[p]Hey, everyone! Ryan here, creator of Wicked Seed.[/p][p][/p][p]June was pretty hectic! Between working on the game, participating in Next Fest, and trying out promotion strategies, I definitely had my hands full.[/p][p][/p][p]Well let's get into what I've been working on in June and what my plan is for July![/p][p][/p]

Spoiler Warning

[p]I'll be discussing new features and additions to the game, but nothing story related.[/p][p]Please remember Wicked Seed is still in active development and any current or planned feature could be changed.[/p][p][/p]

What I've been working on

• [p]Lots of prep work for Next Fest. I'm pretty happy with how Wicked Seed performed and I learned a lot on what types of players its attracting. Also there appears to be some momentum sticking around in terms of page visits and wish lists so I'm happy for that![/p]
• [p]Finalized three new areas which make up of the bulk of Chapter 3. That includes their item pick ups, enemy and mini boss encounters, notes, and so on. I'm really happy with how these new maps turned out and I'm excited to continue working on new areas.[/p]
• [p]Added additional footstep sound effects based on the shoe type for the costume you're wearing (shoe/boot, heels, bare feet)[/p]
• [p]Added a new shotgun[/p]
• [p]Added a new combat feature: Defensive Attacks. If you get too close to an enemy that is in their stand by phase (waiting for their turn) they will now react to your presence and attack you (similar to how Clingers would). It's usually one of their normal attacks, but deals reduced damage and inflicts a bit more stagger if you block it. I'm hoping this continues to increase the importance of positioning and add a bit more life into the enemies.[/p]
• [p]I showed it off in the sneak peak, but I added a Bestiary. You can view the earlier post for more info there, however one thing I added that is new and not shown in the earlier post, is when you complete a bestiary entry you will also be able to see that enemy's health, stagger, and stagger duration (as if you had the Tech Glasses on)[/p]
• [p]Based on player feedback about energy scarcity, I'm experimenting with restoring a bit of energy after completing an encounter and I also increased Valkyrie's unique effect of restoring 1 energy per attack to 2.[/p]
• [p]Added 4 new enemies[/p]
• [p]Made improvements to the object interaction system's accuracy (interaction prompts should no longer sometimes phase in and out)[/p]
• [p]Added a new "Found New Weapon" screen that better highlights the strengths of the weapon and some hints at how best to use it. Here's an example for Reaper, the new shotgun:[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Made some adjustments to enemy behavior in combat: Certain attacks now only track the player during a portion of the attack. For example, if an enemy roars before it attacks, it will track the player during its roar and then commit to that final direction before it launches its attack, instead of tracking the player continuously[/p]
• [p]Some enemies now have forward momentum during their attacks which increases the difficulty to dodge[/p][p][/p]
• [p]Made some adjustments to the enemy's projectile system:[/p]
• [p]Projectiles can now spawn with different trajectories (straight line, arc, etc)[/p]
• [p]Certain projectiles can spawn damaging ground effects that persist for a time, but if the projectile is parried, it will be destroyed and won't leave the ground effect[/p]
• [p]If you damage an enemy while it's attacking, but before the projectile has been launched, it now becomes a "rogue" projectile and will veer off its intended course and damage any enemies it hits[/p][p][/p]

  What's next

  [p]With Next Fest out of the way I can continue just focusing on adding more content to the game. [/p]
• [p]I will be soon working on a boss fight with new mechanics[/p]
• [p]Will be experimenting with adding more abilities:[/p]
• [p]Focus: Next attack is guaranteed critical and consumes no stamina[/p]
• [p]Throwing Knife: Deals high attack damage, but low stagger damage. Deal bonus damage to staggered enemies.[/p]
• [p]Scavenge: Usable out of combat only, you will acquire scrap at the cost of energy. Scrap obtained will scale with your level and luck stat[/p]
• [p]One more map is needed to cap off Chapter 3 so I'll start working on that in a week or so. It's more puzzle and story focused than the previous 4 newer maps[/p]
• [p]Will be adding in the "weapon strip" mechanic where you will be able to remove all upgrades on a weapon and get a full refund on the scrap used. I want finding a new weapon to be exciting and I don't want any anxiety about upgrading it, only to realize it's not what you're looking for and regret the investment[/p]
• [p]Plan on experimenting with out of combat sprint[/p]
• [p]And time permitting, will start on some story related cutscenes and content that will begin Chapter 4[/p]

[p][/p][p]Well that's all for this month! Thanks for making it this far and welcome to all the new players we got during Next Fest. As per usual, I'll leave you all with a look at a previously unseen costume. Until next time![/p][p][/p][p][/p]