Hey all! It's been a little over a week since the first devlog (too long) and I've got plenty of new stuff to share with you!

This time, I'm sending you on a little mission. Any time I'm looking for specific feedback, I'll put a number into some square brackets like this: [*] At the end of the devlog, I'll elaborate more on the questions in particular that I'd like answered. I appreciate any feedback I'm given, whether it's in the comments, or DMs!

LET'S CATCH YOU NEW PEEPS UP TO SPEED:

Last week, I gave a few specifics that I said I would be focusing on:

• Remove the Weapon-Rotation Mechanic - I said this wouldn't take long at all... And I was right! It took me four minutes to delete that old code, to prepare the game for the big changes that are right around the corner.
• Updating the Visuals of the Game - I'm actually not entirely sure what I meant by this, but things have certainly changed a bit since we last checked in.
• Develop Meta-Progression Elements - This is the big one that will change how the game is played forever. There is still much to polish, and I wouldn't mind some feedback for it when the time comes. Essentially, the goal is to make each weapon unlockable, and once you unlock it, it'll be added to your roster of items equipable in between rounds.

With that out of the way, let's show what I've done!

THE NEW STUFF:

The first thing I'd like to show off is the updated existing content that I made! In between rounds, you're taken to a safe place to rest; the couch/"Take a Breather" screen. This screen has been changed to prepare for the new weapon-sacrificing meta progression. Feast your eyes:

The original:

The new and improved [1]:

As you can see, you can flip the cushions upwards to select a new weapon between rounds. Soon, you'll be given the option to upgrade your current weapon instead of being forced to give it up. There are also different tiers of weapons that exist, depending on what level the player is on. The tier increases once every time a level is divisible by 4. (So levels 0-3 would be the first tier, 4-7 would be the second tier, 8-11 would be the third, etc, etc.) This prevents players from being granted the Watergun or the Pulse Gun (the two most powerful weapons) at the beginning of the game[2].

Behold, the new Weapon Wall:

This is where you can exchange kills for weapons, if you meet specific requirements. These requirements could range from owned-gun prerequisites to needing kills from specific weapons (i.e. 30 Sniper Kills, 200 Pistol Kills, etc.) Once you unlock a weapon here, you unlock it permanently and it is added to the roster of weapons accessible in a run.

This screen/room still has a bit of work to be done on it. Particularly with the background being a different pixel size.

MY NEXT STEPS:

Life's gotten pretty busy for me recently with school and work, but I'll still try to mess around with RKR a bit more this week and get some small details polished for you all. In the meantime, why not drop a follow and wishlist the game on Steam?

Here's a list of stuff I'd like to do before the next devlog:

1. Polish the Visuals of the Gun Wall - Add some sort of gun rack (AKA a gray box 😂), scale up the background, and make an updated "Back" button.
2. Add the Option to Continue with your Current Weapon - A small addition, but it's reasonable considering my workload right now.
3. Maybe Start a Patreon - Something needs to keep me going.

GOALS FOR FURTHER IN THE FUTURE:

1. Rework the Boss Fight - I've been told that the boss is boring. I agree! I'll be going off of the "I'm you, but better" riff with this fight, having the boss use different guns instead of running towards you like a commonplace enemy.
2. Adding those Upgrades - Gotta let the players upgrade their weapons, otherwise there'd be no real sacrifice to letting your current weapon go! It's all about those MIND GAMES.
3. Adding Better Environment Decorations - There should be more environment-related obstacles and destructables. These are decently easy to implement, it's just a matter of how much time I have.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU, DEAR READER [*]:

1. Do you think the shining cushions are enough visual context to push the player to hover their mouse over them?
2. Do you think this tier system is fair, or do you think it would make more sense for players to have access to any weapons from the start of a round? To better communicate your feedback to me, please list a couple of games that implement a similar system to your suggestion, if you think it should work differently from my own.
3. Anything that you would like to add? What would you like to see in the game?

As always, you can reach me here on Newgrounds through DMs, or on my Discord server!

Thank you for reading, and I hope that you have a wonderful week! Until next time 🥰