In my previous developer log I mentioned that I have been setting “healthier limits” and doing this and that to help mitigate the stress of developing a game on my own, but I am delighted to inform you that I’ve disregarded all of that and continue working on VYCE for hours every single day. This last month has culminated in the most lines of code I’ve pushed to github by far, with a new multiplayer mode that is nearly complete. I initially planned to start the multiplayer over the summer but now that it is already nearly to the point of satisfaction, I am ecstatic to be able to spend that time improving other elements of the project so the demo (set to release on 9/11) will be something that turns heads. Let’s get right into it.

Upon booting up the game, there is an option for campaign and multiplayer. You may also notice the new music icon, which I added because I was getting sick of the main menu theme after testing it over and over again. There are new animations that make the menu feel fluid and seamless as you navigate through the various options. I wanted both game modes to feel like they could stand on their own, so it doesn’t feel like one is just “tacked on.” Both modes have infinite possibilities that you could spend your whole life exhausting and still barely scratch the surface.

Upon entering the multiplayer menu you have the option to use a mouse/keyboard, console controllers or cpu tokens. Surprisingly this part has been the most frustrating because the game so far was designed to just take any input to control one character, so with it being separated into two I’ve had a lot of difficulty gating these interactions and getting the controls to feel on par with the campaign. On top of this, different types of controllers are recognized differently by my computer, like for instance, a Playstation 4 controller (the primary controller i’ve been using) is recognized as two controllers while the Switch Pro controller is recognized as one, so it works, but there are still some improvements to be made (such as the keyboard token sprite in the image below—who knew coming up with a symbol to identify this thing we use every day would be so hard?).

The next screen you are brought to is the rules menu. Players can customize pretty much every aspect of the multiplayer arena, and according to my calculations there are over 10¹⁸⁶ possible combinations/layouts of the game board available. To put that in perspective, that is over twice the amount of atoms in the observable universe. Needless to say, there are plenty of options that will provide a unique experience nearly every time.

One of the unexpected challenges of multiplayer was the CPU difficulty. I was initially just using the AI that I’ve implemented in the campaign, but with all the extra stipulations of multiplayer this resulted in the games being much slower than I wanted them to be. This resulted in scaling back the multiplayer AI, so it is not as smart as the AI in the campaign mode but this results in better performance and less time waiting. The main benchmark I’ve maintained is that the AI’s are able to fight each other to completion in every game mode without getting stuck, which I am proud to say they’ve surpassed.

After the rules screen, the player is able to select the VYCE they will use in the game. Right now, every VYCE I’ve made thus far works in multiplayer, but in the coming demo and future releases I am contemplating limiting this roster to a smaller pool because the menu is a bit overwhelming with so many different options. Some VYCE also have mechanics that are limited to the campaign that wouldn’t really work in multiplayer so these may not make the cut, but like I said, that hasn’t been implemented yet, so we’ll see how that pans out.

In the multiplayer arena there are 7 different skins for the board and 7 different backdrops at the moment. As you saw on the rules screen, there is a “CHESS” layout where each player’s VYCE spawns at the top and the bottom of the board but there is also an option to summon them or just have them placed randomly across the board. You can play a regular game of Chess if you want, but the options are nearly endless so I’d implore you to experiment with different stipulations. Games can end when a player runs out of time (pictured below with split timers on), when one player’s VYCE are depleted, or the player is captured (with player captures on). Like I said earlier, I have tested each and every game mode with the CPUs against each other and they are able to fight to completion every time. This has been a pain to test but there is an inherent joy in watching the game play itself when less than a year ago it was nothing but a figment of my imagination.

There is so much more to say but I don’t want to go on for too long. If you check out the VYCE page on this website, I’ve added a new section for music if you want to listen to some of the game’s soundtrack. All of the tracks there are strictly game BGM, so it will not include the massive radio catalog featuring dozens of underground artists. I will continue updating that page as I create them, so if you’re reading this again months down the line I will definitely have more uploaded. On the topic of music, I’ve also been working on some of my own music again and posted a new track featuring Seven x GBPITS on the audio page. I am not making another s366 album or posting any more songs under that name, so the songs on my site are untitled, with no cover or name attached to them. I intend to keep it that way, just posting for the love of the game rather than trying to promote it.

Anyways, I will end this by reiterating that VYCE will be shown off at Granite State Comic Con on September 19th/20th after the demo is released on 9/11. I am so excited to share this with all of you although that would only be the beginning. I still hope to release the full game next year, and with all that I have accomplished so far it seems quite likely. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a NYCE day, see you next month!

–infelicities