Dev Log: New characters, The Bent Pipes, and the Church of the OTP (Patreon)

Hello everyone! Kuso here. We just wanted to give you a few exciting updates on the game's progress.

After months of intense development and painstakingly fine-tuning our combat mechanics, we've decided it's time to up the ante and add a whole host of  new characters to our game's roster.

You may remember the current roster from previous videos:

bonus: randomized height for characters, for more variety

As of this writing we have Melody, Eri, and Anya as members of the player party, while we have Mia on the far right hand as an enemy boss. Mia is seen here with members of the gang known as The Bent Pipes. They are very low tech, and have relatively low durability, but they make up for that fact with their numbers.

The Bent Pipes refer to themselves as such, because of their origins as a group of street level pipefitters. They were known for their ability to manipulate and control the city's infrastructure, and they used this knowledge to their advantage in their criminal activities. The name "Bent Pipes" represents their ability to bend and manipulate the systems that keep  the city running, and their ability to bend and manipulate the rules and  regulations of the city to their advantage. They see themselves as the  true masters of the city, controlling it from behind the scenes and  making it work for them.

Throughout development thus far they've been shot at, sliced, punched countless of times and we thought it was time to introduce new punching bags.

Introducing the Church

The Church of the One True Path reigns supreme as one of the most influential entities in the city of Sokbu, with some believing they hold more power than the very government itself. At the center of the city stands their imposing headquarters, a structure so massive that it appears to  be firing a colossal laser beam straight into the sky. The purpose of  this enigmatic weapon and the true motivations of the Church remain shrouded in mystery, but all will be revealed as you journey deeper into the game. But beware, for the Church's ironclad grip on power is maintained through a network of ruthless sub-organizations, all working tirelessly to ensure their goals are met at any cost.

One such organization is known as Ordo Sicarii, the secret police of the church. They are responsible for gathering intelligence, identifying and eliminating threats to the church, and carrying out covert operations. They are feared and respected for their skill and efficiency, and are known to be ruthless in their duties.

JiYeon's new combat sprite

Yoon JiYeon is someone most of you are familiar with; the blue haired nun/assassin who serves at the behest of the Church of the One True Path. She is a member of Ordo Sicarii, and specializes in ranged weaponry.

Her design has changed slightly since she was first introduced:

JiYeon's old design

Instead of a crossbow, she now wields a massive bow. We decided a crossbow's silhouette wasn't as readable design-wise as a bow when viewed sideways.

Even in black and white, we believe the bow just has much clearer shapes compared to crossbows when viewed from this angle.

JiYeon with her hood up

Another member of Ordo Sicarii and Jiyeon's direct superior is a woman known only by the moniker Prioress Ravena. She is ambitious and skilled at fighting with dual weapons, may they be machetes, swords, or even sticks.

Prioress Ravenna in her battle outfit

Despite being a high ranking warrior of the Order, she herself prefers to lead by example and constantly participates in operations on the field personally.

That's it for this week's development log; as of the moment we're polishing audio and we can't wait to show that off soon. There are other characters whose sprites and biographies we've also finished; we'll be showing them off in the coming dev logs!