Hello again friends. Today I have some news to bring about the progress of Neon Rain!

To get this out of the way really quick - no there is not an alpha/beta release (yet) but I am way closer than previously to having at least a playable public version for everyone. This post is just to talk about what has been added so far since the last post.

So What's Different?

The main thing that has been updated is the AI. Previously AI could just simply phase through walls like spooky spirits, and now there is an actual implementation thanks to the A* project. While it's not much - I did have a lot to work out with getting some things to work properly with the previous code but it all seems to be okay now. I also added just a little more variance to this development world with some basic grid tiles and other kinds of colored tiles.

The Corruption System! The corruption system is (mostly) in place as well. While I haven't worked out exactly what each Tier will do and the effects that it will have, I can at least say that you can indeed see your progress in corruption, and there is also a tooltip for when you hover over it explaining what buffs/debuffs you're getting. You can also cleanse your corruption with totems throughout the level as well.

Okay, So What's Next?

I did previously say that the next build will have art and some sounds. There are a few sounds in the game now and there is also some ambient noises as well. Not all of that is set yet, but the sounds may be a bit later down the line. Art is coming! As of right now the enemies and the players are just circles. Mostly for the sake of development I have not changed them because I'm truly horrible when it comes to art - but when the first playable build releases, it will at the very least be slightly more updated. The UI still has some work that needs done with as well.

Essentially, I have worked out some more systems and just core gameplay mechanics, I now am working towards getting some better looking UI, some sounds in the game, and some artwork so that I can put an alpha build out there into the world to hopefully get some people to test it that aren't just friends.

When Can I Play?

By the end of July. That is the most specific date I can give right now because I want to make sure that even though this is just an alpha build, I want it to work and be a moderate representation of what the final product will be. As I progress with getting the art/sounds/some UI finalized I will be able to give a more accurate timeline. But for now, end of July.

Please be aware that when I do release the public alpha test - that there will be quite a few things that will not be working. I have plans on adding quite a few more features to this game - it will just take time to do so. So if you press a button and something pops up and doesn't work - don't be too surprised.

Recap

All in all, I've got AI working, I've at least got a better test level that isn't just a big white box - and I've got a few tools added that will help me make the game just a little bit faster than before. Be on the lookout for the next post, as it will be the actual alpha release post, and detailing all things I've added and what should be working.

If you're reading this, thank you.

If you've been helping me this this, thank you.

Once again, if you'd like to get access to these non-public release - message me on Twitterand I will send you the most current build.