Stick Shift 102
Hello again ForzeBreakers! This week we got some exciting new developments that build on our existing features to make the game as refined as it can be for our midpoint milestone. Let’s take a quick look:
Split-screen coop
Improved Jumping mechanic
New networking system for online matches
Revised impact system for better handling of collisions
First Rough Implementation of our “War Buggy”
The “Wheelie” arena 2.0
Motion Blur
New Menu
Return of the Couch Gaming
One of the biggest changes for this week would be the implementation of our local split-screen multiplayer thanks to the hard work of Robin. Since one of ForzeBreak’s goals is to capture the nostalgia and great feeling of playing with buddies on the same room, we thought it would be a good idea to try it out not only to test out the player experience but also some other technical stuff that I will get into a bit later. With that said, I’m more than glad to say that it was success since we developers along with external play testers had fun while sharing the same screen as we duked it out in our brand new textured arena. Like every new implementation in our game we are working to ensure that the split screen mode of our game has the fast paced action that we want our audience to experience.
Split Screen:
Going on from those playtests, one of our new improved mechanics stood out. That’s right! our beloved flipping mechanic has now two ways in which you can activate it. The first one would be a regular jump in the air, and the second one would be rolling while in the air. It may sound simple but there are many ways to use this skill to the best of its ability. As I mentioned before, the first and most common one is to dodge. Skilled players are able to time their jump right as they lure their opponents into a trap that usually leads to their literal fall. Not only that but with the roll in hand one can also use it to dodge in mid air! (Players can jump and then roll in the air). Other uses might include combining with the boost ability to do some crazy acrobatics, and there will be more waiting to find out once we include other features that we have in mind in the near future.
New Jump:
Do a Barrel Roll!
The Pit stop
In addition to that improved feature, Robin has also implemented some tune ups to our control system as we ready our new challenger to join the fray. What this means is that we are getting ready our iconic “War Buggy” created by Ring. She and Robin have been working together to ensure all the little details about this car work as good as it looks.
War Buggy:
Ring has been hard at work to polish this model as well as creating the models for one of our power ups that we have planned for our next big milestone. Indeed one of the most expected features of this game is going to be our power ups that will have a significant effect on how a match can go. So continuing with the hint from last week on the things we have in store for the next weeks to come, I can confirm that one of them is our missile power up for players to have a blast while playing. Some other work that I can hint from her is new arenas that we have in mind as we experiment and figure out the ideal settings for our type of gameplay.
Missile Inbound:
Bumper Cars for grown ups
Speaking of gameplay, one of our main mechanics as many would know by now is our clashing and bumping against opponents to throw them off. As such it is one of the features with a lot of work put into it by Jason. Collisions in our game are much more than just players hitting each other. What I mean by that is that since this is one of the main ‘attractions’ of the game that invites people to play, it has to constantly adjusted to meet those expectations. For example, as a player that boosts into another player one expects to feel satisfaction as one sends them flying. Think of the bumper cars at the amusement cars, it was all about driving, looking at the other kids, and speeding to hit them. But that was all there was, just a simple bump. Now if we take that to the next level, the car on the receiving end is going to take damage and be up in the air. Even if we disregard the laws of gravity and air travel regulations, work still needs to be done in order to ensure that cars that are hit still have a chance to recover and get back in the game if possible (It wouldn’t be fun to be tossed around like a rag doll all the time after all). So as mentioned before in previous updates our Impact and Collision system requires constant testing and adjustment(speed of cars, angles, boost, etc…) to make sure it works correctly especially now that the game has a local split-screen mode and a new networking system that Jason reworked to further improve how smooth it plays.
The Wheelie 2.0
That leads me to my next update which would be another element of the game that needs constant revision and iteration: our arena. Last week my work consisted of several design tests with a new arena that had different areas that were color coded to give me a better insight not just to the scale of our game but also terrains, slopes, and other design elements that will play an important role when creating the battlegrounds for our game. This arena which I called “The Wheelie” was a little too early for its time. In other words it tested out things that are not as high priority as other elements in the game right now. Based on feedback from both internal and external playtesters the best way to test the capabilities of the vehicles right now would be to make a small enough arena in which players can get into the action right away. This is mainly because driving and hitting each other are the main things available to them for now. So unfortunately while the “Wheelie” was an interesting design that drew some people to drive around it, as of now it didn’t have anything to reward them for that trip of exploration. However this version did provide me with some new alternatives as I modified to become the “Wheelie 2.0” that still retained the inner gaps within the arena to continue testing and give players other ways to throw opponents off other than the edges. I’m happy to say that the result was a success. It may be simple in design but it does the job it was built for. A such I began to add some textures to it to address some previous concerns of players not having points of references to navigate successfully and find other players. No more surprise edges that lead to accidental falls or grey horizons for this stage!
Furthermore Robin and I have also started laying out the groundwork for our sounds. We have created and modified some basic but very crucial sounds to the experience that will be implemented little by little as the game continues development. There is nothing cooler that hearing that engine rev as one prepares to duke it out and show your vehicle combat skills!
New Motion Blur!
Expanding our team
Last but not least, we have new members joining team ForzeBreak (team name is still pending). We have a new artist and new sound designers ready to help make this game be the best it can be. We will be updating you as we continue our collaboration with them. Until next time!