[0:00] Creativity
[0:45] Since the last alpha test, God Save
[0:47] Birmingham has received a ton of great
[0:49] feedback from players.
[0:52] Weapons and combat are what you had the
[0:54] most to say about, so we've added
[0:55] content and made improvements to both.
[0:59] We've adjusted the tempo of combat
[1:00] animations such as the player's weapon
[1:02] attacks and head stomping and improved
[1:05] animations overall. We've also aimed to
[1:08] reduce friction by enhancing the
[1:09] responsiveness of controls. To
[1:12] compensate for the players faster combat
[1:14] abilities, we've made zombies a little
[1:16] more durable to keep the overall pace of
[1:18] combat the same. Through these
[1:20] continuous improvements, we are striving
[1:22] to create combat that feels challenging,
[1:25] thrilling, and fitting for a gritty
[1:27] survival game.
[1:30] During this development sprint, we've
[1:32] added one-handed swords and hellbirds,
[1:34] and plan to continue adding more weapons
[1:36] so that players can discover and
[1:38] experiment with various medieval melee
[1:40] tools. We've also added unique
[1:42] animations for each weapon type, plus
[1:44] stats such as damage, stopping power,
[1:46] and durability. Players will need to
[1:49] choose their weapons carefully to
[1:51] optimize their chances of survival.
[1:55] We've also added a shouting action to
[1:57] lure zombies where you want them. Much
[2:00] work has also been done on the physics
[2:02] engine, which is one of Godsafe
[2:04] Birmingham's most important and unique
[2:06] features. We've enhanced the physics
[2:08] simulations for the grappling system,
[2:10] which governs how zombies grab, cling
[2:13] to, and attempt to drag the player down.
[2:16] We refined the technical mechanisms that
[2:18] control how zombies will attempt to
[2:19] fight the player and added new ways to
[2:22] break out of grapples, adding depth to
[2:25] close-range combat. We've also made
[2:27] various enhancements to the in-game
[2:29] physics engine. For example, lifting the
[2:32] bottom box in a stack or swing a chair
[2:34] into zombies will now consume more
[2:36] stamina, giving the system a more
[2:38] realistic feel. You can now place and
[2:41] move ladders freely at any desired
[2:43] location rather than being limited to
[2:46] specific spots. This was surprisingly
[2:48] tricky to develop. To make things as
[2:51] realistic as possible, the system runs
[2:53] physics simulations on ladders even
[2:55] while they're in use to allow for things
[2:57] like zombies knocking over your ladder
[2:59] while you climb. You'll have to use
[3:02] ladders carefully to avoid injury.
[3:05] In this development sprint, a new
[3:07] feature has been added that allows you
[3:08] to freely move through windows. If a
[3:11] building doors are locked or blocked by
[3:13] a horde, you now have another escape
[3:15] route. Through this sprint, significant
[3:18] improvements have been made to the
[3:20] crafting systems and content. Within
[3:22] Godave Birmingham, you can experience
[3:24] three types of advanced crafting:
[3:27] carpentry, blacksmithing, and tailoring,
[3:30] which will each aid you in your survival
[3:32] in unique ways. Unlike standard
[3:34] crafting, advanced crafting will require
[3:37] you to find crafting stations scattered
[3:39] in homes and buildings throughout the
[3:40] town.
[3:42] In this development milestone, we've
[3:44] added a significant amount of content
[3:46] and features related to survival, which
[3:49] is the core of the game. Chickens have
[3:51] been added as player livestock. To raise
[3:54] chickens, you'll have to find or build a
[3:56] chicken coupe, after which they'll
[3:58] produce eggs at regular intervals. But
[4:00] you'll have to select a location for
[4:02] your coupe carefully to avoid noisy
[4:04] birds attracting unwanted attention from
[4:07] zombies.
[4:09] We've made major developments to the
[4:11] weather system which is closely tied to
[4:13] survival. Players will now experience
[4:16] conditions including clear, cloudy,
[4:18] light rain, heavy rain, and fog. On
[4:21] foggy days, zombies visual perception is
[4:23] impaired. On rainy days, low
[4:26] temperatures will require extra
[4:27] attention to maintain body temperature,
[4:30] and new survival actions become
[4:32] possible, such as gathering rain to make
[4:34] drinking water. Time and daily weather
[4:37] patterns will continuously affect the
[4:39] ambient temperature. If the player is
[4:41] exposed to the cold for too long, it
[4:43] will begin to threaten their health. To
[4:45] survive, you'll have to take actions to
[4:47] maintain body temperature, such as
[4:49] dressing properly and warming indoor
[4:51] environments by lighting a fire.
[4:54] Just as starting a fire has become more
[4:56] important, so has handling it carefully.
[4:59] Fire can now spread to wooden objects,
[5:02] and the player can suffer burns if they
[5:04] get too close. So, you'll have to
[5:06] arrange objects carefully when igniting
[5:08] a fire. We've now added various
[5:11] historically accurate medieval
[5:12] beverages. Alcohol can quench thirst and
[5:15] reduce the character's mental stress.
[5:17] However, excessive drinking can cause
[5:19] the player to become intoxicated, making
[5:22] survival more difficult. So, remember to
[5:24] drink in moderation.
[5:27] We've further enhanced the existing
[5:28] sleep system. You can now improve the
[5:31] quality of your sleep by finding or
[5:33] crafting a quality bed. Additionally,
[5:36] you must maintain a warm indoor
[5:38] temperature and create an environment
[5:40] safe from zombies to ensure quality
[5:42] sleep and maintain your character's
[5:44] health.
[5:46] It's now possible to gather fruits and
[5:48] vegetables via foraging. You can collect
[5:50] wild berries from the forest outside
[5:52] town and vegetables from gardens
[5:54] throughout. Foraged plants won't start
[5:57] rotting until they've been picked. So,
[5:59] it's up to you to pick them at the right
[6:00] time or process them for long-term
[6:03] preservation. You can now interact with
[6:05] the river flowing through town. You can
[6:08] draw and drink the water. However, the
[6:10] water quality is poor and drinking it
[6:12] may cause an upset stomach. Fortunately,
[6:15] the stream water is great for cleaning
[6:17] yourself, making it a solid choice to
[6:19] visit anytime you need a quick wash.
[6:22] >> God, we've developed a new system for
[6:24] generating survival supplies within the
[6:26] village using fixed rules and random
[6:29] generation. We plan to continuously test
[6:32] and refine this system throughout the
[6:34] game's life to ensure players are
[6:35] experiencing challenging and exciting
[6:38] gameplay.
[6:40] We've improved the guide journal system
[6:42] first introduced during the alpha phase
[6:45] by incorporating feedback from testing
[6:47] results. Designed to provide minimal
[6:49] guidance to players entering the sandbox
[6:51] environment for the first time, the
[6:53] guide journal will function as a light
[6:55] tutorial and the story delivery
[6:57] mechanism. While gameplay would be
[7:00] possible without completing the guide
[7:02] journal quests, it's intended to assist
[7:04] players in acquiring essential game
[7:06] knowledge and adapting to the
[7:08] environment during their initial
[7:09] playthrough. Although it's not yet
[7:12] playable in this build, we've started
[7:14] developing co-op functionality. Once the
[7:16] multiplayer feature is stabilized, we
[7:18] plan to create an opportunity for
[7:20] players to experience it firsthand
[7:22] through an open test.
[7:32] Game