[Blog] Game Dev Progress (Patreon)

Although I said I was planning to create a painting this week, I instead ended up doing game dev. I wasn't planning to devote so much time to it, but once I started, I kept on doing it. I apologize and hope you don't mind.

I haven't added any completely new features, mostly refining a bunch of older stuff. I fixed a game-breaking bug that is still available in the last demo I gave you guys.

Bugs & Fixes:

Prolonged stair usage would result in a memory leak, causing the game to crawl to a literal slide show in regards to its frame rate. It took a few months for me to create a an alternate solution to the logic, but I managed to recently do so.

Something about using Timesources caused an issue, so I'm just handling the math myself. The system could be improved, but at least it works now.

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I've updated the physics system to better accommodate a few features, but I may have to rewrite it entirely in the future. It works, but there's a few weird issues... Like you can end up inside the floor for a split second after landing from a jump, which isn't a massive issue normally, but if you have a fast enough eye after a whip jump attack, you can see the whip move between the two frames. Once when you're in the ground, and then when the character is pushed out of the up a few pixels.

Quite unfortunate... Sigh.

Updated Sprites:

You may not have noticed, but the jump whip sprite was updated. I've been making adjustments across many of the sprites. Keep in mind they're still WIP though. Some aren't worth mentioning, but these ones are:

Jump Whip

Now it doesn't use the same sprite as attacking while grounded, and the whip itself has been brightened for easier readability. The arm has been straightened to match the height of the whip too, which has been applied to a few more of the sprites.

Stand Whip

As much as I enjoy this first frame, I think the entire animation looked weird with the front leg crossing over the body (results in less smooth transition with other sprites, like whipping and walking in quick succession to one another).

The updated sprite blends better with other player states but is still in progress. The posture is straightforward, but Elayne is planned to shift her weight from one leg to the other. It reads easier too, which is super important for a game like this.

I hope to find some other use for the old sprite, because those legs are sexy...

Falling

I felt like the old sprite for falling lacked character (it uses the crouch sprite, as is the case for Castlevania). I came up with a brand new sprite, which looks nice, but I had to decide against using it...

It's biggest issue is that it's more distracting and overly fancy. The jump feels shorter because Elayne isn't crouching mid air, making it harder to know if you'll be able to clear a jump - which is not ideal in a game with platforming.

I hope I can find some other use for this sprite, because it looks cute... I decided to use the old sprite, but kept the boob physics. There are some videos in the Dropbox Archive showing it in action.

Hurt

I've also made a small adjustment to the sprite for when Elayne gets hurt. I always felt it was a bit harder to deal because of how fast it happens, and that's still true, but I hope it will at least feel more balanced with the additional arm in place.

What's Next:

I wish I had been able to work on this game project more often and more quickly... If only to get a single test level online to play. So I gave it some thought... What is the absolute minimum amount of work required for a Minimum Viable Product?

It's possible, if I'm able to hyper focus on these things for the a few months, that I'd be able to get a decent demo publicly available for everyone to try? I only need a single level that can communicate what the game should be like - an Alpha Test.

Programming:

• Pause Menu
• Enemy Spawner
• Room Transition
• Sub Weapon GUI

Asset Creation

• One New Enemy Type
• Level Design Assets

Sprites:

• Level Design Kit
• Update Player
• Update GUI
• Update Enemies
• Update Weapons

Extra:

• Music & Sounds

Anyway, don't forget to eat & sleep.