Summer DIGM 540 - Getting Start

Overview

For this week's development, I have created a game project in Unity and some the basic framework of the game. Regarding the gameplay, I have come up with some new ideas that will be incorporated into the game.

Version One Gameplay demo link
https://0maple0.itch.io/lights-v1

Game Idea Updates

As mentioned in the initial game idea post, the player's objective is to collect light sources and find the exit. However, during the development phase, I have come up with some new ideas to enhance the gameplay.

To not only challenge the player with the dark maze at the beginning and just let the light source become a thing to complete the level, I have decided to make some changes to the game mechanics.

Once the player acquires a light source, they will need to explore the maze and chart their own path through it. The maze exploration will allow the player to record the maze layout in a way that suits their preference. When the player reaches the exit for the first time, the light source will be consumed, and the exit will then teleport to the player's initial starting point in the maze. From that moment on, the player must navigate the maze from memory and reach the exit within a specified time limit to successfully complete the level.

Mechanics Developments

During this week's development, I implemented character movement and created a start menu for the game.

To enable character movement, the player can now utilize the Left and Right Arrow Keys for horizontal movement, while the Up Arrow Key or Space Bar triggers jumping.

For the character's left and right movement, I utilized Unity's default control system and added velocity to ensure smooth motion. As for jumping, it was my first time implementing such an action in a 2D game. Initially, I encountered an issue where the character could keep jumping even while in mid-air. To address this, I implemented a ground check to verify whether the character is on the ground before allowing it to jump (Using a circle below the game character to see if it overlaps the maze ground).

Next Step

Next, I will continue developing key mechanics in my game. Currently, I am working on implementing a light circle that follows the player's character, and the rest of the maze is kept in the dark. However, based on my research so far, it appears that this requires the use of Render Texture and Shader to be completed. I have not worked with these elements before, so I hope that my next development phase can proceed smoothly.