Shield Cat (tuxdb.com)

051922 Shield Cat Build

Hey guys! Coming at you today with a new build of Shield Cat! This one doesn't really add much in terms of new content, but it does have quite a few important fixes and improvements. Specifically, if you had trouble with input devices on Linux (especially remapping controllers) please try this build and let me know if it works now. As always, the patch notes are below here:

===== NEW =====

More collectibles have been added to existing stages. If you had 100% collectibles in some stages and now you don't, it's not a bug!
There are new Hexagons to collect! Grabbing them all within the given time will get you something nice...
Some Fish Scales have learned how to camouflage themselves. You'll have to keep an eye out for these crafty collectibles.
A new XInput display option has been added for generic/non-console specific graphics.
A new Retro Preset has been added that reduces the colors significantly for that vintage console feel.
A new song has been added to most of the small caves in the game.
There are small enemy crabs on the beach now! You can target their weakpoint for a little damage.

===== IMPROVED =====

Bumpers are now larger and easier to see and interact with.
Social Media links have now all been organized into a submenu, as well as with new links to additional social media.
The Debug Overlay (with F10) has been improved significantly.
Color blending has been adjusted throughout the game.
Adjusted some drawing routines to hopefully be more efficient.
The River Challenge now has a custom palette when using the retro shaders.
It is now better conveyed when you find a secret spot.
Music handling has been improved when going between different screens. It will no longer cut off awkwardly as it did in certain scenarios (hopefully.)
Music has also been adjusted and re-looped, which should remove fading issues as well as intro pops that sometimes occur.
The Performance Information that used to draw on the bottom of the screen has switched to a different display with graphs on it.
Updated the game's copy of the SDL Gamepad Database. I've written a script that keeps it updated so the game should now just come with the latest version at the time I put the build out.
The game's app icon for the Steam page has been updated.

===== CHANGED =====

Removed the hitstop effect when breaking open a Mystery Orb.
Changed the drawing of the animation when getting a treasure from a Mystery Orb. Now it wont suddenly light up the screen when getting a treasure in a dark place.
The functionality of the Escape key on keyboards has been changed. It will now open the pause menu, unless there's already a menu or something open, in which case it will bring you out of it.
The "Escape" key continues to be a special key, however, and cannot be remapped.
A warning message has been added if you attempt to open the speedrun options on the New Game menu without ever having played Shield Cat before, to discourage you from doing this.
A similar message was added if you attempt to turn up the difficulty on a New Game without ever having played the game before.
Lance will now always pick up bombs, whether or not he can actually use them (the amount he can hold is still capped at 10.)

===== BUG FIXES =====

Fixed a bug where you could open the Notes panel while getting an item from a Mystery Orb.
Fixed a bug where the Debug Overlay could be accessed if you hadn't opted into it properly.
Fixed a bug where the graphics auto-adjust would not adjust to the lowest possible preset, nor engage 30fps mode when the performance target still isn't being met.
Fixed a potential memory leak when going between stages.
Fixed a bug where map boundaries wouldn't be drawn on certain parts of the map.
Fixed a bug where the Notes pane would sometimes draw text offscreen in certain graphics configurations.
Fixed some bugs with Retro text rendering (still needs some work but unsure what to do with it at this time.)
Fixed a bug where enemies wouldn't spawn right in higher difficulties. Now a big raven will come and attack Lance when he steps out of his house, as intended.
Fixed a bug where Lance's reflection would draw very very very slightly on the grass (I bet nobody ever noticed it.)
Fixed a bug where you couldn't move the map on the map screen all the way right or down.
Fixed some screens not having echo when they should have it.
Fixed a bug where analog inputs were too sensitive on the input remapping screen, only requiring a light tilt to register. Now, you have to tilt it pretty far to get it to register.
Removed dialogue from a sign that says you can double-tap to run as, while this is true, the functionality is now disabled by default.
Fixed a bug where Willow would show the wrong message for starting a new game.
Fixed a sequence break where the player could obtain a key and use it on the wrong door in the forest path to get out of bounds easily (The area is still unfinish, but now you are blocked from exploring it, sorry.)

===== NOTES =====

I've added a subsystem that allows the game to ignore input on specified analog axes, with the default having it ignore axis 5 and 6 (shown internally as 3A and 3B) to attempt to solve issues with the game reading analog input off the gamepad triggers when in a resting state.
What this means in layman's terms is that, in Linux, you shouldn't have any issues using the input remapper anymore.
You can use F10 and go to the Input tab to configure this, though most likely you shouldn't have to do this. Please hit me up if you have more input issues, especially in Linux.

Thank you!

Thank you to the following supporters and everyone who makes this possible! @buny, ARKYmouse, Ahty, Alex Stenzel, Shadow8t4, Alicia Goranson, Arron Savage, Barbara Fregia, BenTheDragon, Bizarre Machinist, David Wolfpaw, Caliburn Absolute, Circlingnugget, Clover Arizona, DarkJoule, Vix-N, DimSumthing, Dizmus, Sweep Dreams, EZGames69, Cloud Hop, EveryZig314, Fao, FaultBat, Flake, FoxyDude, Nutalie Frost, Galuade, Gri, Goronhead, Holly 'Frinkel' Lotor, JD Laclede, Jack O'Connor, Jammy, Jennifer, Joanna Jones, Johann Pfaffinger, Jyrki, Kaylex Deer, Hulex Fox, Kirbizard, Kohaku Katou, Krazinsky, Trash, LF, Legiayayana, Leo Gera, Lorxus, Lulla, Luna, Luna Hyena, Luna Moona the Little Kahuna, phantomsqueaks, Mark Cope, Marlyn, Mello the Ferret, OrobaSpyro, Nenekiri Bookwyrm, Axel Husky, NovaSquirrel, Nuck, Philip Garzieri, Raegal Boggart, RawrParty, Vinyl, Roger Tyranny, Ryunohito, Cam D'Arcy, Saxxon Fox, Scylla-Leeezard, Ansel Geisel, Snout, Spyduck, SplotchDoggo, Spoony Doodle, Carlis A. Moore., Stitch The626th, Swirlate, Tala Cuthbert, Tarah Tamayo, Tarocco, Tarsus Endri, Tenma-arekussu, Touku, Upscale Furry Trash, DJ Otters, Vectrobe, Vivee, William 'Kenku' Swiftfoot, Wulfy, Xkeeper, breakthetargets, caseJackal, Kazy, khr, meerm, megaRammy, morgan `indrora` gangwere, raine, rainedoe, Foxxhoria, ubuntor, sol I think I said before that I wanted Julie to be in the next build, and she's almost done! But I wanted to get these improvements out there because some of them are really important. You'll be able to see Julie soon though!

[ 2022-05-20 00:25:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Shield Cat
CyanSorcery

Developer

CyanSorcery

Publisher

2030

Release

Indie Adventure Singleplayer

Demo Coming Soon!

Keep an eye out for it...

Shield Cat – the Game!

Shield Cat is a game starring Lance the otter! He is a mail courier for the Cat Kingdom, delivering official letters and packages. One day, Lance wakes up and finds that the Cat Kingdom is in chaos. What's worse, his friends seem to be responsible! What dark magic could be at work here? Lance will need all the help he can get on his adventure, both to save his friends and to save the Kingdom!

Abilities

Along the way, Lance will find abilities that can help him on his quest. You can equip and upgrade these abilities to enhance Lance's strength and allow him to use more tools on his quest. Here are just some of the many Abilities you can learn:

Tubular Twister: Lance's spin attack! Use this move to get over big gaps, attack enemies, hit gears and levers, open treasure chests, and much more. Lance will never get dizzy, so use it as much as you like!
Shield: Lance can throw his shield to hit enemies from far away. He can also use it to solve puzzles, and upgrade it to give it more distance and range when he throws it.
Cards: Lance throws a continual stream of cards from a seemingly endless deck. He can use this ability to take down multiple enemies at once.
Dagger: Lance can aim this dagger and hit enemies from a great distance. This ability is good for people who like stealth – enemies wont even know what hit them!
Boomerang: Lance throws a boomerang which circles around him, protecting him from incoming enemy attacks. He can also use this to hit things around corners that he couldn't otherwise get to.
Passive Abilities: You can find and equip passive abilities which grant you bonuses as long as they're equipped, such as increased movement speed, surviving enemy combos, increasing the drop rate of goodies, and more! Be warned though – Equipping these passive abilities takes from your magic for as long as they're equipped. Watch your magic meter!
Upgrades: Lance can find upgrades to his health, magic, and attack that permanently boost his stats.

Collectibles

During your quest, you will find several types of collectibles! Here are some of the collectibles you can find:

Pretty Petals: The currency of the Cat Kingdom. Use these to buy abilities and upgrades at shops.
Fish Scales: Each stage has a fixed number of Fish Scales. Use these to access new locations by train. Can you find all of them in each stage?
LANCE Letters: Each stage has 5 LANCE letters for you to find. However, the stages are pretty big – you'll have to check every nook and cranny if you want to find these!
Cat Coin: Special currency of the Cat Kingdom. Use these to open doors and gain access to new areas.
Key: Each stage has a set of keys that are only useful for that stage. If you find a locked door, keep an eye out for a key!
Treasure Chest: Find treasure chests scattered throughout the land. It is a mystery what each one contains, but it (most likely) will aide you on your quest! If you find an ability you already have, you can sell it at the shop for Pretty Petals!

Locations

During your quest, you will visit many locations throughout the Cat Kingdom. Here are just some of the places you'll visit:

Cat Castle Town: The central town of the Cat Kingdom. Here you will find many shops with items that will help you on your journey, as well as mini-games to pass the time with.
Roo Express: The train that serves the Cat Kingdom. Ride this train to get around to different areas!
Underground Forest: A place underground with plenty of trees and views of the sky above.
Mt. Bophades: A volcanic mountain in the snowy north.

More locations are planned, but don't have official names yet.

Friends

Along the way, you'll meet many friends and make more friends. Here are just some of the people you'll meet:

Parker: Lance's partner and also lead engineer of the Roo Express. Parker is a Kangaroo/Deer with a love of trains and the power to create magic portals.
Ruby: A yee-haw beaver who has power over water, Ruby is in charge of the Aquatic Exhibit and studies marine life and liquid Metamagic.
Suzette: A stoic leopard gecko who has power over the earth, Suzette can tunnel through the earth with ease. She lives in the Underground Forest and studies rocks and other hard Metamagic. Despite being so grounded, Suzette's girlfriend Olivia is a bird who flies in the sky!
Trent: A mischievous fox with the power over fire and ice, Trent lives in Mt. Bophades and helps keep the volcano under control – a job Trent does well, despite being slightly irresponsible.
Olivia: A cockatiel who flies through the skies and has power over the wind, Olivia is the leader of the Sky Cat Airship Fleet, the Cat Kingdom's air travel service.
Claire: The leader of the Knights of the Shield Cats, Claire takes her job seriously and does whatever she can to help protect the kingdom.
King King Cat the Cat: The king of the Cat Kingdom, King King Cat the Cat was elected to rule and, despite being clumsy and forgetful, does his job well.
Willow: Willow is a magical fox that appears to some people. It is said that she can record your journey and come to you in times of trouble to give you a second chance.
Marcus: A digital fox that lives inside of the Fox Box, a small communications device that citizens of the Cat Kingdom use to talk to each other over long distances.

Game Modes

The game supports different difficulty levels and play modes, which are detailed below! Please note that achievements will only be given on the lowest difficulty used on that play file.

Difficulty – Chill: An easier mode where enemies do less damage and are less aggressive, and drop more items and whatnot to help you on your journey. For younger players or players who just want to enoy the game.
Difficulty – Regular: The intended game experience, exactly as it was designed.
Difficulty – Tough: Enemies are tougher and also tougher to defeat, and drop less items and whatnot. This mode is for people who really want to test their skills.
Difficulty – Wild: In this mode, Lance's attack is doubled, but so are enemy attacks! This mode is for people who like fast paced action and is the ultimate test of players skills.
Difficulty – Custom: Experience the game the way you like! Change Lance and enemy modifiers, drop rates, and more! Note that achievements cannot be obtained in this mode – It's just for fun!
Speedrun Options: Various options can be enabled for speedrunners, including an in-game timer, automatically skipping cutscenes, reduced scene transition times, and a quick restart button that erases your file and starts from the beginning.

Platforms

Development builds of Shield Cat are currently available on the following platforms. Please note that certain distribution channels only support specific versions of the game.

Windows: The game is supported in Windows 10. Older versions of Windows may work, but are not officially supported and no help can be given with these versions. The game supports XInput and DirectInput gamepads, as well as keyboard and mouse input.
Linux: The game is supported in Debian-based versions of Linux, such as Ubuntu and Linux Mint. It also works in Arch Linux, but may not work in Red Had Linux. Some additional dependencies may need to be installed depending on your version. The Steam version of Shield Cat only supports x64 builds of Shield Cat for Linux.

Thank you!

Thank you for checking out my game!

MINIMAL SETUPOS: Debian Based
Processor: 64Bit RequiredMemory: 2 GB RAM
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: OpenGL 2.0 Compatible
Storage: 1 GB available space

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