Knowledge of Azuth

Overview

For this game jam I had to make a platformer in 2 weeks with a new group. The theme for the game jam was fantasy and we decided to make a 2d platformer/shooter where a wizard shoots fireballs at goblins.

I was a programmer on my team and I wanted to challenge myself by coding the character controller. I think I don’t have much experience in programming gameplay so I wanted to get better at it by making the character movement feel good, responsive and fun.

Final Product

Results

People found it to be really fun to play with some interesting and innovative features. additionally, we got some feedback saying the movement is really good so naturally I’m quite happy that I was successful in my responsibilities.

Problem

• The character kept sticking to walls and the sides of platforms when jumping which was really frustrating and made the game hard to play. I did some research and found out that it was due to a physics material on the character. I made a new physics material with 0 friction and fixed this problem.

Key Takeaways

• Jumping mechanic called coyote jump/Time that allows the player to run and jump right off the edge of a platform. This makes the movement in the game feel better and less frustrating for the player.

• Making the game and player controller feel 'right' is key for an enjoyable game.

• Next time I will do more research into character movement, such as double jump and dashing, and try to develop a more complex controller. with added complexity, programming mechanics in the script will get more complicated and will be a good exercise.