More game development this week, taken straight from the developer’s TODO list and task management, here’s an overview of what has been fixed, changed, updated, improved or generally worked on in the Orangepixel Universe.
I’m nearing the end-sprint for Regulator City, which feels GREAT! This week I decided to tackel one of the big features that was still waiting for a solution: Adding an end-boss or end goal to the game!
I started creating a design in Gimp to give me a feel of what I want the boss to be. Since this game is very much into tactics and strategy, a simple shoot-out didn’t feel right. So Dr OozeBrains will be in parts an entity, but in parts also a level designed around him. This will give the player a couple of obstacles to take down before the final show down.
After the design, it was time to add some code to this and get it IN the game and see if it all fits and looks okay.. before I animate a bunch of things that never get used. So after a quick code session we end up with Dr OozeBrain added to a quickly designed room. And using some code we already have some animations going.
As mentioned the boss is not just an entity, but it’s the whole level designed around it. So time to dive into the Regulator City level editor and create an interesting layout.
While working on Dr OozeBrain, I also decided to do more improvements to the level editor with the goal of making it more user friendly. I’m now fairly sure that I will ship the level editor with the game’s release (as it’s built in anyway) – so I just need to make sure it’s easy to use, clearly tells the level designer what’s missing or wrong with a map, and have all the options available.
I also added some features that I knew would be handy to have after editing so many levels without them. So it’s now possible to quickly locate certain items, as the editor will highlight them AND tell you how many of these special items are placed around the map.
I won’t spoil the whole Dr OozeBrain fight, but a lot of code and tests later and it’s now fully working! So time for the final steps and include the boss fight into the mission structure including some cool little art panels and text to go with it during the briefing.
It feels very good to be nearing the end of this massive project.
Right now the biggest thing left is to add some more levels to the game (much easier now with all the enhancements I made to the level editor during this week, see full changes list below). And I have to see if I can get the whole online-multiplayer code working perfectly.. so that we might be able to ship this game with not just single player and local coop mode, but also online coop!
Full changes list:
RegulatorCity – development change log November 05, 2024 :
BIG FEATURES
- NEW ART
BUGS
- fixed: World.prefBloodLevels is used in some randomness calls.. make sure it syncs in multiplayer mode
Devbuild v0.0.71
- added: All levels now get a couple of random gas-mask refuel stations
- added: sewer-covers can have Ooze worms crawl out if player near
- added: Small Ooze worms crawl onto player stunning him for few seconds (Space Grunts style!)
- Building types are now weighted in drop-rate for missions (apartments show up more than bank’s or hospitals)
- changed: Improved placing of Hacking-station for Hack mission
- changed: Ooze-spore perma-rooms only in later mission levels
- updated Character select panels for new Fury Fist abilities
RegulatorCity – development change log November 06, 2024 :
Devbuild v0.0.71
- added: Implemented final boss/end challenge
- Editor: added Zoom in/out option
- Editor: Allow saving/loading of single maps (not just packed-up)
- Editor: Fixed crash if no place to hide Janitor
- Editor: Hovering over menu buttons now highlights placement spots of those items on the map
- Editor: Jump back to edited-level after a play-test
- Editor: Special items now all combined in Tile-selector tool
- Editor: Starts focussed on Player’s start location
- fixed: Editor crash on tile-placement outside edges
- fixed: Ooze-spores in a room now only dangerous if player actually touches them (not just being in the room)
TODO
- Editor: Check for rooms without floor-texture (force one?)
- Editor: Drawing wall-lines now responds faster (no more skipped tiles)
RegulatorCity – development change log November 07, 2024 :
Devbuild v0.0.71
- added: Tie the end-boss into mission structure and make it the final mission
- Editor export should check if levelmap directory is present, if not , create it
TODO
- “Junk” shows up as unlockable weapon in HQ weapon lockers
- Add a “Play custom mission” option to play custom levels ?
- Create Trailer
RegulatorCity – development change log November 08, 2024 :
Devbuild v0.0.71
- added: “info box” to gas-mask refill station
- Added: a “Play custom map”
- Added: sounds to Fury Fists
- Editor: added “are you sure?” on Clear map options
- Editor: Added proper filename entry for Export
- Editor: added sanity check for rooms (floor textures, closed walls, etc)
- Editor: added Security-code and Security-system to sanity-check
- Editor: disable Play button on Sanity-check errors
- Editor: fixed crash on placing textures “out of bounds”
- Editor: Moved texturing/items around, for more natural work-flow
- Editor: removed Tactical-bag placement from required list
- Editor: Simplified to single map editing for non-developer state
- Editor: unused level-templates now show darker shade in level-select tool
- fixed: “Junk” shows up as unlockable weapon in HQ weapon lockers
- fixed: Block “unlocked junk” message
TODO
- Create WIKI for Level editor
- Figure out Steam Workshop upload/handling