Following on from last week, this week we've gone more in-depth to explain how the switch from biped mode to quadruped mode works. One of the key challenges with this mechanic is the fact that biped and quadruped proportions are usually quite different, so it's not quite as simple as just using a different set of animations - the whole character mesh and rig has to be different, and the video below shows how we've gone about tackling this.
Development Diary 9: A Wee Little Update
15th June 2015
Just a very quick diary this week to show off a new gameplay element: quadruped mode! Next week, we'll look at this in more detail, but for now, check out the video below to see quadruped mode in action.
Development Diary 8: Even More Lasso
8th June 2015
This week sees us bid farewell to our lasso mechanic, at least for now. After a month of hard work, the lasso mechanic is finally at a stage we call 'functionally complete', which means that all the core playable features are up and running, even if the visuals still need more work. This means that we're ready to start programming some other playable features, but for now, check out the video below to see the lasso mechanic as it currently exists - now with visible rope!
Development Diary 7: Smoke and Mirrors
1st June 2015
Happy June everyone! This week we've got an interesting little piece of programming trickery to show you. These past few weeks, I've been hard at work programming in our lasso mechanic, which is probably going to be our most complicated feature coding-wise. One of the things which makes it so complicated is trying to achieve a satisfying sense of gravity, acceleration and deceleration whilst the player is swinging on the end of their lasso rope, as the laws of physics which govern this in the real world are really quite complex and not always very predictable or fun when translated into a digital environment. Our focus this week has been implementing a feature of the lasso which allows the player to lasso a piece of scenery and swing across a gap. Sounds simple, but it isn't! Check out the video below to see our somewhat unorthodox and novel solution to this challenge.
Development Diary 6: More Lasso
25th May 2015
Welcome to part 6, and as the title suggests, this week we've been hard at work adding new elements to our lasso mechanic. We've still got some way to go, as we're still lacking a visible rope and animations, but we're getting there. The video below shows off some of the new features, including tethering objects together, pulling objects over, and climbing.
