Product
This week:
- I completed the game loop
- Updated animations
- Polish
Process
Game Loop
The game loop is a key aspect of any game, this is the difference between a bunch of mechanics, models, scripts and a functional game, and allows a player to finish a level in the game, get feedback, and then play a different one, and so on.
A key aspect of this was the Scorecard. Using the design that Ciaran had created for the scorecard, I updated the functionality by:
Fixing some bugs with the EndGameCanvasBuilder (which is the script used to control the scorecard)
I implemented logic so that the EndGameCanvasBuilder dynamically constructs the list of correct/incorrect steps based on the steps provided to the StateMonitor. I implemented ToStrings for the various puzzle steps which would be displayed at the end, this allows for each individual puzzle step to have its own description, e.g. "Plugged out the VDC24 cable" or "Turned the power off". As the player progresses through the puzzle, any steps that they get wrong are marked as such in the EndGameCanvasBuilder, causing them to appear as a red X when the Scorecard is displayed.
I also fully implemented logic that would allow a player to return to the main menu upon exiting the scorecard, this involved resetting the scoring system, the event system, and the scorecard steps themselves. This allows a player to do multiple playthroughs without having to turn off the game.
Animations
I tidied some of the animation code to allow for transitions between focus mode and non-focus mode while setting the binary on an ABC.
I also created animations for the scorecard appearing and for each step that appears in the endgame menu. This was aided using Cormac's UI Summoner to call my animations in the correct order and with a delay. Each step has a tick or cross image displayed to the left and a stamp sound (created by Kieran) played during the animation. I also animated the time elapsed to be flashing.
Scorecard and step animations
Polish
Began updating some of the buttons for better aesthetics.
Implemented particle effect pack which would allow for spark/smoke or other effects, these spark effects are triggered when the user plugs out a cable but the cabinet is still powered on.