Life takes a while

So what have I been up to with so much time between updates? Here's an abridged series of my summer;

- Trying to find work
- Trying to have a roof over my head
- Getting part time work
- Having no money for the electricity bill
- University sites closed, or I'm at work
- Get job in Industry , now full time Mon-Fri
- Work as much as I can while trying to pay electricity bill
- Pay electricity bill
- Set up an internet contract
- Now it's September

So it's been a real uphill struggle, but I've been doing as much as I can to make a\ fast paced side scroller. Why this, and not building on top of my previous project?

Because my Masters is all about creating a solid flow with controls. It's about tapping into an innate sense of fun. I've had play testers tell me my previous project worked, what more can I gain from that? I couldn't think of adding anything new to it, other than more of the same. So, I wanted to make something new.

My first project focused on navigation, how the player moves from place to place. My next was entirely about combating obstacles head on. So I decided that my new project would become a mix of the 2 different styles.

I chose a 2D sidescroller because, design wise, I only had 2 dimensions to worry about. With my schedule being full enough as it is, I needed to save time for making the mechanics shine. I spent a lot of time last year playing Bloodborne and Kingdom Hearts on the PS4, so I took a hack and slash approach inspired by them. The characters abilities are based on fishing hooks, taken from where I come from, Fleetwood in Blackpool.

All together, the core mechanics are there. The player can run, jump, attack, grapple ledges, enemies and execute special attacks. So far, it's fun.

But then I've done absolutely 0 playtesting, an error I need to fix, and SOON. Otherwise I'll be out of pocket 20 nuggets.

So what's my focus for now? Polish.

The character feels fun to play, and all of their functions work without error. It's time for environments, particles and a proper level.

I really hope it's not too late to pull this back.