- Punch Bomb 2020 Update - 30 April 2020
Hey everyone! I want to apologize for the complete lack of communication. I was just going to reply in the forums, but figured this was worth an actual news update. The question seems to be, “What’s the status of development on Punch Bomb?” and “When will it be updated?” And the answer is...complicated. And it’s a long story. If you’re reading this post just to find out whether the project is dead or not - rest assured that it’s not dead. It’s just been on hold in my life for a while. I have no intention of officially killing the project or never working on it again. If you want the whole story, I guess I’ll start at the beginning. None of this is an excuse. It’s just how it is. Punch Bomb, originally, was supposed to be my first experiment with game development. It is, was, and always will be an experimental game. My specialty (and career) is visual effects and computer graphics, and I…
- 2018/06/06 - Not the update I wanted to give - 7 June 2018
No, I'm not abandoning the game - I just don't have anything to show yet. However, this is an important update concerning the pace for development for a while. I was hoping and planning to spend all of Memorial Day weekend and the next week working on the game, but sometimes life intervenes. I had started having 101 fevers every night for the week leading up to Memorial Day, and the doctor heard a heart murmur, so he took a blood culture. The culture came back positive, so I was immediately sent to the hospital. Turns out I had Infective Endocarditis on my aortic heart valve. Fortunately, this explains a lot of the medical issues I've been going through this year. Unfortunately, the bacteria did a fantastic job destroying my valve, so I had to undergo open heart surgery to replace it a few days ago. I survived the surgery - I'm okay - I'm currently recovering. I just wanted to let every…
- 2018/05/20 - Not much to talk about - 4.19 Beta is now Main Branch - 21 May 2018
Hey Everyone! Last time I posted, I said I'd post a progress report every two weeks whether or not I had anything. It keeps me accountable. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot to talk about this week - I've been mostly at work or in bed getting over being sick for the past two weeks - it's been really rough. That being said, I went ahead and made the 4.19 beta branch the main branch. You can view all of those changes/updates in the previous post! I should have more to show in a couple weeks - the current goal is to focus on more varied enemy design for the Descend game mode and fleshing out the boss battle for the next month or two. If you have any suggestions for Descend, as always, feel free to leave them in the discussion forum! Until next time - hope you all have a great evening!
- 2018/05/06 - New Beta Branch and Progress Report! - 7 May 2018
Hey Everyone! It's been a while, and it's been a rough year. Between getting the flu, mono, and a busted up foot (one hindrance after the other), I've been pretty slow-moving. I'm really sorry for being quiet, and I take full responsibility for that - that's not cool of me. The goal from here on out is to post a progress report at least every other week whether I have a new build or not. I AM working on the game, and I am posting progress pictures and videos on Instagram (@oraclefish) fairly frequently as well as live streaming on YouTube (chrisfolea) when I can if you always want the latest! ---In terms of new builds--- I was waiting until I had a bit more done, but there were compatibility issues with Windows Mixed Reality and Unreal Engine 4.18 - so I updated the game to Unreal 4.19 and added it as a beta branch titled "publicbeta" (not public beta as in "free" for people who don't o…
- No new build, but I've been busy at work on the game - here's what I've been up to! - 3 February 2018
Hey everyone! I know it's been a while, but I'm still hard at work on the game - things just take time when you're working alone in addition to freelance and a full time job! No new build quite yet - I'm waiting until I get the boss for Descend done before I push the next build. I promise I haven't gone anywhere! So what have I been working on, and what do you have to look forward to? Zone 3 artwork! If you're on my instagram, you might have seen some art - well I've got the Zone 3 artwork in place! Making a destroyed section of the map was a really fun challenge! I've also been working on new enemy segments - there are some new laser patterns in the mix (among other things)! And I've also been working on getting the boss robot in place: He's huge, and he'll be the first enemy in the game to punch back! I'm really looking forward to getting him finished up. Speaking of which - to keep m…
- No new build, but I've been busy at work on the game - here's what I've been up to! - 3 February 2018
Hey everyone! I know it's been a while, but I'm still hard at work on the game - things just take time when you're working alone in addition to freelance and a full time job! No new build quite yet - I'm waiting until I get the boss for Descend done before I push the next build. I promise I haven't gone anywhere! So what have I been working on, and what do you have to look forward to? Zone 3 artwork! If you're on my instagram, you might have seen some art - well I've got the Zone 3 artwork in place! Making a destroyed section of the map was a really fun challenge! I've also been working on new enemy segments - there are some new laser patterns in the mix (among other things)! And I've also been working on getting the boss robot in place: He's huge, and he'll be the first enemy in the game to punch back! I'm really looking forward to getting him finished up. Speaking of which - to keep m…
- It's been a while! Here's a new build! - 30 October 2017
Hey everyone! It's been a while, and MAN have I been BUSY! (I promise I haven't gone anywhere or abandoned the game!) The new build focuses primarily on "Descend" - and there's still a LOT to do, but I'm proud of the progress! So here we go! I'm going to split it up into sections. ---Art--- 1. New art! I was told the old art was ugly, so I replaced it - unfortunately, nice art takes time. I have zone 1 and 2 art in place - now just Zone 3 to do - and then more variety. Here are some screenshots of the new art: 2. New art = better performance (for a number of reasons): All map pieces are now instanced static meshes! On the old art, each piece was 8 tiles - 8 tiles * 80 map pieces = a TON of draw calls. Now each TYPE of piece is a draw call - so 6-ish types of pieces * 80 map pieces = 6 draw calls. (It's more complex than that, but that's the basics) - should perform MUCH better now The m…
- It's been a while! Here's a new build! - 30 October 2017
Hey everyone! It's been a while, and MAN have I been BUSY! (I promise I haven't gone anywhere or abandoned the game!) The new build focuses primarily on "Descend" - and there's still a LOT to do, but I'm proud of the progress! So here we go! I'm going to split it up into sections. ---Art--- 1. New art! I was told the old art was ugly, so I replaced it - unfortunately, nice art takes time. I have zone 1 and 2 art in place - now just Zone 3 to do - and then more variety. Here are some screenshots of the new art: 2. New art = better performance (for a number of reasons): All map pieces are now instanced static meshes! On the old art, each piece was 8 tiles - 8 tiles * 80 map pieces = a TON of draw calls. Now each TYPE of piece is a draw call - so 6-ish types of pieces * 80 map pieces = 6 draw calls. (It's more complex than that, but that's the basics) - should perform MUCH better now The m…
- Hotfix build is live! - 25 August 2017
Hey everyone! The hotfix build I promised is live! Notes: The game now uses Unreal Engine 4.17 Fixed an issue where the game's performance would tank if the SteamAPI/Leaderboards weren't found Fixed an issue where sometimes one fist would punch multi-punch bombs twice PLEASE let me know if you run into any issues or if either of these issues persist in the forums or on this post, and I'll get on them ASAP! Now I'll get back to adding content and features to the game! Hope you all have fantastic evening, and stay tuned for future updates!
- Hotfix build is live! - 25 August 2017
Hey everyone! The hotfix build I promised is live! Notes: The game now uses Unreal Engine 4.17 Fixed an issue where the game's performance would tank if the SteamAPI/Leaderboards weren't found Fixed an issue where sometimes one fist would punch multi-punch bombs twice PLEASE let me know if you run into any issues or if either of these issues persist in the forums or on this post, and I'll get on them ASAP! Now I'll get back to adding content and features to the game! Hope you all have fantastic evening, and stay tuned for future updates!
- An Update Concerning Where I've Been - 20 August 2017
Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've updated you on what's going on. There's no new build quite yet (and I apologize for that) - I just wanted to let you all know that I absolutely HAVE NOT abandoned the game and give you an update on what's going on. I haven't gone anywhere, and I'm still actively paying attention to the store page and forums on a daily basis. If you ever have any questions or issues, don't hesitate to bring them up. SO - what have I been up to? A couple weeks ago, I was in LA for Siggraph (a gigantic technology and CG conference my day job sends me to), and the few months leading up to that, I was focused on getting marketing materials (website, shirts, stickers, etc) and a new, better trailer together (it's live on the store page now!) This, embarrassingly, took much longer than anticipated. The unfortunate truth of being a solo dev is that you just can't focus…
- An Update Concerning Where I've Been - 20 August 2017
Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've updated you on what's going on. There's no new build quite yet (and I apologize for that) - I just wanted to let you all know that I absolutely HAVE NOT abandoned the game and give you an update on what's going on. I haven't gone anywhere, and I'm still actively paying attention to the store page and forums on a daily basis. If you ever have any questions or issues, don't hesitate to bring them up. SO - what have I been up to? A couple weeks ago, I was in LA for Siggraph (a gigantic technology and CG conference my day job sends me to), and the few months leading up to that, I was focused on getting marketing materials (website, shirts, stickers, etc) and a new, better trailer together (it's live on the store page now!) This, embarrassingly, took much longer than anticipated. The unfortunate truth of being a solo dev is that you just can't focus…
- 2017/05/21 - The Fitness Update! - 22 May 2017
Hey everyone! It's been over a month, but I've got some things to show (and a new build)! 1. The new FITNESS mode! The first implementation of the new Fitness Mode is in the game! Check it out, and let me know what you think! Fitness Mode is like an "endless punch" mode in Classic with some options. You can turn lasers and red bombs on/off: You can set the angle to either 360 or 180: AND You can change the speed at which the bombs spawn to customize your workout! (HIIT, anyone?): ALSO Notice how you have a "workout timer" instead of a score! There's no score in this mode, and you can't die. Instead, just hold both triggers to end the game! 2. Fist Framework Update! Fists can now be animated or have physics on them! Here's a demo video of that! The bomb fists are also now animated a little bit (and explode/retract when you punch bombs!) 3. Two New Unlockable Fists! First and foremost, yo…
- 2017/05/21 - The Fitness Update! - 22 May 2017
Hey everyone! It's been over a month, but I've got some things to show (and a new build)! 1. The new FITNESS mode! The first implementation of the new Fitness Mode is in the game! Check it out, and let me know what you think! Fitness Mode is like an "endless punch" mode in Classic with some options. You can turn lasers and red bombs on/off: You can set the angle to either 360 or 180: AND You can change the speed at which the bombs spawn to customize your workout! (HIIT, anyone?): ALSO Notice how you have a "workout timer" instead of a score! There's no score in this mode, and you can't die. Instead, just hold both triggers to end the game! 2. Fist Framework Update! Fists can now be animated or have physics on them! Here's a demo video of that! The bomb fists are also now animated a little bit (and explode/retract when you punch bombs!) 3. Two New Unlockable Fists! First and foremost, yo…
- 2017/04/17 Update! Behind the Scenes Work, and Descend Progress! - 18 April 2017
Hey everyone! It's been a while since an update - so here are some things I've been working on (and a new build)! 1. Oculus Compatibility! I went ahead and tweaked some things Oculus users suggested, but there were no major issues overall in testing! Going to mark the game as Oculus Compatible officially this week! 2. Demo Switch! For the Oculus compatibility, I had to update the demo build - they WERE seprate branches, which would have been a pain. To get around this, I went ahead and implemented a "switch" in the engine, so I can easily swap between demo and regular builds in the future. This one took a long time, and was a good amount of work...BUT now demo players can help test the new mode in development as well (will get more voices involved to create the best possible game mode) 3. Quit Confirmation! Now when you hit "quit," it asks if you're sure. This was to prevent exiting the…
- 2017/04/17 Update! Behind the Scenes Work, and Descend Progress! - 18 April 2017
Hey everyone! It's been a while since an update - so here are some things I've been working on (and a new build)! 1. Oculus Compatibility! I went ahead and tweaked some things Oculus users suggested, but there were no major issues overall in testing! Going to mark the game as Oculus Compatible officially this week! 2. Demo Switch! For the Oculus compatibility, I had to update the demo build - they WERE seprate branches, which would have been a pain. To get around this, I went ahead and implemented a "switch" in the engine, so I can easily swap between demo and regular builds in the future. This one took a long time, and was a good amount of work...BUT now demo players can help test the new mode in development as well (will get more voices involved to create the best possible game mode) 3. Quit Confirmation! Now when you hit "quit," it asks if you're sure. This was to prevent exiting the…
- 2017/03/26 - New Build - Initial Oculus Support, Scoring Update, and Descend Progress - 27 March 2017
Hey everyone! Sorry for the silence! I was traveling and then sick for a week. Got back to work, though! Tonight I have a few announcements. Number 1! Initial Oculus Rift support is in! I hate to discriminate, so this was pretty important for me! It works pretty well for me! I'm going to get several Oculus users to test it out before officially marking the game as Oculus Compatible though. This was much more involved than originally anticipated, so thanks for being patient! Number 2! Scoring refactor! I've reworked the combo system to implement a combo cap (as suggested). The cap is currently set at a max combo of 50 before it loops. HOWEVER! You'll notice every time you reach 50, it adds an exclamation point after the combo - this shows that you're still in the same combo string! The amount of exclamation points shows how many times you've reached a combo of 50 in the same string. Ever…
- 2017/03/26 - New Build - Initial Oculus Support, Scoring Update, and Descend Progress - 27 March 2017
Hey everyone! Sorry for the silence! I was traveling and then sick for a week. Got back to work, though! Tonight I have a few announcements. Number 1! Initial Oculus Rift support is in! I hate to discriminate, so this was pretty important for me! It works pretty well for me! I'm going to get several Oculus users to test it out before officially marking the game as Oculus Compatible though. This was much more involved than originally anticipated, so thanks for being patient! Number 2! Scoring refactor! I've reworked the combo system to implement a combo cap (as suggested). The cap is currently set at a max combo of 50 before it loops. HOWEVER! You'll notice every time you reach 50, it adds an exclamation point after the combo - this shows that you're still in the same combo string! The amount of exclamation points shows how many times you've reached a combo of 50 in the same string. Ever…
- 2017/03/01 - New Bomb type and Music option! - 2 March 2017
Hey everyone! I was trying to get this build out in February, but I think one day over deadline isn't too bad. In tonight's build: New bomb type! These are half-and-half bombs that require you to uppercut or hammer punch, so pay attention! (I'd also love feedback on balancing these!) There's also a nice tips screen to go along with them to help you all out! In addition to the new bomb type, there's also a new "Music On/Off" button under "Quality Settings" - as requested by you all - this will turn music on or off in the game (if you prefer to play the modes without music) That's it for now! Hope you all enjoy the new features, and stay tuned for more updates throughout March!
- 2017/03/01 - New Bomb type and Music option! - 2 March 2017
Hey everyone! I was trying to get this build out in February, but I think one day over deadline isn't too bad. In tonight's build: New bomb type! These are half-and-half bombs that require you to uppercut or hammer punch, so pay attention! (I'd also love feedback on balancing these!) There's also a nice tips screen to go along with them to help you all out! In addition to the new bomb type, there's also a new "Music On/Off" button under "Quality Settings" - as requested by you all - this will turn music on or off in the game (if you prefer to play the modes without music) That's it for now! Hope you all enjoy the new features, and stay tuned for more updates throughout March!
