Development Diary #3: First Prototype!

Following on from my last post, here’s my first attempt at a simple, working version of some basic game-mechanics. So far you can move about a bit, pick things up when you’re close enough, restart by pressing the enter key and… well that’s all actually.

Here’s what I’ve been concerning myself with over the last week or so, all seem pretty essential for an adventure game:

  • Moving to mouse-click
  • Pathfinding
  • Obstacle avoidance / walkable areas
  • Custom cursors
  • Object interaction
  • Inventory system

Amazingly (and thankfully!) Unity 3.5 ships with its own fancy new Pathfinding system and the above prototype incorporates a good percentage of the basic functionality I’m looking for. So far I’ve tested out defining walkable/non-walkable areas and collision avoidance between characters/obstacles. Still have to think about non-standard terrain like hills, ladders, stairs; I’m hoping to use Rune Skovbo Johansen’s Locomotion system for IK/animation blending so that’s something else to look into.

Replacing the system cursor with a new one is pretty straightforward but I still have to investigate animation and mouse-over effects. Depending on the system I come up with I may need a variety of different, interchangeable cursors for different functions, using items etc.

Most of my time has been spent working out how to move the coloured cubes to the inventory (still haven’t managed to get them back again yet!). I don’t have the most logical of brains so, although some really basic concepts of scripting are sinking in, some aren’t. Arrays, so far, aren’t. I did manage to get something hacked together in the end though, it’s far, far from a complete solution but you can pick the coloured cubes in any order and they’ll move to the inventory as you do so, I’m claiming that as a very small victory!

So after filling my head with numbers and a bunch of funny-looking brackets for the past few weeks I’m hoping to make a start on some art next, the latest version of Softimage usually appears in the next couple of months so I’m using that as a deadline. Along with another prototype the plan is to have some designs I’m happy with ready to go for the end of March…

If you have questions, suggestions or happen to know where I can get cheap, brand-name clothing, feel free to leave your words in the box below.

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