Statistics

Production was looking good for this sprint with 203 points assigned and 161 points completed, which leaves 42 points that were leftover. This was more than double the points completed last sprint! The average velocity is now 113 points per sprint. Based on the burndown chart the progress is looking good so far and we are expected to finish on time if we keep up the same pace.

Programming

Our programmers got some great work done creating the scanner goggles mechanic, the contract system, and the Rogue Bot enemy AI. When toggled on, the scanner goggles create a radar ping effect that scans the environment around the player to find items the player can loot. When the radar detects a lootable object, it will light up blue. This mechanic is going to be very important later in the game when the scrapyard is full of trash and clutter. The player will have to rely on the scanner goggles to seek out objects they can collect in the piles of trash.

The framework for the contract system has been set up so the player is now able to scroll through the list of available contracts to make. When the player accepts a contract, it will appear in the player’s inventory under the “contracts” tab so they can keep track of the robots they are making. When a contract is completed, the player will automatically get credits added to their total amount so it feels like they are getting paid for the work they do creating robots for customers. 

The enemy AI for the rogue bots had to be altered a bit, so now these enemies are able to detect the player and do a charge at them. Instead of the bot simply running over to the player and meleeing, the robot does a fast dash at the player and the player will have to dash out of the way to avoid getting hurt. 

2D design

Our 2D artist had some fun creating artwork that feels like trash cluttered all over the place in various colors. We can now take this artwork and turn it into a future funk stylized texture that feels like a compacted trash cube like the example shown below. Height maps can be applied to the texture as well and create more of a sense of depth rather than it being a flat cube. Thanks to all the clutter and different shapes in the images, we are able to make multiple visually different cubes out of one image to add quick and easy variety to these models. 

3D models

The pick-up items modeled this sprint were the metal cog, bundle of wires, oil, and a sensor. Some scrapyard environmental props were created as well, and are meant to help fill in space to make the scene feel like a cluttered junkyard. There were also some props modeled for the game loop such as the hologram bulletin board, which the player can interact with to accept contracts to build robots. The player’s workbench was modeled where the player can interact with a world space UI to build their robots. Lastly, the player’s gun has been modeled, which they will use to shoot and kill enemies lurking in the scrapyard. 

Character models

There were a couple great character models designed this sprint as well. This robot dog is going to be an option to build in the workshop, and the Rogue Bot is going to be an enemy patrolling the scrapyard as an obstacle for the player. There are multiple different faces and textures to add variety to the game. The pink rogue bots are going to explode on impact with the player, so they are visually different in order for the player to easily identify the difference. 

Level Design

A few more level blockouts of different sections of the world have been created, one of which was used in our first prototype build of the game. This will help establish the blueprint for the flow of the levels, and now that there are completed models the designers will be able to fill in these blockouts with game objects and start to bring things to life. 

The team did a great job this sprint! Lots of great models and mechanics have been added to the game now, and the hope is by the end of Sprint 3 the player will be able to build and sell the robots. This will complete the basics of the core game loop and the programmers will then be able to refine the whole loop and ensure everything runs smoothly. Come back in two weeks to see more updates!