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This is a small update limited to important bugfixes and some QoL upgrades. I couldn't get the new side quest done, and there is an interesting reason why, which I can show you:
[previewyoutube=spVKqDiUwYE;full][/previewyoutube]
This was my bedroom after a large concrete chimney blew over and smashed into it during a week of non-stop rain and the highest winds this place has ever seen.
Most significantly, it left a very large hole in my roof through which water continued to pour in for several days, during which it was too dangerous to even attempt to fix. Much time was spent with buckets, bailing endless amounts of water out of the bedroom.
Here you can see the bastard the next morning, just lying on top of the roof:
Bits of smashed roof tiles and concrete were everywhere:
By the time we finally managed to tear out enough of the ceiling to expose the hole, I was too frazzled to take a proper picture. Only after it was fixed did I have the wherewithal to snap this one:
(Orange tiles are original. Grey blocks are new, showing the size of the hole.)
While the roof is now patched, the ceiling will take a while longer to fix.
As you might imagine, this little adventure has wiped out most of my spare time and energy, which is why I decided to upload a smaller update rather than push things back again.
At the very least I've managed to implement some important bugfixes, and a nice little Quality of Life feature that properly reflects your changing stats when equipping/unequipping items:
That's all I've got for now. Let's hope April allows for more progress!
v0.7.6.2 Changelog:
To put it simply, the next version is not yet ready for prime time. Please stay tuned for a proper update in March, featuring a new early-game side quest with unique environments and a new boss.
There have been a few significant updates to the game in the last month, but the really big news of this update is actually about me. As promised in December I can now make this happy announcement: I've accepted a position as Lead Writer at GrapeOcean Technologies, the creators of Black Geyser: Couriers of Darkness. I will be taking charge of narrative for their future Baldur's Gate-style RPGs (and helping out on some upcoming Black Geyser DLC). https://store.steampowered.com/app/1374930/Black_Geyser_Couriers_of_Darkness Over the years I've written quite a few games, RPGs included... but it's been a childhood dream to do a full Baldur's Gate-like with a budget, ever since I played Baldur's Gate itself in 1998. So this is a huge deal for me, especially after what a struggle the last few years have been. What, I hear you ask, will this mean for Zone? To be honest I can't say for sure. Certainly I'll have less free time to work on it. On the other hand, I'll be able to afford new art which has been our biggest bottleneck in recent months, and I'm hoping to make some business connections which could mean a massive boost in so many ways. Obviously I won't be giving up on Zone. I've been at it for 5 years so far, it remains my baby, and I won't stop until it's done. Not to mention I take seriously the promises I've made to you who have supported us on this long journey. The dream lives because of you. So let's talk about what's new with the game. The biggest change has been on story segments, which have been unacceptably unstable so far. Thanks to player bug reports I've decided to do a major rework of this old and nasty code, replacing a large chunk of it wholesale. You may notice a difference in how it responds to your clicks; the whole mess is now rather more solid than it used to be. I've also taken another step forward on controller support, which should make the research tree in particular a little easier to operate. Beyond that, there have been some more balance changes, new buffs/debuffs, fixed side-quests, and new features for the consumables system. Check the changelog below for the full nitty-gritty. Anyway, I've gone on long enough for one update. Thank you for being here, and wish me luck. See you in the Zone! Changelog:
I didn't get as much done on Zone as I would've liked this month. However, that's not necessarily bad news... Big things are afoot which could mean immense benefits to both the game and me personally. Will post more details when I know more.
So what's new in this update? I shall tell you!
For one, we now have a proper tutorial which fully delves into the inventory system. This was a real necessity, based on all the feedback from players.
For two, we've got a couple of brand-new side quests which try out some fresh quest mechanics. Should add to the fun.
For three, there's a whole new class of consumables which will give temporary buffs and other benefits.
(For those tough battles where you need a little extra edge...)
I really like this mechanic. Still working on more unique combinations, like consumables that can grant you temporary cards, and other fun ideas.
Of course, all this is to say nothing of all the bugs that were found and fixed, of which there were many. A big thank-you to everyone who bothered to report issues -- you make my life just a little bit easier.
In closing... Please, please, please continue to report and give feedback. I need that stuff badly. Your effort helps to keep the game alive.
Until the next update, I hope to see you out there... in the Zone.
v0.7.5.9.1 Changelog:
Since our last few updates have suffered delays, I decided to push one out a little early for once!
There's a few new features I'm excited about in this update, though probably the most effort has gone into testing and bugfixing. (Shout-outs to zdenbartal for reporting a bunch of issues I wasn't aware of.) As a result, you can see the changelog has a whole laundry list of things that now work properly. I also dropped the health on a couple of bosses to prevent big difficulty spikes.
You, our players, have so much power to change the game for the better -- just by leaving feedback and positive reviews. So don't hold back!
Now, a preview of the new stuff:
(Ooh, what do all the shiny new icons do?!)
The promised revamp of the research tree has officially begun. I'm still fleshing it out, but there's already been significant changes, especially the introduction of class-unique options that unlock more cards and bonuses. Whether you're a Kinetic, Telepath or Augmenter, you'll find a couple of strong upgrades waiting for you that should make a significant difference to how each class feels to play. And if you don't like your choices, there is now an easy and clearly-marked way to respec mid-game.
Next month will probably see a lot of work on controller support, and a more comprehensive tutorial for the inventory. It's been far too common for players to not know how to use consumables, or end up struggling with the interface in some other way, making it an issue that I badly need to address.
After all, an indie game that's not accessible to new players is dead on arrival.
Time will tell how far I get in one month. For now... Happy Stalking, and I'll see you all in the Zone!
v0.7.5.6 Changelog:
Just a quick fix for research, which had some broken development stuff accidentally left in.
At long last, I present our much-delayed update: version 0.7.5. A nice, round milestone number for a chunky update full of all-new content.
The primary focus on this one was Writing. The main plot is advanced by another extended scene; probably the last major development before the main plotlines diverge.
(Look! 3 NPCs on screen at the same time! Had to rip out and completely replace an embarrassing amount of janky old code to make this work...)
Speaking of plot divergence, there are two possible ways I can develop the rest of the game:
1. Try to write all three plotlines simultaneously, really slowly, and release everything in a big 1.0,
OR
2. Complete them one at a time, in order, with a 1.0 release once the third plotline is complete (what I like to term the smart way).
I'm planning to go the smart way, although if anyone has a contrary opinion, I'd be curious to hear it.
On top of the story stuff, a number of new music tracks are sprinkled around the game, more SFX and ambient sounds, and an important extension to the research tree which will make Science continue to be useful all the way into the late game.
Hopefully soon I can do a proper expansion of the research tree with lots more abilities to unlock. Which brings me to my final point:
Ideas! I want yours!
Is there an ability you'd like to have? A research topic that's conspicuously missing? An artifact you think would be cool? Perhaps even a concept for a new anomaly? I'd like to know about it!
I've made a pinned thread on the discussion boards where you can post anything your evil little minds can conjure up: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1299540/discussions/0/4692279782566059248/
Don't be shy -- we're very open to brainstorms right now.
That's all I've got for this month. Until the next update... Stay safe, and happy Stalking!
Changelog:
In short, a known Steamworks bug is preventing me from uploading new builds of the game. I've been holding off on posting about it since I figured they'd get it fixed fairly soon, but it's been a number of days already and I have no idea how much longer this situation will go on for. As I said, Steam support know about it, apparently I'm not the only one who's having this problem, and at the moment the only guidance from them is to keep trying in the hopes that this time it magically doesn't fail. Of course, on my shitty internet, each upload attempt takes an hour. steamfacepalm Will post a proper game update when I manage to get the new build live.
I've been getting a lot done, not least of which is completely ripping out several janky old systems and replacing them with ones that actually work... and even more importantly, a significant push on the main plot. The downside is it's so big that I can't get it all done in time for a September update. So instead of releasing half an update with a lot of the good stuff cut out 'cause it's not ready, I've decided to push the whole thing back by 1 week, give or take a few days. Thanks for your patience, everybody. See you in October!
Quick fix for some critical issues as well as a few smaller ones:
Plenty of progress this month, particularly in the realm of bugfixing. Many issues were uncovered and solved with this patch. Of course I haven't been slacking on new content either! For existing saves already in Chapter 2, you'll soon find your way into a new side quest involving Rufus the trader -- with permanent consequences based on your performance and your decisions. New quests, new art, new enemies, new polish. Lastly, a fair bit of work has gone into better tutorials, as well as extending controller support. The Jobs board now has custom controls, and the cursor is much more accurate on screens which still use it. Custom controls will be forthcoming on the rest of the side job UI too. Next update I'm hoping to show off a new and improved Train Yard without the constant level transitions imposed by the old system. Tweaked art is taking a while and I'm struggling with the camera, but soon... There are a few other non-critical issues left on my TODO list, but once they're sorted, I'll be able to get cracking on more weird and wonderful things for you to experience out in the Zone... Please remember to report any issues you encounter on the discussions board! I will fix them if you do. Changelog:
After last month's massive update, this one needs to be a touch more humble... but still features some major news.
The biggest change is, we're introducing a shiny Fog of War system. From now on you'll need to properly explore and uncover areas, and you can see your progress as you go -- progress which will be stored in your saved games.
This also makes the scanner more useful as it will help to keep you pointed you in the right directions.
Other highlights include new hand-crafted art and animations for the Power Plant boss, and a much more comprehensive battle tutorial. This tutorial will go into detail about important mechanics of which even veteran players might not be fully aware.
Lastly, we're raising the price of the game by $1 in consideration of all the new content. There's a lot more game now than there was, and I believe the price should reflect the year of hard work we've put in.
For the next update I intend to focus on introducing several new enemies and, particularly, writing -- two half-implemented side quests need to be finished up, and there is progress to be made on the main quest as well.
As always, please report any issues you come across, and I shall fix them ASAP!
PS. If you happen to know anyone who might be interested in helping with art, game design, or marketing/promotion, do tell them to get in touch. It would make a big difference.
Changelog:
Quick fix for a couple of critical issues:
Why is this month's update so late, you ask? Because it's bloody massive, that's why. Zone's Early Access release is 1 year old this month, and I wanted to make it something special.
All 25(!) rooms of the Power Plant are now in, most with their own unique encounters, including a special challenging boss room. Add to that whole slew of new features, items, cards and all sorts.
Some of the art assets are temp and still need brushing up as our artists couldn't get them done in time for June -- but that shouldn't take much away from the experience.
It's been a hell of a year. Didn't make as much progress as I wanted to, but then, when does an indie dev ever? What I do know is I'm still here plugging away and will continue to do so until this game is finished.
As always, if you find anything broken, please report it and I'll take care of it immediately.
Enjoy a big new chunk of the Zone!
Changelog:
I tell you, I hate level design -- but I'm so damn dedicated to this game that I'm doing it anyway. In fact 'level design' describes most of what I've been up to this past month.
The interior of the Power Plant is taking shape, and you'll be able to explore the first few rooms in this update (highlighted in yellow in this little preview):
That should give you an idea of the content avalanche that's on the way, and even this preview doesn't show the full extent of the Power Plant's size or its mysteries!
Other new features include fresh functionality added to the TTS engine, new music, some UI improvements, and more...
As usual, the new stuff is accompanied by a slew of fixes big and small, including some important steps forward for general stability. Please keep reporting any bugs you find so that I may fix them.
Until the next update... Stay safe out there, Stalkers!
Changelog:
This month we've got not just one big milestone, but two!
First up is a complete rewrite of controller support, which now behaves much more reliably during combat and in cursor mode. Quick refs have been updated to reflect the changes and are now launched by default on some screens.
Second is the integration of the Festvox text-to-speech engine. It includes a number of different voices for the player to choose from (changeable at any time in the options menu), as well as unique NPC voices. It sounds robotic, of course, but if you're not fond of reading then this should be a good solution until such time as voice acting becomes available.
In less huge news, many bugs have been fixed, and work continues on the Power Plant biome for which we've been drawing a brand-new isometric tileset.
This is shaping up to be our biggest isometric level by far, which is exciting and should hopefully offer even more variety in the gameplay!
Check below for the customary list of changes, and as always, please report any issues you come across so I can fix them.
Until the next update... Happy Stalking!
Changelog:
Just a quick patch with some important fixes. Changelog:
This update should've come out a few days ago, but it's been a month for fighting with the game's engine. I've had to completely redo several things from scratch at the last minute when it turned out they just don't look or behave the same way in-game as they do in the editor. You can see some of it in this example, featuring one of our brand new enemies:
The flagship change of this update is the first area of a new biome to explore, the Power Plant, featuring several new unique enemies and a bunch of new anomalies and wrinkles to explore. (Including enemies who will chase you for a bit, but eventually return to their original patrol path.)
It's still a work in progress, with plans to add even more content, but I'm pleased to show all the work that's gone in so far. The next area in this biome will be the actual interior of the Power Plant -- a dangerous place indeed...
Happy Stalking, and see you in the next update!
Changelog:
The party piece of this update is something people have long asked for -- enemies that are visible on the exploration map. Some will follow a set patrol path. Others will spot you and chase you all over the map if you give them the chance! Mixed varieties will be coming in a future update. No matter which kind, once fought, they will remain dead as doornails.
Random encounters are still a thing, but who knows what the future may hold?
Other than that we've got a host of important fixes, reworked features, and some new content as well. My current priority is to complete more biomes to explore (and thereby advancing the main quest), and perhaps I can find some time to squeeze in another side quest too.
Much love continues to go into development, no matter how long it takes. Thanks to all you brave Stalkers for your continued support!
Changelog:
A small patch with a few important fixes:
Hail and well met! January has been a slow period for Zone, as I've been dreadfully preoccupied with job hunting (starvation holds very little appeal for me) -- but even so, we're still making important progress. v0.6.7.3 features a few crucial fixes, and paves the way for better pathfinding, particularly for enemies. A frequent complaint I hear is about the combat being based largely on sudden random encounters, so one of my current goals is to make more encounters visible and predictable on the exploration map. In less good news, controller support is clearly broken on many levels, so I've removed it from our store page until I can find time to completely reimplement it. I've also been paying for some of the shortcuts I took early on in the shift to Godot. A number of hours have had to go towards tidying up and re-testing things I should've done differently in the first place... But it ultimately results in a better, cleaner codebase, so it's by no means a waste of time. As always, I'm excited to keep rolling into the next update. Until then! Changelog:
It's that time of year, and what do we find in our stockings? Another update for Zone!
Thanks to several crucial bug reports, I've managed to fix a lot of persistent issues that really needed squashing, in amongst the new stuff. Work continues on the new environment, the Greenery, as we're in the process of finding a new artist to handle this.
An early sneak preview of the work in progress:
Writing-wise, I'm on the cusp of starting the explosive main event of Chapter 3, which will feature a serious crisis for you and all the survivors of Esper...
Stay tuned for partial excitement!
Changelog:
Hard to believe another month has passed us by! The biggest change is, I suddenly have a new computer. After several weeks of having my time wasted by repair shops, my old computer was officially pronounced dead. You can imagine how this might present some life difficulties.
The new one was bought on a very tight budget, but it has just enough oomph to allow me to continue developing Zone.
On the bright side, what was lost in coding/testing time was made up for in writing. I have been doing a lot of it, and as a result, the goal I set last month was hit: a completed Act 2! There is much escalation, culminating in a choice that changes everything... And even more sidequesty action.
In the next update I hope to have a new environment to show off, and see us well underway into the excitement of Act 3.
Finally, I wanted to say thanks for the support you've given us. The comments, reviews, and even the bug reports are what keep me going.
We're standing at 8 reviews at the moment, just two shy of the all-important 10. So if you haven't yet posted a review, or if you know someone who could, please please do -- it makes a massive difference to us tiny indies who don't have any external support!
v0.6.6.4 Changelog:
It's been a hell of a month -- I may make another update about that -- but I've managed to keep progress coming. Fixes, new features, new art, new content. Next update should feature the conclusion of Chapter 2, which is exciting. It's a sprawling mess of a lot of interconnecting parts so I'll be glad when it's done! v0.6.5.7 Changelog:
In the time since the last update, I've been chasing down every issue our wonderful players have reported, as well as many that went unnoticed. The list below is but a condensed version of all the fixes! (Trust me, it took up literal days.)
And in the between times, I've been working on furthering Chapter 2. Running into an old friend will raise even more questions about the mysterious Org and their activities in Esper...
Ambitions for next time are to have our fourth biome at least partly completed, and potentially to complete Chapter 2, which will be by far the longest in the game.
(If you know any artists who are okay working for tiny indie rates or rev share, please encourage them to contact me at info@illuminated.games )
Remember to report any issues you might be experiencing -- it helps improve the game for everyone, and I want players to have the best possible experience!
Until next time... Happy Stalking, and see you out there in the Zone.
Changelog:
I won't lie, things have been extremely rough for me this past month. All sorts of crises keep cropping up left and right -- personal, financial, and medical, with a stubborn dental infection that left me unable to do much of anything for over a week.
Obviously this has hurt progress on the game and delayed our next update. Things are still in the works, however! For example, we recently finished art and animation for a key NPC which will let us move forward with the City Hall part of the storyline: the Mayor of Esper.
In the meantime, I'm conducting a full review of the plot, looking to trim some fat so we can stay on target for our 1.0 release.
Stay tuned for further developments. We won't quit until the game is out.
We're one month on from the EA release, and it's been a hell of a time! Trying to catch up on all the things I put off while crunching for the launch. That's the reason why this update is mostly fixes rather than new content. However, expect new stuff in the next update! Changes:
Another load of fixes. If you run into a problem, please report it, and I'll get to work!
This is our first load of post-launch fixes, with more to come.
At long last, the day is here! ZONE is now available on Early Access, with 3 explorable biomes and lots more story than the demo had to offer. There is much left to do, of course... But if we haven't given up after all this time, you know we won't until the game is done. And before we go, another list of improvements over the demo:
Our Early Access release is coming... A date has been set. 15 June 2023. Less than one month away. Exciting times! Appropriately, the store page has been updated with a brand spanking new trailer showcasing much more of the gameplay and many of the features you can expect in the full version, as well as a slew of updated screenshots. And for those of you who can't bear to go all the way to the store page... [previewyoutube=2ymU-PZ8S5Q;full][/previewyoutube]
Welcome... to the Cards & Fixes update. This update focusses on changing combat in a major way. No longer will you find randomly-generated groups of baddies, thrown together without care for challenge or preparedness. Each group is now carefully hand-crafted to create a better (proper) progression all the way through Chapter 1. Bosses have also gotten a rebalance, and importantly, we're introducing Unique cards... A special choice on character creation which (in the future) will grow with you throughout your adventure. Of course all this is experimental and subject to change in future updates. Lastly, we'l be maintaining more detailed changelogs from now on, so you have a better idea which features have been added and which bugs have been fixed. Happy hunting out there... in the Zone. Changelog:
So comes the biggest update of the year so far! Further stability improvements are accompanied by dozens of new art pieces, replacing 90% of our nasty temp assets with much, much nicer stuff. The demo now offers new backgrounds, new battle arenas, and new cut-ins, all helping to make the story and environments come alive more than ever. Other highlights include:
A new version is now up after much work and many errors dealt with! Highlights include a complete overhaul of cards and mechanics, complete overhaul of buffs and passive effects, complete overhaul of map travel, and a new system for fully persistent dropped items. As always, please report any problems and I will fix them.
Today marks the release of demo version 0.6, which is a big jump from the previous. What's new, you ask? Many things. So many that I've lost track of them all. Some of the highlights:
It's been tough smashing persistent bugs since we're lacking testers, but with this new public update comes another huge swathe of fixes, as well as some new quality of life features that make the game a little more comfortable and more visually pleasing. What you won't see in the demo is all the big new features we've been working on, including advancing the main quest, and more creative side quests to enjoy. Such wonders can only be found in the full version once it comes out. 0.5.8.2 Changelog:
Many things have been going on in Zone's development. New features abound, but more importantly, we've (hopefully) fixed a number of major bugs that were making the game almost totally unplayable. This is all thanks to the people who actually reported these bugs -- and why reports are so important, because these bugs were only showing up in builds. Everything worked perfectly in my editor, so I had no idea anything was wrong! Godot is supposed to export 1:1, so this was an unpleasant surprise, and a lesson to be more careful about testing in a real play environment. 0.5.8 Changelog:
Access the build by going to the Properties>Betas tab and selecting the Testing branch from the dropdown menu. This will work on both the regular and demo versions of the game. Some highlights:
Many issues were patched, particularly regarding combat, and several items and cards have been tweaked/added. Major fixes:
After our first time ever streaming, we're going to do it again, except better.
The Next Fest demands livestreams! So, we're doing one. Come see Creative Director Ryan Span try to overcome his crippling social anxiety to bring you the content you deserve. [previewyoutube=V4sPQVea75o;full][/previewyoutube]
As of today, the current version of the demo will no longer be available to download or play. This is because it's outdated. Old news. Not up to the standard I intend to set with Zone as a game. Some of you may already know about the decision to migrate the game to Godot Engine to take advantage of nicer visuals, higher resolutions with better performance, and an overall smoother user experience. That's basically what this decision was about. I don't want people to get the wrong impression from an old demo when the game is becoming so much cooler on a daily basis. If you're interested in the progress so far, check out the IG Twitter, where I frequently post screenshots and video of the new, upgraded features. Here's a few examples to whet your appetite and show you why you should be following. https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms/status/1355102624157216768 https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms/status/1379026506412924930 https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms/status/1376501484184043522 Expect a new and improved demo in a few months' time.
Think again. Be sure to follow our Twitter for almost daily art and video of the complete overhaul we're doing, with high-def graphics and endless amounts of new effects and improvements. https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms
The Zone is getting a 1080p face-lift, along with a whole host of new animations and effects on a brand new engine. Want a taste? Well here it is. [previewyoutube=FcWwJYlxbc8;full][/previewyoutube] Now, we just need your help. We're still a ways from reaching the goal, but that can change in a matter of hours if you can do something to get the word out. KS: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/realilluminatedgames/the-zone-stalker-stories Twitter: https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms Please consider backing us too; there are lots of cool rewards, and your support could mean the difference between success and failure!
At long last, our campaign has launched! The campaign page has much info about where Zone is going and our plans for the future. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/realilluminatedgames/the-zone-stalker-stories Please consider backing us; there are lots of cool rewards, and your support could mean the difference between success and failure!
Take 70% off our previous releases - Golem Creation Kit, The Next World, and all associated DLC - until August 24th! And for an even steeper discount, check out the associated bundles. We're practically giving these things away!
In this update we've begun to introduce unique sounds for each card, as well as reaction sounds for enemy types. Most of the effects are temp or placeholders for now, but will be gradually replaced as we get custom assets in. We've also crushed a number of bugs such as:
A hotfix is now up that solves a show-stopping issue where opening the quest log during the prologue, then opening the player inventory, would cause a soft lock and make it impossible to progress further.
Though the Festival has ended, our tireless work continues in the code-mines of Antares III, hewing new features from the living rock.
What mystical ores have we harvested so far? Well...
In the briefest possible terms, The Zone: Stalker Stories is one part top-down RPG, one part deck builder/card battler, and one part rich visual novel. But IG, you might ask, in this crowded market of things constantly competing for our attention, why is Zone worthy of my time and support? Well, we like to think we're offering something that you can't find anywhere else. There's features which we felt have been missing in other deck-builders, like the lush overworld maps to explore and seek out adventure, in a perspective that's never been explored in games inspired by STALKER and Roadside Picnic. We've got a singular visual style, bursting with beautiful hand-drawn art, as well as a sound that's all our own. Our inventory system is unique in that it lets you change your deck composition and various passive bonuses almost at will, however you like. And perhaps our biggest strength, something which our past games have always been praised for, is story. Zone will have a full proper plot and dialogue written by industry veterans. Though our demo doesn't currently have voice acting, it's a likely future addition. This demo is what we've put together with a bare handful of people -- 3 artists, 1 composer, and me doing everything else -- all in our spare time with virtually no budget. Imagine what it could become with your support!
The SGF is Zone's official debut, and this is our first event in support of it, answering any questions that weren't covered by our detailed and finely-crafted writeups and generally getting personal, to let people know who's behind the curtain. Our goal: To help you get a feel for why you should be as excited about the game as we are. Also to give some reasons to follow, wishlist, back our upcoming Kickstarter, or all of the above. Start times are listed in GMT+0.
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