This is the next of the usual devlogs to keep you informed about my progress.

The project Late Shape Journey is now in version B.0.5.0 (Part I).

A download is not available for this game yet.

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Progress Showcase (Outdated)

The status scene has been revamped. While it's mostly a visual change, it has also enabled me to show additional data. You'll notice the added boost feature from the last devlog - it is now shown here as an indicator of how many maximum boost points you currently have, as it is planned to be increasable. There are also more slots now, as upgrades for Life, Mana and Stamina have been added. The parameters have been shoved around a bit to be more in line with the information to the left. Some also have been replaced by others. The data window has been widened and now features double the space for things to be shown.

As you will obviously notice, some stuff in there is still only a placeholder, but you get the idea. It's also only a picture, as changing it in the plugin parameters 1000th times would have been a nightmare - which means I still have to reflect these changes in the actual project.

Next, I've looked into the battle scene. Again, mostly visual changes which have been done to better support some small adjustments in other aspects. The enemy box has a bit more height now, which was mostly used for being able to better show the data above them, but will also come slightly in use for the maximum size of some characters. The turn order has been adjusted and currently supports up to six enemies at once. The actor data has been shoved around a lot until it came out like shown above. There is a new icon for displaying the character's control scheme (manual or auto), the icon for the added "Break Shields" function, as well as the normal state and buff icon. You may also note the added "Battle Log".

While I've already implemented this in the project, it's obviously still unpolished. Some things are not displayed correctly, and I still have to adjust some stuff. This will also be a topic I have to return to after revamping, as there is way more to do than that, anyways.

I've also looked into the good old main menu again. Most stuff only was re-arranged slightly, but I used that to also add back the "Formation" option. You will now be able to switch places with your pet in battle visually - which might be handy if it is actually faster than you.

Behind the menu you can also already see a new plugin I've added in - the compass. It will be displayed within dungeons and can also trigger an enlarged map. This has only been roughly implemented though, so I will still change things around.

In that regard, I've also added in some other plugins, like ones that visually enhance the project with improved weather, lighting and movement effects, as well as the mentioned battle log and a message log for map-conversations. A plugin to add some flavour text or information pop-ups has been added, as well.

I've replaced them in exchange for other plugins I had sorted out, as I don't think I will need them for the project. So hey, I actually did a purchase fail, after all. But it's alright. Anyways, I'm almost finished into looking at that, I believe. So the plugin-related features should mostly be fixed now.

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Finally, I also did some miscellaneous things around the project. Another plugin has been added to disable mouse input during gameplay, as it was not working out for me with the self-made interfaces. I've also worked on a new icon, which will finally be the... well, final one. You can actually see the progression of that in the pictures above. The first one was my second attempt, replacing the default engine-one (which I'd re-coloured long ago) with a bust of a character. While it did grew on me, there were some difficulties with it, so I decided to finally make one myself with my non-existing art skills - which you can see on the second and third picture. I've even made two versions which will be used for the stable and beta release respectively.

In regards of assets: I've added in the final music tracks for chapter 8 - and therefore actually finished that whole thing up. As it currently stands, I only want to implement the last missing tilesets and maybe another plugin. I may change my mind on that and fiddle around with some assets one final time, as well as deciding if I want to add a last slew of things over the next months - but we'll see. Anyways, this topic will probably be done in the foreseeable future, as I'll only be able to mention that a new tileset's been added from time to time.

Feel free to follow my project here on itch.io or via my x-profile.

The next update will be showcased on here as soon as it is ready.

Like always, thank you for reading and have a nice week, everyone.

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