Dev Blog 2

This sprint, we focused on getting a playable prototype out so the basic gameplay loop could be playtested and iterated upon. However, we also had some team restructuring due to professor intervention.

Dylan and Chase, our two very talented programmers, worked on hammering out a basic gameplay loop. 

Chase programmed a system that allows the enemies to detect and shoot at the player. This would allow the player to go up against enemies that can fight back. This system will be the backbone of the enemy AI behavior. The most basic behavior they will utilize is moving up to the player, detecting them, and then shooting at them.

Overall I am satisfied with the pace of our current progress but I would like to work on iterating on the combat next. Our current play test has a lot of traversal and movement  but not a lot of combat. I want to create a combat playtest next where enemies can be spawned during game runtime and fought in a nice open area so we can test different combat strategies both against certain body types and using said body types. I also want an area where combat and hacking can both be utilized freely so I can test its effectiveness as a combat, movement, and healing tool. 

I wanted the enemy behavior to be relatively simple because I am aware that enemy AI programming is extremely time consuming and with 2 programmers, and a possible second team shuffle, I want to minimize the amount of stress our programmers go through. Furthermore, the enemy AI doesn’t need to do anything more than detect the enemy and shoot since I want the player to use their mobility to outpace the enemy shooting as well as make hacking and possessing them easier. These both can be accomplished by simplifying enemy movement. 

Chase and Dylan also worked on implementing the different weapons found in the game like the shotgun. 

Next, the level designers completed the tutorial level for the first electronic playtest. However, we suffered a setback when one of our level designers, Brad Farris, was reassigned to another team by the professors. Despite this setback, our only remaining level designer, Ange, was able to finish the tutorial level in time for the playtest. 

Angel also did some amazing VFX work for us with a shield effect, steam jet, fire, missile trails, and sparks particles.

Our modelers also made some amazing progress on the player character bodies as well as the primary weapons. A great example of this is Peter’s shotgun model. 

With the shotgun, I told him to model it off of the Franchi SPAS-12 semi-automatic shotgun. I went with this specific model of shotgun because of its iconic shape and silhouette. This is made possible by its folding stock which gives it a menacing  “crest” shape on top.

Dylan W worked on the minigun for the heavy body modeled off of the GAU-8 Avenger aircraft cannon as well as the light body. With the light body I told Dylan to focus more on sleek, aerodynamic shapes that would give the light body a fast, agile look while also making it look more fragile and frail. 

This would give the player the subconscious idea that the light bodies are maneuverable but physically weak when they first see them in combat. Overall, I think he did a great job. Jonathan worked mainly on the heavy body. For him I gave the direction of making the body very bulky, large, and imposing. To accentuate this, it was the only body with quad crab legs as well as having its head in the center of its chest. This makes it seem like it has a hunchback as well as accentuating the thickness and size of its torso. 

This body looks like a heavy, enforcer type enemy that can take a punch and hit back just as hard. Furthermore, the enemy’s heavy look means that they don’t look agile or maneuverable like the light body. This is reflected in-game where they have the slowest movement speed.