LÖVE

And Micha-
I pretty much fixed everything you mentioned in your list. I guess I was pushing the whole NES aesthetic too far, and a lot of people just didn't like it. The non diagonal was supposed to be like the original Legend of Zelda. The lighting thing- I was too excited to get the basics down that I ignored the choppyness and etc.

So my apologies. You had valid criticism, and I was just kinda not seeing it. Thought part of me is wishing I'd kept the non-diagonal movement- was a bit more "true" to the old NES style. Thought I was the only one who seemed to like it at all, lol.

I also liked it.

Thanks for writing these lines.

I know how hard it is to get critizism. Especially when you are proud of something you just finished and then people seem to not get how awesome the thing is. I struggle with this every time.

jjmafiae - good to know I'm not the only one!

I'm thinking of doing a game later that is very bare bones, zelda style, with the non-diagonal movement, and uses procedural map generation. So it would be like a zelda rogue like, of sorts. But that's in the future, this one is first- I have to tell this story

Lags a lot on Windows 8.1

BTW: 50th Post! I'm now a citizen! Yay

Works fine on the W8.1 machines I've tried

A more detailed machine specs would be useful, but I have changed a lot of the base code and it might not lag for you anymore. Of course, that base code isn't available outside of my small development group right now...so I guess you'll have to wait & see

...and, a new screenshot, this time showing off the new sprite art, and the sophistication of the engine's shadow casting.

Shadows looking nice!
Now if only you could keep them from beig so blocky (or was that your intention?)

Yup was on purpose.

I like the blocky shadows... it goes well with the blocky lake, I think...