So far so good - the previous version was pretty laggy in the dark areas, but I just found out I had hardware acceleration turned off on my browser. The current runs very well so far, but I’m going to be sure to keep optimization in check.
6 Likes
What I want to know is how in the world do you have 144 fps??? An empty game runs at 60 fps for me
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Do you have hardware acceleration on? XD I have no idea - my PC is pretty mid-range, although it is able to run most modern games at high/ultra. I don’t think that would effect a browser framerate though, so maybe its the refresh rate?
7 Likes
yes YES YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS
welcome come back to flowlab SOL!
finally!
5 Likes
SMOL PARTICLE UPDATE
Added some splishy-splashy particles that will occasionally fall from parts of tunnel ceilings. Pretty proud of their design, plus they’re flexible to different room heights.
Also, hoping to be able to put out a video on my YouTube before going to college to show you guys the current progress:D
5 Likes
I’m going to guess you probably already do something similar to this, but if not you should. To automatically lay out your tile sets the 8 Way Tileset example by JR is great. Using this saves a lot of time for building levels and it gives 8 directional searches compared to the 4 you can get with ray casts.
3 Likes
I’ve thought about using JRs example, but ultimately ruled it out since the current way I am making the game would make that pretty difficult (the ground sprites are not solid - there is a single ground object that just gets covered by non-solid sprites). That said, it would make it faster, so I might look into trying to work out a version. Thanks!
3 Likes
@rcreger in the ending of sol
PLEASE dont make the protaganist
die.
all your other games do it.
but please dont make sol do it.
i hate when it happens caus
“beating” the game is the
same as dying at the start.
im begging you man,
LET THE PROTAGONIST LIVE FOR THE ENDING.
(or mabye have multible endings with one where the protagonist live)
BUT PLEASE DONT MAKE THE PROTAGONIST DIE FOR THE ENDING
(multible ending are cool though)
3 Likes
I already have plans for multiple endings, and this is one of the few times that I don’t plan for the protagonist to die - at least, not entirely.
All I can say is that I plan for the player being able to play in the game even after they beat it, since it is going to be a metroidvania, and hence a lot can be missed in one playthrough. Dying at the end and not being able to complete the side stuff would be a shame, especially if the player didn’t know there was a point of no return.
NOTE - Will not being giving story spoilers, especially since it is still in development and a lot is set to change - it is still proof of concept after all.
6 Likes
SMOL PARTICLE UPDATE 2
Added dust FX for jumping, wall jumping, and wall sliding as well as fixing a few wall jump issues. Also added a new rock sprite:
More to come! Cheers!
5 Likes
If collision merging is what you’re talking about, then the last Flowlab update should help with that, only excluding specific behaviors now. My advanced Tilemap only looks at the animations and can work with different objects and with different animations. You can also choose what objects can merge or not with the ID value.
This all may be a little complex though.
3 Likes
Nah, collision merging is definitely not going to be an issue. I’m still testing it out, so we’ll see 
3 Likes
@rcreger may you release a demo?
or have beta testers? (me)
sorry if im rushing you, im just anxius
to play this game this game and you desearv
to release on steam! you deserve to realease this
game on x bow the switch the ps5 and ps4!
just a small beta?
4 Likes
I plan to release a demo - but the current build is in no way ready for any testing (yet). It will be a while until I’m able to put out an actual demo, but I am going to be putting out a more in-depth progress video soon after I finish the last update before college (this being the player camera).
Anyways, appreciate that you want to help out, and I don’t feel rushed lol I’ve been working on this game for over 2 years - I was never in a rush. But I’ll keep updating here, the Plymouth and Flowlab Discords once I do put out a demo of some kind. So all I can say is stay tuned:D
3 Likes
SOL - PROOF OF CONCEPT - UPDATE VIDEO
Probably one of the last major updates I do for SOL once I leave for college - this should give you a decent look into the work that has been put in so far - but there is much, much more to come, and the project is still needs some more work until I think it is what I want it to be. With that said, it is still the closest I’ve been to capturing the vision, I just need to perfect a few more things.
Let me know what you think - and remember, still proof of concept. It does not have all of the features yet, such as combat or even background settings, and there is a couple movement errors that I need to work out (mostly physics related - not too much I can do about them though). Anyways, enjoy!.. And stay tuned…
NOTE - Special thanks to @glowbug as always for sticking around this long - I think they deserve a thank you every post quite honestly with how long making this has been. Just thinking about it, we’re still just getting started lol 2 years later and now getting into a proper proof of concept phase.
8 Likes
Awesome!
My first activity on this topic was a vote on a poll here back in December of 2020 
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Lore?
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SOL - MINOR CLEAN-UP UPDATE
This small update took in some feedback given from the YouTube update video, which pointed out that the dust particles were a little off, and that the run animation needs a bit more of a build up.
What I did:
- Updated dust effects to not last as long - the stop spawning faster and they disappear faster, which I think gives it a more natural look.
- Added two pipe sprites, one large static sprite, and a smaller one which plays a steam animation at random intervals.
- Added two trash can sprites - one standing up, and another fallen over. This is also how the previous version had it’s trashcans, but I think it is an overall improvement. I might have to adjust its colors, but I think it fits pretty well into the scene and matches decently with the environment.
Here’s an example shot:
I wasn’t able to get to the animation yet, since it would take a while to make, but it’s still on the list. I’m also going to do some more things for the dust FX, such as adding small rock particles that fall off of wall sliding, wall jumping, and regular jumping.
More in the future! Cheers!
7 Likes
SOL - MINOR ADDITIONAL UPDATE
Added a trashbag:D
I’m thinking I’ll redo the cans since they’re very “fuzzy” and blended compared to other sprites. If I get to them today, I’ll edit the new version into this post:)
EDIT: Updated trash can
Slight difference, but can change a lot
7 Likes
LIFE UPDATE - COLLEGE LIFE 1
Man… College takes a lot of time… But the weekend is FINALLY approaching, so I MIGHT be able to get some stuff done. Have a project to get started on (hopefully), so I also have to also worry about that. Good news is that my work shifts stay the same throughout the semester, so it makes it a little easier to plan - however, this does not make time any less scarce.
In case you did not notice, college requires a lot of studying; with an graphic design major, also a lot of practice. So, that’s my warning before going to college, especially far from family. It is a lot of work, school-wise and emotionally. I’m still working through it myself, but I think I’m getting a lot better comparing to my first few days (I thought I was going to actually die lol).
Be prepared to take care of yourself, and also don’t forget the ever so important 5tb USB you’ve been saving for college lol also, bring a water bottle. Very important. Even if it’s plastic, make sure to refill it. Saves money and you stay hydrated.
Anyways, no progress yet, just send me thoughts and prayers:D
Cheers!
NOTE: The title of this is “College Life 1” because I’m sure there is going to be another late night post like this in the future - maybe several - and thought it should become a series if that were to happen lol
10 Likes