Enemies & Interaction

This week I have been working on enemies for the game, as well as some interactive challenges for the player. 

Enemy & Object Art

I’ve been working on some artwork for the game. I needed multiple enemy types, all in a similar art style, and a few objects to help flesh out the game world. The objects are really just chunks of food that I can place around the world, and also use as obstacles in Level 2. I’ve set up all the art of enemies in greyscale so that I can use Unity to colour them and have the ability for multiple colours of the same enemy image. 

Image of food used in Level 2

Enemy Function

The main type of enemy the player will encounter is the slow and stinky kind. These enemies float around in a small area and release a toxic gas every few seconds. The radius of the gas is larger than that of the players attack distance, so the player needs to time their attacks. 

Gassy enemies

There’s also the seeking enemy. This enemy will chase the player around and hurt the player when they touch. The enemy is designed to move very fast, forcing the player to attack them rather than just trying to run away all the time. The problem with this is that if the player sees the seeker coming then they’ll just start their attack, and the enemy will fly right into it. So, I’ve also added a knockback distance so when the enemy hits the player, the player is knocked back to confuse them somewhat. In my testing this enemy has been a bit overpowered and is only useful as a surprise, so there won’t be many of these. 

Seeker enemy type

The third enemy I’ve added is a stationary bacterium which is stuck to objects. It releases gas like the first enemy. They will mainly play a role in the second level where the player is sliding down the throat. They are used to stop the player from hugging the walls of the throat and trying to cheat the system. 

Stationary enemy type

Puzzles/Challenges

I’ve fleshed out the second level this week and added several objects to it. In this level the player is falling down a throat and has a target number of bacteria to kill on the way through. To add more of a challenge there will be chunks of food fall down the throat which will hurt the player if hit. This has turned into a particularly challenging level so having some people test it out will be important. 

Level 2: The Throat

Bug Fixes

Last week I had a bug with the braces bridge starting to sag. I found two possible solutions. Option one was to use a different type of hinge in the joints so that the bridge is sturdier and doesn’t flex. Option two was just to delete the bridge and respawn it with every player death, that was it has its tension back on repeated playthroughs. I opted for option two as the looser bridge is more fun to play with and adds a very slight challenge, rather than a pointless solid bridge. 

I also had some feedback that the game can be too challenging for some people, not naming names, but it needs to be easier for marking purposes. I’ve added a god mode to ease marking of the project.

God Mode, otherwise known as Lindslay Mode

Player Feedback

Hi JD, well done on the game so far, it feels really complete already. Personally, the seeker felt a little fast to comprehend on the first playthrough, but once you know it is coming it is fine. I also noticed that when you hit something on level 2 the player rotates, which makes it hard to use the space ability to control rotation, especially if the thing you hit causes you to rotate anti-clockwise.  – Jonathon 

I wasn’t 100% sold on the speed of the seeker enemy, so the feedback was great. I’ll be tuning that speed down for the next build. I’ll also work on the spin on level 2. It’s a cool effect but outlives its welcome after a second or two. I’ll probably add some sort of drag to the players rotation, so they slow down quickly.  

Spinning out of control on Level 2