Midterm Update

When we were given the theme for this assignment (stealth) I instantly contemplated escaping from a location unseen. Even this simple prompt produced so many questions. Where was I? Why am i trying to escape? What am I hiding from? I eventually settled on an idea that we were a prisoner locked away in an underground prison and with no gear we needed to escape undetected from the guards. 

THE GDD

When designing the level we were given a document to help outline all the things we should think about including in the game. These were things like Game Loops (how does the actions of the player affect the game and vice versa?), Pick Up Items (How can the player interact with their environment), Throw Items (Does the player have access to any sort of tool to aid them on their mission?), and more. So I made sure to include a comprehensive interact function that will allow the player to pickup special keys, unlock doors, and even toss rocks to distract guards


THE CORE EXPERIENCE

For the Game Loop itself I wanted to make sure the players were always cautious of their surroundings. The level features many different corners to peer around and hallways to navigate. Even when the player thinks they understand the pattern of the guards we toss an extra layer in the mix. Guards will periodically spawn and will follow a random pathing to keep players on their toes. As an added bonus we included hidden paths and unlockable doors to add a sense of progression and accomplishment in the midst of the high tension stealth mission. The Loop was a constant cycle of hiding and maneuvering in order to avoid the eyes of the guards as you make your way thru the labyrinthic maze. When you spawn into the game you have a simple goal...escape. However, during playtesting players found it super easy to ignore the stealth aspect by just sprinting past all the guards and dashing to the exit. The solution for this was removing the sprint option and adding sound to the players movements so even if they tried to run behind their backs they could be heard. This did end up pushing the needle in favor of the guards just catching you every time. To balance it out we added spots where players could essentially hide inside the cells and even free other prisoners to block you from the guards.

 

TAKE A BREAK!

Moments of relief are build into the game to provide players an opportunity to plan their next move. Keys hidden in secret compartments where guards do not patrol offer players a moment to breath before wondering around the prison. Its important to provide this moment of respite since the player will need moments where they are waiting for guards to pass by or hit certain checkpoints. Without these safe enclosures they will be stuck sitting out in the open just waiting to get caught or feel trapped in a long hallway with no way thru. 

BE CREATIVE

Even though the game outlines and favors an intended behavior from players, they are not locked into just this method of playing. Some during testing found it more fun to try and challenge themselves to escape without freeing the prisoners. While this was a much harder path it was fun seeing different playstyles emerge. This emphasis on a "speed run" encouraged me to implement a quick save/load every time you die so players did not have to quit/relaunch the game every time they were caught. Whenever start the game it will save your place at the start location and when you are caught it will disable your inputs temporarily and then load you back at the beginning to try again.  Players choosing to ignore the pleas of help from their fellow prisoners are not entirely empty handed. Also included are some pickup distractable items that can be used to lure guards away from their location so they can slip by.

 

POTENTIAL FUTURE UPDATES

A few things I would be looking to add
>Art outside of the block out level. Navigating the twists and turns of the prison can be confusing so I would like to add features that players can readily identify with to keep their bearing aside form the sea of orange blocks

>Voices for not just prisoners but guards. As much as the guards can hear the players it should only be fair that the players can hear the guards as well. That way they don't need to face check every corner blind but can listen for things like footsteps and grumbles.

>Better materials for the characters. I tried looking on the marketplace for some assets but i couldn't find anything i really liked for the project. I altered the materials by hand so players could tell guards from prisoners as well as changed the materials on the various doors so players could tell those apart as well but some good assets will go a long way towards making the game feel finished. 

You can see from the original 2D map layout that the overall design of the prison did not change much. We added an extra guard at the end since the game felt empty between where you start and where you end. We also added in an extra optional key that allowed players to release the guards if they wanted help reaching the end. 

CURRENT UPDATES: 

Player: Can now pick up keys and unlock specific doors, movement makes noise that is detectable by the enemy AI

Prisoners (NEW): Will follow the player upon being released until it sees a guard and will then chase them down, upon collision both the prisoner and guard are removed. This gives players "ammo" to use against the guards. Dialogue was added when player is nearby to present the additional side objective of freeing them. For the prisoners I used a vibrant red/green to help draw the players eye to them while they are locked behind a semi opaque cell door. Those colors are also split complimentary to the guards blue!

Lock Key: Hidden away is a key that will open up a locker room so the player can find their gear and escape! This key isn't enough to open up the cell doors however. The guards are smart enough to not keep the two together.

Gate Key: This key can unlock the cell doors freeing the prisoners. Surely this wasn't just left lying around somewhere.

CONCLUSION:

This project really took me out of my comfort zone and I learned a lot about AI. There were a slew of problems that kept popping up that needed fixing like spawned units wouldn't immediately take on the characteristics of its parent blueprint. Collisions not being detected. A priority system on keys and actors and much much more. I'm very excited to continue growing this little side game into something with a lot more substance to it!