having an unlimited, but tied-to-limited-rechargable-timer based movement system was fun for a while but i quickly realised it made combat way too easy.

so as a way to balance that, and retain the free-form open movement-based exploration, i've decided to re-add stamina. this was in a very early build (couple years ago) but i ended up removing it along the chaotic and convoluted path of figuring out how to make the game fun and interesting. have i wasted a lot of time figuring this out only to end up in the place i started? yeah

stamina-driven movement also means i have more scope to make items useful, and potentially a kind of simple levelling system using the collected energy (dark souls style) but a lot of this i need to figure out.

more experimentally, i am playing around with the primary objectives. i want a simple driving objective to give the player momentum. so i'm testing this localised "thermodynamic equilibrium" goal that's fulfilled when all energy in that area is collected. this still needs work and i think some narrative cutscene exposition will help. but i'm not set on this finally just yet and almost certianly will change it up a bit before EA.

i've also done a pretty significant overhaul to most UI elements, both to facilitate functional changes with the new stamina and objectives changes, as well as to just make it look better. chipping away at the unfinished placeholder work littered about.

the playtest is still confined to the first island, which is very much WIP. although I have been actively working on multiple other levels, you can't currently access them (and won't be able to until i overhaul the overworld mech travel system).

combat is still a bit janky with these enemies, which i'll be working on soon. but i think the stamina based system adds a lot of depth to both movement and combat.

all these changes are small steps towards the final vision i've had for the project since 2021. we're getting there and i'm feeling quite optimistic about early access in the near future.