Halloween Update Progress

Hello!  It's been nearly a month already since the last devlog so I thought I'd share an update as we inch our way closer to Halloween.  Unfortunately due to some things happening in my personal life, I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked, and I'll have to scale down some of the ideas that I wanted to include with the next update.  That being said I think there's still a lot here to get excited about, so let's take a look at what you can expect!

First off, we have some brand new NPC's that have been added into the Merchant Camp.  As well as a bit of restructuring.  The new NPC's will offer you quests and tie into the Fishing and Mining systems.  So if you're interested in messing around with those things you'll know exactly where to go.  On that note let's not waste any more time and talk about Fishing.

As you can see in the image above, the Witch's House map has also received an update.  A brand new pond. This has been my main test bed for the fishing system, so don't expect it to function the same as it does in this shot.  But the basic idea is that there will be a set of water biomes, each containing their own group of fish.  As well as a variety of different baits that can attract different fish.  Fish can range from Small, Medium, Large and Behemoth classes.  And each class has a preferred bait you can use to fish them up.  Once you've found the pond or river or beach you like, select one of your bait types and you'll get to play a little mini-game.

I'm not going to pretend it's anything innovative, but just a simple QTE and Button Mash system will determine if you successfully capture your fish or if it gets away with your bait.  And if it's not your thing, well it's totally optional.  I spent the bulk of today working out the mining system but since I have yet to make a new Chibi art or the assets for the different boulders you can break, we'll save showing that off for a later date.

While the mini-game itself is too early to show off, the associated location is not.  There is an entire new zone you'll be able to explore in this update.  The Abandoned Mine!  It's home to a unique Rocky Slime variant and has it's own mechanics involving a lack of visibility the deeper down you go.

The entrance is well lit, but you'll want to make sure you bring some torches with you if you proceed any further...

Otherwise, well.  It gets even darker than this.  And with dangerous enemies lurking about, you don't want to be lost in the darkness.

But the mines aren't the only new dangerous addition.  The Slime Lair has been expanded into a full on zone itself.  This area will be a bit of a skill check that makes sure you're prepared for the boss ahead and contains another brand new enemy type that I CAN show off this time.

Meet the Evolved Slime.  The Cute Slime's uglier older brother.  It's half way to becoming a King itself and serves as a bit of a preview of the boss to come.  I'm sure most of you have already battled the King and can see the similarities.  I may not have enough time to give the new enemies unique tarot cards to drop for Red but, we'll see what I have time for.  Halloween is approaching at a faster rate than I feel like I can keep up with though.

Perhaps the most exciting update comes on the story front.  The demo update will progress beyond the Slime King and allow you to venture deeper into the woods, where you'll meet a brand new character who has never appeared in ANY prior build.  A certain cat with a malicious smile.

The one and only Cheshire makes her debut, and you'll be able to meet her for yourself.  She's a special sort of item vendor that you'll be able to get rare items and gear from, for an appropriate cost.

Do mind the head though!  If anyone is familiar with my prior work you'll notice that Cheshire has had a significant redesign from my old comic "Alice In!" that's brought her more in line with the aesthetic of "Project Red."  But she IS meant to be the exact same character as part of the wider universe I'm building off of that old comic.  Unfortunately she will not feature voice acting in this current build, but I am currently in the process of auditions for her.

So, as you can see, a LOT of progress has been made in this past month.  There's more stuff I didn't even mention here like a few new lewd events and some images to accompany losing in battle to a cute slime, but some content is unfortunately not going to make the final cut.  For example there was going to be a special secret boss tied to the fishing mechanic but, I don't think it's something I'll get to with the amount of work I still have left to do. I'm hoping to squeeze a few more enemies in, a sub boss, and a few more maps to get to a good cliff hanger ending for the demo.  And so a lot of the cool/fun stuff on the side simply can't be given any priority just yet.  Ya never know though.  If things go real smooth maybe I'll get to add some of those ideas in at the last minute.  But for now that's a little taste of what to expect once the Halloween Update is released.  Thank you so much for all your support!  And if anyone want's to help out just a little bit extra, consider supporting me on Patreon.

That's all for this one.  Catch ya later!