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Catyph 2 years anniversary: new Light Edition (Steam/itchio/Humble)

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Total Posts: 487

Joined 2012-10-03

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Hello,

If you followed my sites and the news about the game, you might have noticed that I have lost my work data of Catyph when my backup hard drive died in 2016.. It has been terrible because nothing could be recovered (including other projects). As a result I could never totally polish Catyph as I wanted to: it had become impossible to release new updates, new bug fixes and puzzles improvements.

I decided to re-program the game, however I knew that I wouldn’t have the time to remake everything (it took me 2 years to develop Catyph the first time!), so I have decided to try to make a kind of lighter edition. That is to say, a more simple/optimized/user-friendly version of Catyph, if that is possible.

I have worked to improve many small things, and here’s the list of all changes that I am preparing:

- Recompiled with Visionaire Studio 5 (Catyph Original runs with V4.2 which is slower and less compatible)
 
- Less than 2 GB, more compressed pictures, runs on smaller computers
 
- Accessibility improved: Larger mouse cursors
 
- Accessibility improved: Larger new hotspots icons
 
- Removed difficulty choice and kept only the Normal mode
 
- Removed the system of points for the Blue Matter
 
- Removed the arcade minigame with the spaceship (and only kept it as a bonus) 
 
- Simplified navigation: removed the possibility to look back at 180, in order to follow only a single path “on rails”, and reduce the number of visitable scenes  
 
- Removed the video transitions between scenes, to make the game lighter, more smooth, and avoid confusing cameras  
 
- Fixed an issue in region Palak
 
- Improved the first puzzle (added rotation option to examine the ball) 
 
- Removed some useless comments of MAIDEN (the A.I.)
 
- Improved the controversial wire puzzle in region Darnaha

- Added a small tip to the generator puzzle in the Dome  
 
- Added a small tip in the puzzle to open the door in the old OT spaceship in region Raju
 
- Added a quick gameplay tutorial at the beginning of a new game. Also added a message to recommend to play with a pen and a paper  
 
- Fixed the game freeze on the very last picture at the very end of the game
 
- Added a message after the “bad” ending, saying that the adventure is not finished, and that you have to see all cutscenes to unlock the good end
 
- Improved the way the cutscenes of Lantier and Germinal are unlocked (note: they are played automatically now)

If everything goes well, this major update should be released for the 2 years anniversary of Catyph (so somewhere before Summer hopefully) under the name Catyph: Light Edition. It will be free for everyone who has purchased the game (you will receive it under the form of an automatic update in Steam, or will be able to download it from your account on the other stores). It won’t delete the original game for those who prefer to continue with it. After download, when launching Catyph from Steam (for example), it will not run the game directly. Instead you will most likely see a launcher where it will be asked if you want to play to Catyph Original or Catyph Light Edition.

Before I continue the development of this Light Edition, I would like to know what you think of the above. Do you like the idea, and do you think it can be interesting? In your comments, please let me know if you played the original game, if you gave up before the end, why, and if this new version might decide you to give it another chance. Thank you.

In order to go further and to help you understand better what I am trying to do, you can download a demo of Catyph Light Edition (link below). It might contain a few bugs, it has not been tested and is for preview only. This is still a work in progress.
The demo takes place in the second area of the game, the Dome. It doesn’t contain a lot of spoilers (nothing to worry about). You’ll be able to solve two puzzles (activate a generator and enter a password), use a few inventory items for the occasion, watch a cutscene with a mysterious character, and use the teleportation pod, which will put an end to this demo.


Download Catyph Light Edition - Dome Demo

Thanks in advance for your comments. I hope that so

     
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Total Posts: 487

Joined 2012-10-03

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Total Posts: 4011

Joined 2011-04-01

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Just want to say that I think it’s so great you are trying to improve your games and constantly learning. More developers should have your attitude!

     
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Total Posts: 487

Joined 2012-10-03

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Thanks a lot Oscar!
I’ll be doing my best. It is not a new project so the level design will remain the same, but I hope that making the navigation more simple will help. I am using the feedback of people who played the game, so it should result in something better hopefully?

It is already planned to change the wire puzzle which required mouse abilities (if you remember) into something easier and a little different. If, by chance, you had other useful suggestions like this from your memories of the game…

     

Total Posts: 298

Joined 2008-06-24

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Sounds good.  I’ll be keeping an eye on it.

     
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Total Posts: 487

Joined 2012-10-03

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Thanks darthmaul!

I have re-posted the above on IndieDB.
I have also included a preview picture of the launcher, if anyone is interested.

http://www.indiedb.com/games/catyph-the-kunci-experiment/news/catyph-2-years-anniversary-light-edition-demo

     
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Total Posts: 487

Joined 2012-10-03

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Hi! Catyph: Light Edition is now available on Steam (free automatic update). I hope you will like this new version, it could possibly help you to finish the game if you stopped before the end in the original version. It’s a bit more like ASA Remastered now, with static views, new clues, some modified puzzles…

There’s nothing more I could do to improve Catyph in my current situation, so that will probably be the final edition of the game (except some minor bug fixing if necessary). Please let me know what you think! I’d also be happy to get involved in a CPT again, like we did for ASA before, if some of you are interested.

     
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Joined 2015-02-06

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Congrats Simon for this accomplishment! I would be more than happy to do a CPT, I’ve never actually done one, but have always wanted to! Getting to experience and talk about it as you go Smile

     

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Total Posts: 487

Joined 2012-10-03

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Thanks Sir Beardalot. I hope too that we can do a CPT somday, it will depend on if enough people are interested, but I’d be happy to be around and comment like I did for ASA before.

Regarding Catyph: Light Edition, additionally to the Steam version I have finished to upload it on itchio, and it will be also very soon on Humble (consider it’s done).

     

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