fluffysquirrels / ggj2015 Goto Github PK

Perhaps spikes should stay up at green squares to stop users from backtracking.

The player's first encounter with red squares should teach them how they're used.

Suggestion: a visual indication of the red square's countdown, e.g. changing colour or a pie chart counting down over the square. The player will probably be curious about what will happen at the end of the countdown, and they will discover that it kills them!

Suggestion: show a video or two-frame static cartoon of a player being killed by a red square. Maybe with one line of text, like: "Red squares count down and kill you"

Countdown timer is currently too long - players are reacting too late to safely move off safe square and becoming confused.

The current level size is very restrictive in what we can do - we need to be able to develop bigger levels.

Jump (straight up) and duck initially with the intention of "jump over one square" and "duck (roll/slide?) over one square" to follow

Unfortunately, testing is showing this is confusing players as the perception is that they have died as a result of pressing an incorrect direction.

I'd like to teach these by introducing mechanics one by one and with as few text dumps as possible.

Mechanics include:

• Player cannot jump through boundary cubes
• Red squares are deadly after a short time -- #9
• Player pauses at green squares, is forced to wait for a brief time, then has to move away as green squares become deadly
• Player can duck under buzz saws
• Acid guns shoot deadly green things

Level end square should show some kind of transition (perhaps a modal 'you completed the level!' dialog, or a fade to the next level with its number displayed), then take the player to the next level. On the final level it should go to some kind of success scene, perhaps with credits.

This is currently the case on Level1 if you move up to the back wall. It is a result of the position clamp fix forcing the player through the wall meaning that Unity temporarily disregards collisions between the player and the wall - allowing the player to escape. I simple fix for now is to ensure that all art assets adhere to the unit grid layout.

Need to add animation curves to adjust character collision volume during playback of duck animation.

Create a level select menu reached by a button from the main menu. This is for players returning to the game after an absence. Probably all but the first level should be locked for new players, with more levels unlocked as the player progresses.

Dying in a level sets you back quite a long way and feels frustrating. Let's try creating checkpoints at each safe square, so restarting only puts you back a little.

Related suggestion: penalise the player for making multiple tries to complete the level. E.g. fewer stars in their level rating, or set a maximum number of tries to complete the level (per-level lives system).

This would be almost identical to the safe squares in functionality. The difference being that the player could start on the square and it behave as if the player had just moved into a safe square (so game can start with countdown to NOW!)

Allows for end goal of level in question - loads next level or win game.