Hey everybody! It's been a while. The last time I updated WaveCrash!!, this handy devlog system wasn't even a part of itch.io. Anyway, after a load of crunching to prepare for submitting to some indie game festival events, I'm ready to drop the biggest WaveCrash!! update yet. Without further ado, here's the changelog:

Feature Additions:

• Added a playable basic tutorial that goes over the mechanics and controls
• Added a new stage: "Forest Clearing" - Fall leaves and spring petals clash in a serene landscape
• Added a level select menu so the new level is actually playable!
• Added a post game stats screen to display number of attacks, number of spaces moved, and so much more!
• New mechanic: "Second Wind" - Land a hit when in the "Danger Zone" (only one hit left before you lose) to enter a Second Wind, making you invulnerable for a brief time. The longer you are in the Danger Zone, the longer the second wind lasts.
  • Reasoning: I've received feedback from several sources saying the game can feel hopeless when on your last legs. I wanted to add a comeback mechanic that could leave a player one last out to win but without making it powerful enough that intentionally taking hits could be a valid strategy. To that end, I added a mechanic that can give you the opportunity for a comeback but is dependent on some level of success on the part of the player.
• Added a message popup system for gameplay events (i.e. taking hits, using super attacks, parrying attacks, etc.)
  • Reasoning: Although the game can be easy to follow for experienced observers, newcomers may have some trouble understanding the action on the screen. Additionally, there are some mechanics that are touched on in the rules section but are not immediately obvious when they occur, such as parrying. To address these problems, I decided to add a popup messaging system similar to what you would find in a fighting game like Street Fighter V.

Adjustments:

• Changed the default red and blue stage to have a padded wall/training room feel.
• Modified the block randomization to use a pooled system rather than purely random
• Reasoning: One thing I've been aware of in WaveCrash!! for a while is the frequency in which players can be gifted a large group of blocks of one color by chance. This can seem really unfair, especially when it happens at the beginning of the round and when it results in someone getting an easy super attack. I want some element of chance, but I don't want it to swing hard enough to make someone feel like they were beating by the blocks rather than their opponent. So rather than each block being generated at random, block colors are generated 25 at a time (5 of each color). When a new block is spawned, it takes a color out of the bucket and when the bucket is empty a new one is made. The distribution of colors over the course of the match will remain even and the maximum possible group of a color that can be generated in a row would be 10 in extremely rare circumstances. Some balancing may be needed to get the pool size right, but 25 feels good.

Bug Fixes:

• Addressed situation in which AI bots would stop acting. May be other scenarios in which it would occur, so I'll be on the lookout for further AI bugs.
• Fixed a bug that could cause Momoko's Shadow Clone's attack to freeze.