CAGD 370 Blogpost 3

 The third sprint was defined by our kinesthetic playtest, where we had other groups playtest the movement of our game in the first level. We learned some important things from the playtest. Skating worked really well, but gliding not so much. Because players were used to holding W to go forwards, as soon as they started gliding, they would nosedive. We decided to remove the S and W gliding controls for now because their gameplay use was limited and they felt confusing and unintuitive to players. The other major change to movement was that now gliding is limited to a timer, so players can’t glide over the full level.

During the sprint, the first thing I did was upload my model for the end of level flag. Now that the level flag was coded in, I could link all the levels up to the main menu. The main menu has buttons for each level so that the player can access whichever they want in any order. Next I started on the main menu stats. I got a scriptable object set up for the player data, which updates whenever the player completes a level. That way, the player’s time and acorns are recorded, and then compared to the record time / score, and then the menu can display the record time and score. With the acorns, this incentivizes players to try to collect them all, and with the time, it encourages players to compete to go as fast as possible.

Another major development I tried to get completed as soon as possible was making a design document for level objects. We decided that the next feature to add was intractable objects in the levels, so I designed the bumper, branch walls, black ice, and icicles. I wanted an object that changes the players movement, and eventually realized that the bumper would be huge for gameplay because it lets players easily 180, which is difficult with the skating controls. The branch walls are a simple barrier that players can break if they’re going fast enough, which serves as a different type of obstacle. Black ice is another unique obstacle type, as its much more slippery. Finally, icicles add another hazard in the air.

Finally, I decided to take on designing the tutorial level. Since the movement is the most important part, I wanted to design a gentle area that lets players get used to how movement feels. It opens on a frozen lake with a small ramp, an acorn, a wall barrier, and a small puddle of water, where players can get acquainted with the controls. From there there’s two different paths with a tiny gliding platforming section, rewarding some extra acorns and both leading to the first checkpoint. After the checkpoint is the first challenge, a short skate down a steep hill to prepare players for what the harder levels will be like. Its a straight shot with one gliding gap and one big turn. In the final area, players can experiment with a branch wall, avoid another water hazard, and learn to use a jump pack to reach the flag.

Overall I would consider the design mostly successful, but I feel like I could do better with more time. However, as the third sprint comes to an end, I know it’s important that the project gets completed by the deadline. I’ve started work on the blockout with proBuilder, and next up is to finish the tutorial level.