Update 27
Some new, some old made new. (Did I already say this? I'm only 27 updates in and I'm already running of headlines.)
Better Firing Range
The old firing range had a serious oversight: It did not have the camera be the size it is when you're in combat. This meant you didn't get the right idea of how weapons perform. Now, the firing range lets you see how weapons do at up to 15 meters.
New Level
2-3 is out, the last regular level of Sector 2. This is definitely my most ambitious level yet, with more rooms than any past level and the most unique rooms so far. It also takes the short part of 2-1 where you can go split paths and takes it farther. Overall, I'm rather proud of it, and I'm hoping Sector 3 is crazier.
Other Changes/Additions
- The cannonball's collider is smaller.
- I made this change because when the cannonball's collider (solid hitbox) was the same size as the trigger (hitbox that things go through), certain interactions were impossible. I'm hoping now that it's smaller, it allows the trigger to hit things.
- Enemy cannonballs have less bounces.
- Instead of 5, it's now 3. Cannonballs have 5 bounces so it can hit plenty of targets, but since there's only one of you, this just means enemy cannonballs were excessively hard to dodge. Now that it's 3, it's more manageable, especially when there's multiple cannonballs (you'll definitely feel that in this level).
- Pause screens now have flavor text.
- I decided to spice up the pause screen by giving you a blurb when you pause. You get a different one for each level. These blurbs give you lore, rather silly observations, and some... ...implications. Enjoy!
- Added explosive barrels to older levels.
- I felt that explosive barrels were seriously underused. I mean, there were two in one room in one level and that's it. I decided to sprinkle some into past levels to either make them more interesting or make them easier. I think you'll especially appreciate the Tankinator's barrels. He won't, though.
Plans
- Better enemy pathing
- Right now, enemies pick a random spot near them and go to it. If something they avoid is close to them, they change direction to get away. However, not only is this pretty buggy, like how two enemies being to close to each other makes them freak out, but it's also limiting since it's the same logic for every enemy and is not remotely flexible. I mean, drones will literally just keep bumping into a table if one is between it and you.
- Redo the Tankinator
- The Tankinator is by far the buggiest part of the game. Not just that, but he kills performance. I have a good computer, and even it has a lag spike when the boss starts. He's also just generally annoying to fix. This means I'll need to build him back up from scratch, which may lead to a rework of the fight.
I definitely have a long way to go, but I now have a release window: August. This means once school ends, I'll have a three month window where I can work as much as I want. I'll also get more help as my partner will be more available too. This should be when the levels are all made and everything is in place. I'll let you know more when we get to that time.