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Vigilantes: Crime Themed, Turn Based Tactical RPG [Kickstarter]

Discussion in 'Works In Progress - Archive' started by DMCH, Jun 18, 2016.

  1. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hi all. Hope all's well with you. I'd like to share with you the project that has dominated my life since November 2014 : ) It's my second game, called Vigilantes, and it's a crime themed, turn based, tactical RPG. I've loved games of this type since X-Com, Jagged Alliance, Fallout, and have always wanted to make one.

    The aim with Vigilantes was to make a turn based RPG, which is old school at heart (more in-dpeth and less concerned with streamlining) using modern development techniques, and in a setting which is not over (ab)used. If you'd like a very quick look at game play, here's the release trailer:




    Here's a quick rundown of the features.

    Features:
    • Lead a team of Vigilantes in tense, turn based tactical combat against 3 distinct criminal gangs.
    • Engage criminals with choreographed, bone shattering hand to hand attacks, a variety of firearms, and explosives.
    • Run surveillance operations to locate the criminal threat. (Not yet implemented)
    • Develop your character with the in-depth UPLIFT system, improving 9 skills through use, and choosing from a wide variety of perks.
    • Locate and team up with other vigilantes operating in Reiker City.
    • Purchase equipment, ranging from sniper rifles to machetes, assault rifles to smoke grenades.
    • Craft special items, such as high damage, hotloaded ammo, and advanced medical items.
    • Experience a compelling and meticulously crafted story, supported by high quality illustrations of the vigilantes, the city, and the gangs who occupy it.

    If you'd like to try out the latest build (currently only for windows) you can find it here. It has about 2 hours of game play and is completely free. Hope you enjoy! If you'd like more info on the game, I've left a couple of links below. If you have any comments, questions, or criticism, you are very welcome to leave a comment below!

    Thanks,
    Daithi

    Facebook
    | Twitter | Website | Greenlight Mailing List | Forum | Indie DB
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2017
    devbot_amata and Not_Sure like this.
  2. ninja_gear

    ninja_gear

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    looks really cool!
     
  3. theANMATOR2b

    theANMATOR2b

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    Yeah - interesting setting that isnt the common fantasy/sci-fi themes.
    The animations for the melee attacks and defense look like they could be sped up x2. Even the death sequence looked slo-mo.
    Pretty interesting though. Keep at it.
    Do you have a prospective release window?
     
  4. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Thanks @ninja_gear and @theANMATOR2b! Sorry a bit slow in responding, didn't get email notification!

    You're absolutely right on the animation speed, theANMATOR2b. In the last update I've sped up the animations by on average of 40%. It helps a lot to make the turns faster, and improve the overall pacing.

    Release window is difficult to say. If I can't release by November, I'll probably hold off until February, to give the Steam sales a wide berth.
     
  5. Thomazml

    Thomazml

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    Hey, great game! I'll point tought that the game it's a little imbalanced. I think the melee attack needs to be nerfed. It's better now to thave a tank that just punch the hell out the gangsters/enemies and the two others caracters shooting from behind. The % chance to hit of the "ranged" weapons are too small. I had to up a lot the two woman to make then decent shooters, as the guys, in lvl 3, just kill everybody.

    But this mix of RPG/turn tatic it's very great. I love this genre since the first x-com! This could turn to a lovely game, if there is more "base menagement", etc..

    Sounds promissing =)
     
    DMCH likes this.
  6. Zeefles

    Zeefles

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    Looks so cool! I love the style
     
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  7. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hey @Thomazml thanks a lot for trying the game. Glad you enjoyed it.

    You have a point about ranged combat. With melee, chance to hit is determined by the attacker skill vs defender skill + armour, so with higher level enemies, melee will be more difficult. Higher level doesn't make a character much harder to hit with ranged, so it should even out when higher level enemies are introduced (all enemies are level 1 in alpha).

    I can see how it would be frustrating to have a low CTH, so I'll increase player CTH with ranged weapons in the next update, until tougher enemies are introduced. Cheers for the feedback!

    There will be some base management also, in addition to crafting items/repairing, you will be able to build facilities to allow you to train your abilities, and provide stat and skill bonuses.
     
  8. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Thanks, @Zeefles, appreciate the vote of confidence : )
     
  9. MD_Reptile

    MD_Reptile

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    Very cool, I'm a huge xcom 2 lover, so my single suggestion is DO NOT do turn limitations like xcom 2 is filled with. I hated being forced to make stupid moves running out through the open to reach some distant evac zone and stuff. So yeah, definitely avoid using that like a crutch to force players to hurry through missions.

    But yeah looks pretty cool so far!
     
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  10. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Thanks, @MD_Reptile. Haven't played X-Com 2 yet, but it sounds a bit like Meld in X-Com. I didn't particularly like or dislike them forcing you to take chances to collect melt, but there are no plans for any mechanics of this nature.
     
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  11. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Here's a short video of a fumbled throw in Vigilantes. Sometimes losing is winning : )



    The latest free alpha has just gone live, and you can find it here if you'd like to give it a test run.
     
  12. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hello!

    Here's the first voiced character introduction for Vigilantes, for Ray Case, a tough and quick witted private eye. I'm a big fan of detective novels, so this is something of a tip of the fedora to the early 20th Century American detective fiction. Comments and criticism welcome!

     
  13. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Here's the most recent development video, which show the changes made in alpha 7, including a new Vigilante, a new map, 4 new perks, 3 new status effects. Comments and criticism welcome! If you'd like to check out the latest build, you can find it here!



    Facebook | Twitter | Website | Greenlight Mailing List | Forum | Indie DB
     
  14. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hello again!

    I've just released the 9th alpha version of Vigilantes. If you'd like to give it a try, you can find it here. You'll get to meet this charming fellow in the latest release:



    Alpha 9 also introduces the first interior mission, an assault on a Church of the Final Exodus compound, and post mission looting, which allows you to find additional items with your Bypass and Surveillance skills. If you'd like a bit more detail on this update (and to listen to me moaning about the technicial problems encountered), you can check out this development video:



    If you have any feedback, I'd really like to hear from you!
     
  15. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hello again,

    Here's the voiced introduction for the rather intense Elena Furey, a recruitable ally in Vigilantes.



    Hell hath no fury....

    Comments welcome! If you'd like to check out the latest build, it's here!

    We're currently heading toward Greenlight and Kickstarter. It's been a long haul, and we've throw everything at it, so if you'd like to help us out with a vote, or benefit from the early bird offers on Kickstarter, there's a mailing list here, if you'd like me to send you an email on launch day! Cheers!
     
  16. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hi all,

    Sorry I haven't updated this thread in some time, there were some problems with displaying the images and media. We now have an official trailer, which was made for the Kickstarter and Greenlight campaigns:



    The campaigns for Kickstarter and Greenlight are now live. On Greenlight, we are well on the way to the top 100, but another few votes certainly wouldn't go astray :) On Kickstarter, the most popular reward is the €8 standalone, Steam key, early access and wallpaper pack reward, which offers in the region of 50% discount on the final release price. Since voting on Greenlight requires jumping through some hoops, we've set up and hosted a simple php script, which will open Steam directly on our greenlight page, in case you'd like an easier why to vote.

    If you have any questions about the game, it's development, or the campaigns, please let me know!
     
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  17. theANMATOR2b

    theANMATOR2b

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    Voted. Congrats so far on KS. Looks like you'll reach your goal soon.
     
    DMCH likes this.
  18. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Thank you, theAnimator2b. It's difficult to say with the Kickstarter as it's our first campaign - we're in the lull period now, and not getting that many pledges. I understand it should pick up again coming up to the end, hope it does.
     
  19. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hi again. We've just released the 12th version of Vigilantes, so if you backed on Kickstarter, it is available for download. This video provides a brief summary of the changes, including new maps, perks, the ability to target specific body parts and weapon crafting. Comments most welcome!



    If you didn't know about or back the Kickstarter, Vigilantes is still available at a substantial discount on the release price here.
     
  20. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Meet Edgar Kowalski, a Reiker City fire fighter, a fire bug, and a schizophrenic with multiple personality disorder. Physically imposing and experienced with explosives, Kowalski brings an element of unpredictability to Sam's team. Here's Olga's illustration of him:

     
  21. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hello again. Vigilantes version 13 is now available for download. This update includes the usual boost of new content, with 4 new maps and 4 new perks.

    Building on the emphasis of the last few updates on enhancing the tactical depth of combat in Vigilantes, 3 of these perks provide abilities which can be activated in battle to give you a tactical edge. Furthermore, a cone of fire has been added to shotguns, which brings both the potential to hit numerous enemies and the risk of friendly fire, making positioning of key importance. If you'd like to see some of the new content, and the additions in action, you can check out the development video below, or the release notes on our forums.



    Suggestions, criticism and questions most welcome, as always!

    The Vigilantes Steam page can be found here and Vigilantes is available direct, with both a standalone download and a Steam key, at a discount on the final release price here.
     
  22. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Version 14 is shaping up nicely, with 4 new maps in a residential setting, and a significant enhancement of close combat mechanics. Instead of just one standard attack for unarmed, blunt and bladed weapons, there are now multiple attack types. These include lighter attacks with a higher chance to hit, heavier attacks with a lower chance to hit, attacks with higher critical chance, and attacks which cause negative effects on their target. If you'd like more information on these changes, you can find out more on the development video below:

     
  23. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Version 14 is now available, and it's one of the more hefty updates so far! Here's the development video and the release notes



    Features
    • Added multiple attacks for each melee weapon type: unarmed, bladed, blunt
    • Added code to support temporary allies, which will allow for greater diversity in encounters
    • Characters can become lightly and heavily wounded as when their current HP drops below a % of the max HP. Wounded characters have less AP, are easier to attack, and suffer a CTH penalty on attacks
    • Enemies can now flee. Should they make it to the flee point, they will gain a level and you will have to encounter them later.
    • Added new pre combat encounter advantages: Reposition, Damage enemy
    • Added code to support encounter rewards: Cash, Items, Reputation

    Content
    • Added 3 suburban maps
    • Added 1 suburban graveyard maps
    • Added 3 suburban city backgrounds
    • Added new encounter: The Hit
    • Added new encounter: Grave Robbers
    • Added new encounter: Bootleggers
    • Added new perk: Artery Strike - Unlocks a special attack, which can inflict the heavy bleeding status effect
    • Added new perk: Concussive Blow - Unlocks a special attack, which can inflict the heavy concussion status effect
    • Added new perk: Friendly Fire - Reduces chance of hitting ally in the shotgun's zone of fire to 33% of its existing value
    • Added new perk: Message Sent - Incapacitating an enemy with a shotgun has a 50% chance to apply the traumatised status effect (+15% damage for 2 turns) to enemies within a two tile range

    Tweaks
    • Improved lighting on all maps.

    Fixes
    • Fixed a number of text errors. (Thanks Nathan)
    • Fixed errors in firing sniper rifles. (Thanks Nathan)
     
  24. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Some time ago, we asked our Kickstarter backers which additions they would like, and improved mission variety came out on top, so this is the first thing we tackled. This development video shows two new mission types: escort and prevent enemies fleeing. In the first, you have to escort a temporary ally being pursued by a criminal hit squad, and in the second, you have to prevent a group of paramilitary survivalists escaping with the proceeds of a bank robbery. Comments and suggestions most welcome!

     
  25. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Vigilantes Version 15 Released!

    We've just released the 15th version of our crime themed turn based tactical RPG, Vigilantes. If you'd like to get info on the first half of the update, you will find it in the above video. In the second half of the version 15 update, we added the first non combat encounter, added support for withdrawing the player team from combat, 3 new encounters and 3 new perks.


    If you'd like a more complete explanation of these changes, please check out the video below, and please leave a comment to let us know what you think!

     
  26. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Vigilantes Version 16 Released!

    Version 16 of crime themed, turn based tactical RPG Vigilantes is now live. This version's key additions are: Interrogations as a means to gain intel on the criminal gangs of Reiker City, and Gang Leaders, dangerous opponents who must be taken down to eliminate each gang. If you'd like more detail on the update, you can check out the development video below, or the release notes in our forum.



    Thanks for watching/reading. Should you have any questions or comments, be happy to have a chat.
     
  27. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hello,

    For the first part of version 17, we've added two new maps, and introduced player facilities. There are 5 facilities, which collectively make up your base: gym, workshop, library, surgery and firing range. Each facility can be upgraded 5 times, and each upgrade enhances the advantages the facility provides, includes free items, stat, skill, and damage bonuses.

    If you'd like to check out the new map, and get more information on how facilities work, you can find out more from the below development video.



    We're currently working on re-instating the gang strategic AI and adding criminal rackets, enemy structures which you will have to assault and destroy to remove the bonuses they provide to the faction to which they belong. This is mostly complete now, so expect the version 17 release soon!

    Thanks for reading and/or watching. If you have any observations to share, or questions, please leave a comment - always happy to have a chat!
     
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  28. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hello,

    Hope you're having a good weekend! It's proved to be a work intensive and challenging update, but Vigilantes version 17 is now available. The second half of the update focused on two inter-related additions: rackets and the gang strategic AI.

    Rackets are bonus providing enemy facilities, which are located in city districts. There are currently eight racket types. Three of these are main bases, of which each gang starts with one, and the remaining five rackets can be purchased and built by the gangs throughout the city. Each racket provides different local (adjacent tile) and global bonuses, and income.

    The Gang Strategic AI directs the gang's actions on the strategic, city map level. We wanted to avoid giving each gang a set of rigid orders, (such as acquire upgrade x on day Y) which they would follow regardless of what the player is doing. Instead, we invested some time to build a system which would allow the gang to use their financial resources to react strategically to the player, choosing which upgrades and rackets best suit their current needs.

    If you'd like to get more information on this update, you can find out more in the development video below. Apologies for the slightly choppy footage, I accidentally opened and activated a second video capture program during recording.



    Thanks for reading/watching. If you have any questions, comments, or observations, please leave a comment - we'd be happy to talk!

    All the best,

    Daithi
     
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  29. EternalAmbiguity

    EternalAmbiguity

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    Looks pretty cool. You have my interest.
     
  30. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Thanks for the kind words @EternalAmbiguity - glad you like it. Hard at work on version 18 right now :)
     
    EternalAmbiguity likes this.
  31. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hi again!

    Several testers have expressed the view that combat takes too long to resolve. We agree, so our first step in the last leg of development will be to improve combat pacing and begin finalising the character system. Here's a summary of what the changes will involve:

    + Fewer, relatively more powerful enemies in combat: Currently there can be up to 20 characters in combat. The result is long turns, with many enemies getting to act between your characters' turns.
    + Fewer stat points: The current system of one stat point every level was created with quickly building test characters in mind, and allows for "master of all trade" characters. With less enemies, the player team must be balanced in relation to the opposing force. The ability to build stat increasing facilities will recoup some of these "lost" stat points.
    + Ally skill points: You will now get some skill points to allocate for your allies, providing better control over their development.
    + Fewer perk points, but more powerful perks: Underpowered perks is an other issue brought up by testers. We feel less perk points which unlock more powerful perks would be beneficial.

    If you'd like a more in-depth explanation of the upcoming changes, feel free to check out the below video.



    We plan to look at combat pacing and the character system in version 19. We've thought a lot about these changes, received a lot of feedback, and while we believe these changes will offer substantial benefit, they are not set in stone. If you have any comments, observations, or concerns, we'd really like to hear from you.
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2017
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  32. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Vigilantes Version 18 Released!

    Hello,

    Hope you're having a nice weekend! Version 18 of Vigilantes is now available. Version 18 represents one big, final push to deliver a number of features we felt would substantially benefit Vigilantes, emphasising features which enhance tactical depth. Now you can set ambushes with overwatch, delay your turn to outmaneuver opponents, and punish enemies attempting to disengage with attacks of opportunity. Furthermore, characters can now sustain injuries, which reduce stats, and can be healed by time, by Doc, or D.I.Y. healthcare.

    An ally relationship system has been added, which provides stat bonuses to allies who approve of your actions, along with a reputation system, which, depending on how much chaos you cause, will determine how some NPCs react to you, and the outcome of your crusade against crime in Reiker City. Finally, we've added hand drawn portraits for most of Vigilantes' characters, 2 new maps, and fixed a number of bugs.



    It's been a busy, intense 3 weeks and 6 days. If you'd like to get more detail on the additions and improvements, you can find out more in the below development video:




    As always, if you'd like to chat about any aspect of Vigilantes, I'd be happy to!
     
  33. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Just dropping off the hand drawn portrait for Emilia De Soto, a Reiker City Police Lieutenant and one of Sam's allies in the crusade against crime in the city. They don't exactly get off to the best start...
     
  34. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hello!

    Hope you're having a nice weekend. Vigilantes version 19 has just gone live. This update is somewhat different from previous releases: rather than committing a considerable chunk of time to building new features, we've emphasised tweaking existing features, balancing and bugs fixes. If you'd like to get a detailed run down of the changes, you'll can find out more in the below development video.



    Improved Pacing & Character System Finalised
    We've made the changes to the character system and number of enemies we discussed two updates back. Overall, the pacing is considerably better, there are less stat and perk points, but more powerful perks. Finally, by getting skill points, you have more control over how Sam and his allies develop.

    Improved Interrogation
    The interrogation system has had two key changes. First, if you encounter an enemy who can provide intel on gang lieutenants or rackets, you can choose which to get information on, and whether to get intel on a new or existing racket/lieutenant. Second, if all enemies have been killed, or are unconscious, you can now search their bodies for intel. This provides a slower route to locating each gang's leadership, but allows players who have opted for a more violent route to make progress.

    Enhanced Armour Mechanics
    The protection armour provides now degrades more quickly. The intention here is to introduce an additional layer to combat, by making damaging armour a potential strategy and allowing for an armour destroying melee character build, which will be useful for softening up tougher enemies. Blunt weapons do additional armour damage passively, and the effect can be enhanced by a new perk, wrecking ball.

    Other Notable Additions
    • Gang leaders and rackets can now be located and attacked
    • Added Church of the Final Exodus Racket Map
    • Restored weather conditions (rain and storm)
    • Targeted attacks now cost +1AP, but their effects are more profound
    • First 3 missions are now preset, and will introduce you to doc, cuda & a random ally
    • Improved keyboard support
    Full release notes can be found here and Vigilantes can be found on Steam here
     
  35. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Just dropping off a couple of new portraits. This is Doc, your friendly neighbourhood sawbones:



    ...and Cuda, your less than friendly neighbourhood arms dealer:



    There are also voiced cut scenes for both characters, if you'd like to get to know them a bit better:





    We're getting close to a Steam EA release, so if you enjoy turn based tactical games, and would like a notification when Vigilantes goes live, you can add Vigilantes to your wishlist here.
     
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  36. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Meet Elias Rooke, a member of the survivalist faction's tactical command. To find Elias, you'll need a mix of interrogation and surveillance. To take him and his crew down, you'll need a lot of firepower.

     
  37. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Here's the illustration for a successful assault on a enemy racket. Hope you enjoy! Let's just hope Sam can get some useful intel on the gangs before the place burns to the ground!

    In terms of development, this is going to be a smaller update. It's mostly fixing and tweaking, but will also include 2 new maps (Mafia Villa and Nightclub) and currently working on the opening cut scene. If the stability of version 20 is good, this is mostly likely the version we'll go to Steam Early Access with.
     
  38. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Meet Arcadi Konstantin, a fugitive Russian soldier whose escape from the motherland led him to Reiker City.



    Arcadi is a playable character in Vigilantes, which is coming to Steam early access in the coming weeks. More info on Steam page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/545600/Vigilantes/
     
  39. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hi all! After 3 years of work, Vigilantes has just release a few moments ago. Here's the release trailer:



    And of course, a link to the Steam page :)
     
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  40. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Vigilantes Version 21 Released!

    The V21 update for Vigilantes is now available, introducing new features, content, balancing improvements and fixes. In the latest update, the hunter becomes the hunted with gang lieutenants setting up ambushes for the player. The environment can be used against the enemy with the addition of gas canisters and fuel barrels, and you can take the fight underground with the introduction of the first subway map! If you'd like to check out Vigilantes, it's currently on Steam EA, at a reduced price!


    A survivalist captain ambushes the player team!

    The release notes for this update can be found below, and a more in-depth explanation of the additions and improvements can be found in these two development videos.




    Features
    + Gang lieutenants can set up ambushes for the player
    + Fuel barrels and gas canisters as objects can be activated to set an area on fire or explode
    + Characters with 2 or more adjacent enemies gain the surrounded status effect. Being surrounded causes them to pay less attention to active threats, and are easier to score hits against
    + Night missions now impose a 5% penalty to ranged CTH and cover is more effective at night... could be a good time to hit the survivalists
    + When fighting indoors, assault and precision rifles suffer a 5% CTH penalty due to being used in an enclosed space


    Use the environment against your enemies!

    Content
    + Added first subway map
    + Added 15 illustrations for gang leaders
    + Added MK II incendiary grenades and MKII improvised explosives
    + Added crafting recipes for MK II Incendiary and IE
    + Added new non combat encounter: From The Precipice
    + Added new encounter: Intimidation


    Take the fight underground!

    Balance
    + Gang lieutenants now require 2, rather than 3 pieces of intel to locate.
    + Rackets require 2, rather than the planned 3 pieces of intel to locate
    + Racket and boss encounters are now more difficult
    + The per tile tactical re-positioning cost is now lower
    + Failing tactical repositioning imposes a -1 initiative penalty on your team
    + City tiles with high wealth have a chance to provide gangs members with improved equipment
    + General Arms Peacemaker SMG can now fire a single, more accurate, 3AP shot in addition to a burst
    + Gang members gain a level bonus at Hard Boiled or greater difficultly
    + Gangs get a scaling bonus to income at higher difficulties
    + Penalty for having an adjacent enemy and trying to use an assault or sniper rifle is now more severe
    + The Friendly Fire perk now prevents allies being hit by the shotgun's cone of fire
    + The Battle Frenzy perk now has a 30%, rather than 10% to activate
    + The shop now generates more component items

    Tweaks
    + Added an option to toggle between fullscreen and windowed
    + Added an option to disable film grain
    + Added an option to set camera move speed
    + Increased camera rotation speed
    + Camera scrolling can now be disabled when the level starts, and re-enabled with a key press. Workaround for the Linux wandering camera bug
    + Camera movement speed increases as camera gains elevation
    + Individual tutorials can now be disabled
    + Changed how current / max health is displayed, to make it more clear when a character is wounded

    Fixes
    + Fixed a bug where swapping between regular and hot loaded ammo could cause errors with the ammo unloaded from the gun (Supervoid)
    + Fixed a bug where input was being disabled in error, forcing players to click a UI element to re-enable it (Ushas & murrki017)
    + Fixed a bug whereby input was enabled when enemies changed weapons, which caused an issue in AOO and potentially other areas (Ushas)
    + Fixed a number of typos (Gloomseeker)
    + Fixed reachable tile display showing for enemies is escaped to menu during enemy turn (Ushas)
    + Fixed armour replaced during combat not updating protection until first hit (Ushas)
    + Sodium Thiopental no longer used if you opt not to use it (MotherAce[No])
    + Fixed issue with loading some gang leader fights (degzee64)
    + Rackets can no longer be found by surveillance only
    + Fixed issue with enemy fleeing in survivalist training facility (Ushas)
    + Made changes to code for switching between scenes, in the hope this resolves the issues with level loading.
    + Fixed crouching bonus was not being applied to characters in cover
    + Fixed issue with character not strafing after one strafe per turn
    + Fixed characters being able to shoot through one of the buildings in alleys 2 (Sheepify)
    + Fixed a bug where failing and retrying the first mission could cause crashes and unpredictable behaviour (Ushas, Tortousit, Tchey, Alatar)
    + Fixed an issue whereby dragging a stack of items onto a stack of the same type could cause unpredictable behaviour with inventory
    + Fixed rackets not being removed
    + Fixed rackets not providing a piece of intel on a lieutenant or another racket

    I hope you enjoy the update. Should you have any feedback, please let us know!
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2017
  41. EternalAmbiguity

    EternalAmbiguity

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    Okay, so I finally got the game the other day. Had the chance to play for about three hours today, and just wrote down my thoughts as they came to me. I'll post them below, though I'll try to arrange them into a slightly more readable fashion.


    Sound of rain on main page would be an interesting addition. First thing I thought of when I saw it.

    Beginning is extremely weak. First off, VA is poor. Needs improved. Second, it's written like a novel (and not an action novel, but something more methodical which doesn't work for the situations being portrayed in the game), but it's being spoken. People don't speak like they write, even the more erudite of us. Certainly not a simpleton like the man portrayed in the game. This needs serious work.

    "In the internal interplay of fear and anger" - no, just no. It doesn't work. Your writing needs to match the character it's representing, and the overall tone of the story. And the tone set by the setting and the circumstances don't match up with this kind of writing. No one talks like that. No one thinks like that. One might write like that, but again, these little boxes should not be written like a novel.

    Part of it might be that the sentences are too long. I enjoy long sentences, but they should be used sparingly in a gritty noir-ish setting like this. Especially when you're adding multiple flowery (ultimately fluff-ery) clauses like that one near the beginning. I don't remember the specific words but it's the clause starting from like the fifth word the main character says in his initial monologue (edit: something about a rabbit hole--wait--I think it's something like "the last thing on my mind this no-rabbit-hole-in-sight weekend was yada yada.").

    Writing has potential, but ultimately needs to go through an editor of some sort who has a clue how to write for different non-novel mediums.

    Looking back on it, the beginning is incredibly abrupt. Not the first few moments up to and through the first fight, but directly after that, where you suddenly find yourself in a hideout and then hunting the streets for people to attack. I realize this is Early Access, and you may be planning to flesh that out. Just pointing out that as it stands, there's a big gap between "See thugs harassing someone>Stop them" and "I'm going to rid the entire city of crime."

    Doc: terrible accent. Either drop it or get a VA who actually has the accent.

    The "Home Base" should show which screen you're currently on by giving its button at the top some visual cue.

    Cuda: "I like your style...you don't bother asking questions. Maybe you should do that sometime." what? Why would he like you not asking questions, but then say you should ask questions? Inconsistent.

    Any drawbacks to resting? Otherwise I just rest until injuries are gone...

    Later: I suspect that the gangs increase in power over time? Never mind that comment in that case.

    This may be planned for, but level of intel for a location should be reflected visually in cityscape. Perhaps with some cues telling what gang, gang level, wealth, etc...

    Making a save overwrite more obvious, with a "do you want to overwrite this?" dialog, would be nice.

    Minor grammatical errors ("DeSoto's doesn't go out of her way...")


    Ctrl is end turn--no, no, no, no, no. I lost my first turn because of this. Enter, or Spacebar if absolutely necessary to keep it near the WASD keys.

    (from very beginning of the game) No idea what does what. Show or tell that pressing RMB causes your player to attack the enemy, and LMB does...something (I was out of AP so I couldn't see it) to your character.

    How in the world do I use my gun?

    (After realizing the last two are mentioned in the tutorial) This stuff needs to be embedded into the UI, not part of this temporary tutorial panel.

    What is CTH? (took me a couple of hours to realize this is chance to hit)

    Very much against forcing a wait between combat damage type. Let me choose to kill or incapacitate at any time.

    Later: I now realize that making a user wait to change it back helps prevent them from just flipping it to kill to gain extra damage, then switching it back to not actually kill the enemy. However, given that a user can accidentally press this and completely screw up whether they kill or incapacitate enemies means there's a problem. Perhaps there needs to be an "undo action" button.

    There should be an autosave when the game starts. (had to go through character selection and skipping that first monologue multiple times)

    mouse scroll is backwards.

    I died twice (and very nearly did a third time) on the very first mission, having "close combat" at 33. Meanwhile I actually finished it the one time I left close combat at 27 and increased firearms skill to 33 (while fighting UNARMED). Is there rubber-banding going on here? Or was that a fluke?

    Character ability should be appropriate for their background. A police officer (a lieutenant at that) should not have the kind of difficulty shooting that De Soto does.

    Same problem most games of this type have: A character in the next tile should not be anything ridiculous like a 50% chance to hit.

    Ultimately this is kind of a design decision, likely built around trying to make unarmed combat as equally viable as gunplay. I'm against it personally, but I suppose only you can judge your audience and determine which would be best.

    "Weakness found!" and something else both popped up and disappeared in a matter of seconds. No idea what the other said because it was gone too quickly to actually read it. These should either stay around for several seconds, or perhaps there should be some kind of event dialog box like Wasteland 2 has.

    Extremely inconsistent in whether it automatically changes turns or not. I've lost more than one turn because while most titmes it DOESN'T change turns when a character has 0 AP, just that one time it does and I skip the turn of the next character.

    One problem I found was that if I equipped a melee weapon, whenever I started a new mission my fists would be selected, so I'd have to go in and change it.

    I wound up winning the "Senator" mission with just her left. Unfortunately, on the "interrogation" screen there was no one to select. It let me move through the options until I got to the [Firearms] vs. [Close Combat] selection, where it got stuck and wouldn't move forward. I could load a save, but obviously I lost all my progress from that mission.


    All this said...very fun game. Looking forward to more.
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2017
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  42. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hey Eternal Ambiguity, thanks for picking up a copy, and sorry for the slow response - just saw the notification now.

    Sorry to hear you didn't like the voice acting or the writing that much. I'll keep your suggestions in mind, but I believe that for any sample of writing/voice acting, some will like it, others will not. There will likely be some additional cutscenes to bridge the initial encounter. Concerning the main character, can I ask why you think he's a simpleton?

    If you rest, time passes, and when time passes, gangs get money, build rackets, buy upgrades, etc.

    Intel and other info will be visually represented on city map in final game.

    Concerning key bindings, you can bind whichever keys you like to whatever function.

    With the exception of a small CTH bonus for low level player characters with ranged weapons, there's no rubber banding or funny stuff going on behind the scenes, and concerning CTH, what you see is what you get.

    Concerning status effects: agree, there will be better information displayed on what they do, some time over next few updates.

    Agree concerning turn ending (which currently happens when you expend last AP with movement) - this will be looked at before final release.

    I'll try to recreate the issue with the senator. Would be very interested to find out what may be going wrong here.

    Thanks again for the feedback, really appreciate it.
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2017
  43. EternalAmbiguity

    EternalAmbiguity

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    Let me be a bit more clear--I disliked the direction of the writing, not the quality. It's clear that whoever wrote it does have some ability. The writing just needs to be adjusted because the style is not appropriate for a game (at least for a game where the writing is spoken, and not read).

    Simpleton is probably an exaggeration. But he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would have fine minute monologues in his head about such vaguely philosophical topics from the way he was described--just a guy getting skiing supplies. There may be some bias here on my part, it's possible.
     
  44. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Thanks for the extra info. Concerning the boxes which outline actions taking place, I don't think it's that out of place. A notable example would be Shadowrun, which also adopts this route. From the perspective of the the writing not realistically matching the way a person thinks, I agree. I'd say the same is true for many books, films and games, with Max Payne as a notable example in the game category. I may just be completely missing your point, but we're styling for "shade of purple noir" rather than trying to realistically convey what characters are thinking.

    Ah, I was just curious to see what you had filled in the blank space that is the main character. He's the one key character in the game the player has no direct information on, though a couple of ambiguous hints concerning his past will be offered at a few points in the game.
     
  45. EternalAmbiguity

    EternalAmbiguity

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    It's not just that it isn't the way most think, it also translates very poorly to speech. That one example that I mentioned at the very beginning, the long clause right in the middle of a sentence, really demonstrates that. That kind of sentence structure doesn't work as well for speech because the listener has to absorb what the person is saying in real time. While you're (the royal you) giving a humorous metaphorical clause that highlights something else in your sentence, the listener's mind is being distracted from the rest of the sentence by your metaphor. The listener has to hear the metaphor (and I know it's not a metaphor, that's just a hypothetical), comprehend how it relates to the original statement, then apply it back to the original statement. All the while the speaker has already moved on the next sentence. I'm not trying to exaggerate the effect, but it's most certainly a strain on your listener and will more than likely cause them to just dump that sentence from their memory in their attempts to catch up.

    You can still get similar sensations with simpler sentences.



    See this (the first few moments) for an example. Notice how each clause either works completely independently of the others around it, or, if dependent, only comes after the independent clause is completely finished. You don't ever have a situation like the first sentence in Vigilantes.

    I actually just went back and looked at a video of the beginning of the game and heard it again/read the subtitles. I think part of the reason that line in particular sticks out to me is because you're essentially creating an idiom. "No rabbit hole in sight" is not from what I can tell any kind of "real" idiom at all, which means that a reader has to interpret that in their mind to understand what you're trying to say. One has to be careful in such situations. It's more than possible to create idioms of course, but the first spoken line of your video game is not the place for that.

    I could probably go through it line by line and point out things but that would be incredibly rude and I suspect your writer would only get ticked off :p However, the point is that one needs to consider how something feels to hear, or read (if writing some form of literature).
     
  46. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Hey, sorry for slow response. I take your point - thanks for taking the time to explain in more detail. I'll try to work on simplifying complex, stumbling block sentences. Obviously harder to do with voiced sequences, but maybe some spacing might help in the example you cited. In case you haven't guessed, I'm handling the writing (along with the code, design, and about half a dozen other things:)). Truth is I'd be grateful, rather than ticked off, if you pointed out any phrases which stuck out.
     
  47. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Here's the 43rd development video for Vigilantes, showing the first half of the work carried out on the V22 update, which will be released in around 2 weeks. This video covers the addition of a new ally, Arcadi, a fugitive Russian army officer skilled in tactics and firearms. There's also a new map, 4 new perks, and leadership mechanics have been enhanced.



    Vigilantes is currently 10% off the reduced early access price on Steam, in case old school turn based games in a fresh setting is your thing!
     
  48. EternalAmbiguity

    EternalAmbiguity

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    Nope, wasn't aware it was you. But happy to help, and apologies if I came across too harsh. I've been writing for a long time, and I regularly evaluate the writing of others, so it's (all too) easy for me to jump in and start doing it in games too.
     
  49. DMCH

    DMCH

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    It's all good. Would rather know about any issues. Will try to control the worst excesses of my purple tendencies.
     
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  50. DMCH

    DMCH

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    Vigilantes Version 22 Released

    Vigilantes Version 22 is now available. Version 22 enhances features, improves balance, and brings a lot of new content into play, including Arcadi, a new ally, 2 new enemies, 6 new perks, 2 new maps, and an improved armour variant. Vigilantes recently released on Steam EA, and is currently 10% off on Steam!

    Enhanced Leadership Mechanics
    Now, both the player and criminal team can have bonus providing squad leaders, but there's a catch: losing a leader inflicts the "Ronin" negative status effect on the entire team, which creates new risks and opportunities in combat

    New Ally & Enemy Leaders
    Arcadi, a fugitive Russian officer joins the vigilante team, offering a strong candidate for the squad leader role. The newly introduced mafia made man, and survivalist NCO do the same for their respective organisations, when no gang lieutenant or boss is present.


    New Perks
    Vigilantes version 22 introduces 6 new perks, with an emphasis on perks to enhance squad leaders. The new perks are:

    Stand Fast: Twice per battle, when an attack should incapacitate an ally, the ally will survive with 1HP
    Tactical Delay: Allows the entire team to delay turns at no AP cost
    All Out Offensive: Increases team damage by 40% for 1 turn, for a substantial AP cost
    Terrifying Presence: Inflicts terror on enemies who enter this characters area of influence
    Mind Cracker: Increases this character's interrogation score
    Medical Emergency: Can only be activated if an ally has < 40% health. +3 AP, reduces AP cost of trauma kits by 1, does not trigger AOO, but attack damage reduced to 20%

    New Maps
    Two new maps have been added in this update, one subway map and one china town map. This brings the total maps in Vigilantes to 40, just 5 short of the minimum number we agreed to provide on Kickstarter. While it's likely that we'll over deliver in this area, it's good to be almost there!





    Other Improvements & Dev Videos
    Many other additions have been made, including the ability to view detailed descriptions of status effects on any character, an AI which will intelligently use environment objects (such as gas canisters) against the player, and stronger retinues for gang leaders and rackets. If you'd like a more complete run-down of the update, you can check out the development videos and the complete update notes below. As always your feedback is welcome and hope you enjoy the update!





    Update Notes
    [Features]
    + Enhanced the importance of leaders in combat
    + Added leadership bonuses to the criminal factions in combat
    + AI characters will now target fuel barrels and gas canisters

    [Content]

    + New ally: Arcadi, an on-the-run Russian soldier skilled in battlefield command and firearms
    + New map: subway map
    + New Enemies: Mafia Made Man & Survivalist NCO - support their gangs and provide leadership in the absence of a lieutenant/boss
    + New perk: Stand Fast - Once per battle, when an attack should incapacitate an ally, the ally will survive with 1HP.
    + New perk: Tactical Delay - allows the player team to delay their turns at no ap cost
    + New perk: All out Offensive - Increases team damage by 40% for 1 turn at a substantial AP cost
    + New perk: Terrifying Presence - a scaled up version of initimidating presence, which is has been renamed to "fearsome presence"
    + New status effect: Ronin - applied to characters whose leader has been incapacitated
    + Added voiced cutscene for Arcadi
    + New perk: Mind Cracker - increases interrogation score
    + New perk: Medical Emergency. Can only be activated if an ally has < 40% health. Grants +4 AP, reduces cost of trauma kits by 1, does not trigger AOO, but attack damage reduced to 20%
    + Added Personal Armour Mk 3
    + Added new map: Chinatown 3

    [Balance]

    + Added code to allow more control over enemy loadouts and made a number of changes to loadouts
    + Demoralised now inflicts -1 Initiative, -1 AP
    + Slightly reduced cost of gang member recruitment.
    + Diagonal Melee attacks can now be made through tiles with adjacent half, but not full cover
    + Fuel barrels and gas canisters now trigger at the end of the turn they were activated in, allowing them to be used by melee characters
    + Gang leaders and rackets now start with a couple of specialists
    + Added code to allow for gang characters to be weakened in certain circumstances, such as the enforcer in the Ray Case encounter mission

    [Tweaks]
    + Main UI buttons now available on Cityscape
    + Added better information on difficulty levels
    + Enemy status effects now have information provided on them on mouseover enemy + keypress
    + Environmental factors affecting combat are now displayed
    + Improved layout of the combat UI

    [Fixes]
    + Fixed a non existent ammo object appearing in inventory when auto reloading. (Nomad)
    + Fixed the last enemy dying from fire/bleeding causing not to be auto looted to player inventory. (Nomad)
    + Fixed an issue causing the mafia lieutenant Rico Lucchesi not to end his turn. (Nomad, PhotoFinish)
    + Fixed enemies attacking through cover (Sheepify, Murkki017).
    + Fixed crash when trying to launch attack against gang bosses.
    + Fixed a number of typos (Nomad, Sheepify, Alatar, Shawdawg)
    + Fixed audio volume not being set on startup (Ushas, Nomad)
    + Fixed Peacemaker second fire mode not added correctly (Murkki017)
    + Fixed missing tooltip in options. (Ushas)
    + Fixed subsequent shots from an SMG going in unnatural angles, after hitting an environment object (Murkki017)
    + Fixed voices in cutscenes still playing after cutscene has ended
    + Prevented racket locations being accidentally revealed through surveillance
    + Fixed an issue which could allow the main gang HQ being overwritten by a built racket.
     
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