This enemy behavior is suitable for something like the skunk. The skunk wanders around, probably between two points (its "home"). When the player gets too close, the skunk gives him a little bit of the ol' stink juice. But, if the player is far enough away, the skunk doesn't mind. Encounters like this can be resolved by the player by attempting to dodge the attack, or taking a route through the map that avoids the skunk entirely. I'm hoping that the proper placement of items and enemies by Matt with encourage a sense of risk and reward that will make these choices more compelling.
This flow chart represents a simpler enemy that moves between fixed points. We can represent these points as a circularly linked list, so there can be as many as we want--as long as we can move smoothly between them. This pattern is appropriate for an enemy that has no attack, but needs to move through an area, like an RA that needs to be avoided. It's also appropriate for moving platforms, like the turtle.
The real challenge of this is not thinking of how we want the enemies and moving obstacles to act.. The challenge is in implementing these steps in a way that is easy to configure--our level designer should be able to drop down an enemy and set up their route within a few seconds. I am not entirely confident that the level of cozy customizablity I want is attainable in this upcoming iteration, but it is something to strive for.
I am going to be spending the next few days doing design work. My dad and brother were both into building, and I was taught to "measure twice, cut once." Taking the time to make sure that everything makes sense is the best way for me to make sure the work is done right.
Let's get to work.
Hey Jamie, this looks great, although I'm a bit confused about when we agreed to implement guns into the game... it would make it more interesting, but it doesn't exactly fit the Boh Hunt theme... why would campus security shoot a character for collecting beers? We should discuss other penalties/player risks (bottomless pits, water pits, frisbee throwing, slingshots) that could fit the theme better. Of course, the flow chart would still apply I assume. Other than that, this looks great!
ReplyDeleteAlex,
ReplyDeleteThe flow chart is from a very basic standpoint. Some enemies in the game will fire projectiles, like the skunk being able to spray, or athletes throwing frisbees. Me calling them weapons in the flow chart merely means that they will be something that will effect the player--none of us have any intention of adding deadly items to the game.
We had considered in the past having the campus security have some ability to fire a stun attack to shock the player. At this moment it looks like that is not going to be the case, and that they will follow a patrolling pattern.
As far as other penalties and risks, a lot of those are ideas that we're already exploring--the frisbees and sling shots already fit the flow chart. Matt is working on the map, and we can easily pop in water pits.
Bottomless pits may be an issue. The issue raised is that--in a traditional side-scroller--falling into a pit makes the player lose a life, and then sends them back to some checkpoint. My understanding so far has been that the player should not die at any portion of the game, though they can be delayed or lose points. If you have a way that you think including this hazard will make sense/work, shoot us an email. If you think of other enemies or hazards that we have not discussed, shoot us an email.