We’re back with another blog post - this time talking about platforms and pathfinding!

Up first: platforms can now be angled! Angled platforms enable players to create more complex platform layouts without having to manually jump up and down a dozen different levels of flat platforms. They also work nicely as accent pieces for rooftops and other decorations.

In other 2D sandbox games the process for angling platforms can be clunky and in some cases - impossible. The platforms in Planefarer were designed with these shortcomings in mind. Angled platforms are able to be placed as small as just one tile, which is especially useful if you want to create slopes going up one-block steps. Rather than dealing with external tools or menus, platforms can be angled with precision, currently using the F key to cycle through different orientations.

Next up: NPCs have gotten upgraded pathfinding. This makes it much easier to assign characters such as the Sage to a new home, as long as there is a solid ground route between locations. This also gives NPCs a greater ability to find their way back home if they were driven out of it at some point.

Look forward to more updates just around the corner!

This update focuses mostly on the environment. Encounters should be more interesting, and when you’re not actively exploring, you’ll find more wildlife and creatures that aren’t trying to kill you. Let us know if it feels better!

Added

• New monster-spawning behavior, designed to spawn encounter packs instead of individual monsters
• Ambient neutral critters to provide extra atmosphere
• Unarmed animations when you don’t have your weapon equipped

Improved

• Better despawn behavior for creatures that constantly remain out of view

Changed

• Terraform tool now prioritizes reaching the right layer over AoE destruction.

Fixed

• Flying creatures no longer spawn underground

Download on Itch.

In sandbox games, it’s the little details that help make a world feel alive.

One thing that really gives a game world some depth is weather. Seeing the same environment in the context of different weather scenarios can add some much needed variety to the visuals. In some games, the weather is purely aesthetic but in Planefarer there will be different interactions with the environment based on the forecast. We’ll have more to discuss on that at a future date, but in the meantime you’ll now be able to encounter rain showers as you’re playing the game!

If you’re worried about getting wet, not to fear! Even a humble home made out of dirt can keep you dry.

Another element that helps a game feel alive is - unsurprisingly - plants! Various species of trees and foliage have been added into the game.

As time passes, foliage will decay and regrow just like in real life. If you stand still in one place long enough, you’ll see the greenery around you change dramatically. This cycle of growth and decay helps to create an environment that is visually dynamic and stays fresh after long periods of playtime.

Stay tuned for more updates!

You may be wondering why I’ve brought you here today.

I’m making a game studio, and a game. The game isn’t really ready for primetime yet, nor do I know what to talk about yet, so this is entirely a placeholder post.

What I do need is a name for the game.

If you’ve found this site, you’ve probably found it by way of a Google ad. Thank you for clicking on it! That tells me the name was interesting. That is the specific reason I posted the ad. Your vote has been counted and I appreciate it.

If you’re really interested in the game, click the Community link. Linked from our Discord, you can actually play a very old early version of the game, and it’s free! Alternatively, you can sign up to the mailing list, and I’ll let you know when something better has been released.

This entire site is going to get paved over with a better site at some point in the moderately near future. But you saw this one! You were here!

Congratulations.

Come back later for something hopefully more interesting.