vietanh

[vietanh]

Assignment 3 Postmortem

Introduction:

As we conclude our development cycle for Nebula Strike, it’s time to reflect on our journey, evaluate our progress, and identify areas for future development. The past few weeks have been filled with challenges and achievements, and now we look back to understand what worked, what didn't, and how we can improve.

Summary of Development:

Initial Vision vs. Final Product: We added new enemy types and refined power-ups to enhance gameplay.

Major Milestones: Successful playtesting sessions, gain valuable feedback from the plyer and help us shape what might come next and fixes needed to be done

Key Takeaways:

What Worked: Engaging boss fights, diverse enemy behaviors, and the endless level concept were well-received by players. These elements added depth and excitement to the game.

What Needed Improvement: Initial confusion in controls, inconsistent level designs, and tutorial clarity were identified as areas needing more attention. Ensuring a smooth and intuitive player experience remains a priority.

Future Directions: Consider adding more customization options for controls, enhancing tutorial comprehensiveness, and further balancing the difficulty to cater to a wider range of players.

Conclusion:

The development of Nebula Strike has been a challenging yet rewarding experience. We’ve gained valuable insights into game design and player preferences. Moving forward, we aim to continue refining the game and exploring new features to enhance player engagement. The journey doesn't end here; it's just the beginning of making Nebula Strike as best that it can be.

[vietanh]

Iteration and Changes

As we progress through the development of Nebula Strike, we have reached an exciting phase where significant changes and iterations have been implemented based on our team's development process and internal evaluations. Here's a detailed look at the key changes and improvements made during the iteration.

Game Vision Evolution

Our initial vision for Nebula Strike was inspired by classic shoot 'em up games like Blazing Star. We aimed to deliver a side-view perspective with standard levels and challenging boss battles. However, as we continued developing and refining our ideas, we realized the potential for a more dynamic experience. The updated vision now includes an endless looping level designed for experienced players. This new mode emphasizes high scores and continuous gameplay, offering a fresh and engaging challenge.

Enemy Variety and Complexity

In the initial design, our enemy types were fairly straightforward:

Fighter: Slow-moving, no projectiles.

Gunner: Fast-moving, equipped with laser blasters.

Bomber: Slow-moving, drops bombs with area-of-effect damage.

Galaga: A mini-boss with high health and telegraphed charges.

Andromeda: The main boss with multiple attack types including bombs and laser cannons.

Through our internal development process, we introduced additional complexity and variety to our enemies. The endless level now features a wider range of enemy behaviors, including new types with intricate flying patterns and large lasers. This not only increases the challenge but also keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting. With this we decied to remove Bomber and Andromeda from the game as it don't seem to fit our game scope anymore

Enhanced Power-ups

Originally, our power-ups included:

Bullet Time: Increases bullet speed by 50%.

Diamond: 30 seconds of invulnerability.

Heart: Increases lives, max of 3.

Count: Doubles points for a brief period.

Though out development we have refined this list of powerup and now only include powerup such as :

Life Power-up: Adds an extra life.

Score Power-up: Rewards the player with an additional 200 points.

Shield Power-up: Provides 10 seconds of invincibility with a warp effect.

Projectile Power-up: Increases the number of projectiles by 5 for 5 seconds.

Improved Mechanics and Features

The initial game mechanics were solid, but our internal evaluations highlighted areas for improvement:

Player Controls: We added continuous shooting by holding the space bar, making the controls more intuitive and user-friendly.

Gameplay Issues: Addressed inconsistencies in movement mechanics between different levels. Improved the tutorial with better in-game hints and consistent control schemes.

These adjustments ensure a smoother and more enjoyable gameplay experience, especially for new players. Tho this are planed improvement on the next patch. and currently its not live yet

Refined Level Design

Our stages have seen substantial revisions to enhance consistency and player experience:

Nebula Trails(level1): Level1 has consistent backgrounds with enemies mechanic to keep the plyer on their seats with powerups and a first encounter with the final boss

Cosmic Showdown(level 2): Increased enemy density and added more challenging foes and included a boss fight .

Endless Level: A new addition featuring an endless loop of increasing difficulty, pushing players to achieve their highest scores.

Development Insights and Adjustments

Through rigorous team discussions and development iterations, we gathered valuable insights that led to significant changes:

Level Design Consistency: Ensured no zoom outs, consistent backgrounds, and clear level start indicators.

Enemy Mechanics: Implemented a force to keep enemies at a distance, preventing them from flying behind the player.

Power-up Visibility: Enhanced with flashing effects to make them more noticeable.

Tutorial Improvements: Simplified by removing moving enemies, adding clearer control explanations, and implementing customizable controls.

Gameplay Balance: Adjusted difficulty in boss and endless levels, slowed down enemy spawn rates, and added variety in levels.

These iterations have not only addressed the issues identified during our development process but we have yet to incorporate these change yet but our timeline dose include this issue to be fixed and improve for better player enjoyment

Looking Ahead

As we move forward, we are committed to continuing this iterative process. The insights we gather from our team are invaluable in shaping Nebula Strike into a polished and engaging game.

Thank you for following our development journey.

[vietanh]

Assignment 3 Playtesting

Introduction:

This week, we conducted playtesting sessions for Nebula Strike with five participants. The goal was to gather valuable feedback to further refine the game. The diversity of our playtesters provided a wide range of insights, which were crucial for our development process.

Participant Demographics:

A mix of experienced and novice gamers participated.

Varied preferences in game genres ensured comprehensive feedback, covering multiple aspects of the game.

Key Findings:

Controls and Mechanics: Many playtesters found the movement mechanics inconsistent between the tutorial and normal levels. Continuous shooting was not intuitive for some, indicating a need for better guidance.

Level Design: The background design caused disorientation, particularly in level 1. Players suggested improvements for clearer level progression and a more cohesive visual experience.

Tutorial: The tutorial needs to be more informative, especially regarding shooting mechanics and power-ups. Playtesters felt that understanding these elements was crucial for enjoying the game.

Difficulty: The endless level's difficulty ramped up too quickly, overwhelming players. Balancing this difficulty curve was a major area of concern.

Next patch recommend fix:

Adjusted movement mechanics to be consistent across all levels, providing a smoother gameplay experience.

Improved the tutorial to better explain controls and game mechanics, making it easier for new players to get started.

Enhanced visual and audio feedback for hitting enemies and using power-ups, making the game more engaging.

Conclusion:

Playtesting has provided us with invaluable insights, allowing us to make targeted improvements to Nebula Strike. The feedback will guide our next steps in development, ensuring that we address the most critical issues and enhance the overall player experience.

[vietanh]

Dev Update 3

Developing Spawn Conditions for Dynamic Gameplay

Having established the standard setup for the new level, I then focused on designing the spawn conditions to enhance the gameplay dynamics.

Initial Enemy Design: I started by creating a basic enemy type, referred to here as Enemy A. These adversaries are programmed not to shoot but to constantly track the player's position and spawn from the right-hand side of the screen then charged at the plyer. They appear consistently as soon as the player enters the level, setting the stage for the gameplay dynamics that follow.

Spawning Mechanics: The spawning of subsequent enemy types is intricately tied to the behavior of Enemy A. Specifically, a second type of enemy will spawn once the player defeats a certain number of Enemy A. This creates a responsive gameplay environment where player actions directly influence enemy patterns. Further complexity is added with the introduction of a wave-based spawning system. Each new wave specifies the exact number of enemies that will appear. If the player eliminates any enemy other than Enemy A, the game introduces a different type of enemy as a response. This cycle continues, creating a loop that only ends when the player either dies or chooses to exit the level.

Strategic Gameplay Loop: This spawning mechanic ensures a continuous, dynamic challenge, encouraging players to strategize and adapt to the evolving threats within the game. It enhances engagement by making each player's action consequential to the game progression. observation there is a known bug that sometimes the enemies sprite do stack on top of each other

[vietanh]

Dev Post 2

This week has been bustling with progress on the development of our game, particularly in the graphical user interface (GUI) department.

Starting with the Main Menu: Designing the GUI initially posed a challenge as we sought assets that would not only fit but enhance the sci-fi theme of the game. After extensive searching, we have successfully integrated assets that perfectly encapsulate the aesthetic we envisioned. For the main menu, our goal was to create a design that is simple yet informative, avoiding both clutter and an outdated look reminiscent of 1990s games. To achieve this, we employed a minimalist design complemented by animated backgrounds featuring space and planetary movements. This dynamic background helps the menu feel more immersive and engaging. Additionally, we've incorporated thematic music and sound effects that activate when interactions occur, such as shooting, further enriching the player's experience.

Tutorial Level Design: For the tutorial level, it was important that the player feels as if they are engaging with a standard level to facilitate a smoother learning curve. The design mirrors the layout of our regular levels with a moving background to simulate motion through space, populated with common enemies that players will encounter in subsequent stages. We also introduced a GUI panel on the left-hand side of the screen, strategically placed for immediate visibility. This panel displays the controls and potential power-ups, enhancing user familiarity. Notably, when a player presses a corresponding key, it lights up green on the panel, providing immediate and intuitive feedback. This design decision was aimed at simulating the experience of a regular play level while educating the player.

Below is the pause screen that is used for easy navigation throughout the whole game

Endless level:

In was task of designing and setting up spawning mechanics for our new level, I aimed to maintain a cohesive feel with the game’s overall design, mirroring elements used in the tutorial level. This approach not only ensures consistency across different levels but also helps minimize player confusion by providing a familiar environment.

Using the tutorial level as a baseline, I applied similar design principles to the new "endless" level. This decision supports a seamless transition for players as they progress through various stages of the game, maintaining a uniform aesthetic and gameplay experience. To keep the interface uncluttered while incorporating essential gameplay elements, I opted to include only the most fundamental assets: a scoring system and a health bar, both positioned at the left of the screen. This placement is strategic, allowing players to easily monitor their performance and status without distraction from the main action of the game which mostly happens on the right-hand side. The decision to keep the moving background was chosen because it fits the overall vibe of the level as it is an endless level this Background looping makes it feel like the players are constantly flying through the galaxy.

What to come next, coming up next would be the thinking process and the design of enemies in the endless level.

[vietanh]

Development Progress 1 Nebula Strike

Introduction:

This week, our team made significant strides in the development of our game, Nebula Strike. We focused on refining our game mechanics, implementing new features, and preparing for the upcoming playtesting sessions. It has been a week full of exciting advancements and meticulous fine-tuning.

Development Highlights:

Game Mechanics: Our team has added core mechanics such as shooting and movement into the game, through exploring different types of controls we could adapt we landed on using WASD to move and Spacebar to shoot.

Level Design: The dev team has started to draft out how our first level implementation will look and feel, with details on what should happen at the level and the genral mechanics of the level. With the first level, we wanted to incorporate a parallax level where the player will be moving on a horizontal plane and will fight off enemies and a boss at the end.

Graphics and Assets: Visual assets were updated to enhance the game's overall aesthetic and immersive experience and make sure the enemies and the scene fit each other, ensuring a more polished look and consistency throughout the game.

Challenges:

Balancing the game difficulty to cater to both experienced and novice players was a significant challenge. We had to ensure that the game remained engaging without becoming too frustrating. and since the game is in early development we can't get feedback from the tester yet so this was one of the big challenges starting off

Next Steps:

Our dev team are working hard in designing and developing 2 more levels and an extra game mode which includes a tutorial level, level 2 (the boss fight ) and an endless game mode.By adding a tutorial level, we aim to ease new players into the game mechanics gradually, which is supported by zone of proximal development (ZPD) from Vygotsky's theory. This concept involves providing support structures (scaffolding) to help players achieve higher levels of understanding and skill than they could independently.

[vietanh]

 Racing Post Mortem

As we conclude the latest development phase of "Turbo Track Challenge," it's important to reflect on the process, identifying what worked well, what didn't, and the lessons we've learned.

What Went Well:

Integration of Power-Ups:

Success: The addition of the Bolt, Shield, and Pill power-ups significantly enhanced the gameplay. These elements introduced new strategic dimensions and heightened the excitement during races.

Analysis: These power-ups were designed to align with key gaming theories, such as flow theory and dynamic difficulty adjustment, ensuring they added value without overly complicating the core gameplay.

Smooth Implementation:

Success: The technical implementation of power-ups was completed smoothly, with minimal bugs and issues during the development phase.

Analysis: Clear planning and efficient coding practices allowed for the seamless integration of new features, maintaining the game's stability and performance.

Enhanced Visuals and Variety:

Success: The introduction of new track designs and dynamic environments provided visual diversity and kept the gameplay engaging.

Analysis: Diverse settings and obstacles ensured that players experienced a fresh and immersive racing environment, reducing the likelihood of monotony.

What Didn’t Work Well:

Balancing Power-Ups:

Issue: There were initial concerns about the balance of power-ups, particularly the Bolt, which could potentially disrupt the game's equilibrium by providing excessive advantage.

Analysis: While power-ups are intended to enhance gameplay, it's crucial to maintain balance so that they don't overshadow core mechanics. Future adjustments will focus on fine-tuning these elements to ensure fair play.

Collision Detection Issues:

Issue: Some inconsistencies were observed in collision detection, especially with the Shield power-up active, leading to unexpected collisions.

Analysis: Accurate collision detection is essential for maintaining player trust and satisfaction. Further refinement and testing are needed to ensure reliability.

User Interface (UI) Clarity:

Issue: The UI for power-up notifications and effects was found to be somewhat unclear, causing confusion about the duration and impact of power-ups.

Analysis: Providing clear and immediate feedback through the UI is critical. Enhancing visual and auditory cues will improve the overall user experience.

Lessons Learned:

Iterative Development:

Even without external playtesting, iterative development and internal reviews proved crucial in identifying issues early and making necessary adjustments.

Balancing Gameplay:

Ensuring the right balance between various gameplay elements is key. Power-ups should enhance gameplay without overpowering it, and continuous internal testing is essential for achieving this balance.

Clear Communication:

Effective communication of game mechanics through the UI is vital. Future updates will focus on improving clarity and feedback to enhance player understanding and enjoyment.

[vietanh]

Racing Development Post

Racing Development Post

I've made some exciting updates to "Turbo Track Challenge," incorporating new power-ups that add an extra layer of strategy and thrill to the game. These enhancements not only elevate the gameplay experience but also align with key gaming theories to ensure player engagement and satisfaction.

New Power-Ups:

Bolt Power-Up:

Effect: Grants the player 5x speed and invulnerability to collisions for 5 seconds.

Design Rationale: Drawing from the theory of flow, this power-up creates a heightened sense of excitement and immersion. The temporary speed boost and invulnerability deliver a powerful, exhilarating experience, making players feel unstoppable and deeply engaged in the game.

Shield Power-Up:

Effect: Provides invulnerability to collisions for 5 seconds.

Design Rationale: This power-up is inspired by the concept of risk and reward in game design. By offering brief invulnerability, it encourages players to take bolder actions and navigate through dense traffic or tricky obstacles without fear, enhancing the overall tension and release cycle crucial for maintaining player interest.

Pill Power-Up:

Effect: Reduces the player's size for 10 seconds.

Design Rationale: Utilizing the principle of novelty, the pill power-up introduces a unique gameplay mechanic that changes the player's interaction with the environment. The smaller size allows players to maneuver more easily through tight spaces, adding a tactical element to the game and ensuring varied gameplay experiences.

Game Theory Application:

The integration of these power-ups is rooted in several core gaming theories:

Flow Theory: By providing temporary boosts and invulnerability, the power-ups help maintain a balance between challenge and skill, keeping players in a state of flow where they are fully immersed and enjoying the gameplay.

Operant Conditioning: Randomly spawning power-ups act as variable rewards, a key component of operant conditioning. This randomness keeps players engaged and motivated to continue playing, as they anticipate and seek out the beneficial effects of these power-ups.

Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment: The power-ups serve as a form of dynamic difficulty adjustment, helping players overcome challenging sections of the track and preventing frustration. This ensures a smoother and more enjoyable experience, particularly for less skilled players.

Gameplay Impact:

These power-ups are designed to be more than just temporary boosts; they add strategic depth to "Turbo Track Challenge." Players must decide the optimal time to collect and use each power-up, considering the current track conditions and their position in the race. This strategic layer enhances replayability and encourages players to develop and refine their racing strategies.

Conclusion:

With the addition of the Bolt, Shield, and Pill power-ups, "Turbo Track Challenge" now offers a richer and more dynamic racing experience. These updates are not just about making the game more exciting, but also about creating a balanced and engaging gameplay loop that keeps players coming back for more. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to refine and expand the game!

[vietanh]

Elevator Pitch "Turbo Track Challenge"

Dive into the thrill of "Turbo Track Challenge," where arcade racing meets strategic gameplay. This game elevates the racing genre by weaving in tactical elements that require both quick reflexes and sharp decision-making. With controls designed for intuitive navigation and seamless manoeuvring, players can focus on outsmarting their competitors and overcoming diverse track challenges. It’s not just about being the fastest; it’s about being the smartest on the road.

Gameplay Dynamics

In "Turbo Track Challenge," the essence of the game is high-speed racing combined with strategic gameplay. Players will tackle various dynamic obstacles and harness power-ups to enhance their vehicle's capabilities. The controls are straightforward yet responsive, making it easy to jump right into the action but challenging to master.

Controls: Arrows key and mouse control

Compelling Features

This game stands out by merging traditional racing mechanics with inventive gameplay twists. The simple control scheme allows players to effortlessly control their speed and maneuvers, enabling them to focus on strategic decisions like when to deploy power-ups or dodge incoming hazards.

Target Audience

"Turbo Track Challenge" is perfect for anyone who loves the excitement of racing games but also enjoys the challenge of quick strategic thinking. It's accessible enough for casual players yet deep enough to keep more serious gamers engaged.

Player Engagement

Players are thrust into a competitive racing environment where every second counts. The game rewards skill and strategy with customizable vehicles, new tracks, and various power-ups, all controlled through an easy-to-learn system that invites players to continuously evolve their strategies.

Genre and Setting

As an arcade racer, "Turbo Track Challenge" takes players through stunning environments—from bustling cities to serene coastlines—each offering unique challenges and requiring different strategic approaches, all navigable through intuitive controls.

Elevator Pitch: Get ready to rev your engines in "Turbo Track Challenge," where the thrill of arcade racing collides with the brain-teasing excitement of strategic gameplay. Master the art of combining speed with strategy, all through a control system that’s both easy to learn and rewarding to master. With its vibrant tracks, strategic depth, and responsive controls, "Turbo Track Challenge" delivers non-stop action and excitement. It’s not just about driving; it’s about dominating the track with smart, tactical racing!

[vietanh]

🚀 Cosmic Furry Post-Mortem 🚀

Overview of the Project

Cosmic Furry is an innovative twist on the classic asteroid game, where players control a ship to survive and battle through asteroid fields. The game features customizable weapons, a unique EXP mechanic for ship upgrades, and dynamic challenges that increase in difficulty as the player progresses.

Objectives

The main goals for Cosmic Furry included:

Enhancing the classic asteroid gameplay with new mechanics.

Introducing a variety of guns and power-ups to increase gameplay diversity.

Implementing a rewarding EXP system that allows for ship customization and skill progression.

What Went Well

Innovative Mechanics: The introduction of different guns and the EXP system was well-received, providing players with a sense of progression and deeper engagement with the game.

Visual and Gameplay Updates: The new asteroid skins and visibility enhancements made the game more accessible and enjoyable, while the tracking system for destroyed asteroids added a competitive edge to the gameplay.

User Engagement: The dual gun option and movement add-ons (like the Boost Mode) were highlights, offering players a tailored experience that could adapt to different play styles and preferences.

Challenges Encountered

Balancing Difficulty: As the speed multiplier increased with the destruction of every 5 asteroids, balancing the game to keep it challenging yet not overwhelming was a significant challenge. Continuous playtesting and adjustment were required to fine-tune this feature.

Power-Up Integration: Managing the spawn rates and effects of power-ups, particularly the shield power-up, required several iterations to ensure they were impactful without being overpowering.

Technical Issues: The implementation of multiple guns and the tracking of different types of EXP and gems introduced complexities in development, requiring robust debugging and optimization phases.

Lessons Learned

Flexibility in Design: The need to adapt game mechanics based on player feedback was crucial. This reinforced the importance of flexible design and iterative development.

Player-Centric Development: Directly engaging with the community and integrating their feedback into development cycles helped tailor the game to meet player expectations and preferences.

Testing and Balancing: Early and ongoing testing, especially with elements that directly affect gameplay dynamics like power-ups and speed adjustments, was vital in achieving a balanced and enjoyable game.

Future Directions

Based on the insights gained, future development will focus on:

Expanding the variety of power-ups and weapons.

Further refining the difficulty scaling to enhance the late-game experience.

Exploring additional modes and features based on community feedback.

[vietanh]

🚀 Cosmic Furry Development Post 2:

Experience Evolution

We've implemented some significant upgrades to the game's EXP mechanics:

Stats Tracking: Now, every action you take in the vast expanse of space leaves its mark. With our new stats tracking system, you'll have a clear view of your progress and achievements. This aligns with self-determination theory, emphasizing competence by providing feedback that helps players gauge their improvement and motivates them to continue playing.

Gem Generation: No two asteroids are alike, and now, neither are their rewards. Gems are now generated based on the type of asteroid you obliterate, adding a strategic layer to your cosmic conquests. This dynamic reward system can be linked to positive reinforcement from behaviorist theory. By varying the rewards, players are continuously motivated to engage with the game, as the anticipation of unique rewards keeps the gameplay experience fresh and exciting.

Level-Up Bonanza: Collecting EXP has never been more rewarding! For every 10 EXP gathered, you'll have the opportunity to enhance your ship's capabilities. Will you prioritize speed to outmanoeuvre your foes, or firing speed to rain destruction upon them? The choice is yours. This system is a sophisticated application of flow theory. By allowing players to tailor their upgrades, the game maintains an optimal balance between challenge and skill, ensuring that players remain in a state of flow, fully immersed and motivated.

Asteroid Overhaul

The cosmic landscape is evolving, and so are its inhabitants. Here's what's new in the asteroid department:

Enhanced Visibility: Say goodbye to space debris blending into the void. With a brand-new asteroid skin, threats are now more visible than ever, ensuring you're always on your toes. Improved visibility reduces unnecessary frustration and aligns with player-cantered design, enhancing the overall user experience by making threats clearer and more manageable.

Destroyer's Tally: Keep track of your cosmic conquests with our new asteroid destruction tracker. And with every 5 asteroids reduced to cosmic rubble, brace yourself for a challenge – a 1.5x speed multiplier will ramp up the intensity, pushing your piloting skills to their limits. This feature employs dynamic difficulty adjustment (DDA), where the game scales its challenge based on player performance. By introducing incremental difficulty, the game keeps players engaged and continuously challenged, preventing monotony and fostering skill development.

Gun Selection

Variety is the spice of life, and that applies to weaponry too! Choose your preferred playstyle with our revamped gun selection system:

Classic vs. Enhanced: Are you a purist seeking a classic challenge? Stick with the single-gun setup for a true test of skill. Or, opt for the enhanced experience with dual side-mounted guns, allowing for simultaneous firepower that's sure to tip the scales in your favour. This choice enhances self-determination theory by offering autonomy and catering to different playstyles.

Movement Mastery

Navigating the cosmos just got a whole lot smoother with our latest movement enhancements:

Boost Mode: Need a burst of speed to dodge incoming threats? Activate Boost Mode by holding "L-Shift" and watch as your ship accelerates to new heights, making late-game evasion a breeze.

Power-Up

Last but certainly not least, prepare for power-up perfection with our newest addition:

Shield Power-Ups: Fortify your defences with the rare Shield Power-Up, spawning randomly with a 1 in 50 chance upon asteroid destruction. Temporarily withstand 2 asteroid impacts before your shield dissipates, granting you precious moments of invulnerability in the chaos of space. This implementation of positive reinforcement provides intermittent rewards that keep players engaged and motivated to continue playing, as the chance of obtaining a powerful shield adds an element of excitement and strategic planning.

[vietanh]

Dev Post 1

🚀 Cosmic Furry:

At its core, Cosmic Furry is an asteroid game with a twist. While you'll still be navigating through treacherous asteroid fields, we've infused the gameplay with exciting new mechanics

🔫 Dynamic Gunplay: Say goodbye to monotonous shooting! Cosmic Furry introduces a new gun mechanic that allows players to wield different types of weapons right from the start. Whether you prefer 3 guns shooting or a laser blaster to be mounted on your ship, there's a weapon to suit every playstyle.The introduction of dynamic gunplay aligns with self-determination theory (SDT), which emphasizes the importance of autonomy in player engagement. By offering different weapon types, players can choose their preferred playstyle, thereby enhancing their intrinsic motivation and satisfaction. Below might be some of the gun option that player can use to start off their adventure:

💥 Experience Evolution: Collect XP to level up your ship and enhance its capabilities. Increase your speed, boost your shooting rate, or amplify your damage output. This can be drop from shooting down asteroid and each asteroid will have different exp value ranging from (small - 1xp, medium - 2xp , large - 3xp).This XP and ship leveling system ties into flow theory, as proposed by Csikszentmihalyi. By maintaining an optimal balance between challenge and skill level, players stay in a state of flow. This ensures that the difficulty curve matches the player's growing skills, maintaining engagement and preventing frustration.

🛡️ Power-Up : Keep an eye out for power-ups scattered throughout the cosmos. From shields that grant temporary invincibility to SOS beacon where a rain of bullet will be fire down to kill all of the asteroid and much more to come. Power-ups serve as a form of positive reinforcement, a concept from behaviorist theory. By rewarding players with temporary boosts, the game encourages continuous play and provides immediate feedback, reinforcing the desired behaviour of exploring and engaging with the game environment.

What's on the Horizon?

I'm currently developing some of these feature below such as:

Character Selection: Customise your game play by being able to select different gun type with different trait that comes with them

Level up UI for player to chose a ship upgrade And Waves mechanic of some sort making the game harder depending on the state of the game and the runtime of the player

[vietanh]

Elevator pitch

Title: Cosmic Fury

In "Cosmic Fury," players journey through treacherous asteroid fields, battling hostile forces in a narrative-driven experience inspired by Asteroids. With advanced weaponry and immersive visuals, players uncover cosmic mysteries, and master precision, and strategy. Every decision shapes the fate of the galaxy in this thrilling adventure.

Game Controls Diagram:

Movement - W A S D

Ability - "space bar"

Unique Selling Points:

Dynamic Environments: Experience ever-changing asteroid fields and celestial phenomena.

Player Choice: Influence the way you survive in each different difficulty with powerup helping you advance the astroid field

Target Audience

This game is rated for everyone as it only contains minor shooting at the asteroid

Genre:

multidirectional shooter arcade video game Viet N10933654@qut.edu.au

[vietanh]

Postmortem

To improve the development process for "ChronoLeap," I would prioritize a clear plan and level design before beginning production. Having a clear vision of how the game should look and feel from the start will greatly ease the development process. Iteratively approaching development with a solid plan in place would not only make the process more manageable but would also result in a more unified and polished end product.

Throughout the production of "ChronoLeap," I gained a better grasp of good game development processes, including iterative design, playtesting, and incorporating player input. Playtesting has proven to be beneficial, providing insights from various player perspectives. Feedback from playtests provided vital insights into the game's design, suggesting development opportunities. Incorporating this feedback resulted in changes to level design and mechanics, ultimately improving the player experience.

One of the major challenges encountered during the development of "ChronoLeap" was the implementation of time travel mechanics. Despite substantial attempts, the intended functionality remained elusive, necessitating additional research and experimentation to enhance this concept. Furthermore, the creative process of generating compelling levels was a significant obstacle. To address this, I looked for inspiration in snippets from other games, which helped to ignite creativity and guide the production process.

Player feedback and testing were critical in improving the mechanics, level design, and narrative elements of "ChronoLeap." Constructive comments identified areas where the game fell short, such as a lack of incentive for players to interact with monsters and ambiguous level design. This input guided iterative modifications, including changes to gaming mechanics and level structure to boost player engagement and clarity.

[vietanh]

Playtest feedback

+good visuals (background doesn't fit the entire scene)

-pathing feels a bit unclear (not necessarily bad - maybe the intention was to let the player figure out the path rather than have a linear path set out)

-doesn't feel like there's enough variety

A lot of my frustration came from my model hitting another platform rather than me missing a jump (didn't feel good as a player personally)

-the spike platform felt like there was too little room (it wasn't necessarily hard but it felt like there was too little room considering how fast the player model moves)

-there's no incentive for me to go out of my way to defeat all enemies (no scoring system)

This was extremely helpful in that it gave me an idea on the things I could improve, and most importantly, this was from the perspective of an accurate player who would likely be playing such a game, so the feedback helped me understand some of the issues and what could be improved in terms of the design of the level itself, and that the game provides no incentive, so I would need to work on that as well.

[vietanh]

Development post 2

Development posts

For this development phase, I plan to add some enemies and obstacles to the game. Along with that, create a score-keeping technique, an end screen, and the option to repeat the level when the player has completed it. I also aim to add a collision condition to keep the player interested and allow them to destroy enemies.

The main focus was on collision detection and how the player interacted with objects and opponents. For example, to make a moving object interact correctly with the player model, I discovered that I would need to update the collision box frame by frame. This adjustment ensures that the gameplay remains smooth and that interactions between the player and the environment feel natural and responsive.

Additionally, the checkpoint mechanic was added and is displayed as follows for off and on checkpoints. This mechanic allows players to save their progress at certain points within a level, providing a way to resume from these checkpoints if they fail, enhancing the overall player experience by reducing frustration and encouraging exploration.

So far, the game's level design is rather simple, with certain features and an end objective to achieve, as well as the opportunity for the player to revisit the level. However, the development of time manipulation mechanics was never included, and I am currently looking for ways to code the mechanics and cruelty without success. Despite this, I believe the game's overall design and assets selection look nice, contributing to an engaging and immersive gameplay experience.

[vietanh]

Development Post 1

Development Posts: Applying Gaming Theory to "ChronoLeap"

For this project, I intended to use GDevelop to create a fully functional game using time manipulation as one of its two major components. In particular, I wanted to include the ability to travel back in time and witness a different scenario within the same level by going back 50 years, which would provide a variety of temporal hurdles to gameplay. To enhance the player experience, I also focused on designing and structuring difficult puzzles and stages with power-ups.

Gaming Theory and Time Manipulation

Time Manipulation as a Game Mechanic Time manipulation in "ChronoLeap" can be analyzed through the lens of dynamic game balancing. This concept involves adjusting the game's difficulty in real-time to match the player's skill level. By allowing players to travel back in time and experience different scenarios, "ChronoLeap" provides a dynamic gameplay experience where the difficulty can be adjusted based on the temporal context. This aligns with the idea of maintaining a balanced challenge, as discussed by Hunicke and Chapman's work on dynamic difficulty adjustment (DDA) in games .

Puzzles and Level Design

Designing Engaging and Challenging Puzzles Throughout the development process, I also learned the necessity of thoughtful level design. I realized that finding the correct balance between challenge and engagement is critical for keeping players interested and motivated. This insight can be tied to flow theory, proposed by Csikszentmihalyi, which suggests that optimal gameplay occurs when there is a balance between the challenge presented and the player's skill level . In "ChronoLeap," incorporating puzzles that are pre-planned ensures a more cohesive and enjoyable experience, helping to maintain this balance and keep players in the flow state.

Art and Immersion

Combining Future and Nostalgic Themes Inspired by game principles, the artwork for "ChronoLeap" demonstrates a deliberate choice to combine future and nostalgic themes. The game's environment combines a futuristic sci-fi universe with scenes reminiscent of a peaceful past, complete with beautiful woods and chirping birds. This graphical direction not only complements the game's mechanics but also heightens immersion by allowing players to explore and interact with the temporal environments. This approach aligns with immersive game design, where visual and auditory elements are crucial in creating a believable game world that players can lose themselves in .

Prototyping and Initial Development

Starting Small and Building Up As this is the goal for the game, I'm just starting off with the prototyping phase. I have gone small and started with some basic movements in the first development. Alongside that is some animated player models and some basic level designs. This iterative approach aligns with the agile development methodology, which emphasizes rapid prototyping, testing, and iteration to refine game mechanics and ensure a polished final product .

By integrating these gaming theories and principles into the development of "ChronoLeap," I aim to create a balanced, engaging, and immersive gameplay experience that resonates with players.

This shows the current progress of the game with control WASD and a enemy for the game