As I explored the marketplace for different types of menus I happened upon a product with pretty good reviews. It has settings not only for changing input/controls but also other settings such as graphics and audio. I have to save up for it but it seems pretty worth it to save me the time and trouble of having to create my own way to remap or change a lot of the settings on my own. After that I quickly started on a tutorial that gave me move dissolve effects but this time it was more involved and specific to affecting objects within a certain radius.
I have been using a lot of these effects because they add depth and more function to the lantern which is an important part of the arsenal. With the effects attached to the lantern I can affect certain objects with specific materials to create an effect that disperses the objects quite pleasingly. For now I have attached it to the trees of light to give the impression that the light affects each other. This is helpful to convey the story without saying anything too upfront about the special powers the lantern light has.
As I continue I am looking to see if I can add more things for the player to track such as footsteps or other possible clues that the lantern can detect. That way it becomes a more active investigation rather than just going to random places and pushing everything randomly. I keep putting off the tutorial messages and I will get to that once I truly feel I have fleshed out what the core gameplay is outside of combat.
A game should be both fun and beautiful, and I am doing my best to refine those aspects. It has to be visually pleasing, with great music too eventually. I have been taking smaller steps than usual but I am being more careful and meticulous with what I add. Nothing unnecessary or overly complex.
GoldenGratus Games 