awesome, looking forward to seeing the changes, il be getting around to EP4-5 mighty soon, just been super busy with a few projects recently as well as work, but exiting times ahead with release sometime this month or next, a massive achievement 🥳🥳🥳  

I should also mention, that my slow downs could be due to having the game on my external hard drive, its a very good one but i thought i might mention it anyway just in case, i might stick it over on my HDD or M.2 stick, when i record E4 just to see if that is something that could be doing it. and if running it on SSD helped eliminate those random slow downs abnessor, let me know :D 

looking forward to testing this build out! will be replying to your email today as well, i hope you are doing ok mr ass kicker, do try to take it easy dude! and take breaks if you are guna be doing things while your ill. Zortch isn't going anywhere 🤪 She is still finding a way to break out from brainsuka prison 🤣 so you got a few years dont worry 👽🖖

Forgot to add the voice file in the email attachment so its over here on drop box to download with your email only.

If you need them as individual sound files, let me know and il put them all in as a folder download

Bounty Hunter English Voice Version

Here is my war room benchmark video. seems all good on my end, and my specs are in that previous email i sent you. 

Zortch Love WARRRRRRRRRR!

Ep3 all recorded and ready to edit :D il email you a link asap when its uploading.

1) Absolutely, and that was exactly the importance i was conveying in the image comparison, maybe i should of put it in bugs 😅, but yeah, the left screen shot is E2M1 were the Green key is located, and it has no green pad under it, iv checked to see if every other card has one, (in EP1-2 only) and they do, i should of put 1) it in the bugs section my bad 😵 (il make sure to keep a eye out in the further EP's today.

2) with the lvl start, i am not sure if you have played the recent game cultic, but most of the time each lvl select spawns you with the what type of load out you might have at that point in time (with a optional melee only load out start button), in terms of progression, but considering alot of the guns are pretty much all given to the player so quickly, i can see what you mean at how difficult it is to gauge, which is why on my first EP1 play, i felt like a lot of the guns were given to the player way to soon, you pretty much get everything almost in E1M1, which is totally fine if that is how you want it, i just feel like the main take away for me is not really about segregating the attachments to bosses per say, but more so a sense of lacking progression with your arsenal. With the bloop gun for example, that was presented to the player in such a cathartic and meaningful way, as well as it  being unmissable, then ofc any map after can have that gun as a secret to be found or just around in the lvl anyway, half life 1 has plenty of guns that you did not really have to pick up so to speak, so that them being non mandatory is not a issue. Its mainly just the When you get most of your load-out, and How quickly you acquire everything that feels distributed prematurely.  

Also for the record, you have tons of bravado, you are kicking ass dude! don't sell your self short!

Fair enough with the HP effect, i think you are right, it would be very hard to make it not so useless considering how much there would be hitting it, i think your on the money with that, i think a perfect middle ground would be just a timer, does not have to be a short one, maybe 100 seconds or something, and then it does the same animation of disarming its self as when you place a new one. 

Or maybe you could only place one down at a time while a single one is active, which could be slightly less time, maybe 30 seconds or 50, and then some kind of indication on the HUD were the ammo is when its about to run out and disarm, so there unlimited in use, but due to them being placed down and stay there for a set amount of time, the player has to be smart about were to place it, as it will be there till the time is up, then can place another down and each one would be important choice to the player, and its current function right now could be a cheat in the console, that way the function is not removed and peps can have fun with it how they see fit, again, just spit balling idea's, if you are happy with it as is, then as is, it shall be.

she does react to a key press, so fair enough if not a bug, just feels very strange to have to get up with a action, wondering if it would be better to ether have zortch get up automatically or have no animation full stop and just take dmg with the "ouch" sound effect and bar health deduction. (and small splat of blood {purple blood if you cant use red} vs a Red X for environmental game play story telling) but if you are happy with it as is, then so it shall be 🥳

Got a few suggestions id like to stick here, some are hopefully simple, and or food for thought.  

1: iv noticed maybe 1 area 2 at most were some of the key cards don't have there color coded base they hover on under. most if not all have some color indication under them, minus a select few.

2: this one is a potentially crazy suggestion, you know in unreal how the dispersion pistol can be upgraded over time, or how each mission in unreal 2 you would get a upgrade of some sorts from Issac, i was thinking that what if each guns secondary fire is something you acquire after killing a boss, that way you can deliver every gun to the player, but then they still have a secondary fire to unlock some how, maybe after each episode ends? or boss kill, as there is only 6 guns in the game with alt fires, 5 if you don't count the shotgun, and you could have that as is with its secondary fire to teach the player there will be one. and there are 5 bosses = 5 attachments after each kill, you wouldn't have to change the models or anything. maybe each boss drops the attachment and that is how the mission ends vs on kill, collect it with little top left green text then mission ends. again this is just a wild suggestion. not something that has to be done. just spit balling :3

I think for starters with 2: definitely a cut off point for the shield being active. like a duration timer would be a grate step, plus would help you cull a lingering object being on the map 24/7. and i do think the shields would benefit to have some kind of breaking point, sure they can be unlimited to use (be it not so fast placed down after each one) but it would add some tension to the fights of thinking oh shit its guna break, then set the next one up, and then if its inactive to long anyway without being destroyed/hit it will jolt away, that seems like the best way to go about it in my eyes, its just up to you on duration and how much hits it can take before breaking and balancing it to your liking :D and in my eyes cakes are had and eaten, as there is no limit still on it, its just limiting other things to make it seem like its limiting, the illusion of it so to speak. players will be warm to it for sure, and it would eliminate them thinking its a bug, cus we both thought it was a bug to start with, and only on long periods of play had we grown used to it, so i think those small changes would go a long way for players to know that it is not a bug but feature mwaha.

Unlisted video example of what i mean for 1:, only when i tap a key or click will zortch realize she has legs still xD which is funny honestly, but might potentially confuse the player some what in the wrong ways.

I can see what you mean with the fun defo haha, unlimited stuff don't always mean cheating or hand holding your right, but maybe a cool down would be better .as a nice middle ground, as its more so how quickly you can do it repeatedly and use it then how much you can use it  also would be nice to have the shield evaporate on a timer after being inactive for practical and game play 🤔

Gotcha i never noticed the new upload for the main, thanks a lot! that solves it

As i cant record in full fashion at the moment i am going to post a few bugs iv noticed or potential oversights that might be active.

1: i have notice that when you fall down on the ground from fall dmg, Zortch refuses to get up on her own unless you click to rise her for battle (think maybe changing it so zortch automatically gets up after a brief second would go a long way for maneuverability.

2: The plasma pistol shield deploy secondary fire consumes no ammo when used, allowing the player to pretty much put up endless amounts of shields, they also dont seem to break after enough fire power has hit them, (maybe changing them so they have a Hp meter and a small amount of ammo is  consumed on each use of the secondary fire might help over reliance)   

i will also make sure to do this soon, but i cant seem to get the console open with the tilde key 🤒 is there any way to rebind the console hot key by any chance?

Just a quick update for a bug or maybe just my silliness, i updated my game to the latest build to get ready for EP3 and the finals, and i make a habit of putting over the data file after last time, but it seems like E1M1's changes were reverted and maybe more with that new data file, so i just reverted it back for now until i know for sure. let me know in future if those data files should be left were they are, and il only drop it in if necessary.

Sorry for the delay of Ep3 and the rest of the recording, just getting over a cold again at the moment and poor sleep, but fear not i will have EP3 done before April hits, and 4-5 hopefully done by the start, i would record ep3 as i am at the moment if it was needed desperately, but i would rather my brain be at max to be able to help and voice things like usual, il be back to it mighty soon

Just a heads up that il be recording EP3 today or tmorrow!

That worked, perfect! i think separate builds is grate, il just keep a mental note to put the data file in next time there is a map update :D

I went on to try the new section of E1M1, but it seems like the map has not been updated on the new build. 

unless i am missing something on my end 🤔

one small idea if you did not want fall dmg as a gameplay mechanic, you could with the fall down to the medkit, maybe just have one of those fire emitters that was on E2M3 in that fall down, so that way the hurt is from something that is not the fall its self, so a short fall passing through the flame = get hit, then heal with the med kit, maybe that way would be better, if you did not want to implement fall dmg as a gameplay mechanic.

it would encourage a risk = reward that you are going for, plus you could have some fun with the idea that it is a incinerator/cremator for the hallow's disposal or something of the sort and land on a ash pile.

That looks honestly so much better! i cant stress enough how much that is a improvement already.

Ah man its so cool seeing my old space cow in game :D thank you so much dude, it fits almost to well... considering the burger place is the next map xD poor space cow... captured for tasty treats... lets hope it does not get the bloop treatment and become not so harmless hehe (: 

honestly i quite like how barbaric it is xD, but if you wanted a less brutal way to show fall dmg is minimal, it would be to just not make it such a big fall, that seems like the logical conclusion to me, and instead of a red X just some blood or bones or something instead. everything else you have done is fantastic there. the crouching is much better and the med kits teaching, my only real issue lays with what you say, vent coverings teaching, so maybe you could use both types of coverings at some point, its more so that there are two types of breakable vents that is confusing, so if you can nail that they both do the same thing even though they are visually different that would be grate, but you are defo on the right path here for sure. even the first 40 seconds is such a massive improvement, just need to nail that both vent covers = breakable, which honestly you have really nailed id say with the first breaking the one on the pit down, i fully understand what you mean about hand holding, but with basic loop mechanics, i think its not really hand holding per say, its more so just initial teaching then the training wheels come off, if it was hand holding, then it would be a permanent indication 24/7 by your side, which i defo agree on not wanting, but initial teaching of basic game play patterns that plan to stick around through the whole game, should defo have a mandatory initial spotlight, and you are doing just that now with these changes, and it really helps a bunch.

but fantastic work man, please dont burn your self out though! and take breaks to chill, think of it as cooking a nice meal with the right ingredients, cus you sure as hell are cooking some good stuff here chef mutant leg, your just putting the final seasoning on 😁

Thought this might be a little inspiration for you :D (from the unreal 1 lvl designer) 

honestly, people love experimenting with the game play, like you said about the raptor's, anything you say, Dont do, they are going to do it for sure, cus curiosity and wanting to see what everything does is just part of the charm of older games, think back to DUKE 3D, if there was a big Red sign that said, dont blow this up, you know for sure if you got a pipe bomb in your hand, your guna wana do it to see xD

so in my opinion, use that to your advantage, play in to that silliness, as a way to get players to do things you want them to do. 

treat everyone like they are DD out of Dexter's laboratory xD (if you have seen that)   

3 birds with one mandatory stone would be grate for all 3 of those.

It would work extremely cohesively as well in such a simple and effective way.

Break vent = this is something i can and now know how to do going forward

Crouch in to vent = this is something i can and know how to do going forward now

Med kit in vent = i want to explore vents in the future 

You could also throw in the flash light teachings and make the vent dark as well and none of it would be to much as they all sync up to useful actions simultaneously, and even on repeat play, there is no real stopping, you could easy just break the vent rush through in seconds on a second run. but that small little trio set piece would go along way to seal some of the more basic actions you want the player to know in the later levels and episodes.  

in terms of understanding basics, i feel like a lot of the game play basics are taught to the player in a satisfying and cohesive way, like the wrench throw/force field power box being a grate one, that is honestly perfect, same with slide kick teaching, but with the vents there was never a moment in the first map that really taught the player that was a game play feature, for me in my mind i knew it as one due to half life, but for a new player i think it would be grate to just have a moment in the first map were the player must break and crawl through a vent to progress, that way its in there minds that this is something i can do, much like how you taught the players with the wrench throw and force field fuse box shut downs. 

and same with the med kits and jump, the medkit is hidden away in a vent as a secret that can be missed by the player, when that is a important game play aspect for the whole game, so in my mind you could kill two birds with one stone, by having a part in E1M1 that forces you to break a vent and crawl through it to collect and use a medkit after being hurt, then the vent leads in to the room with the shotgun, and you can sneak up behind the enemy looking at the vending machine to dispatch him with ether the new gun or your wrench, this both allows the player to be introduced to the first real enemy of the game in a safe way, as well as know how to heal and how to attack with the wrench. 

again this is purely my own lvl design brain, but hopefully its some food for thought. 

Gotcha il report back about any hitches if any. 

you should be very pleased with the first 2 EP! they are fantastic, i will attempt to get throu EP3-5 very soon, and make it 1 long video each.

i fully agree, after EP2 anything that peps get lost in is up to the player, as long as core gameplay loops arnt effected, i.e Exit sign being missing, or power cores needing to be destroyed each map. like i said in my video, with E2M3, fantastic map, but as there was no exit sign around like most of the previous maps, i was confused and lost, so just very simple things like that really, and just satisfying arrangement of  triggers and actions.

as to content lock, i fully think that is a the best way to go, bear in mind all my excitement of suggestions with things like wave modes and things are purely just my own excitement and enjoyment of your crafted experience, not obligations or expectations, to my fault i get over exited at possibility's, but in no way shape or form is it a expectation, more just a excitement of future possibility's, i think any changes made should be to what is already there, i.e E2 boss fight or subtle lvl design tweaks for things like the door change on E1M1, and missing exit sign on E2M3, or the conveyor belt fire being a timed obstacle for the player to know there is a way forward and to set them up for the timed crushers (which should definitely kill/hurt you crouched or standing) , and anything else up your shelve in terms of that caliber. i think you are 100% correct in having that as a focus. as your core features are pretty darn perfect in my eyes, i do feel like there needs to be swap in terms of the grenade launcher being a secondary fire vs as a primary fire, but that is probably just me, but defo the SMG zoom function blinded to scroll wheel zoom or staged x2 x4 x8 zooms with right click, vs W and S as a zoom function, as it does not allow the player free movement forwards and backwards when using the scope.

dont ever feel pressured by the terrible games as a service trend, id argue people are so agienst it now days and relish in a game that is a hand crafted experience.

lastly as features are fully locked in, going forward if i speak of anything as such in the videos, know its purely my imaginative mind going to work with excitement, but features that are already in game such as consumables like the under water gear and hazard boots, i think they grate additions, but just need a small icon indication like the key cards for example that they are in your possession. 

(replying from the email, if you do remove night vision, which i think is wise based on what you said about the flash light being a function already for light, do keep them in the editor for custom maps :D)    

lastly with the enemy counter, its not necessary at all, and you make a solid point honestly, about it being more of a experience then a "i must complete and kill everything in a lvl" i really like that honestly, so you make a soild point and i think your fully right. the secret counter is grate though, but monster count yeah that makes more sense, saying that, it would be cool on higher difficulty's that do add more enemies placements. i am trying to rember if time splitters 2 had a kill count, as it was the same with higher difficulty there having different or more mobs in the level, but even then i still agree, its not a 100% the game for enemy's killed, and i really like that. i like hearing your design choices and why :D and that for sure is good stuff and makes total sense.

I will try to get to EP3 today or tomorrow, and if there is anything i can do to help more with, let me know anytime

make sure to take it easy and dont over work the brain or else you wont have a brain left for the brain sucker to eat :D

Keep Killing it Space Man 

👽🪐

i agree for sure, secrets should be hard, but the grating feels like it is something that is not destroy able, as it has a different visual, maybe just a different visual that looks a tiny bit close to the normal ones, as it looks more like a indestructible grating, but ofc, no pressure, i just think it would help player comprehension.

And With That Said

Just A Quick Update: I have recorded all of episode 2 in one sitting today, and am just stitching it together now, i will email you the unlisted link shortly along side the texture file and a .dae file format version of are mutual friend.

🐄👽

Thought id set up another thread/topic, to be able to quickly post info and keep you up to date on the recordings and other happenings.

So i mentioned this in my play test video, but i thought id stick it over here in suggestions for a more visual explanation

i think it would be best for the player, to use the right most vent coverings only, it keeps things universal visually as a game play mechanic.

my first thought when playing was that the left vent style required something different to open, vs the teachings from the normal vents, 

i think its perfectly fine to use the left vent styles coverings on objects that size wont fit a vent size scale, like the end of E1M3 for example. But for ones that are the same size as the right vent style coverings, i think should be used as that universally, to help keep visual game play lessons synchronized throughout.    

(and if you wanted to have the right most vent be some what transparent to see what is on the other side, removing a few bars from the 3d model and making two separate model styles might do the trick)

Zortch Brain Need Structure!

Thought id create a suggestion section for smaller things. feel free to remove the thread if its unwanted. 

Game-play Suggestions & Tweaks 

Only the good kind :D that's were the flame thrower comes in, mwaha 😎

E1M2 (picture evidence provided)

On top of the  burger joint, one of the cliffs mesh face seems to be missing.

Zortch Need Face!

E1M2 Build 1662 (picture evidence provided)

The mirror in the burger joint seems to randomly disappear if you get to close or look in a specific direction at it.

Zortch Must See Self!

E1M2 (picture evidence provided)

One of the shelves in the first room were you get the beam trip mines, has a shotgun ammo pick up, that clips and does not enjoy being on its shelve.

Zortch Need Gravity!

maybe some goodies and items in the vent to make it worth exploring with ether choice made 🤔

Dont think i did that, hmmmm, and if i did, i wonder what the vents purpose has now if that's the case 🤔

E1M2 (Visual Context provided)

In the lead up to going in to the crawl vent, to make are way across the other side of the force field, there is no force field here now, potential bug? 

Zortch Need Puzzle!