Week 4: Devlog (Vertical Slice)

A lot of the work done this week was making design decisions such as which of the prototypes to build onto. In terms of work done on the game itself, Alex has made a sprite for the player character, while Dylan has done some fine-tuning with the physics and implemented the UI framework for a target which follows the mouse.

Our plans for the vertical slice are as follows. We will have one level, roughly 2 minutes long. The player will only be able to grapple to designated grapple points, and only if there is clear line of sight. The Bullet Time and the timer from Dylan's 3rd prototype will remain ,with the addition of  environmental hazards (spikes) which can kill the player and players will be able to start and restart the game within the build  without having to exit. The level should be sufficiently long that all aspects of play are demonstrated within the level. Bullet Time should feel useful and impactful, while still having the drawback of slowing you down without affecting the timer, and completing the level should be challenging but rewarding, even if it causes frustration, while still having  movement be enjoyable enough so losing is still an enjoyable experience.

For the final project, we don't plan on adding many new features or mechanics to the player, though there is potential for more interactable objects such as buttons and switches to be added to help the levels feel more diverse. Our main focus however will be adding multiple levels to the game, including a slightly more tutorial style level, and possibly a medal system where beating it grants you bronze, but silver and gold require an even faster completion.