DevLog #101: September 2024

Hi everyone! Sorry for the late post this month - I was delayed 🧙

I caught the flu last week, which threw off my schedule for the end of the month 😅

But let's dive into what I've accomplished!

Super Night Riders S1

The races are now split into three sections:

• Quick Race

This is the first option when you launch the game, so just pressing "A" will get you racing right away 🙀

Pressing "X" will bring up Settings, where you can adjust things like the number of laps, stage shuffling, mirroring, amplifying or reversing bumps, and mixing background elements.

This mode is exciting because, after completing the main races in the 2016 release (usually in about 2 hours), there wasn't much left besides leaderboard competition. But with these new settings, you can have a fresh race every time, with just one button press!

There are also some new important settings that I'll talk about later.

• Events

These are official races ranked on the leaderboards and tied to achievements. Under the hood, they're static presets you can replicate using the Settings.

• Custom Race

These are more organized events, grouped by location or race type. They're also just presets, but with a bit more structure.

You can even create some random races that may seem strange at first, but tweaking the settings lets you design more consistent stages if you prefer.

Other Settings

The time of day is now independent of the stage, unlike in 2016. You can set it to match your local time, have it cycle at a custom speed, or choose specific times to race from/to.

Also, races can be either checkpoint-based, like in 2016, or goal-based, where the only checkpoint is the finish line.

This new goal-based mode is less stressful than the usual checkpoint races since the timer is set to around 2.5 minutes for a 6-lap race.

By combining these settings, you can create a race event I personally love: Race the Sun!

It's a goal race that starts during the day and runs through the night until sunrise. You've got to finish before the sun comes up - the changing sky adds an awesome visual motivator!

Here are some more work-in-progress screenshots.

Bonus

Here's a new illustration for Ayaka's fan 🌼

What's Next

I'm still focused on Super Night Riders S1. Next month will likely involve tidying things up, finalizing the UI, and tweaking stages and gameplay.

However, I've decided to reduce the game's scope for the day one Early Access release.

Development was getting a bit out of hand with all the added features and to-dos, but I'm confident this will still be the best game in the series!

Once it's live on Early Access, I'll be all nekomimi for your suggestions and feedback.

That's it for this month!

Thanks again for your continuous support and patience. See you soon!