INTRO STUFF BEFORE THE DEVLOG BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST ONE
I am excited to announce that I've decided to start a devlog here on Newgrounds for my game project RKR - Rush Kill Repeat. This is my first time documenting the game development journey, and I'm looking forward to building a community around it. If you're interested in the game development process, you're in the right place! Feel free to ask me questions, send in your suggestions, etc.
WHAT IS RKR - RUSH KILL REPEAT:
I don't want to try to sell the game to you (yet) but as this is the first real post, I figure I should first talk about what RKR is... RKR - Rush Kill Repeat is the ultimate maze game where every step could be your last, and every kill brings new power to your arsenal. You're put into a procedurally generated maze, that could be generated in one of almost 20 different environments, each introducing its own unique gimmick. Sorry if I just got you hooked on the game with this introduction.
Discord (the best place to contact me): discord.com/invite/2zch5Dv
Steam (in case you wanna wishlist the game): store.steampowered.com/app/2137680/RKR__Rush_Kill_Repeat
Twitter (for more frequent posts about the game) : twitter.com/MMT_Filip
OKAY ACTUAL DEVLOG
So- I've shown some people RKR - Rush Kill Repeat in its current state and I've thought of some big improvements.
HERE ARE THE MAIN CRITICISMS AND MY THOUGHTS ON HOW TO ADDRESS THEM:
- Engagement Over Time: Many people find RKR entertaining for short play sessions, but lacks elements that motivate long-term play. To address this, I plan on adding a couple of layers of meta-progression. In between rounds, players will have the option to select between upgrading their current weapon, (which will not change with kills, a little more information on this later), or sacrificing their current weapon for a potentially better one (think basic pistol -> n16 -> watergun -> etc). In between games, you can spend the kills you've gathered up in your kill bank to unlock new stuff to be added to the rotation between rounds.
- Weapons and Change-y Stuff: As briefly mentioned before, the current mechanic of changing weapons with each kill disrupts gameplay. Imagine you're blocked into a corner with a powerful weapon, about to face a swarm of enemies... Your next shot might downgrade your arsenal. You must pray to RNGesus that you get a better or equivalent weapon, or else you succumb to your gruesome and inevitable fate (death). To resolve this, I'm working on a system (as mentioned in the previous point) to allow for more strategic weapon choices, reducing the reliance on luck, and putting more control in the player's hands.
- Visual Consistency: The game suffers from inconsistent-visual-language-itis. I need to make sure that I am effectively communicating what is happening to the player. I've got some improvements up my sleeve already, but it's boring stuff and not as exciting as the other points, haha.
MY NEXT STEPS:
I'm taking the first step forward with RKR by overhauling a core mechanic that's been apart of the game since it's early days: The weapon rotation with every kill, a feature I implemented when I was first learning GML, is being canned immediately after I click the "Submit Post" button.
Following this, I'll shift my focus to developing the meta-progression elements that will take place between rounds. This will include weapon upgrades, and the introduction of new gameplay features to keep the experience engaging and unique for every round.
Once I'm done with the gameplay, I'll dive into updating the visuals of the game.
QUICK OUTRO BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY:
I'm eager to hop on and make these improvements, and I'd love to hear your thoughts! If you have any questions, concerns, or queries, (or suggestions, ideas, whatever!) please share them in the comments, PM me, or join the Discord server! Your input is invaluable as I refine and enhance RKR. Hopefully, we can make this game as thrilling and engaging as possible, together!
