We finally pulled the trigger on a devlog series! In this first entry, I’m taking a look at Engineering, one of the earliest levels developed for SENTRY, alongside a new enemy and a big development milestone.
Devlog
Engineering
First up, we’ve got a new level in the form of Engineering. This is actually one of the first levels that we prototyped for the game. It originally served as the basis for our initial art explorations, helping define our visual style, whilst also allowing us to investigate basic level design metrics and scale.
Engineering is one of the simpler levels found in Roughneck-class vessels and is likely to be one of the first subsystems attacked by enemies, making it one of the first that players must defend.
The level features three enemy entry points with paths that converge into a single choke point – a great place to focus defences and try out different trap configurations. A strong vantage point overlooks the funnel, allowing players to shoot down at enemies bunched below.
The vantage point is accessed by a ladder in the neighbouring chamber, giving players a place to fight at a distance or watch how their trap layouts perform from afar. The choke point then forks into the exit room, where players have limited time and space to slow the advance of the enemy before they escape.
Designing the Bile Hound
We’ve got a new enemy to share in the form of the Bile Hound. This little creature is a corrupted form of the Mutt, but with a very different approach to combat. Where the Mutt pressures the player by getting close, the Bile Hound was designed to apply pressure from a distance.
The Mutt is a rusher – an enemy archetype that relentlessly charges and lunges at the player, resulting in massive damage if it manages to catch them in its powerful jaws.
In contrast, the Bile Hound occupies a sniper-like space in the enemy roster. The Bile Hound attempts to maintain a constant distance from its prey, spitting a poisonous ball of phlegm whenever it gets a clear shot.
The projectiles from this enemy are toxic and cause poison effects on the player. These effects are still being developed, so they’re something we’ll showcase in a future update.
Development Update
I’d like to take a second to thank everyone who has taken the time to help us by wishlisting the game. We’re currently sitting at around 50,000 wishlists, which roughly places us as the 370th most wishlisted game on Steam.
So thank you to everyone who has helped us on this journey so far. We really appreciate the excitement and enthusiasm for SENTRY, and we’re eager to get it into players’ hands as soon as it’s ready.
And as for what’s next? We’re working on a couple of different areas of the game, but one thing we can tease is the next entry in the weapon roster: the Submachine Gun!