A fun customization could be custom dog collars you can find throughout the world. I feel like that wouldn't break the experience while still providing some degree of customization
For alternate dog skins or recollors, I feel like cheetcode unlocked via a collectable could work; as opposed to a character creator at the start of the game. However, that should probly be a low priority goal.
I feel like dog character fur customization is incredible out of place. It would be ok to have a customizable collar for a dog, or something external. And like the colours of the girl's jacket, if you want it. With predefined pallet. But not more than that. As you said, this is a story about specific characters, not some random dog and random girl.
I'm really happy to hear everyone agree on this. I felt a need to explore it given how often it's been requested, but it feels totally out of place as you said
You should make the title screen be colorless when you jjst start. But when you first reveal color to the world then the tilte screen becomes colored. I feel like it kinda adds impact to you coloring stuff
Sooo excited for you! Congrats on the partnership with Mooneye - I personally will never use the customization feature, even if it's just skins you find - I like Chesley as is, and that being the most traditional border collie coloring just feels like the best option. Love where this is going, cannot wait for the release (or for the next demo)😍
Thank you! And yes I agree with the customization, I felt a need to explore it just based on how often it's requested, but I have a strong dislike for it and will be very unlikely to include it.
I think slightly harsher edges inside the caves could solve the problem of everything just blending together because of being shaded and hit by light slightly differently.
Looks awesome. Can't wait to try the demo again. Hopefully I'll be able to spend more time with it. Personally I'm not fussed with different dog colours. i like the Collie the way you created it. Everything else, especially the lighting looks amazing. Well done.
Yeah, I think you're right about having only one look for the dog character... and here are some messy, rambly thoughts on why: I like that sort of customisation when I'm trying to carve out my own path in a game's a world... be my own person. Really immerse myself in the decisions I'D make when exposed to the game's various stressors and stuff-- but you don't need to make a character your own or have a bunch of A or B choices to make to immerse a player in a game's narrative. Generally, I find the inclusion of those sorts of pointlessly included features a little patronising... And, in fairly linear story driven games where the point is to immerse you in a SPECIFIC character's mind and situation through the way you interface with the game's systems, like the way you're trauma-bonded with Ellie through your shared grief in The Last Of Us Part II, and even though you are probably HORRIFIED by some of the things she does, you UNDERSTAND her, and also understand the motivations of the villain, on a deep, empathetic level. Or the way Ico makes you hold down the button to guide your friend (holding her hand) to simulate intimacy, and, since you don't have health, but you lose if she's killed or whatever, you're made to act selflessly, rushing in to defend your friend. Or in another Team Ico game, The Last Guardian, the way the game creates meaning and intimacy through the mechanics using the frustration of communicating with your annoyingly lifelike, massive pet. Bottomline is, if you can't empathise with something entirely outside yourself, if you have to make it your own somehow before you care-- I think that's a really individualistic and shallow implicit message a lot of games are sending with these empty options... Or, possibly even worse, if you NEED those shallow options in there for the player to care, maybe you aren't using the medium of game's to its fullest storytelling potential. Plus, its just generally bloat, not contributing to the overarching vision, just box-ticking. Of course, I'm not the biggest fan of movie games either, I'm not saying player agency should be just... outta there! gone! it's a delicate balance, maintaining a strong vision and involving the player in that vision; I don't make games, so... don't really have any answers there, and I guess each game is different. I guess what I'm trying to get at is there's a weirdly large difference between empathy through mechanics and roleplaying... It's a subtle distinction, but I think deciding which you want can still be important... Celeste kind of does both, though, which is interesting. It almost fits into that magical realism genre of stories-- with the mountain making Madeline's inner struggles external, and your interface with her journey to overcoming those internal struggles, is by FACING the externalised ones along the way. Her journey exists as a sort of... hopeful parable-- you do the hard work, through the fairly safe means of videogames, and you can say after making that journey, "I made it to the top of that mountain. I never thought I would, but I did." And you can take that attitude with you into the real world. It's the same thing with Dark Souls-- they're both sort of analogues for overcoming hardship and depression-- but Celeste has a written character, no customisation, and Dark Souls has the blankest of blank slates and armour and weapon customisation... But they're both quite gameplay intensive, so this comparison probably doesn't illustrate anything particularly relevant for your game, which seems more in the vein of those linear experiences like Ico or inside. Sorry this comment was so long and got so rambly-- Hope something in there was helpful. Hope it wasn't too pretentious either hahaha... Interested to discuss more with people if anyone has any extra thoughts to add or things they disagree about, I'd love to hear some other perspectives :D
That are some amazing news! I always got some slight Lost Ember vibes on this game and after hearing that Mooneye Indies was founded, I thought about this game. Wishing you the best and happy to see what the future brings! :)
Thanks for the tip with the updatevolumestack! Didn't know that and it could help a lot with my own game! Even in situations like volume weight blending, changing the updating from every frame to every couple of frames should boost performance. Subscribed!
I personally really like the idea of fur customization. I think it does what you mentioned (even though you mentioned you didn't like it), being letting players feel closer to their own dogs. I know you mentioned it's about a specific person and a specific dog, but with a set dog breed, different fur colors could be really nice, and help players feel closer to the character.
Keep up the great work. Can't believe it's already been two years since you started. And thanks for the tip on the post-processing updates. Need to check my own game to see if I'm doing the same thing.
Congratulations! The project has so much potential, and it deserves to be as amazing as it can be :) exited to see what the future has to offer. And my opinion on the fur color is to stick with black. Like you said, it's a specific character. There's also the artistic perspective of color harmony and Readability, the game is designed and balanced around the black fur. So it will most likely look its best that way.
Everyone who has played Lost Ember will definitely love doing a mushroom hunt. I love Mookeye Studios, I am so happy that you are partnering with them! Hopefully it all works out! CANNOT WAIT FOR MORE UPDATES!
The progress is looking super awesome! Also congrats on finding a publisher. The animation and camera movement actually looks really good now. For me I won't use the colour palette so that doesn't matter to me. Also thanks for the info on saving performance from post processing. That will come in handy in my game. Anyway, Keep it up! :)
I think you get this a lot, your visuals look amazing. I get lost of us vibes. The spider enemy looks amazing. But I do agree caves don’t look good but the end of the cave looks like heaven.
This is easily one of the highest fidelity single-dev indie game projects I've ever seen by a mile. The sheer talent this sort of visual design takes is beyond anything I see on this site.
Hey! The game is looking great! I think the deal with the publisher could prove an amazing move! About the color selection in the game. I think that adding a color changing feature will take away from the aspect of being a non rpg game, like you said. And also, this is an indie game, I think that adding skins is definitely not a necessary element of your game, and that it makes your game feel more like a triple AAA wannabe.
Loving all these changes Kyle and congrats on finding a great fit in terms of publisher :) If you have help with the animations going forward I'd maybe revisit the canoe, as you generally dont paddle a canoe with a double bladed paddle, you have a single ore (though of course people do use double paddles). There's some added benefits to the single ore method in real life that could translate nicely to the game too! You're more manoeuvrable so you can fit through tighter spaces - which could allow you to enable paddling through a cave or through rock formations etc. The other benefit which is more of a world building thing in a game setting is that with a single ore you don't get paddle drip, making your sleeves wet, especially when the human character is all bundled up in a big jacket, dont want wet sleeves haha. Also as a paddler it pains me to see her not wearing a buoyancy aid but that's just me I'm sure haha
Thanks Dan! It's been a long back and forth on the canoe paddles, and I know it's certainly not traditional, but there are actually a lot of benefits to the double blade/kayak style, beyond just the animations. The biggest thing is for the gameplay, it keeps it more responsive to player input, since you can immediately drop the paddle into the water to coincide with the trigger the player is pressing. There's no waiting for a transition animation. In real life, the double blade is great for solo, long distance canoeing as it generally provides improved efficiency. Given the canoeing is primarily done in the open ocean in Farewell North, as well as the improved gameplay responsiveness, I feel it's a worthy tradeoff even if it's not the traditional canoe paddle style.
Man seeing videos like these make me happy because of the progress they made but i also get upset because i see the things that they made but i couldn’t :)
I noticed that when the dog walks through mushrooms and stuff little particles of colour fly around and was thinking that maybe, since the game is all about colour, rather than (or aswell as) the creepy hand enemy being attracted to the sound of knocking over rocks etc. it could be attracted to colour emmission. So the dog has to avoid running into colour producing obstacles or the hand will come, also could incorporate chase sequence type thing, if the dog needs to carry a flower since it produces a field of colour the hand will then constantly chase the dog while its got the flower. good job with the game, its coming along nicely.
That's sort of how it works! So the colour acts as a distraction, and the monster attacks colour as it's top priority. That means it works against you when you need to use colour for an objective, and at the same time you can strategically use colour to distract them and slip by
I think that costumes is the better choice because you can still show your true colors through costumes and customizable costumes could be just a expressive as customizable fur
I think either choice is fine. Having a dog stay it's look to represent the character works solid. Stray had only one breed of cat to play as, and it worked fine. Letting the player chose their design can help them feel like they're the character, or that it's their dog for immersion. Bright Paw let's you choose a variety of designs for your cat Theo. And Blair Witch lets you pick your dog's color. Plus, people can just pick default look, so everyone wins. But again, whatever the developer intends is fine. Go with whatever you feel works best.
Im far to late. I just discovered your game, and from what I understand you discover colors slowly but surely. So a good way to have the title screen change is by slowly giving it colors as the story progress I guess
I'm a little late but i think having the option for customization is a great addition! I feel they should definitely be collectables in the game as they would prompt more exploration. (at least they would for me) Maybe even add possible color changes for the girls jacket as well?
Bandanas man. I put bandanas on my dog all the time. And it really changes how they look. You could add gameplay mechanics as well. If you collect a red bandana, then maybe something interacts with the red color or something. Maybe some of the bandanas have drawings or paintings on them, and if you collect the bandana and then find its corresponding location in game, something cool happens.
Looks very beautiful with the volumetric light. I don't think you need to be able to change the fur colour of the dog - but I guess some players want to see their dog in the game.
I don't usually comment, but I've been watching your devlogs for a while and I love what you've created so far. I'm in agreement with a lot of the comments posted here. I personally wouldn't be a fan of character customization as it seems unnecessary. A dog tag/collar is a great idea. Some unlockable outfit designs/collars/minor cosmetics would be a neat addition but the game probably wouldn't feel lesser without it. Hope the input is helpful. Congrats on the partnership with Mooneye. Looking forward to the game!
3:34, maybe instead just make your own presents that feel grounded enough so the option is still there but not too immersion braking to the story and the dog etc.. Just seen this video recommended & for sure am intrigued by the game & the concept behind, sure can't wait to get my hands on it!!
For the caves you need to consider bioluminescence. Not sure what the theory is on lighting in your cave but you could also go with hydrophobic bacteria. These glow a sort of metallic yellow that looks like gold when light reflects off of them. Example for the bacteria would be Lava beds National monument - Golden Dome cave IMO grass feels a little too much of the same as the rest of the world
Brilliant progress! I really like the new dog animations and can't wait to see the human animations. As for selecting fur colours I really like the idea however since colour is drained from the world a lot it feels unnecessary. I'd say only add it if you have some way of showing the player fur choice when colour is drained from the world as well as when colour is everywhere.
I love the stalagmite / stalactites in some of the caves. Dripping water sounds echoing in the larger caves would help create a sense of scale. You could also add lichen to rock textures to break the look up a little bit.
I dont personally feel the need for customization until after the story has been told in the way it was intended. If you want to do collectables, I think presets or dog accessories (collars, hats, harnesses) for a new game or exploration period after the end of the game could be nice. It prevents any conflict of atmosphere that goofy combinations could add to a more serious part of a game. For the caves, I think some moss and ivy could double as adding creepiness to the uncolored world, and life to the colored world. Mushrooms are so defined in their shape that it is hard to shift a players perspective on the environment just from giving them color. A player will know exactly what they are looking at from the shape. A flatter sprawling plant could give the feeling of being surrounded by webs, then give the relief of seeing the cave in a different light when the colors reveal their identity.
This is just a random thought I had while watching the intro, and you might have something like this planned already, but the color flowers should maybe have some significance to the girl to explain why they create color and help her depression. Also the whole game is super good, you should feel very proud!
Thank you very much! They do hold significance in the story, but I don't have a good way of conveying that to the player right now (without some awkward dialogue). I have some ideas though :)
I agree with you, I dont feel like the character customization for the dog is necessary because it's about a dog and their owner- not really about the player. Plus, similar games like lost ember and first tree don't have customization so it doesn't make sense to add it.
Thanks! I'm not sure I'll do a tutorial but this article should get you most of the way there, although it's a bit outdated if you're on the latest URP versions: valeriomarty.medium.com/raymarched-volumetric-lighting-in-unity-urp-e7bc84d31604
if you're not very comfortable about changing the dog itself, just give him clothes you can find across the game! like bandanas, collars, little booties, and of course hats
3:35 can I upgrade my dog's parts? yk like los santos customs? just kidding, but tbh it kinda feels weird customizing a dog's "paint scheme", keep up the awesome work!
This might be a little early in the development process but how about adding glimpses of the Lost Ember wolf on the distant hills as an Easter egg. Also to add interest you could add extra animals, deer, rabbits, seals, etc. They would all be timid in real life so would run away as Chesley approached, so you won't have to script interactions.
What about a taint system. So basically areas of the game after unlocking them may have little paint puddles, which the dog could roll in and get a little messy (recolored). A little dip in water would wash it off.
Definetly supporting on your decision on publisher. For indie developer there is no guarentee that publishers will honor their market plan, but many publisher force indie developers sign contract with harsh conditions. Simply too much risk for possbile return.
hay fellow dev here just make it so that that you can find collars if thats what your comfy with but ppl do get more attached to a custom character perhaps completing the game in different ways could yeld new costumes (colors) for your dog like in shadow of the colossus with agro
I really do agree that you should not be able to alter the dog's fur/body. It is a story you're telling about specific characters, including the dog. You don't want to break the collected identity we as players have of the game and characters by making the characters different for everyone. Someone else mentioned a life jacket or something and personally I find that not particularly realistic unless she's one of those city-slicker style "we purchase the expensive equipment and perform the recreational activities" persons. Down here in the south we kind of just. . . do stuff. And it of course depends on how much time she had to prepare and such. I've never seen a dog with a life jacket in normal real-life situations, but again, maybe in the city they're more safety conscious than us southerners. (That's not to say we aren't careful; there's rules about how to handle your guns, bows and arrows, _et cetera,_ but fewer rules about personal safety: we'd happily climb a tree without a safety rope or whatever.) But that's a very personal thing, so you're gonna have to do whatever feels right to you in that regard. Maybe it's a good opportunity for world-building.
Agreed on the fur, it was an experiment because it was requested so often, but ultimately, it just isn't right for Farewell North :) I'd say life jackets and whatnot are pretty common here in Scotland, especially if you're going out into the ocean (as you do in the game). Even on the lochs it's pretty rare to see someone out without a jacket. Not certain it'll be added to the game, but I do think it fits.
I 100% believe Chesley shouldn't be able to change colour, it doesn't detract from the game in any way. IMO the people that ask to be able to change Chestly don't really get the spirit of the game ❤❤❤❤❤
it would be rad if you got to pick the doggo at a pet shop from like 3 puppies so that way the player feels like that first moment of them coming together.
This might be unfeasible, but maybe the colour customisation could be separated from the main game, similar to how a mod would be. You could create a unity application that's just the dog customisation screen, and add a function that lets you load a save file, change the dog colours for that save game, and write back to the save file.
I think you should stick to your vision and keep the collie one colour, it’s cleaner. There’s a clear intention with the colour palette for the game and character, which would get muddied by different fur tones. Getting Feedback from the community to improve features is great, but I’d steer away from “design by committee” introducing features you don’t like. I think your game looked great and well considered too. There’s plenty of scope to handle as it is so don’t fall into additional feature creep! :)
I always like to experiment with ideas that are highly suggested, but you're right that you never want it to become design by committee. I don't think I explained this well enough in the video but I'm basically 99% sure this won't be in the game, for exactly the reasons you mention here
I know this is not what you want to hear, but if you REALLY want to step up your graphics. To get it to UE level. You have to make the move to HDRP. Make a copy of your project and give it a try, it's a huge difference.
Great devlog man hope to see more but i just wanted to ask when will the demo come out agian as I couldn't play the past demo and i was really hoping to be able to play the demo and if the demo is out can you please comment the link or something. thanks man keep up the food work!
I know this might not be what you want but I really hope there is actual gameplay in this, maybe platforming or something with enemies. lost ember was great but it lacked actual gameplay (at least for me)
3:34 In this scenario, I think you should go for what you feel and ignore other players, it is a story. Kind of like ConcernedApe chose not to add animal killing to Stardew Valley, because it didn't feel right for him, a feature that many people were asking for too.
Yeah ultimately this can't be design by committee, but I do tend to at least experiment with highly suggested features. In this case, it was a fun little project but in the end, it's just not a good fit for the game :)
If different dog looks must be a thing, I would much prefer skins that you collect, though I worry that it might take away from the story or just not add anything substantial to it.
Oh they definitely don't have to be a thing, in fact I'm leaning towards not having it at all! I'm really quite relieved that everyone seems to agree that it's not a good fit ☺️
There's no one answer, it's a ton of tricks and being strategic with it. One thing I would recommend is looking into a tool like Nature Renderer. The built in grass rendering is quite limited
@@kylebanks interestingly enough I have the Nature Renderer but the 2021 version is not working with the Staggart Grass Shader I'm using. In fact it's just not working period. Screen flickering and locks up UI :( Is the grass shader you're using a custom one? Thanks and great work!
Yep, I agree... seeing the dog in different colors just feels wrong to me, it's like "no... this isn't my doggo..." The only way I can see this working is hiding collectables for the players to unlock color patterns, but even then it's kinda out of place. Like someone else suggested, collectable collars for the dog and jackets for the girl sound way better and fit the style of the game way more than literal skins for the characters.
Oh and be sure to check out the brand new trailer on Mooneye's channel!
ruclips.net/video/vkA9mQVkJiM/видео.html
A fun customization could be custom dog collars you can find throughout the world. I feel like that wouldn't break the experience while still providing some degree of customization
I do like that approach much better
For alternate dog skins or recollors, I feel like cheetcode unlocked via a collectable could work; as opposed to a character creator at the start of the game. However, that should probly be a low priority goal.
I second that
@@kylebanks each collar could have a little storyline following a mini story of another wolf/dog
I feel like dog character fur customization is incredible out of place.
It would be ok to have a customizable collar for a dog, or something external. And like the colours of the girl's jacket, if you want it. With predefined pallet. But not more than that.
As you said, this is a story about specific characters, not some random dog and random girl.
I'm really happy to hear everyone agree on this. I felt a need to explore it given how often it's been requested, but it feels totally out of place as you said
So excited to be working with you! 🥰🥰
You should make the title screen be colorless when you jjst start. But when you first reveal color to the world then the tilte screen becomes colored. I feel like it kinda adds impact to you coloring stuff
Sooo excited for you! Congrats on the partnership with Mooneye - I personally will never use the customization feature, even if it's just skins you find - I like Chesley as is, and that being the most traditional border collie coloring just feels like the best option. Love where this is going, cannot wait for the release (or for the next demo)😍
Thank you! And yes I agree with the customization, I felt a need to explore it just based on how often it's requested, but I have a strong dislike for it and will be very unlikely to include it.
I think slightly harsher edges inside the caves could solve the problem of everything just blending together because of being shaded and hit by light slightly differently.
I really like the idea of collars/scarves vs. changing the fur color. This is awesome, can't wait to try it in action! :3
I like that idea better as well ☺️
Looks awesome. Can't wait to try the demo again. Hopefully I'll be able to spend more time with it.
Personally I'm not fussed with different dog colours. i like the Collie the way you created it. Everything else, especially the lighting looks amazing. Well done.
Thanks Maxx!
this is my first time seeing this game before, i really love what your doing, dev logs are great. Keep up the great work!
thanks!
Yeah, I think you're right about having only one look for the dog character... and here are some messy, rambly thoughts on why: I like that sort of customisation when I'm trying to carve out my own path in a game's a world... be my own person. Really immerse myself in the decisions I'D make when exposed to the game's various stressors and stuff-- but you don't need to make a character your own or have a bunch of A or B choices to make to immerse a player in a game's narrative. Generally, I find the inclusion of those sorts of pointlessly included features a little patronising...
And, in fairly linear story driven games where the point is to immerse you in a SPECIFIC character's mind and situation through the way you interface with the game's systems, like the way you're trauma-bonded with Ellie through your shared grief in The Last Of Us Part II, and even though you are probably HORRIFIED by some of the things she does, you UNDERSTAND her, and also understand the motivations of the villain, on a deep, empathetic level.
Or the way Ico makes you hold down the button to guide your friend (holding her hand) to simulate intimacy, and, since you don't have health, but you lose if she's killed or whatever, you're made to act selflessly, rushing in to defend your friend. Or in another Team Ico game, The Last Guardian, the way the game creates meaning and intimacy through the mechanics using the frustration of communicating with your annoyingly lifelike, massive pet.
Bottomline is, if you can't empathise with something entirely outside yourself, if you have to make it your own somehow before you care-- I think that's a really individualistic and shallow implicit message a lot of games are sending with these empty options... Or, possibly even worse, if you NEED those shallow options in there for the player to care, maybe you aren't using the medium of game's to its fullest storytelling potential. Plus, its just generally bloat, not contributing to the overarching vision, just box-ticking.
Of course, I'm not the biggest fan of movie games either, I'm not saying player agency should be just... outta there! gone! it's a delicate balance, maintaining a strong vision and involving the player in that vision; I don't make games, so... don't really have any answers there, and I guess each game is different.
I guess what I'm trying to get at is there's a weirdly large difference between empathy through mechanics and roleplaying... It's a subtle distinction, but I think deciding which you want can still be important... Celeste kind of does both, though, which is interesting. It almost fits into that magical realism genre of stories-- with the mountain making Madeline's inner struggles external, and your interface with her journey to overcoming those internal struggles, is by FACING the externalised ones along the way. Her journey exists as a sort of... hopeful parable-- you do the hard work, through the fairly safe means of videogames, and you can say after making that journey, "I made it to the top of that mountain. I never thought I would, but I did." And you can take that attitude with you into the real world. It's the same thing with Dark Souls-- they're both sort of analogues for overcoming hardship and depression-- but Celeste has a written character, no customisation, and Dark Souls has the blankest of blank slates and armour and weapon customisation... But they're both quite gameplay intensive, so this comparison probably doesn't illustrate anything particularly relevant for your game, which seems more in the vein of those linear experiences like Ico or inside.
Sorry this comment was so long and got so rambly-- Hope something in there was helpful. Hope it wasn't too pretentious either hahaha... Interested to discuss more with people if anyone has any extra thoughts to add or things they disagree about, I'd love to hear some other perspectives :D
That are some amazing news! I always got some slight Lost Ember vibes on this game and after hearing that Mooneye Indies was founded, I thought about this game. Wishing you the best and happy to see what the future brings! :)
Thank you!
Thanks for the tip with the updatevolumestack! Didn't know that and it could help a lot with my own game! Even in situations like volume weight blending, changing the updating from every frame to every couple of frames should boost performance. Subscribed!
This is why I prefer to support indie developers! The game actually looks interesting! Keep going, mate!
I personally really like the idea of fur customization. I think it does what you mentioned (even though you mentioned you didn't like it), being letting players feel closer to their own dogs. I know you mentioned it's about a specific person and a specific dog, but with a set dog breed, different fur colors could be really nice, and help players feel closer to the character.
Amazing news Kyle! Congrats! Thanks for the tip with the profiler and volumes!
Thanks Kev! Let me know if you find the same issue with the volumes, I found a few forum posts but surprised not to hear about it more
Keep up the great work. Can't believe it's already been two years since you started.
And thanks for the tip on the post-processing updates. Need to check my own game to see if I'm doing the same thing.
Let me know if you find similar results!
@@kylebanks Will do. I only have 2 cameras in any given scene, so the impact probably won't be quite as big, but every little bit helps.
wow that's awesome for you congrats!! I love lost ember!!
Congratulations! The project has so much potential, and it deserves to be as amazing as it can be :) exited to see what the future has to offer.
And my opinion on the fur color is to stick with black. Like you said, it's a specific character. There's also the artistic perspective of color harmony and Readability, the game is designed and balanced around the black fur. So it will most likely look its best that way.
Thanks Alex :)
Congratulations! This game will be even more awesome!
Thanks!
Some cave moss along the walls and roof of caves might look nice. Maybe with little flowers blooming from them?
Love it ☺️
Everyone who has played Lost Ember will definitely love doing a mushroom hunt. I love Mookeye Studios, I am so happy that you are partnering with them! Hopefully it all works out! CANNOT WAIT FOR MORE UPDATES!
Thanks so much!
I do love customization, but having an iconic character is also important. I agree with Kjip that collars would be a great customization idea.
Congrats Kyle! I think thats a perfect publisher match. Those animations are looking great! Keep it up, this is shaping up so nice :)
Thank you Lasse!
Great news Kyle, I wish you the best with this project, keep going!
Thanks man!
The progress is looking super awesome! Also congrats on finding a publisher. The animation and camera movement actually looks really good now. For me I won't use the colour palette so that doesn't matter to me. Also thanks for the info on saving performance from post processing. That will come in handy in my game. Anyway, Keep it up! :)
Let me know if you find similar results in your game, I'm really curious!
I think you get this a lot, your visuals look amazing. I get lost of us vibes. The spider enemy looks amazing. But I do agree caves don’t look good but the end of the cave looks like heaven.
Thanks James!
Wow that one little line of code on something most wouldn't notice that saves so much memory is crazy
Sometimes it's the silliest little things
This is easily one of the highest fidelity single-dev indie game projects I've ever seen by a mile. The sheer talent this sort of visual design takes is beyond anything I see on this site.
Oh wow, thank you! That's such a huge compliment.
@@kylebanks That's all you, dude. Looking forward to the next vid :)
Hey! The game is looking great! I think the deal with the publisher could prove an amazing move! About the color selection in the game. I think that adding a color changing feature will take away from the aspect of being a non rpg game, like you said. And also, this is an indie game, I think that adding skins is definitely not a necessary element of your game, and that it makes your game feel more like a triple AAA wannabe.
I agree, thanks for the feedback :)
All the new stuff looks great! Congrats on the publishing deal too, very well deserved :)
Thank you! Cheers!
Loving all these changes Kyle and congrats on finding a great fit in terms of publisher :)
If you have help with the animations going forward I'd maybe revisit the canoe, as you generally dont paddle a canoe with a double bladed paddle, you have a single ore (though of course people do use double paddles).
There's some added benefits to the single ore method in real life that could translate nicely to the game too! You're more manoeuvrable so you can fit through tighter spaces - which could allow you to enable paddling through a cave or through rock formations etc.
The other benefit which is more of a world building thing in a game setting is that with a single ore you don't get paddle drip, making your sleeves wet, especially when the human character is all bundled up in a big jacket, dont want wet sleeves haha.
Also as a paddler it pains me to see her not wearing a buoyancy aid but that's just me I'm sure haha
Thanks Dan! It's been a long back and forth on the canoe paddles, and I know it's certainly not traditional, but there are actually a lot of benefits to the double blade/kayak style, beyond just the animations.
The biggest thing is for the gameplay, it keeps it more responsive to player input, since you can immediately drop the paddle into the water to coincide with the trigger the player is pressing. There's no waiting for a transition animation. In real life, the double blade is great for solo, long distance canoeing as it generally provides improved efficiency. Given the canoeing is primarily done in the open ocean in Farewell North, as well as the improved gameplay responsiveness, I feel it's a worthy tradeoff even if it's not the traditional canoe paddle style.
No excuse for the lack of buoyancy aid though haha, I think that's a great idea for both her and the dog. Safety first!
Skins to unlock in secret locations on the map would be a good idea, because you then have a reason to explore everything
Volumetric Lighting is like the best thing that could have been added to a beautiful stylized game like this ..!
Haha thanks, I agree! Nothing better than some volumetric lighting 😊
The volumetric lighting and new animations are looking great!
yay thank you!
Congratulations Kyle, I can't wait to see what awesome game will come out of this collaboration!
Thanks Max!
Man seeing videos like these make me happy because of the progress they made but i also get upset because i see the things that they made but i couldn’t :)
Just keep at it, I don't have any special skills that you can't pick up 😊
Lovley!
Congratulations 🎉
thank you!
I didn't mind the animation before but maaaaan......those animations are just smooth.
Soooo much better!
I noticed that when the dog walks through mushrooms and stuff little particles of colour fly around and was thinking that maybe, since the game is all about colour, rather than (or aswell as) the creepy hand enemy being attracted to the sound of knocking over rocks etc. it could be attracted to colour emmission. So the dog has to avoid running into colour producing obstacles or the hand will come, also could incorporate chase sequence type thing, if the dog needs to carry a flower since it produces a field of colour the hand will then constantly chase the dog while its got the flower. good job with the game, its coming along nicely.
That's sort of how it works! So the colour acts as a distraction, and the monster attacks colour as it's top priority. That means it works against you when you need to use colour for an objective, and at the same time you can strategically use colour to distract them and slip by
Mooneye are smart, this game is going to be winning awards.
I think that costumes is the better choice because you can still show your true colors through costumes and customizable costumes could be just a expressive as customizable fur
I agree :)
3:20 challenge accepted
first time seeing your vids. looking real nice
Customizable dog might be a nice unlockable feature for NG+
I really like the idea of skins you find
I think either choice is fine.
Having a dog stay it's look to represent the character works solid. Stray had only one breed of cat to play as, and it worked fine.
Letting the player chose their design can help them feel like they're the character, or that it's their dog for immersion. Bright Paw let's you choose a variety of designs for your cat Theo. And Blair Witch lets you pick your dog's color.
Plus, people can just pick default look, so everyone wins. But again, whatever the developer intends is fine. Go with whatever you feel works best.
Thanks Ian :)
i like the idea of having skins that you can find
The dog's animations are so much better now!
Sooo much better than I ever could have managed XD
Im far to late.
I just discovered your game, and from what I understand you discover colors slowly but surely. So a good way to have the title screen change is by slowly giving it colors as the story progress I guess
I'm a little late but i think having the option for customization is a great addition! I feel they should definitely be collectables in the game as they would prompt more exploration. (at least they would for me) Maybe even add possible color changes for the girls jacket as well?
Bandanas man.
I put bandanas on my dog all the time. And it really changes how they look.
You could add gameplay mechanics as well. If you collect a red bandana, then maybe something interacts with the red color or something. Maybe some of the bandanas have drawings or paintings on them, and if you collect the bandana and then find its corresponding location in game, something cool happens.
Bandanas would definitely be something I'm much more comfortable with
I think stalactites in the cave would be cool and a shore rock formation like the giant's causeway would be an interesting thing to see
The Giants Causeway was actually the inspiration behind the basalt columns I added :)
Looks very beautiful with the volumetric light. I don't think you need to be able to change the fur colour of the dog - but I guess some players want to see their dog in the game.
Thanks! And yea, I get the appeal, but ultimately I don't think it's right for the game.
I don't usually comment, but I've been watching your devlogs for a while and I love what you've created so far. I'm in agreement with a lot of the comments posted here. I personally wouldn't be a fan of character customization as it seems unnecessary. A dog tag/collar is a great idea. Some unlockable outfit designs/collars/minor cosmetics would be a neat addition but the game probably wouldn't feel lesser without it. Hope the input is helpful. Congrats on the partnership with Mooneye. Looking forward to the game!
3:34, maybe instead just make your own presents that feel grounded enough so the option is still there but not too immersion braking to the story and the dog etc..
Just seen this video recommended & for sure am intrigued by the game & the concept behind, sure can't wait to get my hands on it!!
Definitely go with your gut and keep the fur the same color. Tell the story you want to tell
For the caves you need to consider bioluminescence.
Not sure what the theory is on lighting in your cave but you could also go with hydrophobic bacteria.
These glow a sort of metallic yellow that looks like gold when light reflects off of them.
Example for the bacteria would be Lava beds National monument - Golden Dome cave
IMO grass feels a little too much of the same as the rest of the world
Brilliant progress! I really like the new dog animations and can't wait to see the human animations.
As for selecting fur colours I really like the idea however since colour is drained from the world a lot it feels unnecessary. I'd say only add it if you have some way of showing the player fur choice when colour is drained from the world as well as when colour is everywhere.
Your game is so pretty thats insane
Thanks so much 😊
What about stalactites in the caves? Then you can add dripping water or bats? (Ek more animation lol) Congrats on the publisher!!!!!
Stalactites are definitely needed, good call!
I love the stalagmite / stalactites in some of the caves. Dripping water sounds echoing in the larger caves would help create a sense of scale.
You could also add lichen to rock textures to break the look up a little bit.
I dont personally feel the need for customization until after the story has been told in the way it was intended. If you want to do collectables, I think presets or dog accessories (collars, hats, harnesses) for a new game or exploration period after the end of the game could be nice. It prevents any conflict of atmosphere that goofy combinations could add to a more serious part of a game.
For the caves, I think some moss and ivy could double as adding creepiness to the uncolored world, and life to the colored world. Mushrooms are so defined in their shape that it is hard to shift a players perspective on the environment just from giving them color. A player will know exactly what they are looking at from the shape. A flatter sprawling plant could give the feeling of being surrounded by webs, then give the relief of seeing the cave in a different light when the colors reveal their identity.
Great suggestions all around, thank you :)
I think you're right about the character creator. It looks great but the game does have a set story
This is just a random thought I had while watching the intro, and you might have something like this planned already, but the color flowers should maybe have some significance to the girl to explain why they create color and help her depression. Also the whole game is super good, you should feel very proud!
Thank you very much! They do hold significance in the story, but I don't have a good way of conveying that to the player right now (without some awkward dialogue). I have some ideas though :)
I like the idea of Collars, Harnesses,
Very exciting news!!
I think theres potential with water ripples having an effect on the environment. Especially when rowing.
I agree with you, I dont feel like the character customization for the dog is necessary because it's about a dog and their owner- not really about the player. Plus, similar games like lost ember and first tree don't have customization so it doesn't make sense to add it.
The game looks great keep it up!
Thanks!
That looks amazing!
Thanks Kyle 😀
Love those light rays! A tutorial on that would be pretty sweet URP doesnt seem to have that many performant options for volumetric lighting.
Thanks! I'm not sure I'll do a tutorial but this article should get you most of the way there, although it's a bit outdated if you're on the latest URP versions: valeriomarty.medium.com/raymarched-volumetric-lighting-in-unity-urp-e7bc84d31604
@@kylebanks Thanks for the reply! Good luck with your release, in my wishlist!
@@phantomprogramming woo thank you! Wishlists help so much ❤️
if you're not very comfortable about changing the dog itself, just give him clothes you can find across the game! like bandanas, collars, little booties, and of course hats
3:35 can I upgrade my dog's parts? yk like los santos customs?
just kidding, but tbh it kinda feels weird customizing a dog's "paint scheme", keep up the awesome work!
Thanks for the solution to the VolumeManager eating up a lot time!
Did you find similar results?
Congrats!!!!
This might be a little early in the development process but how about adding glimpses of the Lost Ember wolf on the distant hills as an Easter egg.
Also to add interest you could add extra animals, deer, rabbits, seals, etc. They would all be timid in real life so would run away as Chesley approached, so you won't have to script interactions.
I'm always looking to add more animals, for sure! I'll have to see if I can convince Mooneye to let me put in a Lost Ember easter egg XD
Farewell North is littlary my dream game :D
What about a taint system. So basically areas of the game after unlocking them may have little paint puddles, which the dog could roll in and get a little messy (recolored). A little dip in water would wash it off.
People love having their dogs in the game, that must be why
Definetly supporting on your decision on publisher. For indie developer there is no guarentee that publishers will honor their market plan, but many publisher force indie developers sign contract with harsh conditions. Simply too much risk for possbile return.
hay fellow dev here just make it so that that you can find collars if thats what your comfy with but ppl do get more attached to a custom character perhaps completing the game in different ways could yeld new costumes (colors) for your dog like in shadow of the colossus with agro
Kyle do you remember me , i was one of your subscriber. At starting. You will reach 100k soon.
I like it, I want to play as my brown border
If your willing to drop a bit of cash, you could get the animation course ALIVE! It supposed to be highly rated and I've started it and learned a lot
Oh cool, I'll check that out! It's definitely an area I want to learn more
I really do agree that you should not be able to alter the dog's fur/body. It is a story you're telling about specific characters, including the dog. You don't want to break the collected identity we as players have of the game and characters by making the characters different for everyone.
Someone else mentioned a life jacket or something and personally I find that not particularly realistic unless she's one of those city-slicker style "we purchase the expensive equipment and perform the recreational activities" persons. Down here in the south we kind of just. . . do stuff. And it of course depends on how much time she had to prepare and such. I've never seen a dog with a life jacket in normal real-life situations, but again, maybe in the city they're more safety conscious than us southerners. (That's not to say we aren't careful; there's rules about how to handle your guns, bows and arrows, _et cetera,_ but fewer rules about personal safety: we'd happily climb a tree without a safety rope or whatever.)
But that's a very personal thing, so you're gonna have to do whatever feels right to you in that regard. Maybe it's a good opportunity for world-building.
Agreed on the fur, it was an experiment because it was requested so often, but ultimately, it just isn't right for Farewell North :)
I'd say life jackets and whatnot are pretty common here in Scotland, especially if you're going out into the ocean (as you do in the game). Even on the lochs it's pretty rare to see someone out without a jacket. Not certain it'll be added to the game, but I do think it fits.
For the "skins", you could instead add collectables which tie into the story, hats, leashes etc.
I 100% believe Chesley shouldn't be able to change colour, it doesn't detract from the game in any way. IMO the people that ask to be able to change Chestly don't really get the spirit of the game ❤❤❤❤❤
it would be rad if you got to pick the doggo at a pet shop from like 3 puppies so that way the player feels like that first moment of them coming together.
That would be cool, I think Copy Cat (another YT devlog) is doing something along those lines, but wouldn't work for the story of Farewell North
This might be unfeasible, but maybe the colour customisation could be separated from the main game, similar to how a mod would be.
You could create a unity application that's just the dog customisation screen, and add a function that lets you load a save file, change the dog colours for that save game, and write back to the save file.
I think I'm leaning towards just letting modders handle it if it's something people want. I just don't really think it fits with the game
In terms of making the environment feel more lively why not have like boats off in the distance with distant boat sounds near the water?
I like that idea, however, there's meant to be a feeling of isolation and loneliness, so I've avoided any other humans in the game
I think you should stick to your vision and keep the collie one colour, it’s cleaner. There’s a clear intention with the colour palette for the game and character, which would get muddied by different fur tones. Getting Feedback from the community to improve features is great, but I’d steer away from “design by committee” introducing features you don’t like. I think your game looked great and well considered too. There’s plenty of scope to handle as it is so don’t fall into additional feature creep! :)
I always like to experiment with ideas that are highly suggested, but you're right that you never want it to become design by committee. I don't think I explained this well enough in the video but I'm basically 99% sure this won't be in the game, for exactly the reasons you mention here
How about add more colors like collies are blue and orange, red too Like add a way to make the blue merle color or smth
That would be the idea, the colors for now are placeholder, but I don't think the feature as a whole is a good fit
I know this is not what you want to hear, but if you REALLY want to step up your graphics. To get it to UE level. You have to make the move to HDRP. Make a copy of your project and give it a try, it's a huge difference.
Great devlog man hope to see more but i just wanted to ask when will the demo come out agian as I couldn't play the past demo and i was really hoping to be able to play the demo and if the demo is out can you please comment the link or something. thanks man keep up the food work!
The demo comes back in two weeks for Gamescom! It will be on Steam
@@kylebanks ok cool im very happy that i get the chance to play farewell north. thanks you.
I know this might not be what you want but I really hope there is actual gameplay in this, maybe platforming or something with enemies. lost ember was great but it lacked actual gameplay (at least for me)
3:34 In this scenario, I think you should go for what you feel and ignore other players, it is a story. Kind of like ConcernedApe chose not to add animal killing to Stardew Valley, because it didn't feel right for him, a feature that many people were asking for too.
Yeah ultimately this can't be design by committee, but I do tend to at least experiment with highly suggested features. In this case, it was a fun little project but in the end, it's just not a good fit for the game :)
Gz!
If different dog looks must be a thing, I would much prefer skins that you collect, though I worry that it might take away from the story or just not add anything substantial to it.
Oh they definitely don't have to be a thing, in fact I'm leaning towards not having it at all! I'm really quite relieved that everyone seems to agree that it's not a good fit ☺️
How are you able to create so much grass and maintain performance? Thanks
There's no one answer, it's a ton of tricks and being strategic with it. One thing I would recommend is looking into a tool like Nature Renderer. The built in grass rendering is quite limited
@@kylebanks interestingly enough I have the Nature Renderer but the 2021 version is not working with the Staggart Grass Shader I'm using. In fact it's just not working period. Screen flickering and locks up UI :( Is the grass shader you're using a custom one? Thanks and great work!
Yep, I agree... seeing the dog in different colors just feels wrong to me, it's like "no... this isn't my doggo..." The only way I can see this working is hiding collectables for the players to unlock color patterns, but even then it's kinda out of place. Like someone else suggested, collectable collars for the dog and jackets for the girl sound way better and fit the style of the game way more than literal skins for the characters.
Completely agree, thanks for the feedback!