Rounding Off The Corners
The new Pirate Docks level is coming together nicely! It’s come a long way from the initial blockout.
Today, I’ll walk you through the processed involved with creating a new Clodhoppers arena - Let’s get started.
Day one
Day one blockouts for levels certainly aren’t pretty. They tend to be a mashup of ill fitting models and materials stolen from other levels and Unity primitives stretched and scaled into submission with a mere hint of the final intention.
The aim here is to scratch-the-itch of the idea. Plop some models down, run the game and see where it’s failing. Mostly, that means running around a level and testing the flow (which would be a nice post on its own).
Initial BlockoutThis particular blockout proved problematic as it was too spread out. The idea of town, docks with cargo loading and a ship meant that we didn’t have enough space for the show piece, which of course should be the pirate ship!
Tweak, Test, Repeat
Final BlockoutOnce the blockout feels good and there is some basic flow in the level, I can move onto set creation. This is another blockout, but with the unique elements of the level and with greater focus on final look and positioning.
It’s an iterative process at this stage and a lot of fun.
Export blockout / update it in Unity
Test the level to check the collision is correctly placed and flows well
Tweak the blockout and repeat
Marching Forward
After blocking out all the set elements and feeling confident that the level feels balanced and fun to move around in, I can commit to making the final models and materials.
I’m still expecting changes to come out of testing with bots and real players, but they should be small and easily managed.
Polished LevelThe pirate themed levels have been a crazy amount of fun to make and I expect them to be popular challenges and battle levels alike.
Brainz... I MEAN - Breaking News!
Hey folks, we’re back with another Clodhoppers update!
Before we start, I should mention that some items shown may become premium only when the game leaves early access.
If you want to experience everything Clodhoppers has to offer, for FREE - Now’s the time!
K.O. king is now Rumble!
We’ve renamed K.O. King to Rumble and added 3 modes for players to choose from.
Ding Mode - Each hit scores 1 point.
Damage Mode - Damage inflicted scores points of equal amount.
KO Mode - Each KO scores 1 point.
You’ll hear a DING! every time you score a point. The player with the most points win!
Man, do I love a good excuse for beating people up.
Customisable bombs and flags
Stickers (left) get recoloured to match your player colour in-game.
Next up on the menu are customisable bombs and flags!
Players will be able to equip stickers (left) and wraps (right) however they see fit.
Visit the outhouse and navigate to the Extras menu to check them out.
But that’s not all - Check out this next slide.
new voices in Clodhoppers!
*Ahem* - Allow me to introduce you to Maude and.. Zombie?
Maude is the first female voice in Clodhoppers - It was about time, wasn’t it?
There’ll be more to come haha, don’t worry.
Also, please welcome zombies and skeletons! The zombie voice is um.. quite lovely, isn't it?
Anyways, I’ve been asked not to pay the zombies too much attention. We don’t want any bad news at the studio - What’s that noise..?
Various level changes
The events of the last two weeks have been chaotic. The zombies will soon break through our defences - I truly fear for our safety..
But on the bright side! Mal’s been cooking some changes to various levels - Yippee!
Check it out - Pit 2 and Pit 3 have undergone a complete redesign.
For Pit 3, we’ve introduced a new interactable object - The target!
The target functions similar to the lever, however, it can also be triggered by projectiles.
We’ve added trampolines to Bounce House and Burping Burt!
While Burping Burt is great chaos, the trampolines really add flavour into the mix.
It feels like a boxing ring, with the trampolines throwing you back into the action whenever you’re misfortunate enough to have been knocked off.
While they can sometimes save you from death, you can still fall off the edge mind you.
Beta testers will remember when we had the rising wall on Pinch.
We’ve bought that back! Truly a great pick for Team Knock Out.
Last but not least, we’ve completely remade the Online Lobby - What do you think?
There’s been some smaller changes made to other levels as well. Let us know if you spot them!
Awesome work, Mal! Now, can we please bring back Wide? I’m missing it more every day..
Miscellaneous
Added an option to allow controller 1 to be used for a 2nd player.
Improved performance and added configurable graphics options.
(Anti-aliasing in a work in progress)Added a new zoom mode which frames the entire level in view.
(Zoom is Z on Keyboard, RS on Controller)Added an option to allow players to respawn after falling.
(Subtracts 1 health point - Subject to change)Various UI changes, improvements and bug fixes.
Various improvements to player movement.
Added new emote animations.
Improved gameplay camera.
Added hints for assistance.
Improved director mode.
Improved voice chat.
★ Hundreds of other general bug fixes.
Closing Remarks
For those unaware, we make regular updates to our beta build.
If you’re interested in experiencing the latest that Clodhoppers has to offer, as well as joining us for weekly play tests - Join our Discord Server to participate!
Huh, Mal's got a weird vibe about him. Is that a bite mark?
Keep in mind that things are subject to change - We’re still making the game!
That’s all we’ve got to share for now, until next time.
A Lot to Unpackage
Howdy folks, we’re dropping a bombshell of an update today!
While the public build of Clodhoppers has been stable for a while, our beta branch has been bubbling with updates that we’re finally ready to push forward - But first, behold our new trailer!
Awesome work on the Trailer, Anthony! We wanted to share an up-to-date look at Clodhoppers since the old trailer was so outdated. I’ll go over the most prominent changes below.
The Emote Wheel
We’ve made HUGE changes to our emote system. Introducing… *Drum roll please* The Emote Wheel!
Players can now equip up to 7 emotes on a customisable wheel, further allowing you to tailor your experience.
Press RS (controller) or C (keyboard) to bring up the emote wheel - Give it a spin!
But don’t worry, the D-Pad/Number Keys isn’t going anywhere! It still remains an option for quick-access taunting. Nice job team.
Along with these changes, we’ve also made it easier to swap character personalities.
Previously, if you wanted to change your character’s personality, you needed to choose from a preset - erasing your design entirely. Now, it’s as easy as choosing from a list.
Want to sing some holiday tunes as Santa, or rant about conspiracies as Wingnut? Fret no longer :)
accessories galore!
Mal and Anthony have been hard at work tailoring some new Clodhoppers fashion - What do you think?
In addition to new accessories, shoes are now customisable! Previously, unique shoes were restricted to entire outfit changes - But where’s the fun in that?
Check out these sick kicks!
The additions don’t stop there though - We’ve got awesome new neckwear, as well as new player heads. Hopefully they capture that charm of yours ;)
Last but not least are prints and tattoos - Show off your energy with some sweet clothing and body ink.
There’s a few other new accessories that I haven’t mentioned, see if you can spot them in-game!
A change of scenery
Face punching is an excellent past time, but how about a change of scenery? Since our last update, we’ve added four new maps to Clodhoppers!
Heh, well.. Plateau isn’t a new map, but the changes are so LARGE it might as well be considered one!
What do you think? Unfortunately, Wide will be taking a break from the map pool. It was great fun, but we need to revise the design before we feel it’s ready to return :)
Miscellaneous
Typing /radio in the online lobby now broadcasts messages
Bomb explosions now show explosion radius
Rolling now breaks falls from certain heights
Team game now allows for uneven teams and custom kits
Closing Remarks
What do you think? Feel free to let us know!
Keep in mind that this is all a work in progress. Changes are likely to occur often as we revise the game’s design and features following development.
Huge thanks to everyone who’s been joining play tests these last few months;
_sirJames, Murrax, Orandza, Greetings, neoNote, Ottomantech, Excalibur Heavy Battlecruiser, Unit Delta, Donny Kurniawan - and everyone else who has paid Clodhoppers a visit!
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you in the next blog post :)
Hello? Anyone on the tele? It’s been a while...
It’s been a while since we last made contact… We hope you haven’t forgotten about us!
Who am I, you ask? I'm GREENCAT, the new Community Manager here at Claymatic! For the past 2 years, I’ve been an avid player of Clodhoppers which has quickly become one of my favourite games.
When Claymatic was looking for a community manager, I knew it was my golden opportunity. Having been the most active and involved, what better candidate was there? I’m absolutely delighted to be a part of this team and I look forward to what the future holds!
Speaking of Clodhoppers, what’s the deal anyways? Great question - we’re hard at work bringing this game to life and development is going strong. There’s A TON of new additions - including new cosmetics, arenas, weapons and more!
My favourite addition has got to be the basketball. It appears to be a useless weapon since it does no damage, but it’s also virtually indestructible. Other weapons can be used to block projectiles and stun enemies, but only the basketball can be used without depleting. How cool!
We’ve accomplished A LOT with such a small team, but there’s still a long way to go. If you’re yet to play or haven’t in a while, do try the latest build. Bring a friend and have a blast! If you’re having trouble finding players, ask around our Discord server! (Give me a mention if I’m around :)
Speaking of Discord, have you joined our community? Here’s a few reasons why you should:
We’re developing Clodhoppers in public, meaning that anyone can follow development.
Attend our weekly Clodhoppers play tests! It’s always a fun time and we’d love to see you there.
Talk Clodhoppers, or any of our other games - Claymatic is home to Platypus and Eufloria too.
Participate in future Clodhoppers competitions and tournaments! We have some exciting ideas for the future and we’re eager to get things rolling.
That’s all the news I have for now, but you’ll be hearing more from me in the future. Catch you next time :)
Live Stream - Meet the Clodhoppers!
Meet the Clodhoppers - live stream with the team!
This evening, at 10pm UK time, we'll be chatting amongst ourselves whilst playing Clodhoppers together! This is part of the Steam Festival, where you can also grab a Clodhoppers multiplayer demo for yourself.
We'll talk about the game's history, the unique stop-motion clay-based art style and indie game development in general. Please come along and ask us anything you'd like about the game, working in game development (we've been in the industry for years) or anything else that takes your fancy!
