For this Sprint, we managed to make a lot of progress forward. I was very happy with my team’s progress and what they have created.

Programming

For our programming, the first changes we incorporated were bug fixes. We looked at our previous build and took all the bugs found by playtesters and fixed them. After this, we finished up our core loop this sprint.

 We implemented our upgrades feature. The upgrade feature is essential to creating progression for the player. It allows them to actively upgrade their level and abilities making it easier to play the loop. It also gives more meaning as to why players are selling robots and being able to use those credits earned. 

After this, we implemented our selling bin. This is the last step of the loop and allows for players to cash out their contracts  for credits. This mechanic is important because it closes the loop and rewards the players for successfully completing a contract.

Finally, we added animations and its AI script to our second enemy type, the scavenger. This is our long range enemy and is necessary to the game for several reasons. Firstly, we already have a close up melee enemy and we need a long range to balance out and create variation in the gameplay. Furthermore, this enemy is meant to further increase the challenge as players progress through the game. This is necessary since we want to maintain a steady flow throughout the game. 

3D Art

The first major model that was completed this sprint was Lumen’s workshop. This is an essential model  since it’s where players will spend a large majority of their time, building and selling robots. We needed this model to not only be a functional area for the player but also have it fit the aesthetic that we are trying to achieve. We are going for a lofi/ future funk sci-fi  aesthetic and this workshop needs to be able to show that.

We also completed the vault and the chassis container. The Vault can be found in the workshop and it’s where players deposit all of their resources after returning from the scrapyard. This model needed to be clear to the player that this is where you drop off resources. So it was essential it looked appealing.

The chassis container is another essential container. These are found in the scrapyard and it’s where players can unlock new  buildable robots. This is important for several reasons. Firstly, it allows for progression. By steadily adding new robots to build, players are allowed to gain a sense of completion and progression. Secondly, new robots allow for more contracts, which in turn allows them to make faster progress.

We also modeled our attack bot. This model was originally our third enemy type. It was meant to combine long range with short range combat and it was meant to be the hardest enemy in the game. However, this has been cut for the time being, since we are making some changes to the game. First, the map has been cut down, so we don’t have enough space to fully add a smooth flow increase. We also do not have enough time to fully create all of these mechanics needed for this robot. The main reason I cut all of this, is to scale back on our combat and focus on what is most important. 

However, the model is still being utilized as the third buildable robot type. So we still have a good use for them and will still be essential to the game’s building feature.

Finally, we created some more scrapyard props and ground textures. The scrapyard props are good for filling the scene and to give players more to interact with using the physics we added. The idea is to use these props to hide containers and force players to use their scanner and have fun moving the trash out of the way.

The ground textures also help set the scene and allow us to create paths and different areas. This is very valuable for level design and helping navigate players through our map.

Animations 

We also completed our gear animations. First we have our gear switch animations. These are necessary to create a smooth transition between gear. Next we added our scavenging animation for our wrench. This animation needed to look really fluid and quick, since players will be seeing this animation constantly. We needed it to feel like it has a strong impact on the containers it scavenges.

Level Design

Finally, we fully set the outline for our level. We added all of our boundaries to the game and the general overlay of the map. We condensed the map greatly and made sure it felt like a true scrapyard. Each section connects with each other and we have distinct gates that require the player to upgrade their wrench in order to progress.

Overall, We made a huge push forward and the game is starting to take shape.  So proud and eager to complete this game.