After a five-year hiatus since my last article, I am thrilled to rise from the realm of the "dead" and announce the release of the first public demo, accompanied by an updated trailer. This marks a significant milestone in the project's journey, and I am eager to share the progress made during this time.
In order to provide a taste of the gameplay without revealing too much content, the demo for my project features a single classic battle. This focused experience allows players to get a glimpse of the mechanics, graphics, and overall atmosphere without giving away the broader storyline or key plot points. I believe this strategic approach will pique curiosity and generate excitement, leaving players eager to explore the full extent of the project upon its complete release.
You can download the public demo and watch the trailer here
Over the past five years, my journey with this project has been a rollercoaster of personal and professional commitments. Despite the lack of time and energy, I managed add and refine various features, thank you to my first supporters and their cheering. Optimizing the game engine for more flexibility and better performance has been a incredible challenge. Shaders have been implemented for outline and pallet swap effects, helping to reduce the game size, the loading time and memory consumption.
Behind the scenes, a homebrew level editors and AI debugging tools have been added to my toolbox. The technical side also saw an overhaul of the visual effects engine and the integration of sound effects alongside background music. Notably, there's been a substantial improvement in the artificial intelligence, making gameplay more challenging and engaging.
The game's visuals and mechanics have seen practical upgrades. Animations have been revamped to bring more emphasis and various jobs have undergone redesigns. Additionally, the gaming experience has been enriched with the introduction of new enemies, adding more possibilities and challenges to the gameplay. These upgrades aim to provide players with a more polished and enjoyable gaming experience.
Gameplay became more nuanced with the introduction of "mental points" influencing skills and spells. Strategic elements have been added, such as ground height, as well as unlocking achievements, equipment and skills. Unit records are now tracked and the narrative experience has been enriched with improved dialogue and narration. Ergonomic improvements were implemented to enhance the overall gaming experience, while a considerable number of bug fixes addressed various issues.
With a project as extensive and dynamic as this, it's no surprise that the sheer volume of work done and yet to be tackled can be overwhelming. As the sole contributor of this project, updates have been infrequent, and the progress reports might not reflect every accomplishment. If you're eager to stay in the loop and receive more immediate updates about Cohort, feel free to follow @FJeandinot on X.
Thank you for your understanding and continued interest in the project!
-MrDino / Franck