{"id":1546,"date":"2025-01-24T14:33:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T14:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/?p=1546"},"modified":"2025-10-24T09:53:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T09:53:02","slug":"full-game-level-up-festivals-beta-test-approaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/2025\/01\/full-game-level-up-festivals-beta-test-approaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Full game level up, festivals &amp; beta test approaching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Hello everyone! I&#8217;m so sorry, I&#8217;ve just realized I forgot to post the December news here! So here it is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s time for another development update on Zefyr: A Thief\u2019s Melody. Progress has been steady, with lots of improvements across the board. Let\u2019s dive right in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I &#8211; Functional &amp; Graphics Improvements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve been testing the full game once again after all the latest updates, and while things are looking better, I found plenty more to refine. Here\u2019s what I\u2019ve been focusing on lately:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content Updates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>World Enhancements: Every level has been upgraded with added details like vegetation, stencils, rocks, grass, fog effects, set dressing, and other polish.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Animal Additions: The world now features 35 unique animal species, with over 100 individual animals scattered throughout. Each one has its own avatar too!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collectible Quests: I\u2019ve compiled a complete list of animals and flowers, so now the \u201ccollect\u201d quests are officially finishable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chocolate Placement: Three chocolates now grant you one additional heart, and you can finish the game with a total of 10 hearts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key &amp; Boss Updates: All key cards and bosses now have updated avatars.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>New SFX: A tiny but satisfying touch\u2014slingshot sound effects are in!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fixes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Graphics Issues: I\u2019ve addressed glitches with lock FXs, transparency problems, and visual FX bugs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Character Faces: Some NPCs and guards got a facelift, literally! Improved skin textures and optimized imports make them more consistent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Grapple &amp; Climb Bugs: Annoying issues with these mechanics in certain cases have been resolved.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Save Fixes: Fixed saving problems with open-world bosses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Camera Consistency: Now the camera behaves uniformly when showing switches or doors being activated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Optimizations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Merged plant objects for better performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cleaned up old, unused game objects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Refined and updated the world map.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With these changes, the main and side quests are now fully functional. There\u2019s still a bit of content to add in certain zones, but overall, the game is graphically nearly as polished as the demo. Characters look more coherent, and here are a few new screenshots:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20240311_095731_040.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"505\" src=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20240311_095731_040-1024x505.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20240311_095731_040-1024x505.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20240311_095731_040-300x148.jpg 300w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20240311_095731_040-768x379.jpg 768w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20240311_095731_040-1536x758.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20240311_095731_040-1320x651.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20240311_095731_040.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_151802_586.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_151802_586-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_151802_586-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_151802_586-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_151802_586-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_151802_586-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_151802_586-1320x743.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_151802_586.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241128_110915_058.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241128_110915_058-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241128_110915_058-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241128_110915_058-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241128_110915_058-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241128_110915_058-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241128_110915_058-1320x743.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241128_110915_058.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150757_121.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150757_121-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150757_121-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150757_121-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150757_121-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150757_121-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150757_121-1320x743.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150757_121.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150321_923.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150321_923-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1552\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150321_923-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150321_923-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150321_923-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150321_923-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150321_923-1320x743.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_150321_923.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_145650_258.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_145650_258-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_145650_258-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_145650_258-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_145650_258-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_145650_258-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_145650_258-1320x743.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20241107_145650_258.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, there\u2019s still plenty to do in terms of narration, cutscenes, music, and sound. Those will be the next big areas of focus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">II &#8211; Community &amp; Festivals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steam Next Fest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I participated in the Steam Next Fest recently. The results were a mixed bag; +800 wishlists: Not as many as I had hoped, but the feedback was positive. Players enjoyed the demo, which is great reassurance for me as a solo dev!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">GWB Awards Finalist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I was thrilled to be a finalist in the GWB Awards (organized by Tencent). While I didn\u2019t win, making it that far was already a big achievement\u2014it\u2019s the first time Zefyr has been selected for a festival with such high standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also got a small visibility boost from being featured on the dedicated Steam page for a few days, which brought in +100 wishlists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I added this nice logo to the Steam page (the 1st of the reward section):<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GWB2024_Finalist.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GWB2024_Finalist-1024x752.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1554\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GWB2024_Finalist-1024x752.png 1024w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GWB2024_Finalist-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GWB2024_Finalist-768x564.png 768w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GWB2024_Finalist-1536x1127.png 1536w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GWB2024_Finalist-1320x969.png 1320w, https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GWB2024_Finalist.png 1921w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social Media<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve been trying to stay active on social media, with posts on Reddit (where I\u2019m still running a few ads), X, and Bluesky. Speaking of Bluesky\u2014it\u2019s been blowing up lately! I gained over 1,000 followers in just a few weeks, thanks to being featured in a few \u201cGame Dev&#8221; starter packs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d like to join me there (especially as X continues to lose active users), here\u2019s the link:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/steamcommunity.com\/linkfilter\/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2Fprofile%2Foneiricworlds.bsky.social\">https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/oneiricworlds.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">III &#8211; Beta Testing News<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The full game is now in the hands of a few trusted friends for testing. And luckily&#8230; they\u2019re not holding back. They\u2019ve pointed out a lot of issues, especially with the level flow in some critical areas. I\u2019ll be addressing all their feedback to ensure future testers don\u2019t have to suffer as much!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Private Beta in December<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The next step is the official private beta test, which I plan to launch in December. Think of it as a little Christmas present for some of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll share the details on my social platforms, Patreon, and Discord, so stay tuned!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s it for now. Thanks so much for your continued support\u2014it means the world to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take care, and I\u2019ll see you in the next update, hopefully a beta announcement!<br>Peace!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>~ Mathias<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hello everyone! I&#8217;m so sorry, I&#8217;ve just realized I forgot to post the December news here! So here it is: It\u2019s time for another development update on Zefyr: A Thief\u2019s Melody. Progress has been steady, with lots of improvements across the board. Let\u2019s dive right in! I &#8211; Functional &amp; Graphics Improvements I\u2019ve been testing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[95,52,94,48,93],"class_list":["post-1546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-beta","tag-devlog","tag-graphics","tag-news","tag-optimization"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1546"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1595,"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546\/revisions\/1595"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oneiricworlds.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}