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Devblogs/Archive/22
DevBlog #22: Convention Post-Mortem, world map rework, main menu and more!
Posted: September 21, 2023
Hello!
Now that the Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki convention is over, we're back to work and have plenty of new things to show, some of which are still a work-in-progress. Let's start by discussing how the convention went!
Convention Post-Mortem
I felt very anxious before the convention. I am not great at speaking English, and I am not really the "salesperson" type. I participated in a side event called the Very Big Indie Pitch, where I pitched the game to 8 (I think?) judges who were all C-level executives from big corporations. That was definitely what I was most anxious about!
We set up two tables for WalkScape (we won one for free from a draw) and waited for people to check us out. One of our tables had a "Walkdalf," which really attracted attention during the convention. I'm happy to report that people really liked our booths, and we had a blast!
The two days were extremely intense, especially for someone like me who is fairly introverted. However, it was a significant moment for me: presenting the game live to real people and hearing how excited they were about it. This was our first time showcasing the game (we were demoing the alpha version), so I'm very pleased that it went so well.
In terms of attendance at our booths, we had a large number of people. I can't say for certain if we had the most, but it definitely felt that way.
As for the pitching event itself, it was my first time ever pitching anything, and most of it was in English. So I was pleasantly surprised when we actually won the third prize!
My slightly cringe victory speech
As a prize, we won tickets to the next PGC event and had some articles written about the game. We are planning to take advantage of this opportunity by attending PGC London 2024 (Jan. 22-23). Additionally, I would love to meet some of our UK fans while we are there! I will post more details on this once we have finalized our ticket and travel plans.
In conclusion, I am extremely happy that we attended PGC. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience, and it felt like all the hard work we have put into the game over the past year has been worthwhile. It's not just that people expressed a desire to play the game; many of them actually said they need this game. Knowing how important this game could be to so many people truly motivates us to keep moving forward.
Feedback during the convention
We also received a lot of feedback during the convention! First of all, I would like to share the feedback I received from the judges during the pitching event:
- "Overall, on top of what was said within the pitch, the judges love the focus on mental and physical health, and that you won't compromise on this commendable goal. They also love how you can make progress without having to have the game on. This focused experience that gamifies walking without stressing people out or invading their day-to-day life is great and a nice change of pace."
- "In terms of monetisation, they like the fact that you don't have any kind of IAPs or Adverts, alongside the focus on mental health. It was also great to hear that you already have subscribers and a community, alongside all the other numbers and statistics you presented to the judges during the pitches. All of these helped reassure everyone. They also helped alleviate the concern that the Retro MMO and health elements target two different audiences. Though, this is likely a good concern to address in future pitches."
- "All in all, this was a fascinating and very interesting experience. One that taps into two things that are very popular in the market, whilst also respecting the player's time and health. Like an addition to life."
During the pitch, I took a risky move by making it clear that WalkScape does not have predatory monetization. To my surprise, the judges actually liked the fact that we are not following industry standards in this regard. One of the judges even approached me personally after the event, asking for a closed beta key!
In addition to the feedback from the judges, we received plenty of feedback from those who we demoed the game to. Overall, the feedback was extremely positive, despite us showing the alpha build of the game. People in general loved the idea, appreciated the absence of microtransactions and ads, and commented on how polished and clean the game looks.
Video of me explaining the game during the convention
During the convention, we also garnered significant interest from publishers and investors. At least 5 publishers demonstrated a keen interest in WalkScape, and out of curiosity, I might engage in conversations with some of them. However, it is important for us to maintain and preserve our creative freedom so that we can continue steering the game in a direction that not only aligns with what you want to see in the game, but also allows us to explore new and innovative ideas. I believe that our ability to make decisions independently and without external constraints is what empowers us to create a truly unique and enjoyable gaming experience for our players. This is why I feel like it’s very unlikely we will accept any offers.
One criticism we received is that the world map no longer matches the overall feel and look of the game. It was one of the first things I created for the game, and its age is evident. So let's move on to the next topic!
World map rework
After taking a few days of rest following the convention, we resumed our work. After brainstorming, we decided to use pixel art to maintain consistency with our overall art style.
Now, after a few days of hard work, maxchill has managed to create an initial version of Jarvonia. However, there is still much to be done, particularly in terms of adding more unique buildings and locations.
There are several improvements compared to the old design:
- The map size has been increased by 25%, allowing for more detailed representation of the world.
- The new pixel art style enables the inclusion of landmarks and other interesting features.
- The map now clearly displays the connections between different locations in the game world, making it much easier see how the travel routes are formed.
- We are using a tileset, making it easier to edit existing locations or add new ones to the map.
- The map showcases the various biomes of Arenum more effectively. Additionally, we can now incorporate map layers, such as a mode to highlight the borders of each in-game realm.
While there is still much work to be done, I am very pleased with the rework. We welcome any feedback, questions, or suggestions you may have. During the CBT, only Jarvonia and GDTE will be fully completed on the map, with the other realms to be added later.
Video of the new world map in action
Our next step is to finalize the details on the map and complete the general user interface (UI) for the world map. Most of the locations for the closed beta have already been added to the game. We hope to showcase this in more detail in the upcoming development blog!
Main menu and authentication
One more thing I was able to finish (finally) is the main menu for the game. We might still make some modifications to the art and its appearance, but in terms of functionality, it's already pretty much completed. Finally, we can log in to the game and have a much smoother way of handling game loading.
With the authentication system in place (which works with accounts created on either the WalkScape Portal or in the game itself), we are now working on adding some small online features to the initial version of the closed beta. Our main priority remains the same - we want to get the game into your hands as soon as possible. Therefore, the online features in the beginning of closed beta will be quite limited, but we plan to expand on them during the closed beta testing phase.
If you have a character created and are logged into the game, you will be taken directly to your character. There is no need to press anything to launch the game and check your stats.
Until next time
Time to wrap up this development blog!
First off, I'm overjoyed to have had the chance to showcase WalkScape live to a big audience. It was a truly important moment in my life, as I not only witnessed the genuine excitement people have for a new fitness game, but also felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. Overcoming my anxiety and having a strong feeling of doing what I truly love was something that really clicked for me.
As mentioned in the previous development blog, none of this would have been possible without our amazing supporters. Now that we are preparing to make it to London in January, if you feel like supporting WalkScape, it would be immensely appreciated. We need to save some money for travel expenses on top of our normal expenses. You can support WalkScape either on Patreon or Buy me a Coffee.
The list of must-have features until we can launch the closed beta is getting shorter all the time. We've made huge progress in the last couple of weeks, even though we were mostly busy with the convention. Just yesterday, WalkScape broke the threshold of being more than one hundred thousand lines of code. Honestly, it feels like an insane achievement for a single developer in a year :D
More exciting stuff will follow in the next development blog on 5.10.2023! Thanks once again for reading. Stay hydrated and keep walking!
