Dione Project is finally out on itch.io!

Hey everyone! Gustavo here.

Dione Project is finally available on itch.io! You can download and play it here.

This is version 0.1.0, available for Windows in both English and Brazilian Portuguese.

In the last devlog, I mentioned that I'd open a public playtest once everything on my list was finished. Well, most of it is done, but there's still some stuff missing, and I decided I didn't want to keep delaying the playtest just because of that.

So, instead of waiting, I decided to just release it for everyone to try!

There's no need for keys or anything like that. Anyone can download the game and play it, and honestly, I'd much rather have people playing, finding bugs, and giving me feedback while I keep working on the rest.

If you left your email to receive a playtest key, you don't need one anymore! But you'll still receive new devlogs and updates.

The game will remain free on itch.io while it's in development. I'm also working on getting it on Steam, where I plan to release it as a paid Early Access game. Once the Steam page is ready, I'll share it here so you guys can wishlist it!

So, what's new?

Quite a lot, actually!

Most of the things I mentioned in the previous devlog are already in the game, and I also ended up adding a bunch of other stuff along the way.

Here's what you can do in the current version.

Building your own home

You can now claim your own piece of land by crafting a hearth and placing it somewhere in the world.

From there, you can expand your land using metal bars, build your own house, and even give your friends permission to build with you.

The building system works by snapping pieces together. You can place walls, floors, roofs, stairs, and other structures using different materials like wood, stone, brick, and plaster.

Just press B to enter building mode!

One thing to keep in mind is that you can only build on land you own. If you try placing something outside your territory, it'll eventually crumble.

Farming and animals

Farming is also in!

There are currently 19 different crops you can grow, including things like wheat, cassava, and a bunch of others.

You can plant them on your land, water them using a watering can, and harvest them once they're ready. You can refill the watering can at any water source.

And of course, what would a farm be without animals?

You can tame animals, keep them in pens, bring pets into combat, and even use some of them as mounts.

Some mounts can also fly, like the thunderbird and the drake!

More interactive crafting

This is one of the things I really wanted to have in the game.

Instead of everything being made through a single crafting menu, there are different stations for different activities.

You can turn wool into cloth using a loom, process crops into flour at a mill, turn hides into leather, and use dyes to change materials.

There's also a tailor's table where you can cut and stitch your own equipment.

There are currently ten different dyes, and I plan to keep expanding the crafting systems as development continues.

Base raids

Having your own home is nice, but it doesn't mean it's completely safe lol.

Raids can happen at night, with enemies coming in waves to attack your base.

They can break structures, destroy crops, and even spill the items from your chests.

For now, you'll have to defend your home using your weapons, pets, walls, and hopefully a few friends.

I still want to add more ways to defend your base, like traps and defensive structures, but those aren't ready yet.

Progression, quests, and exploration

I also made some changes to progression.

Crafting and gathering now give XP, so you don't have to get all your levels from fighting enemies.

You can also upgrade weapons to match your current level without losing their special powers. So if you find a weapon you really like, you don't necessarily have to throw it away a few levels later!

There are also more quests to find while exploring, like hunting named creatures, clearing ruins, or looking for valuable resources.

And for those who get really far into the game, I added something else.

Meteors!

Once someone in the world reaches level 75 or higher, meteors can start falling in regions above level 85, roughly every couple of in-game days.

You'll have to defeat a Star Golem guarding the crater, and then you can collect the starmetal left behind.

So yeah, there's something to look forward to when you reach the higher levels lol.

And a bunch of other things

I also ended up adding a few things that weren't originally on the list.

You can now fast travel between your hearth, waystones you craft, and houses you own in towns.

Mining has also been improved. You dig in the direction you're looking, and the camera follows you into the tunnels.

There's a crafting book that shows you what can be made at each station, so you don't have to guess every recipe.

And there are some new dungeons too, like hobgoblin forts, smugglers' cellars, and crystal lairs.

These dungeons have rooms that you need to clear before moving forward. Once you've defeated everything in a room, the next door opens.

What's still missing?

There are still a few things I'm working on and polishing, but I didn't want to delay the playtest just because of that.

One thing I want to make clear is that the pet system is far from finished. Pets are already in the game, but I was mostly just testing things when I added them, so don't expect them to work perfectly yet lol. There's still a lot I want to improve there.

I'm also working on the initial guidance system to help new players understand what to do when they first start playing.

So if you feel a little lost at the beginning, don't worry! I'm aware of it, and I'm working on making those first hours easier to understand.

A few things before you play

First of all, this is a very early version of the game.

There will be bugs. Probably quite a few of them lol.

I'm releasing it now because I want people to actually play it and help me figure out what needs to be improved.

The game currently requires:

• Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit
• A graphics card that supports Vulkan 1.3

If you experience missing walls, roofs, or characters, flickering shadows, or crashes when starting the game, try launching it using "Play (safe mode)" in the game's folder.

Also, since the game isn't digitally signed yet, Windows might show a warning about an unknown publisher. If you trust the download from the official itch.io page, you can select "More info" and then "Run anyway".

Playing with friends

One of the things I enjoy the most about Dione Project is playing it with my friends, and I really hope you guys get to have some fun together too.

The game currently supports up to 8 players in co-op.

For now, multiplayer works through a dedicated server.

One person needs to download Dione Project Server from the itch.io page and run Start server.bat.

The server uses port 12345, and there's a HOSTING.txt file explaining how to set everything up.

Once the server is running, everyone else can select Multiplayer in the game and enter the host's address.

Just make sure everyone is using the same game version!

And now... I really want to hear what you think!

This is probably the part I'm most excited about.

I've spent so much time working on this game, testing things, changing mechanics, fixing bugs, and playing with my friends, that I'm really curious to see what happens when other people finally get their hands on it.

I want to know what you enjoyed, what you didn't like, what felt confusing, what you think is missing, and especially what kind of crazy bugs you manage to find lol.

Seriously, don't be afraid to criticize things. That's one of the main reasons I'm opening this playtest!

You can join the Discord server, where there are channels for bugs and feedback, or just leave a comment here on the devlog.

And if you enjoy the game, sharing it with someone who might like it would help me a LOT!

Anyway, that's it for now!

Thank you to everyone who's been following the project, commenting on my posts, and showing interest in the game.

It's really nice to finally have something playable to share with you guys.

Download Dione Project on itch.io

Hope you have fun!

Gustavo