Finding the Fun - The Beginning

You'd think that after making RUNNER and Runner2, we'd already know exactly what to do to make Runner3 the powerful jab jab that it deserves to be.

We've been making frantic and fun sidescrolling auto-running games since before the genre even existed. We've got RUNNER, Runner2, all the retro levels in those games, and the addictive free-to-play Go! Go! CommanderVideo behind us.

So, slam dunk, right?

Well... as my incredibly handsome and pleasantly aromatic business partner Mike Roush pointed out in his most recent post, we're not content with just making a bigger/better sidescrolling auto-runner. We are plagued by always wanting to try something new. It's in our delicious essence. With the original BIT.TRIP series, each game was a distinct genre, with a wholly new gameplay style (except, arguably FLUX). And after Runner2, we went on to make Tharsis and Laserlife as well as several other smaller projects in our quest for new challenges. 

So for Mike and I, making sequels is somewhat problematic, which he talked about last week. 

And that's why we spent the first couple months of development prototyping a level that had the beginnings of each new feature we wanted to fart around with.

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We started by playing a lot of Runner2 and drawing what we wanted our Runner3 prototype to be on a giant ream of paper in our war room.

Like any prototype, you find some things that work well, and others that are best left to the cutting room floor. 

Here's some of what we learned:

What tickled our funglands:

• Changing CommanderVideo's speed
• Interesting use of camera animations
• Riding vehicles in frantic, short bursts
• Runner2-style gameplay
• Changing the music tempo
• A few multiple paths

What gave us mind-herpes:

• Drastic camera animations
• Long over-the-shoulder gameplay sections
• Long vehicle sections
• Super long levels
• Lots of multiple paths

By focusing on what we liked from the prototype, we've moved on to actually making the game. Hopefully the new sauce will be special enough and will keep the series as fresh as those ridiculous Garden Sausages we all know so well.

It's going to be a wild ride, and if you follow this devlog, you'll be along for a good part of it.

- Alex

An Update of Small Stature

Hey everyone!

After giving you all the heebie jeebies with the Runner3 asset we shared last week, I figured it was only fair we dial things down a notch and share something a little more mellow this go-around. A palette cleanser, if you will. 

Take a look:

Despite what many of you are probably thinking, the gif above is NOT of CommanderVideo. Do you know who it is? If so, would you be so kind as to enlighten everyone else in the comments below?

In case you missed the memo, our plan is to share something new from Runner3 on every Tuesday. We’re planning to post music, gameplay footage, screenshots, and so much more. Be sure to check back every week!

- Dant

Where Are We Going With This Whole Runner3 Thing?!

EVERYWHERE!

You might have noticed that our announcement image had ABSOLUTELY no running. This is fairly silly, considering the game is called Runner3. Well I am here to tell you that we are very silly people, but also, we are silly people that have already made two running games. We need to add as many herbs and spices to this tangy sausage as possible so that we can serve it to you with maximum flavor, aroma, and aftertaste. 

Making a sequel is a bit harder than you might think. We are bound to the rules of gameplay that have already been set in place. The fans have an expectation that is based off the previous game, so you need to honor that relationship. That said, you also need to reinvent and evolve the game, so it's not the same ole bag of beans. If we aren't careful, we can paint ourselves into a corner.

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UP, DOWN, and EVERYWHERE! WOO!

BIT.TRIP RUNNER was fairly linear, point A to Point B. Runner2's evolution saw this same linearity, but we had more ups and downs, along with splitting pathways and alternate exits. Runner3 will see a whole new world, with ups, downs, lefts and rights, split paths, and of course forwards!!! 

We are also adding a mechanic that we are calling "controlled events." A controlled event is basically what you see in the image. Commandervideo will now be in control of various vehicles, animals or whatever weird things our minds can dredge up from our frothy mucus filled mind tubes. 

Let's hear your ideas for some wacky rides! What kind of zany,hare-brained or down right preposterous chariots can you come up with? This could be anything you want and if they fit or make us laugh, we might just use your idea! - Example: Commandervideo riding a bologna sandwich like a flying carpet, and using a mustard bottles as a propellant. FREAK US OUT!

-Mike

Get Spooked With This Runner3 Asset

Hey everyone!

Now that we’ve entered the spookiest month of the year, I wanted to go ahead and share an appropriately creepy asset from Runner3. I should warn you, however, that this is not for the faint of heart. If you consider yourself easily frightened or unnerved, you may want to go ahead and click away.

Alright, now that all the scaredy cats are gone, let’s get down to business.

Moving forward, our plan is to share assets from the game on a regular basis. Sometimes these assets will be super exciting, and other times they’ll probably be a blade of grass or something similarly bland.* As more and more assets are shared, you'll start to get a good sense of what the world of Runner3 is going to be like.

Since this is our first time doing it, however, I figured we should start things off with a real banger. Feast your eyes on this deliciously creepy Runner3 asset:

Pretty mortifying, no? 

We'll be sharing another asset with you next week, but I hope this one whets your appetite in the meantime! Let's talk about it in the comments!

*This was not meant as a knock to grass. We are, by and large, a pro-grass company.

- Dant

The Retro Challenges of Runner3

Well hello there! I’m Jason Cirillo. I work on video games here at Choice Provisions, and everyday that I come to work, there’s always some kind of wacky new task to jump on, as well as some kind of bizarre foreign snack that we’re all daring each other to eat.

This time around, I’m absolutely thrilled to be hard at work on Runner3. The last time I worked on a Runner game with a numeral in it, it was Runner2. There, a big part of my job was designing the look and feel of the Retro Challenges. Well, I guess my work wasn’t a total disaster, because I’ve been asked to design the Retro Challenges yet again.

For those of you who don’t know, (which is approximately 99.99% of you) I am a huge fan of not just old video games, but also old cartoons and animation. I have always really enjoyed the stylings of Friz Freleng (Pink Panther, Ant and Aardvark) and Hanna-Barbera, particularly works from the 1960s and 70s. We thought this time around, it might be a lot of fun to explore those styles and see what we could do with those as inspiration.

Here's a preview of the style we're going for in the Retro Challenges of Runner3. Although this art isn't technically final, it's fair to say that it's very close:

CommanderVideo has explored worlds reminiscent of the Atari 2600 days as well as the 1980’s 8-Bit NES style era, and we wondered what it would be like if he found himself transported to a world unlike any he’s ever visited before.

So far, all I can tell you is that we are having some gigantic belly laughs at the world we’re putting together for CV to romp around in. The terrain and creatures and enemies that lurk here are absolutely unlike anything you’ve ever seen before in CommanderVideo’s worlds. I am genuinely very, very excited about what we’re doing with these special “Retro” Challenges this time around, and I think you’re really going to love it.

I’d love to answer whatever questions I can (at this point) as well as hear your thoughts on Retro Challenges! Have at it in the comments.

Till next time!

- Jason