Here is where the action happens

A quick foreword

Given that this is the first post of it's kind, I would like to take a moment and explain my intended structure for these devlogs. These regular posts will accompany each update to each project, and will contain my thoughts on what I accomplished during the update, how I feel about the changes, how I implemented them, and what I am looking to do next.

This first post will be somewhat barebones, but I will get into more depth with things as the project itself does. Now without further ado, the initial prototype log.

What's New?

Initial prototype upload contained the following features:

• Player can jump with varying height
• Player can reverse gravity with a double jump
• Platforms spawn with semi-controlled randomization
• Game has a reset function
• Game has a score counter

Thoughts From the Developer

Given that this was the initial upload, there is not much to reference in terms of changes. However, I do have opinions on the systems I implemented and how I implemented them.

• I feel as though the jumping feels fairly good, although I will likely tinker with gravity settings to fine tune it. Overall, I like the floatiness to it in conjunction with the script-controlled squash and stretch on the player's sprite and the lighthearted vibe I envision for the game.
• My opinion of the platform spawning system is not great at the current moment. It is functional, which is arguably all it needs to be at this stage in production. Spawning is handled as such: The game contains an object which sets a timer for random time intervals between spawning platforms. When that timer runs out, it runs a script which selects one of 8 pre-determined heights and spawns the platforms at the selected height a certain distance away from the player. Currently, platforms are able to begin spawning in a position occupied by the previous chain. My aim is to fix this before the next update.
• A problem I faced early on was that the player would, when colliding horizontally with the side of a platform, get stuck inside it unable to jump. I worked around this by snapping the player to the correct side of the platform based on gravity inversion, but I plan of designing a more elegant solution to this (admittedly) unforseen issue.
• I have a much clearer vision of where I want this project to end up now than I did when I wrote the first line of code. It actually wasn't until I pulled the squash&stretch from an old, unfinished game jam project that I finally got a precise feeling from the game. I am reminded of Jonathan Blow's thoughts on emergent gameplay, though I had never much thought of the concept as applicable to touch and feel as much as mechanics.

What Comes Next?

I will list here the features and additions that I have planned on the horizon for this project, in order of importance as I see them at the current game state. Given that I have never attempted to manage scope for a game past 48 hours of work time, some or many of these may likely never find their way into the project. Just fair warning.

• Revamped generation script for platform placement
• Horizontal platform collision problem solution
• Tweaked & tuned player variables for tighter, more responsive gameplay
• Addition of game elements for additional feedback from player gravity manipulation
• Simple random generation of art assets for a multi-layered parallax background
• Bouncy, minimalist soundtrack to add to game feel
• Fun sound effects to add to game feel

Off To Work!

I will continue to work on, upload, and update the project and devlog over the course of the next week. Expect regular updates, and feel free to contact me to complain if they aren't coming often enough! After all, I'm here to learn but I'm also here so that you can learn from my experience.

Signing off,

Dylan Smith