Posted June 23, 2023 by dadako
The world around us is moving. Day becomes night, clouds become rain and people move around doing various tasks. Some things are also constant; water is wet, gravity makes things fall and it is easier to destroy than it is to build.
Many great games have captured loops. Some of the first to do this captured very basic information. Enough for players to feel like the world on their screen had come alive to certain extent. The feeling of being present in a world where not everything is only a reaction to player input.
Modern expectations of a world that is alive are on par with the most modern titles. How did games before this handle basic elements? What would be the pre-requisites? We studied the greats. Zelda Majora's Mask, Hunter & Castlevania II (it's a terrible joke). Here are some of the things that have made it into the Bad Pixels:
Complicated systems! We have a lot of experience programming these systems already. Deep interest in making day / night systems for NPC habits, will unlock more gameplay possibilities. Catch a train! Catch a postman! Study the habits of certain NPCs and catch your bounty.
Bad Pixels isn't as sprawling as modern games, by any stretch, it's still a dumb-shooter. Yet this update has added a lot more depth to the game. World building to make the game feel more alive.
Drop your comments below if you'd like to share your favourite moment in a game with daily loops.