Due to work, I'm getting a much later start than I had hoped. I wanted to do a more detailed devlog, but I'll be lucky to even publish a finished game. It's been over 6 months since I've done a game jam so I've been itching to work these muscles. I had a blast during the last LOWREZJAM, so I couldn't wait for it to come back around.
I decided during the lead up to the event that there were a few things I wanted to try a do in this project.
- Continue working with procedural stage generation. I started playing around with this in my A Game By Its Cover entry.
- Create a seamless world wrap, so it feels like your moving in a infinite loop. I tried this in past project years ago, and never got it to work the way I would have liked.
- Create a platformer where you can jump on enemies to "attack". As simple/basic as it might seem, I've never actually done a project that uses this mechanic.
- Create artwork last (or much later in pipeline). I typically lead with artwork and as a result usually have a very incomplete feeling project as far as mechanics and level design. I'm even going to try and put sound ahead of visuals.
So, over the last two days I started working on a vertical, procedural generated, "out-run" platformer. The back story that I've started working out in my head is you play as an alligator in a sewer that is being flushed out by an exterminator. I already have ideas for the pixels, but I've resisted and will hopefully start tackling those tonight/tomorrow.
For the procedural generation, I plan to create modules(a section of platforms/world approximately 64x64 or 64x128) that will be strung together to create the level. I had initially thought I'd do an infinite runner, but decided I wanted to add another bullet to my scope list. Boss Battles! I'd like to include boss stages and boss AI(something else I've never done). Keeping with my story, the exterminator is the big bad. In fact the boss will always be the exterminator, that will get a new attack/mechanic each time you see him. Right now, I've thrown together a few "modules" (they need some work as far as good platforming) and the amount of modules used will increase with each stage. As you advancing to the higher stages it will also pull from a larger module pool, including more and more difficult layouts. Will probably insert the boss stage every 4 stages.
I'm not sure how I feel about the "seamless loop". You can compare the following two gifs to see the difference.
The above capture uses a stage that is only 64px wide (the width of the window). However, the camera always follows the player and the world is infinitely wrapped. As a result, the world feels a little larger and you end up with some interesting approaches to the platforming.
The next capture is the same stage but this time the camera is static on the x-axis. The player still "wraps" but the stage definitely feels smaller and more confined. I think I like it better though. It may be the nostalgic callbacks to the original Kid Icarus though.
I've also created 4 enemy AIs (though they aren't used very well in the prototype).
- "Ping Pong" (red) - ping pongs at walls and ledges.
- "Dropper" (red with blue down arrow) - ping pongs at walls but will drop off ledges
- "Hopper" (orange) - will hop forward 3 times when player is within range
- "Dasher" (green) - when the player is within line of site, will do a windup animation (not present in prototype), and then charge towards the player.
I'm thinking about adding two more enemies
- "vomiter/slug" - this would be a re-use from my last lowrez jam. vomits a hazard as well as leaves a hazardous trail on blocks
- "spike" - an enemy you cant jump on. Mainly to add more difficulty in later stages.
I'll be posting pixels in my next update hopefully.
If you're interested in trying out my prototype, you can download it here.
