DevLog 3 - What are you Baking?

Overview of Project Updates

I have spent these past few weeks of development on Flour & Fortune updating the DBCS (Discrete Baking Categorisation System) and making it playable in the white box. I implemented this in-game so that the player can combine ingredients to make various unique mixtures/doughs/recipes. Additionally, I created three different demo models of the final baked goods that may end up in the game and started working on the visual effects.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In-Game Visual Effects

To help with visual synthesis, the game’s VFX are stylised. When the player rotates any powder ingredient containers (such as flour, sugar, cinnamon, etc.), 2D square particle effects show as pouring out of the container. This aims to assist the player in knowing if they are adding ingredients to their mixture. The quantity of the particles shown when pouring is directly linked to how much the player has rotated the container (i.e., a larger rotation results in more particles). See below for the system in-game.

Figure 1: Particle Effect Quantity Effected by Rotation

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3D Game Models Demo and Visual Effects

Flour & Fortune’s baked goods and environment are designed with stylised realism. The brush strokes on the models will be visible yet kept close enough to reality to pass as such at a glance. Below are three baked goods models (with textures) for demonstration:

Figure 2: Open Filled Tart (with Raspberry Jam) with Pineapple Slices

Figure 3: Croissant with Cream and Sprinkles

Figure 4: Croissant (Burnt) with Cream and Cherries

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Discrete Baking Coded System (DBCS)

One of the most essential elements of Flour & Fortune is its original categorisation system. This system categorises each discrete element of each baked good into separate parts. The core function of this complex coding system is to record (in local long-term computer memory storage) and regenerate the 3D models for the player when they reopen the game. Below is an example of a baked good using the DBCS (this code has been updated since week 1). Figure 2 includes the decoder for each of the variables in the DBCS.

Figure 5: Flour & Fortune’s Original Discrete Baking Categorisation System

Figure 6: Flour & Fortune’s Discrete Baking Categorisation System Decoder

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scoring System and Guessing the Recipe

The method to categorise each of the baked goods operates using two methods:

1. The first section of the categorisation system functions similarly to Guess Who (1979). The game splits each possible baked good into six categories to discern which recipe is closest to what the player is attempting to bake. Each category has 3-6 potential recipes, narrowed down in the second section.
   1. Does not contain liquids (i.e., no water, milk, oil, or butter)
   2. Does not contain flour: macaroon, macaron, and icing/frosting
   3. Contain yeast, starter, or more than 20% baking powder: bread
   4. Contains egg: cupcakes, muffins, brownies, cookies
   5. Contains more than 12.5% water: hardtack, cracker, scone, tart
   6. Contains less than 12.5% water: roux, shortbread, gingerbread, crumble

1. The second section ranks each core ingredient in the player’s mixture. For example, if the player mixes 500 grams of flour, 300 grams of butter, and 186 grams of sugar - the recipe would fall under category ‘f’ (as above). Then, the computer filters through these final four recipes (roux, shortbread, gingerbread, and crumble). The ingredients are compared against the ideal percentages in the recipes as below:
   1. Roux: 50% flour, 50% butter, 0% sugar
   2. Shortbread: 50% flour, 33.3% butter, 16.7% sugar
   3. Crumble: 50% flour, 25% butter, 25% sugar

Following these recipes, the predicted outcome for the mixture in the example is shortbread at a 96% confidence rate.

Figure 7: In-game screenshot of Bakery Whitebox: Shortbread at 96% Confidence

Figure 8: Section of ‘Super and Sub Categories’ Spreadsheet (as referenced in Figure 4)

Figure 9: Section of Recipe Ranking Code In-Game

That’s all for now! The next devlog is coming on 14th January 2024.

- Stephen Rockett