Periphery Synthetic EP v2.0.0
Greetings surveyors!
I’m excited to finally release Side B of Periphery Synthetic EP. In its first major content expansion, you might climb a mountain, unlock a jetpack, and launch yourself into the exosphere! Continue reading for more details, the full patch notes, and what’s coming next.
About the update
This is the largest update to a project that I have ever released. Let’s dive in!
Key features
- Alpha Periphery C2. Enter a portal to explore an icy exomoon that doubles the size of the EP. Enjoy this remake of my game E.X.O. with improved audio, graphics, and mechanics.
- Flight abilities. Overcome extremely vertical terrain with new lateral and rotational thrusters. Take these upgrades back to Alpha Periphery B for fresh perspectives.
- Proximity audio cues. Locate collectible objects with far greater precision. A notification plays when one is nearby, and then a refined compass sound leads the way.
- Side A enhancements. The starting world has received numerous audio and graphical enhancements. This includes more reactive music and a refreshed look.
Why is this a preview?
The only thing missing from this build is the text for the new perceptions, so that’s a great question!
For numerous reasons, I will not be able to meet the deadline that I set out for this release. Rather than hoarding all the new features for myself, it’s best to get ahead of this missed deadline and release them immediately. This means that you get to explore the new world, and I get more time to refine the experience, with far less stress!
What needs feedback?
Here are some questions that I would love to have additional perspective:
- How are the new proximity cues? A goal of this release was to improve the accessibility of locating and collecting materials. I fear that the addition of these new audio cues may contradict the relaxing experience of the game by being too demanding of your attention.
- How is the overall audio mix? Another goal of this release was to improve the audibility of environmental and other sound effects. The main strategy was to revisit the music and make its components more playful and reactive to your input.
- How well are the upgrades balanced? The upgrades are intended to provide immediate new ways to explore the worlds, while also rewarding folks for their time invested. By the end of an upgrade track, you should feel as if you possess super powers, and that your journey to receive them was worthwhile.
Please let me know if you have any thoughts! Of course, if you find any bugs or have any other suggestions, then I’m all ears.
Price increase and discount sale
As previously discussed, the price for the EP has increased to $2 USD to reflect the addition of this new content.
If you have already joined the beta, then you will receive this and all future content for free. No further action is needed.
If you haven’t yet grabbed the EP, then have no fear! For a limited time, it’s on sale at itch.io for its original price. Whenever a big content release results in a price increase like this, I promise to give advanced notice—and provide a discount whenever possible.
Thanks for your support!
v2.0.0 changes
- Side B release
- Added new explorable world: Alpha Periphery C2.
- Added ten new collectible materials.
- Added unlockable Thrusters movement ability and upgrades.
- Added unlockable RCS movement ability and upgrades.
- Added audio and haptic cues for new movement abilities.
- Added discoverable mountains to climb.
- Added collectible artifacts to mountain peaks.
- Added placeholder text for seventeen new perceptions to reveal.
- Added preset for Alpha Periphery C2 to cover screen.
- Core Gameplay
- Added discoverable portals that connect each world.
- Added portal travel mechanics.
- Improved obstacle avoidance of charged jumps.
- Core Interface
- Added level switch hotkeys to Destinations and Perceptions screens.
- Added haptic cues for portal travel.
- Prevented accidental quit to desktop from certain key combinations.
- Updated manual to reflect the new features.
- Core Audio
- Added cue when collectibles receive focus.
- Improved focus cues of collectibles.
- Added portal and travel audio cues.
- Adjusted fading of splash music.
- Set default paused volume to half.
- Core Graphics
- Added portal travel visual effect.
- Cover
- Added randomized graphical presets for discovered worlds.
- Side A
- Integrated the portal system into Alpha Periphery B.
- Added new perception for discovering the first portal.
- Improved reactivity of dynamic music mixing.
- Improved graphical preset for Alpha Periphery B on cover screen.
- Improved coloring of terrain, the sky, and celestial objects.
- Applied random noise to terrain graphical samples.
- Optimized performance of dynamic terrain.
On the horizon
With this update in your hands, I can now focus on these exciting updates:
- Fishyphus. During the month of April, I’m taking a break from working on the EP to prototype a new game for Games for Blind Gamers 2. It begins tomorrow, and I plan to document my progress with regular devlogs and playable builds.
- v2.1.0 update. The next minor update to the EP will include the text for the perceptions introduced here. Rest assured, the writing is already halfway complete. This may include additional enhancements and fixes that are added as I continue progress on…
- Side C. In my previous Screenshot Saturday post I shared substantial progress on the EP’s next major content expansion. In this remake of my game S.E.A. you will explore a relaxing and colorful water world.
- Steam Next Fest. Finally, the demo will be available to download for a limited time during the festival in June. I’m happy to report that it runs great on the Steam Deck. I’m still deciding whether to schedule any live streams or events.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy!