Welcome to our monthly development update, where we highlight the exciting developments in our ongoing projects. This month, we have great news to share about the release of Party Quest, along with notable game developments for Hunting Grounds and Arena!
Party Quest: A New Adventure Begins!
As Trainer Adventures conclude, a new chapter unfolds with the introduction of Pixelmon Party Quest. Prepare to embark on thrilling quests alongside your Trainer and Pixelmon teams with the goal of exploring the vast world of Nova Thera and discovering valuable relics and other enticing prizes. Here's an overview of how Party Quest works:
Create a Party: Assemble a specific combination of your NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) to soft-stake for the party. These combinations are organised into tiers, each offering different levels of prizes.
Party Tiers: Parties are formed based on preset tiers, with each tier requiring a different combination of Trainers and Pixelmon. The higher the tier, the better the chances of winning more valuable prizes.
Prizes: Weekly prizes include E3 Serums, exclusive to Tier 5 Parties, Relics containing in-game boosts for upcoming mini-games, and additional perks. Winners will need to claim their prizes within a specific timeframe.
The response to Party Quest has been overwhelmingly positive, with over 66% of total NFTs staked, amounting to more than 10,000 individual NFTs. We invite you to learn more about Party Quest and its mechanics by reading the full article here.
Product Side Developments: Enhancements and Preparations
On the product side, our team has been hard at work implementing improvements and preparing for exciting releases. Here are the key highlights:
Development for Party Quest Mobile Support: Focusing on optimising gameplay and interface on mobile devices for a seamless experience.
Conceptualisation and Early Tests of Merchandise: We are exploring new merchandise opportunities. Stay tuned for more updates on this front!
Full Body Trainer Art Finalisation: Our team has been diligently working on the finalisation of full body art for Trainers, scheduled to be released in the following weeks. This will add a new visual dimension, bringing them to life in vibrant detail.
E3 Evolution Concept Art Progress: Currently at 60% completion, including improvements in our communities testing groups alongside work on each Pixelmon’s animations.
Sharmen E3 Concept
Sharmen E3 Idle animations (not complete)
Hunting Grounds: Advancements in Design, Development, and Art
The Hunting Grounds project continues to make significant progress in various areas. Here's a recap of the recent developments:
Design:
Preparing workstream 12: Advancing Combat Player Interactions to enhance combat experiences for players.
Level design team are working at full speed for this project, including preparing the Miroa hunting ground proposal.
Development:
Progress in combat WS 11, with base classes implemented, pixelmon placement, base AI abilities, and decorators.
Many UI improvements have been made to refine the user interface.
Integration of the new locomotion system, with the legacy system removed for enhanced movement mechanics.
Ongoing stability improvements ensure a more seamless gameplay experience.
Art:
Environment artists have been compiling Battle Zone Asset lists and gathering nature references, bringing the world of the Hunting Grounds to life.
Initial work on VFX (Visual Effects) for pixelmon abilities has begun, adding captivating visual elements to the game.
The art direction team has established art pillars and developed VFX lists to guide the artistic vision of the Hunting Grounds.
Team Growth and Expansion:
Our team has experienced significant growth during this period, with the addition of talented level designers, QA personnel, artists, and more. Their expertise and dedication contribute to the continued progress and quality of the Hunting Grounds project.
Arenas Development Log
Closed Alpha Testing continues with more game testers from our community, allowing us to gain more valuable feedback. Game development is progressing steadily, with new improvements daily. Sneak Peaks of the Arena can be found on our Discord, Twitter and on the Pixelmon website.
Programming:
Enhancements to the camera system to improve both combat and exploration modes.
Fixing bugs from UI, Programming, Characters, and Skills.
Fixed the Namefield Input to be displayed In-Game.
Version Number and Shield Power Up to be displayed correctly.
All dash skills are being performed for Borg, Wuffler, and Tatsumaki.
Implementing FPS counter as part of the settings.
Fixes:
Disabled battle UI of the local player when affected by the stun effect.
Addressed issues with delayed effects that weren't properly timed.
Pixelmon does not switch after token switch metre is 100.
Activated the Skills UI at the start of the match.
Fixed malfunctioning AI Character actions.
Design:
Detecting and resolving upcoming bugs in all skills to ensure consistent functionality, VFX, and SFX.
Made miscellaneous improvements to combat mechanics:
Adjusted Pixelmon skills and ultimate moves, including damage, area of effects, and cooldowns.
Implemented and synchronised various VFX, animations, and hitbox elements for skills and ultimates.
Aligned pushback and camera shake with damage categories, with a few exceptions to maintain balance.
Pushing towards reiterating the camera settings and implementing new control settings this week.
Dedicated to refining the gameplay experience based on user feedback during the closed alpha testing.
Lore
With a request from the community, we also bring you a lore update with this recap. Crafting a captivating game world requires more than stunning visuals and engaging mechanics. It demands a rich lore that breathes life into every corner, instilling a sense of wonder. We are dedicated to creating a truly immersive experience, and our focus on lore development is a testament to that commitment. Here are some exciting developments from June:
New World Map Design: We've designed a new world map, we’re currently finalising the general layout and collaborating closely with our art team to refine its visual presentation.
Continuing Short Stories: After the thrilling conclusion of the Golden Trainer trilogy, we have resumed crafting captivating short stories that delve deeper into the game's lore.
Narrative World Building: We're actively building out the narrative aspects of the game, giving locations, landmarks, and points of interest their own unique backstories.
A Complete Experience: By fleshing out the world on both visual and narrative levels, we aim to create a cohesive and enchanting environment that offers an immersive experience.
To read our current lore and immerse yourselves within the world of Nova Thera, you can head over to our website’s Wiki where you can discover more about our Pixelmon creatures, the tribes, locations and cultures within our world and read through many of our published short stories set within Nova Thera.
Looking Forward
We are thrilled with the ongoing game developments and are excited to share more updates in the near future. Stay tuned for further information on Party Quest, product side advancements, the Hunting Grounds, and other exciting updates we have in store.
In the meantime, we encourage all Pixelmon holders to explore the E2 evolution process. For more information and the latest updates, subscribe to our newsletter on the Pixelmon website and follow us on Discord and Twitter.
