Devlog 10/29/2020

Dylan

Hello! After last week's prototype, the team received a lot of constructive criticism for our game's design, especially regarding the Oven Timer and its relation to the mechanics. There was a general consensus that the timer caused too much stress and rush when reading dialogue, so the first thing I did was make the timer pause when talking to characters. Then came the real challenge of the week: contemplating the redesign of the game. It took a lot of debating, drawing out, and discussion with classmates and friends to arrive at the conclusion that the game needed to go back to the chalkboard for the design. First off, it was decided to scrap the idea of multiple mechanics throughout the session of a singular timer. Having the player re-learn three different mechanics in a short period of time was asking too much of them, and further took the intended focus on the stories in the game away. Instead, we wanted the replayability to be more front and center, this way the player is reminded that they don't have to worry about missing things, as they know they'll be able to jump right back in after the timer counts down.

Our new design refined the platforming aspect of the game and focused entirely on movement. Instead of casting a specific ability, the player would now be able to enter an aiming mode and shoot out dough balls. These balls can attach to any surface, and when jumped on will act as a trampoline. This was done to further complement the verticality we wish to have within the game as we later add multiple levels to the Oven. When the player casts more dough, they will grow smaller (as they are chucking away their life force), slightly increasing their speed and allowing them to fit into smaller areas. Additionally, the player can toss 5 dough pieces into a "Cold Spot" of the Oven, which acts as a respawn point for the player when they die and respawn. Upon replaying, all of the cast dough becomes hardened into a platform, allowing for quicker and more strategic traversal in future playthroughs. Also, I implemented the ability for the player to choose dialogue choices when encountering specific citizens in the city to allow for more involved storylines.

Tariq

Upon re-evaluation of the mechanics from last week's in-class critique, my primary focus was to come up with a basic level design layout that would fit with the new direction of physics mechanics. Starting off with paper prototyping, I began coming up with the basic models and structures that would be used to populate the oven world. This led me to research various cooking tools and containers such as the handi, gamasot, and tajine in an effort to include a more creative and international aesthetic. I also began considering more international food items to incorporate as building structures and characters for later implementation.

After this paper prototyping, I began gray boxing the actual layout within Unity, utilizing a simple grid system where structures were formed out of equal height cubes that were then stacked on top of each other. This ensured a systematic and more structured cityscape for the oven's Cocoa Capital and allowed me to prototype more efficiently.

For the coming week, the core focus will be on churning out environmental models, as well as providing textures for current character models. Input from this week's in-class critique may also dictate other level design changes.

McKenna

This week was mostly focused on adding two new quests for the player to try. First was the Edible Arrangements quest, in which the player helps a Chocolate Cupcake ask a Strawberry Cupcake on a date. Originally, we had thought of having the player create a new outfit for Chocolate, including a cupcake tin, frosting, and toppings, but we decided instead to have the player go on an information quest. The player needs to walk around and find Strawberry's whole family to ask them what Strawberry's favorite color is. But you get more lore about Strawberry and the world as a whole as you're looking for their favorite color.

The second quest is called Tag Team, and this is where a Cinnamon Roll wants to create art on the bread buildings to create a legacy. The player needs to find 3 good places to paint, one that is easy to find, one that is on a ledge, and one that is through a small space. The player will need to use their dough shooting and shrinking abilities, respectively, to find these places. Cinnamon Roll gives a hint to the player when they are taking the quest, however. This quest was meant to make more use of the player's abilities as well as dialogue options to allow the player to have more agency in the world.

Next week, we'll work on adding more quests, along with more vignettes and side conversations that you can hear as you're walking around, including different religious beliefs for what happens when the pastries "die". The idea is to be as true to life as possible with all the beliefs, but still to be respectful of these beliefs.