Beta Build Crunch
A slightly different devlog this time around as I don’t have any specific subject to address, but rather a host of small things related to GHOST MISSION as its beta build nears completion. It’s been a busy last few months on my end as I’ve worked on general bug fixing, game balance, and polish. There’s still more work to be done, but the work done in the last two months has been substantial and I’m pleased with the overall pace I’ve managed to maintain. Additionally, the GHOST MISSION demo was updated twice. Both updates were minor – the first with a few graphic element tweaks and the second fixing some collision code and faulty internal AI logic for the officer mercenaries. I truly appreciate the feedback I’ve gotten from those of you who have played the demo and wishlisted the full game on Steam. Your positive feedback is flattering and your critiques have been constructive and helpful. Again, it’s sometimes hard to see through the weeds sometimes when you’re this close to a project, so fresh perspectives are appreciated.
I’ve mentioned before how long things take in solo game development, and these days my biggest nemesis is simply mental burnout. I’ve been on this project for 3 years now and I’m more than ready for it to release so that I can put what I’ve learned to use on new projects. My largest mental stumbling block these days is working a double-shift. My full-time job takes a large portion of my time and involves plenty of long hours and occasional travel. A “normal” week means working 9-6, coming home and taking care of normal domestic things, and then working on GHOST MISSION until I truly cannot focus anymore. Sometimes that means 4 hours in the evening and sometimes that means 30 minutes. It varies, but the takeaway is that if I’m not sharp enough to make any worthwhile progress, there’s no point forcing it. Game development has a functional, task-based grind-it-out element to it, but it’s also deeply creative. If you aren’t mentally rested, it can be difficult to get anything done. My free weekends are usually more productive for this very reason and they’re when I’ve managed to get the most progress made.
So…what progress HAS been made? To list a few things:
Mission segment grading and balancing is about 75% complete. Players achieve grade-based ranks in every level based on how many alert statuses they’ve triggered, how many enemies they’ve killed, how long it took them to complete a segment, and how many POWs / Intelligence documents they’ve found. “S” ranks are the highest and “F” ranks the lowest. The final few mission segments are still being tested and graded.
Level balance and overall game difficulty are in a pretty constant state of change right now. There’s a lot of trial-and-error to this and seeing what isn’t working as intended. Most of what I’m finding is that the game is too hard in certain sections so enemies are being moved or deleted in addition to certain bits of level structure shifting around.
Inadvertently discovered that one enemy group, if alerted and subsequently evaded, was not able to be alerted again. It was an easy fix and tracks back to something I wrote in 2020 in the early days of the project, but one that I didn’t know about because I had never tested it.
Altered two game levels with mechanic-specific door unlocking sections so that the doors have alternate methods of unlocking. Another easy fix, but one that could potentially frustrate players if they end up in those specific sections without the needed ammunition and thus end up stuck.
Player targeting-reticles no longer linger on menu screens after the player dies
Making definite progress on “Game Complete” grades and potential unlocks after the player finishes the campaign. This was never intended as an afterthought and getting to it this late in development isn’t ideal, but other things took priority.
Adding more art assets wherever possible. I know a bit about animation, but prior to GHOST MISSION I’d never really worked with pixel art before. I’m in a much better place with it now than I was in 2020 though, and I’d like to believe that what I’ve been adding is leading to a more interesting visual product.
Easter eggs – there are a few in the game, including multiple references to a fairly detailed and difficult to explain in-joke amongst my best friends. More of these seem to be popping up as the days go by…
There’s a lot more work I’ve done and a lot more to be done before the game’s official release, but the Beta build is just about in a finished state. I’ve been asked by a few people if there will be an open public beta available and I’ve toyed with the idea, but ultimately I don’t think I’ll be taking that route. I may still offer a closed-beta test to a handful of interested parties…more to come.
All this said – GHOST MISSION will be featured in the October edition of Steam Next Fest, so spread the word, trailer, and Steam page far and wide! The more eyes on it and wish list additions the project gets, the better.
Until next time…
-Kevin
Burn Below
