KICKSTARTER ANNOUNCEMENT

The Hidden Asset crowdfunding campaign will launch on Kickstarter on April 23rd at 11:00 am CDT / 4:00 pm GMT.

Hidden Asset v0.6.3.1 released!

UPDATE:

 
v0.6.3.1 has now been released. The downloads links have been updated to this new version. Old savegames won’t work in this new version. Note that there is no debug version in this release as there won’t be a debug version included for the Kickstarter demo download.
 
Changelog:

– Fixed: Crash when FPS is shown and you either enter or leave the Hensley International map (FPS is now hidden during loading).
– Fixed: Crash related to pathfinding for either the player or the visual player path.
– Fixed: Your target’s location not being shown the first time you enter the Henlsey International map.
– Added: First Aid Kit in drawer on second floor of Above & Beyond map (restores health up to 50%).
– Changed: The white flashing of an item on the ground is now drawn on top of any dead bodies so they won’t obscure the flashing.

ORIGINAL POST:

 
Version 0.6.3 of the Hidden Asset alpha demo is now available for download and testing. Use the download links below. Savegames from previous versions won’t work in this new version.
 
This update focuses on quality of life features that have been requested for a long time. I also briefly talk about the upcoming Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign:

Changelog:

– Fixed: X-ray circle glitching out when player outside of view and entering view.
– Fixed: Potential elevator congestion issue.
– Fixed: Hensley International receptionist sometimes ending up standing inside the reception counter under specific circumstances.
– Fixed: Potential crashes when creating the selection border.
– Fixed: Selection border for doors with keycards/keypads being drawn offset if UI is not scaled to 100%.
– Fixed: NPC that had spotted you and is aiming weapon in your direction because you ducked to hide will now shoot immediately when you pop back up.
– Fixed: Moving cars leaving behind invisible walls.
– Added: Tutorial info about rotating the map.
– Added: Sound and visual effect when rotating the map.
– Added: If you scroll far off the map, text will tell you what button to press to center on player character.
– Added: Player’s path shown (with option to only show it when in Tactical View).
– Added: Objects in front of player have transparency for ‘x-ray’ effect.
– Added: When dragging a device, an information box will tell you how to use it.
– Added: You can now also double-click on an item in a container/drawer to take it.
– Added: When left-clicking on a character or object you’re right next to, the game will let you know (in case you’re left-clicking in an attempt to interact with it instead of right-clicking).
– Added: Extra restrictions to try and keep panicking NPCs from cowering/hiding against a door.
– Changed: Larger ‘x-ray’ radius.
– Changed: Left-clicking on a selected object will make you walk up to the object, not to the non-highlighted selected tile ‘behind’ the object.
– Changed: Left-clicking on a door will always make you go to the tile on the other side of the door.
– Changed: Right-clicking while carrying corpse will make you walk to the selected tile and drop corpse there.
– Changed: If you click to shoot an NPC while moving but don’t have a ranged weapon equipped, you won’t stop moving.
– Changed: Interface hand icons (where you equip a weapon) are more distinct.
– Changed: “Above & Beyond Entrance Keys” instead of just “Above & Beyond Keys” to make it clear they can’t be used to unlock a door inside the building.

Download links

 
North America:
Windows 7 or later (128 MB)
Linux 32-bit (126 MB)
Linux 64-bit (126 MB)
Mac OS X 10.5 or later (156 MB)

Europe:
Windows 7 or later (128 MB)
Linux 32-bit (126 MB)
Linux 64-bit (126 MB)
Mac OS X 10.5 or later (156 MB)
 

Debug information

 
For the Windows and Linux versions, there are two executables: a normal version and a debug version. The debug version may run a bit slower on older computers, so if you’re not getting a steady 40 FPS (hit F1 to toggle FPS on/off), you may want to use the normal version. But if you can use the debug version, please do so as this will provide valuable information in case of a crash:

– On Windows, the debug information will pop up in a window during a crash.
– On Linux, the debug information will be outputted to the terminal, so please run the game from the terminal (navigate to the game directory and run it with ./hiddenassetdebug).
– Please take a screenshot of the debug information and paste it here or send it to me directly in an email, while also letting me know where you were in the game/what you were doing just before the crash.

(Note that on Linux, you may have to set the run permission of the executable with ‘chmod -x hiddenasset’ to allow you to run it, as the permission is sometimes lost when compressing the game files.)
 

Feedback

 
Please share any thoughts or comments about the game! Were certain parts too hard or too easy? Was the game fun? Too much or too little tutorial information?
 

Linux dependencies

 
If you don’t already have SDL2, SDL2_mixer and SDL2_image installed on your system, they can be installed with the following commands in the terminal (these commands are for Debian-based systems and given that the packages are in your distribution’s repositories):

sudo apt-get install libsdl2-2.0
sudo apt-get install libsdl2-mixer-2.0
sudo apt-get install libsdl2-image-2.0
 

Screenshots

Hidden Asset v0.6.2.2 released!

Version 0.6.2.2 of the Hidden Asset alpha demo is now available for download and testing. Use the download links below. Savegames from previous versions won’t work in this new version.

Changelog:

– Fixed: Bug that would sometimes stop the player while automatically following an NPC.
– Fixed: Fast forward sometimes affecting cutscene playback speed.
– Fixed: Damage text on damage dealt by a thrown object including the word ‘CRITICAL!’.
– Added: Game now pauses when minimized.
– Changed: Doors unlocked with a keycard or keycode only need to be unlocked when entering.
– Changed: NPC rushing to help another NPC fight the player will react to seeing a corpse.
– Changed: Tech Eden owner will not walk out of the back room if the player is behind the counter.
– Changed: NPC that heard you will stand still and listen for a shorter time.
– Changed: Guard at Hensley International reacts to dishwasher turning on even if currently reacting to hearing the player.

Download links

 
North America:
Windows 7 or later (128 MB)
Linux 32-bit (126 MB)
Linux 64-bit (126 MB)
Mac OS X 10.5 or later (156 MB)

Europe:
Windows 7 or later (128 MB)
Linux 32-bit (126 MB)
Linux 64-bit (126 MB)
Mac OS X 10.5 or later (156 MB)

Debug information

 
For the Windows and Linux versions, there are two executables: a normal version and a debug version. The debug version may run a bit slower on older computers, so if you’re not getting a steady 40 FPS (hit F1 to toggle FPS on/off), you may want to use the normal version. But if you can use the debug version, please do so as this will provide valuable information in case of a crash:

– On Windows, the debug information will pop up in a window during a crash.
– On Linux, the debug information will be outputted to the terminal, so please run the game from the terminal (navigate to the game directory and run it with ./hiddenassetdebug).
– Please take a screenshot of the debug information and paste it here or send it to me directly in an email, while also letting me know where you were in the game/what you were doing just before the crash.

(Note that on Linux, you may have to set the run permission of the executable with ‘chmod -x hiddenasset’ to allow you to run it, as the permission is sometimes lost when compressing the game files.)

Feedback

 
When you’re done with the game, please send me the stats.txt file that on Windows and Linux will be located in the game directory and on Mac OS X will be in your ‘~/Library/Application Support/Hidden Asset’ directory. You can either email it to contact@laserbrainstudios.com or write a post on the forums (as a guest, if you don’t feel like signing up) with a link to where I can download it. The stats.txt file contains information about time used in the game, when certain parts were reached, who you killed, how often and where you were killed, etc. No personal information or system information is gathered!

Also, please share any thoughts or comments about the game! Were certain parts too hard or too easy? Was the game fun? Too much or too little tutorial information?

Linux dependencies

 
If you don’t already have SDL2, SDL2_mixer and SDL2_image installed on your system, they can be installed with the following commands in the terminal (given that they’re in your distribution’s repositories):

sudo apt-get install libsdl2-2.0
sudo apt-get install libsdl2-mixer-2.0
sudo apt-get install libsdl2-image-2.0

Screenshots

Hidden Asset v0.6.2 now available for testing!

Version 0.6.2 of the Hidden Asset alpha demo is now available for download and testing. Use the download links below.

Please note that savegames from previous versions won’t work in this new version!

This version includes some significant changes to the core gameplay. In the below video, I go over some of these changes:

Download links

 
North America:
Windows 7 or later (128 MB)
Linux 32-bit (126 MB)
Linux 64-bit (126 MB)
Mac OS X 10.5 or later (156 MB)

Europe:
Windows 7 or later (128 MB)
Linux 32-bit (126 MB)
Linux 64-bit (126 MB)
Mac OS X 10.5 or later (156 MB)

Debug information

 
For the Windows and Linux versions, there are two executables: a normal version and a debug version. The debug version may run a bit slower on older computers, so if you’re not getting a steady 40 FPS (hit F1 to toggle FPS on/off), you may want to use the normal version. But if you can use the debug version, please do so as this will provide valuable information in case of a crash:

– On Windows, the debug information will pop up in a window during a crash.
– On Linux, the debug information will be outputted to the terminal, so please run the game from the terminal (navigate to the game directory and run it with ./hiddenassetdebug).
– Please take a screenshot of the debug information and paste it here or send it to me directly in an email, while also letting me know where you were in the game/what you were doing just before the crash.

(Note that on Linux, you may have to set the run permission of the executable with ‘chmod -x hiddenasset’ to allow you to run it, as the permission is sometimes lost when compressing the game files.)

Feedback

 
When you’re done with the game, please send me the stats.txt file that on Windows and Linux will be located in the game directory and on Mac OS X will be in your ‘~/Library/Application Support/Hidden Asset’ directory. You can either email it to contact@laserbrainstudios.com or write a post on the forums (as a guest, if you don’t feel like signing up) with a link to where I can download it. The stats.txt file contains information about time used in the game, when certain parts were reached, who you killed, how often and where you were killed, etc. No personal information or system information is gathered!

Also, please share any thoughts or comments about the game! Were certain parts too hard or too easy? Was the game fun? Too much or too little tutorial information?

Linux dependencies

 
If you don’t already have SDL2, SDL2_mixer and SDL2_image installed on your system, they can be installed with the following commands in the terminal (given that they’re in your distribution’s repositories):

sudo apt-get install libsdl2-2.0
sudo apt-get install libsdl2-mixer-2.0
sudo apt-get install libsdl2-image-2.0

Screenshots

Open Hidden Asset alpha testing

 
I haven’t really been getting much feedback on the game (except from a couple of diligent testers — thank you!), even though I see the current testers downloading it. So I have no idea if the game is just too buggy/hard/incomprehensible and that’s why people aren’t sharing feedback after giving it a go, even though that would certainly be useful feedback!

So I’ve decided to open up testing for everybody that wants to give it a go — no registration or signup or anything required. Below are the download links and some instructions for testing as well as some recent screenshots.

Any help is appreciated!

Download links

 
North America:
Windows 7 or later (128 MB)
Linux 32-bit (126 MB)
Linux 64-bit (126 MB)
Mac OS X 10.5 or later (156 MB)

Europe:
Windows 7 or later (128 MB)
Linux 32-bit (126 MB)
Linux 64-bit (126 MB)
Mac OS X 10.5 or later (156 MB)

Debug information

 
For the Windows and Linux versions, there are two executables: a normal version and a debug version. The debug version may run a bit slower on older computers, so if you’re not getting a steady 40 FPS (hit F1 to toggle FPS on/off), you may want to use the normal version. But if you can use the debug version, please do so as this will provide valuable information in case of a crash:

– On Windows, the debug information will pop up in a window during a crash.
– On Linux, the debug information will be outputted to the terminal, so please run the game from the terminal (navigate to the game directory and run it with ./hiddenassetdebug).
– Please take a screenshot of the debug information and paste it here or send it to me directly in an email, while also letting me know where you were in the game/what you were doing just before the crash.

(Note that on Linux, you may have to set the run permission of the executable with ‘chmod -x hiddenasset’ to allow you to run it, as the permission is sometimes lost when compressing the game files.)

Feedback

 
When you’re done with the game, please send me the stats.txt file that on Windows and Linux will be located in the game directory and on Mac OS X will be in your ‘~/Library/Application Support/Hidden Asset’ directory. You can either email it to contact@laserbrainstudios.com or write a post on the forums (as a guest, if you don’t feel like signing up) with a link to where I can download it. The stats.txt file contains information about time used in the game, when certain parts were reached, who you killed, how often and where you were killed, etc. No personal information or system information is gathered!

Also, please share any thoughts or comments about the game! Were certain parts too hard or too easy? Was the game fun? Too much or too little tutorial information?

Linux dependencies

 
If you don’t already have SDL2, SDL2_mixer and SDL2_image installed on your system, they can be installed with the following commands in the terminal (given that they’re in your distribution’s repositories):

sudo apt-get install libsdl2-2.0
sudo apt-get install libsdl2-mixer-2.0
sudo apt-get install libsdl2-image-2.0

Screenshots

Final demo version of Hidden Asset now testing!

Development of Hidden Asset has reached a critical milestone. The demo version is now feature complete and being tested! This demo will be part of the upcoming Kickstarter campaign. If you’d like to help out with testing the demo, please see this thread on the forums.

This latest version includes the game’s main hub area where you can currently buy equipment, talk to your agent, get healed up and sell Company Intel you’ve uncovered during missions. I’ve also completed work on getting the Mac OS X version done, so any Mac OS X gamers out there are more than welcome to give a hand with testing that version!

The demo now also includes animated comic book style cutscenes with artwork by talented artist Luis Guaragna.

All in all, I’m very happy with how everything has come together!

Hidden Asset alpha testing!

The Windows and Linux alpha versions of Hidden Asset are ready for testing!

If you want to be a tester, please go here:
http://www.laserbrainstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=2222.0

Development Video #35

Alpha testing is so close that I can taste it! Tastes like chicken, by the way. I was actually hoping to have the game ready for closed alpha testing already, but issues that I needed/wanted to address kept popping up. In this video, I talk about two of the gameplay issues I’ve dealt with.

The first issue was how strict the game is in regards to guards hearing your footsteps. Before, they would always react to hearing your footsteps, but I’ve now made it a bit more lenient so that they won’t react to your footsteps if there are other NPCs near you, since the footsteps might as well have come from them. The game was just too unforgiving.

The second issue was aimed shooting. The whole gimmick of a screen popping up where you would see a first-person view of your target and had to aim manually just didn’t feel right when actually playing the game. It felt too involved and ruined the flow of the game. So I’ve simplified how all that works.

I also added a way for me to track play statistics for alpha testing. The game will keep track of various stats, such as total play time, deaths, kills, your stealth rating and so on, and write it to a plain txt file. Testers will then be able to just paste the contents of that txt file into a post on the forums, or upload the txt file itself, and I’ll be able to get a good overview of how hard certain parts of the game were in general.

For the game to be completely ready for alpha testing, though, I still need to fix some bugs and crashes. And then compile and test the Linux and Mac OS X versions of the game… and also setting up a forum for alpha testers where they can offer feedback and report bugs as well as download the test version of the game. My current idea is that if you want to be an alpha tester, just make a post in a forum thread I’ll set up for that purpose (and register for the forums first, if you aren’t already). I’ll then grant you “Tester” status on the forums, which will also give you access to a hidden forum post with the download link.

That’s the plan, at least.

Development Video #34

I mostly did bug-fixing in the past two weeks, which isn’t all that interesting for a development video. So I instead show some of the new assets I’ve made. I also touch a bit upon how the 2D isometric rendering functions in Hidden Asset.

Development Video #33

It’s a new year, and here’s a new development video! In this video, I show the improvements made to the gadget interface, and I also do a bit of scripting.