Journal Entry 2

30.3.2021 (3h)

My thought process of a game design went a little bit like this

"""

Level with DOTs environment and healpacks. Maybe something with light source and time you can be without one (like you get heart rate up or something and eventually faint, which brings you back to a checkpoint). Perhaps the light source can be a checkpoint itself so the game will be about getting 

from one light source to another in a limited time. This will need a well designed obstacles that can possible delay the player enough for it not to get to the next point fast enough. Maybe player will have a torch which it can light up from the source, which will extinguish after some time. It will be the timer. The more it extinguishes the less is visible around. The FOV should go down either constantly in slow rate or there will be like 3 states of torch, each having couple of seconds time of live. Every time the state changes the FOV will go down more drastically.

"""

Now after that it was time to check if this could be possible with the 2D Game Kit. It will be better if I put in my mind a simple thought which is: "I'll be developing it". This will help me to stay on more or less realistic design side. 

First thing's first, I had to go through the walkthrough, which went very smoothly. I really like this component based approach.

Right from the beginning of the walkthrough I tried to imitate the first level of Mario, so I ended up creating a layout very similar to it.

The playable character is able to shoot and melee attack. Hmmmm.... that's cool and all, but I don't think I will be using this feature. I'll leave it be for now.

Ah, of course, moving tiles. Should probably put one in this as well. Oh! It can actually be a good addition to my game idea. Like, the moving tiles can delay you from reaching checkpoints. I should probably make it so if you get/jump off the moving tile at the right time you'll save time by cutting a path short or something. We'll see.

Doors with triggers are another delaying mechanics I should use. Now let me do a bit of mischief in this current game I'm practicing on.

I'm not sure there will be enemies in the game I want to design the game, but let's not scratch that possibility out for now.

I can connect the pushable objects to pressure platforms to let the doors stay opened maybe. Actually let's try that in this game right now.

Time to decorate. I think I will need more dark themed assets for better atmosphere, one suited for torches and dark corner thingies.

I may be could've put the teleporting starting point under tiles instead of putting acid there. Maybe I can somehow use this to teleport to checkpoint when the torch runs out.

I'll name this walkthrough game "MarioButcher"... idk that's the first thing that I thought about, cuz I imitated the Mario level design and completely butchered it.

I need to watch the video of the Walkthrough later to get more insight. For now that's all.

31.3.2021 (1h)

I decided to go through the demo videos of 2D Game Kit, which took me around 45-50mins. I quickly understood that it's going to be more or less the things I did yesterday, but still repetition is the mother of all learning, right?

First video was about scenes, events and how objects interact with scenes. And right from the beginning I see glimmer of hope that I can play with the lighting for my game design, but only a glimmer.

From the second video I see the damageable script, which I'll probably turn off for the game design I'm going for.

Third video was explaining the moving tiles, so it was nothing new.

Fourth video. Destructible objects are more or less off the list, cuz I don't think that the player will even have the ability to attack in the designed game.

Fifth video taught me that pressing q switches to the grab tool. I guess it was about time for me to learn it. Initially I was thinking of adding a health packs to the game, but I think the player is not going to have any health indicator and any health mechanics overall.

Sixth video. The idea of triggering an event from afar with pistol sounds interesting, might use it.

Seventh video. This one I think was the most interesting video. Inventory system with key collecting for doors is a very nice puzzlo-time-delayer.

Eight video. Teleportation is most probably going to be in the game design. Also this demo was mostly new information, which is nice.

OK, overall there was less new information than I would've wanted, but it wasn't bad going through it again (although a bit boring). It gave me some more ideas about the game design, but now I have way too much in my head. I need to sort my thoughts so I neither overdo nor underdo.

One thing I would've wanted to see here a lot was demo about lights. I guess, I'll have to look it up online or try out myself.

Also I went through the 5 min Working with Scripts tutorial, not much I can say yet. I'll need to go through Beginner Scripting tutorial and more. That's a thing for a next time.