Programming

Hi, everyone! This is the final week of Rollin’Rascals development. As we're currently in the polishing stage and have reached a feature freeze, my main focus has been on bug fixing and implementing art assets. Additionally, I've been addressing performance issues.

Remapped controls

The controls didn't feel intuitive for new players, so we have remapped them to provide a more natural feel, especially for casual gamers. This new control scheme aligns with what is commonly used in racing games. However, this change caused some issues with the UI interface. Fortunately, we have resolved those issues.

Death mechanic

Dead players are no longer able to teleport to finished players or other dead players. Additionally, we have made some parameter tweaks to the shooting mechanics.

Performance

The calculation of player positions now utilizes memory recycling, reducing the amount of garbage collection performed by Unity.

We have reduced the finishing impact on performance by decreasing the particle count and optimizing the script logic.

Animation controller

Some transitions still didn't feel right or lacked the appropriate conditions. These transitions have been replaced, and now the baby should be moving at all times.

Art

Finish Line

At the finish line there will be a candy store with an 'o so' important candy. this week a particle was added to the back of it to make it stand out a lot more. There will also be some confetti that will be popped once a player finishes.

Obstacle / checkpoint flag

In a prior devlog, we introduced a checkpoint flag designed to be placed before each obstacle, serving as a clear indication of an upcoming challenge. However, some players found the checker/race pattern confusing as it resembled a finish line. Consequently, we recognized the need for a significant upgrade to the flag.

Countdown

In a previous devlog, we introduced a material that would restrict players from proceeding until the countdown had fully elapsed. However, this material retained the default bright magenta color, which is commonly associated with error displays. Clearly, we have since made the following modifications: a white transparent striped background that moves from left to right. and a bright yellow colored countdown.

Rank / position

In the past weeks, it was not easy to discern the rank or position of players at a glance. Therefore, we made several adjustments to address this issue. The player's rank now features a vibrant yellow/orange color, ensuring better visibility. Additionally, we implemented numerous minor tweaks to further enhance the overall display.

Tiny HUD controls

Another imoprtant thing on which we got feedback were the controls for the game. becasue we got multiple abilities that the player can use inside of the game, maybe it would be best to show the controls on top of the screen inside of the Hud. Our artist then made the following tiny images that are gonna be placed on the top right of each screen.

Transition particle

When the player goes into demolish mode there is an abrupt transition from the plastic material to the metal one. to prevent it being that abrupt there was a particle made.

2D art

Finishing touches included all the 2D art needed for the game, including

 the loco of the game:  Using the font and track imagery and interesting and eye-catching logo for our game that informs the casual browsing people to know what the game is. 

End Winning screen: A line of interesting visuals for the candy store.  In fin color and variations according to which baby won.