Toby Fox Provides Update to Deltarune Development

Since the release of episode 1 of Deltarune has been eagerly waiting for the next episode. With Toby Fox providing an update on the progress of Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, confirming it's still a long way from completion.

Toby Fox explained that the process or making Deltarune has been much more complicated given the game's more in-depth story and gameplay. 

We had actually attempted to develop the game since the time too. Development started around March 2019 and a 99% work was spent on investigating engines alternate to GameMaker, which I used for Chapter 1.

Without getting into the details, I decided a few months ago to go back to GameMaker after all. It still felt like the best fit for the project. So using Chapter 1 as a base, we've started creating Chapter 2 since May 2020.

Fox did provide an estimate of what has been completed for both chapters 2 and 3 but states that these numbers are just an estimate.

CHAPTER 2 (04.15.20 - 08.13.20)

Phase 1: Design

Main Design 100% (dialogue, etc.)

Initial Setup: 100% (stuff involved setting up people to make the game, adding debug tools, documentation, etc.)

Phase 2: Implementation (05.01.20 ~ 08.13.20)

Art: 90%

Cutscenes: 80% (90% are started, needs 2nd pass)

Bullet Patterns: 70% (enemies are mostly completed, bosses are about 40% done, needs 2nd pass)

Non-Bullet Battle Elements: 30% (Some ACTs are done and enemies are fightable, but interactive ACTs need to be completed and polished and the bosses aren't programmed outside of bullet patterns)

Audio: 80%

Maps: ??% most are started or placeholder, most need 2nd pass. NPC interactions are completed in all spots where written.

Other: 65%

Phase 3: Finishing

Balancing: 0%

Bugfixing: 0%

Translation: 0%

Porting: 0%

PROGRESS CHAPTERS 3+

Phase 1: Design

Story and General Game Progression (First-pass) 100%

Cutscene Dialogue (First-pass, lacking cutscene instructions) 95%

Map Design (textual) 70% (varies per chapter, earlier chapters totally completed)

Map Design (drawn) 0% (this takes a lot of wrist energy so I don't do it until we start programming)

Enemy Design (conceptual) 90% (all bosses are known)

Enemy Design (bullets/visual) 80% (varies per chapter, earlier chapters totally completed)

Music (Concept) 95%

Music (Completed) 50%

Visual Design:

BG concept (First-pass) 75%

Important Character, Bosses (First-pass) 100%

Phase 2

Sprite Art 20%?

Other Content Creation 0%

Phase 3

Release Readiness 0%

Toby closed off the blog stating that he is looking to hire people for Deltarune. Hoping Chapter 2 would establish the edifice for future chapters and making development easier.

Deltarune Chapter 1 is now available for free on PC.

Adam Siddiqui,
Managing Editor, NoobFeed
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