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v1.0 Progress Update + Control Improvements & More

Major control improvements are ready!

Major control improvements are ready!

I just released a small update to improve controls and patch bugs until the v1.0 release. 
Also, everyone gets their own personal butler!

Version 1.0 Progress Update

I'm currently working with the awesome people at tinyBuild to do proper Quality Assurance, Optimization, and Console Porting for the huge v1.0 release.

Guts and Glory version 1.0 will have a simultaneous release on PC and Consoles this Summer, and will include a TON of new content.

This means that the quality of the end product will be much better! However, it also means that the PC version won't be ready in late Spring as I initially planned. Instead, everything will release at the same time, but at better quality.

I apologize for the delay, but I really don’t want to half-ass the release from Steam Early Access. The end-result will be worth the wait!

In the meantime, I'm working on a couple fun surprises to hold us all over until then....

Break those Leaderboard records with improved controls and rocket boost!

Break those Leaderboard records with improved controls and rocket boost!

Vehicle Control Update

Several of the vehicles have been given a major physics and control overhaul!

You’ll notice the biggest changes on the ATV, car, truck and motorcycle, and minor adjustments to the other vehicles. They all handle much, much better and still maintain their power and wheel frictions so that they don't break any existing level designs. (Flying vehicles are still undergoing some changes.)

Oh, and the Boost works like it’s supposed to now. This should help out with breaking those Leaderboard records too 😉

Please let me know what you think of the new vehicle controls in the comments below.

Bug Fixes

- Fixed bug that caused "Loading" overlay to block menu buttons if Steam Leaderboard update timed out, causing user to force quit application.

- Fixed bug that caused Chapel Hill (and a couple other levels) to crash the game on some Macs.

- Annnd fixed several boring, little things. (Note: Settings may be reset for some players due to these changes.)

Wear the Black Top Hat to summon the Butler

Wear the Black Top Hat to summon the Butler

Summon Your Personal Butler!

Also, The Butler ride-along character has now been unlocked for everyone!

Simple wear the black Top Hat (won by completing all of John & Jimmy’s levels), and your personal butler will be summoned.

He lives to please, but do be careful… he’s quite fragile in his old age.

Loads of new content coming this Summer (+ other surprises until then)

Loads of new content coming this Summer (+ other surprises until then)

More to come!

I’ve also got more surprises in store between now and the big launch day, so stay tuned for update announcements!

A Glorious New Year

gringo jumping

HUUUUUUGE UPDATE COMING THIS SPRING

The goal is to have this update ready for release sometime this Spring. 

New stuff coming soon:

  • Control and handling overhaul by the super-talented Justin Couch.  Say goodbye to twitchy controls and wonky handling.  G&G controls are getting a proper upgrade.
  • 25 brand spankin’ new Official Tracks for the new characters
  • 40+ new Level Editor items for all you wonderful Workshop Level Creators out there
  • 15 additional Steam Achievements & in-game Rewards
  • 4 major YouTuber content additions and cameos
  • 2 mini Easter Egg challenges
  • 1 magnificent Halls of Glory, including a Trophy Room to see a visual indicator of your progress
  • Proper QA and bug squashing with the fine folks over at tinyBuild

This update will prepare things for the official version 1.0 launch and console ports.  The goal is to have this update out sometime this Spring!  It’s a ton of work, so I just wanted to let you all know what’s going on behind the curtain and what to expect in 2018.

Above is a sneak-peek of one of the cameos, YouTuber legen CoryxKenshin!

This is a time-lapse video showing the character creation process for those of you who like to see behind-the-scenes stuff.  Thumbnail shows his photo on the left and 3D character model on the right.

Several other NPCs are coming in the next update as well!

I hear kangaroos can be rather aggressive....

I hear kangaroos can be rather aggressive....

Localization

Now that most of the new content is in place, it’s time to update all the language translations.  If you are interested in volunteering to review and edit the localization document, please email me at hakjakgames@gmail.com.  Accepted volunteers will get their names added to the Official Credits list, as well as a recommendation on LinkedIn, etc. 

Serious inquiries only please.  Translations will be peer-reviewed.  No new languages can be added at this time.

Current languages include:

Chinese (Simplified)

Chinese (Traditional)

Korean

Japanese

German

Russian

French

Italian

Turkish

Arabic

Portuguese (Brazil)

Spanish

Estonian

Got Bugs?

If you have bugs to report, please send to hakjakbugs@gmail.com or use the in-game bug report tool.  Bug squashing and QA is a huge priority right now.  Please be sure to include computer specs and other details if you email me directly.

Playing in Traffic.jpg

Thank you all for your support in 2017!

It’s been fun shaping this game together during Early Access and I can’t wait to see what you think of the huge 1.0 update to come this Spring!

Sincerely,

HakJak

What would Frogger be like in Guts and Glory?  You can find out soon!

What would Frogger be like in Guts and Glory?  You can find out soon!

Community Vote #3: Pedro and Priorities

Pedro, a favored getaway driver for The Cartel... or at least he used to be

Pedro, a favored getaway driver for The Cartel... or at least he used to be

Community Vote #3 has begun!

Vote on Steam to decide which version of Pedro will make it into the final game.

Past | Present | Future

Past | Present | Future

Also, help decide which of these features gets added next:

  • Guts
  • Blood/Gore Settings: increase, decrease, or turn off
  • Desert Theme: textures and props
  • Snow and Ice: textures and props
  • Time of Day + Lights with color options
  • Special FX: fog, dust, smoke, embers, etc.
  • More Materials: lava, death fog, transparency, etc.
  • AI Vehicle Updates: more types (Mad Max anyone?), updated models, ragdoll drivers
  • Level Editor optimization: double level size limit
  • Camera Switch: toggle between characters
  • Orbit Camera: move mouse to look around; snaps back after you stop
  • Community Track Leaderboards
  • Pedestrian AI: simple wander and flee behaviors
  • Driver Ragdoll Movement: apply forces to flop around in a given direction
  • Steam Avatar Box: add your "signature" to levels by dropping in a resizable cube with your Steam Avatar icon on it.
  • Tutorial Videos / Guide
  • Zero Gravity Zones
  • More Hazards: _________?
  • More Special Items: _________?
  • More Props: _________?
  • Other...?

Comment below or on Steam to cast your vote and help prioritize development on Guts and Glory!

VOTE NOW AMIGO!

v0.5.2: Big Summer Update #1

New characters Jack & Jill + AI Vehicles = 1 crazy combination!

New characters Jack & Jill + AI Vehicles = 1 crazy combination!

This Summer is all about community content. More characters, more hazards, and more awesome Workshop content so you guys can keep making bigger and better Community Tracks. Let's build some glorious new community challenges!

Meet Jack and his sister Jill, the newest challengers to enter the Guts and Glory Games

Meet Jack and his sister Jill, the newest challengers to enter the Guts and Glory Games

Jack & Jill

Jack and Jill went up a hill… and then they rolled down in pieces.

This week Guts and Glory gets a brand new set of Class A characters! Trying to make it to the finish line with sister in tow can be a real challenge… but if you just get tired of her you can disconnect the rope at any time! (Just press the new Eject button once.)

Jack and Jill are just two fun-loving kids. Brother and sister, actually. Unlike most siblings, they get along well together (most of the time) and love to go on adventures any chance they get. As long as they’re back home in time for dinner, their parents pretty much let them do anything they want.

While getting slushies at their local convenience store, they saw a poster for The Guts and Glory Games and signed up the same day (there’s no age limits, after all). Now they could go on “the ultimate adventure” and win a ton of money! Great idea, right?

Jack rides a child’s version of the popular Golden Goose brand of bicycles, and generally tows his sister around in a small “Lil Waggy” brand wagon. They’ve gotten pretty good at doing jumps and stuff, so they're totally ready for this.

See ya!!

See ya!!

Human projectiles are a thing now

Human projectiles are a thing now

EJECT!

At last! You can now manually eject the driver at any time. 

Just press the “Z” key to launch your character from their seat (“B” button on Xbox controllers | “Circle” button on Playstation controllers). 

They’ll go flying in whatever direction the top of your vehicle is pointing, so lots of creative level design potential here!

If you’re using Jack and Jill, the first press will disconnect the wagon. Second press will eject Jack.

I also removed the need for the main character to actually be alive to finish a level. This means you can even complete a track by ejecting yourself across the finish line!

What kinds of tracks will you make with this new feature?

The new AI vehicle system is super easy to use

The new AI vehicle system is super easy to use

AI Vehicles

You asked for it, you got it. AI Vehicles are in the game and they’re even destructible!

Like almost everything else in Guts and Glory, these vehicles are physics-based. They’ll be affected by ground traction, wheel slip, collisions, broken parts, etc. They’re currently in an early stage, so the 3D models and textures are basic. After they get battle-tested in this update, I’ll convert to final graphics and add more vehicle types, based on future community votes.

Each AI Vehicle also has 10 different paint options, to add variety. These simple skins will be replaced by final versions later, and more vehicle types will be added too!

10 colors to choose from... final graphics to be added later

10 colors to choose from... final graphics to be added later

Using AI Vehicles is super simple:
1. Drag-and-drop Vehicle Waypoints. They’ll be auto-connected as you add/delete them.
2. Tweak Waypoint Options. You can set Approach Speed, Stop, or even Chase Player per Waypoint!
3. Drag-and-drop AI Vehicles wherever you want them to start. Anywhere! They will automatically find their closest Waypoint and start following the path.

14 buildings from Larry's Lucid City map are now in the Level Editor

14 buildings from Larry's Lucid City map are now in the Level Editor

Laserrrrrrrrrrrrzzzzzzz and SmartBomb Turrets

Laserrrrrrrrrrrrzzzzzzz and SmartBomb Turrets

Workshop Content

Tracks can now be bigger! Level Complexity Limit increased by 14% (from 6000 to 7000).

I also just finished porting a bunch of content from Larry’s levels over to the Level Editor. You can now make your tracks even more epic with these fine additions:

  • 14 new city buildings, ranging from small storefronts to huge skyscrapers
  • Laser Turrets, with 4 options
  • Reflector Turrets, with 4 options
  • SmartBomb Turrets
  • AI Vehicles and Waypoints
  • Minor prop additions
Wacky Hats Pack and other Kickstarter Rewards out soon!

Wacky Hats Pack and other Kickstarter Rewards out soon!

Jack and Jill went up the hill...

Jack and Jill went up the hill...

General Improvements

As usual, I’ve made several other improvements and bug fixes during development. These include:

- Did optimization pass on all Official Tracks. Approximately 5-15% performance increases. (Most noticeable on lower-end CPUs.)
- Added display numbers above each Checkpoint in Level Editor, for easier editing.
- Fixed bug that prevented character from dismounting if they lost both upper/lower limbs on bicycles.
- Reduced bicycle Boost burn rate by 33% (ie-boost lasts longer). Pedal faster, longer!
- Fixed hat selection menu scaling/aspect ratio issues.
- Added an "X" button to Settings window, for navigation clarity. Has same functionality as the "Save and Quit" button.
- Changed "Light" to "Eject" in Settings-->Control Mapping menu. Updated Localization accordingly for controller mapping.
- Removed need for Player Character to be alive to reach Finish Line. (Can even finish using manual eject.)
- Changed version logging system for more accurate future bug report management
- Fixed bug that caused player to basically be invincible if he died after crossing finish point and then clicked "next track" button.
- [Fixed?] no sound bug when switching tracks, experienced by some players.
Community Tracks Menu
- Added controller/keyboard auto-scrolling to Community Track and Level Editor menus.
- Fixed menu scaling/screen ratios on pause screen pop-up version.
- [Fixed?] bug that causes Community Tracks pop-up menu to freeze/become non-interactive for some players.
- Added a manual close button, in case auto-close fails

Jack's mom always said to never play with explosives

Jack's mom always said to never play with explosives

What will you create?

I can’t wait to see what crazy things you guys come up with using all this new Workshop content! Send me a link/level name of your best tracks built primarily for Jack and Jill or the new Eject feature, and I’ll feature them on a future post

I'll be posting a new track or two myself sometime soon too!

v0.4.4: Gumsy and Gomar Theme Park

--- Update will be posted to Steam on March 16th (MST) ---

The Yang Family has finally reached their destination: the Gumsy and Gomar Theme Park!  The final four Yang tracks are now available.  Can you complete the Car Parkour course in one run?  It will put your car driving skills to the test.

Gumsy and Gomar is the most popular children’s show on television, dedicated to teaching kids about safety—by demonstrating all the things not to do!  It’s kind of a parody on Itchy and Scratchy from The Simpsons (big fan!), as well as poking some fun at Five Nights at Freddy’s (not a fan! But I admire the developer for his success).

Plus the theme gives me an excuse to add some wackier content like oversized hammers, giant baseball bats and The Blender from the original Yang Family Demo.  I received a few requests to add Flip Pads, so I went ahead and built some of those too.  All of these new items will be added to the Level Editor in a Workshop update next week!

Lessons Learned (#gamedev)

I learned some painful game development lessons this week.  First, it’s essential to have good version control setup.  I accidentally released the wrong build of a patch to the Settings Menu update, causing some confusion to new players installing the game for the first time.  Luckily I was able to get this cleared up by the next day, but sorting out the bugs ate up a lot of time.

Second, I am never making multiple Maps for one Track Group again.  John and Jimmy’s tracks all shared one large map.  Same thing for Earl.  But when I built the Yang tracks, I wanted them to be on a road trip, which involved building 4 different maps… which created 4 times as much work.  While I’m very happy with the end results, and glad that it brought more variation to the game, I also wish I had planned it a little differently so I could have had more time to develop other aspects of the game.

What’s Next?

Here are the next updates planned, in order:

  • Big Workshop content update
  • Localization beta (Google Translate)
  • Linux version
  • Kickstarter In-Game Rewards (this will be in multiple parts/updates)
  • Localization final (proper translations to Spanish, Chinese, and hopefully some others)
  • Larry
  • ________ <-- Community Votes!

Community Votes

When Larry’s update is near release, I will start posting Community Vote announcements.  I’ll post 2 different development paths, with concept art and content outlines, and you can weigh in on which one should be built next and what content would be involved!  I'm hoping to do these on a monthly basis.

v0.4.0: Steam Early Access Release

At last, the day has come!

Guts and Glory is Coming Your Way!

GaG is launching on Steam’s Early Access program tonight at Midnight (February 16th, 12:00AM Mountain Standard Time).

Guts and Glory is coming to town!!!

Tell your friends.  Tell your favorite YouTubers and Twitch streamers.  Hell, tell the world!  Your support is critical because the bigger the launch is, the bigger I can afford to make the game and continue developing it full-time. 

Getting lots of people playing and talking about the game during week 1 is super important for success!

Move out the way!

Pedestrians

Version 0.4.0 introduces the first Pedestrian prototype characters.  Also known as Non-Player Characters, or NPCs.  These guys don’t have any brains yet (AI) so they just stand around right now, just begging to be hit.  I’ve had way too much fun with these guys already, running them over with the car or knocking them down hills and listening to them shout and scream.

There are 6 different NPC characters so far: 2 adult males, 2 adult females, and 2 teens.  Each has their own unique look and high quality voice audio sets.  I still need to add AI to them, so they will wander around and run away from danger.  Currently they’re all a bunch of wusses that “faint” if you come too close to them.

Oh, and I also added these guys to the Level Editor!  Limited to 1 of each type for right now, until they are further optimized.  More characters and higher limits to come.  Have fun :D

Hang on Jimmy

Welcome to Pleasant Park

Pleasant Park is a new Map where beginners can learn the basics, returning players can get a refresher course, and everyone can learn how to master new skills, stunts, and characters.  I’ve added 5 new Tracks to this area, including a sandbox level where you can just drive around the park like a crazy, running people over and getting a feel for controlling each vehicle.

Well... that didn't go as planned....

More Tracks will be added to this Track Group over time, including car drifting and stunt tutorials and how to control Larry (the rocket chair character that is still in development stages).

Slow down - Construction Ahead

Family Vacation

The Yang Family is finally taking their long-awaited road trip… but little do they know, Mr. Yang has financed their trip by signing them up for the Guts and Glory Games!

Version 0.4.0 brings you the first 4 tracks in this new adventure, taking the Yang family through dangerous, winding mountain roads and a night at a creepy motel.  The end of the final level gives some hints at their destination and what it may contain in one of the next updates.

Shortcut!  Wait, watch out for the---  oops

Car Controls

I spent many hours tightening up the car controls and adding some physics assists.  Drifting in the car is now a breeze.  Simply steer hard to the left or right while holding the gas at high speeds or low traction and you’ll engage the drift mode.  Pressing the e-brake can engage drift manually as well.

If you want more control on high speed straights, simply let off the gas and you can steer without engaging drift as easily.

Creepy night level

New Music

New music tracks from a handful of composers has been added across all levels.  They really bring diversity and life to the tracks, making you feel like you’re in a movie action scene or just bringing some funny irony to the situations.

Check out the Credits list in-game.

High speed bike decapitation moves yo

Level Editor Content

Complexity limits have been increased so levels can be bigger and more detailed and a bunch of new content has been added to the Level Editor so Community Tracks can be even more awesome. 

New stuff includes:

  • Pedestrian Characters
  • 3D Letter and Number Blocks
  • A bunch of new Ramps and Loops
  • A large collection of Bushes and Hedges, w/ several variations of each
  • New Industrial Buildings and Props
  • Some prop Vehicles
  • And more!

Ouch

More Screams

More voices have been added to the main characters and I fixed a bug that caused passenger voice audio to often not work.  Also, Jimmy finally has a real voice—not my terrible attempt at creating one.

Early Access Release

The Early Access release on Steam launches tonight at Midnight (Mountain Standard Time), so I’ll be staying up late chugging coffee for that!  I’m super excited to see what everyone thinks of the game so far and hear your feedback.  I’m also really anxious, which is probably normal for any release.  Literally hundreds of hours have gone into this project, so now I just cross my fingers and hope it all pays off and I can continue developing games for years to come!

I look forward to chatting with you all about the game.  Wish me luck!

Feel free to hop onto any of the following groups and join the discussion or just stop by and say hi:

GaG Steam Community

GaG Twitter

GaG Discord

And more links at HakJak.com.

“Hello, Neighbor!” (Alpha Steam Key for G&G Backers)

Back Guts &amp; Glory on Kickstarter and get a Steam Alpha Key for this epic game too!

Back Guts & Glory on Kickstarter and get a Steam Alpha Key for this epic game too!

Back Guts and Glory and Get an Alpha Steam Key for Hello Neighbor

Great news!  The brilliant minds behind the innovative game “Hello Neighbor” have agreed to do a sweet cross-promotion deal.  Now, anyone who backs Guts and Glory at the $25 level or higher will also get an Alpha Access Steam Key to this amazing game!

What is Hello Neighbor?

If you haven’t heard of this awesome project already, Hello Neighbor is a Stealth Horror Game about sneaking into your neighbor’s house.  You play against an advanced AI that learns from your every move, so the more you play, the smarter he gets!

What dark secrets is this guy hiding in his basement?

I'm gonna get you!

Developed in Unreal Engine 4 and coming to PC Summer 2017

Features:

- Stealth Horror

- Procedural AI

- Pixar-style visuals

- Extremely tense gameplay

I'm so excited for this game and happy to do a cross-promotion with them!  Check it out and help me spread the word about this awesome opportunity to help two great projects at once!

Back Guts and Glory and get your Hello Neighbor Alpha Key too!

(see Kickstarter page for details)

Crash Testing the Family Car

Things are progressing nicely on Guts and Glory.  After putting in some late nights, I've finally finished the third playable vehicle/character for the game: The Yang Family and their Mezooki 600 Series Convertible!  This car is super fun to drive, and even more fun to wreck!  The body is damage-able and loses parts on impact.  You can even jam tires or knock them off completely, or pop them on spikes and other sharp objects. I spent quite a bit of time watching dozens of crash videos while making this to get everything to feel just right--and then I tested he hell out of it in-game!

Below is a montage of crash tests and some general driving and handling.  I'm pretty happy with how it's looking so far, and will continue to make improvements as the project continues.  Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Given the feedback I've received so far, there will also be an option to turn the kids on/off, for those who prefer it. 

Additionally, I've made some fixes to the bike control and significantly improved the suspension and handling of the ATV.  It now handles off road and hilly stuff a lot better.  All of the characters now have voices and I added more sound effects in general too.

Please help me spread the word about this project. I'm a solo game developer, so I can use all the help I can get!

For more info check out HakJak.com

2 new Vehicles/Characters in Development

Earl and his ATV, and the Yang Family in their Mezooki 700 Series convertible

Although I hinted at this with a dimmly-lit image during the announcement, I decided to go ahead and reveal the other 2 characters/vehicles that are currently in development.  I'd like to introduce you to Earl and his ATV (inspired by some fellow Idaho residents) and the Yang Family in their poorly built "premium" car, the Mezooki 700.

This rounds out the starting selection with 3 sizes of vehicles (small, medium, and large) with a variety of speeds and handling so I can try out all kinds of scenarios.  The hardest part is probably going to be adapting the various hazards and special items in the game so that they are just as dangerous to these new characters as they are to the bike.  These are still in very early phases of development, but I will post a video with them in it when the time is right.

On a side note, we've reached a consensus on the Steam Concepts page that the main dad/son character shown in the video is too similar to another game and will be replaced this week.  Visit the page on Steam if you would like to help decide what the replacement should be!