Information about the next Gang Beasts pre-alpha build (0.0.3).

Posted by glumjamesbrown on Mar 19th, 2014

The Gang Beasts 0.0.3 pre-alpha build can now be downloaded from the links below.

Gang Beasts 0.0.3 pre-alpha Windows

Windows Gang Beasts 0.0.3 pre-alpha Mac



Since we posted the last pre-alpha build on IndieDB approximately 10 days ago, we have been working on a number of fixes and optimisations for the game and prototyping the Beef City subway system (that we plan to make the hub from which each stage and mode of the game is accessed).

We have made a lot of the planned modifications but still have several weeks of work to go to complete the changes we set out for the pre-alpha stage of the games development.

The key modifications in the next build are:

a fix for the ‘Trucks' stage to making Trucks ramp up to speed more slowly (and less erratically)

a fix for the falling state (making it easier to gain momentum when swinging and making falling characters fall in less rigid postures)

improvements to the articulation of the characters hip joints (for more immediate lateral character movement)

improvements to the characters foot placement when walking / running

optimised character colliders (see the embedded video for a demonstration, the optimised character test is on the right side of the frame)

improvements to the character turning circle (for more immediate changes of direction)

miscellaneous additional toys in the ‘Sandbox' stage

The key additions in the next build are:

a subway platform with a moving escalator, an elevator, and moving subway trains (with automated doors)

a stamina system for limiting the force of successive punches after a specified number of punches have been thrown (to make protracted fights more balanced and strategic)

an improved throwing / pushing mechanic

a ducking move to allow players to duck under some punches and squat to start uppercut punches (and to let other players jump onto and from their backs to other gain access to higher platforms etc.).

limits to the grabbing duration (linked to the character stamina)

additional small objects to grab and throw

We can't set a specific date for when we plan to make the 0.0.3 build available as we have a very busy end to the Month moving into the first Boneloaf office and promoting Gang Beasts at the three day EGX Rezzed event). We plan to make the last changes to the 0.0.3 build in the week following the Rezzed event and expect to submit the build to IndieDB on or before the 5th April.

The 0.0.3 build ends the public pre-alpha stage of the Gang Beasts development and should be the first build to have working versions of each of the key game mechanics (punching, grabbing, pushing, pulling, throwing, ducking, jumping, health, and stamina).When the Gang Beasts 0.0.3 pre-alpha build has been released we plan to take the next 6 - 8 weeks to make the 0.1.0 alpha build of the game, the alpha build will have Steam compatibility and a number of new game modes, stages, character body shapes and sizes, and miscellaneous props to play and fight with (and Linux support).

If the transition from the 0.0.3 pre-alpha to the 0.1.0 alpha has no significant issues we plan to release the 0.1.0 alpha through Steam Early Access at a discounted price for the first week to fund the development of the full Gang Beasts game.

Thank you to the IndieDB, Steam, Giant Bomb, Nerd3, YouTube, Friend Zone, ‘Rock, Paper, Shotgun', Reddit, Cinelinx, Facebook, Twitter and other communities for playing and promoting Gang Beasts and helping us to promote Gang Beasts and get it Greenlit, we have had over 200,000 visitors to the IndieDB page and close to 100,000 downloads of the PC and Mac builds.

We would like to give special thanks to Teesside Game Developers Network (@TeessideGDN), Milo Keeble (@Ragepyro), Bruce Slater (@RadForgeBruce), Olly Bennett (@OllyOllyBennett), Richard Tongeman (@Chard6), Giant Bomb (@giantbomb), Matthew Rorie (@frailgesture), Jemma Cropper (@LightningJem), NerdCubed (@OfficialNerdCub), DadCubed (@DadNerdCubed), Daley Johnson (@Daley_Snaily), Samuel Read (@samread5), HyperSloth Games (@HyperSlothGames), GoPlayThat (@GoPlayThat), Diana Entwistle (@dianaentwistle), Graham Smith (@gonnas), Ga-Ma-Yo (@Ga_Ma_Yo), Andrew Crawshaw (@andrewcrawshaw), Dozenbeer (@Dozenbeer), Concon Madman (@conconjawa), Turn Based Attack (@TurnBasedAttack), Deborah Bestwick( @djbteamsters), Jamie Sefton (@Seffers007), Andrew Bennison and Update (@UpdateShow), Alex Wallace (@Stomach_Bug), Joe Robins (@Joe_Robins), Aaron Baker (@tk_aza), Jeremy Ndure (@jeremyndure), Dead Pixel (@OhNoesDeadPixel), Robert Larder (@HearNoEvilAudio), Mike Holton (@OriginsOfMo), ladermom (@ladermom), Phillip Profitt (@PProfitt), MattBodega (@MattBodega), and Dad Brown (@snoggarogga).