I wasn't really happy with all of the character classes, mainly two in particular who are on this team, so I'm also trying out some revisions to their skill sets.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #DungeonCrawler #MinervaLabyrinth

  42. Third dungeon complete on my healerless run. One more to go. 👀

    This run is actually serving another purpose as well. I wasn't really happy with all of the character classes, mainly two in particular who are on this team, so I'm also trying out some revisions to their skill sets.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #DungeonCrawler #MinervaLabyrinth

  43. Making some revisions to a mid-game level (floor 11, as I count them). I want to improve one section in particular that I'm not satisfied with, and make better use of space overall.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth #DungeonCrawler

  44. Making some revisions to a mid-game level (floor 11, as I count them). I want to improve one section in particular that I'm not satisfied with, and make better use of space overall.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth #DungeonCrawler

  45. Just cleared the second dungeon on my healerless playtesting run. Two more to go 💦

    So far, it's definitely less forgiving without a healer, but it's more manageable than I was expecting. We'll see how the rest of the game goes, though.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  46. Just cleared the second dungeon on my healerless playtesting run. Two more to go 💦

    So far, it's definitely less forgiving without a healer, but it's more manageable than I was expecting. We'll see how the rest of the game goes, though.

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #MinervaLabyrinth

  47. I cleared the first full dungeon with a playtesting party with no healer. The boss was rough and not a sure win, but I made it. I did a few trials on the boss and won most of the time, but barely. Now to see if I can handle the real game with this party 🤔

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #Playtesting #MinervaLabyrinth

  48. I cleared the first full dungeon with a playtesting party with no healer. The boss was rough and not a sure win, but I made it. I did a few trials on the boss and won most of the time, but barely. Now to see if I can handle the real game with this party 🤔

    #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #Playtesting #MinervaLabyrinth