Hello there. I am a software engineer with a strong passion for game development. I am developing a small game prototype that stems from me enjoying Joust, a Williams arcade classic, as well as using fish as the theme.
The current core gameplay loop is aiming for the highest score. To earn points, attack your opponents with your tail. Do not let your opponent's tail hit you. You can play up to 2 player simultaneous. You can also tweak settings under "Options" for life stock, score extend, and friendly fire (2 players).
The game is played with the USB gamepad. Move the fish with the thumbstick / joystick. Under main menu, press the A / Action 1 button to select and move up and down to check out different options.
You can download the game on any PC platform from the page below:
https://mrjbrpg.itch.io/fish-tail-vs-urchins-prototypeYou can also leave feedback on this game through my discord server:
https://discord.gg/u3cg8p7[8/25/2020]
After getting some feedback on my game as well as implementing some features crucial for a good gameplay flow, I have finally implemented waves, which effectively control the gameplay flow rather than constant spawning of opponents nonstop.
https://mrjbrpg.itch.io/fintail-gladiator-prototype/devlog/173208/wave-demo-now-you-can-play-the-game-in-wavesAt this point, I want feedback on the overall gameplay flow through the "Waves Demo" as it will be the main game mode for future builds.
[7/11/2020]
I am now looking for feedback on the AI opponents because I implemented them recently.
Latest devlog gives more detail on the AI:
https://mrjbrpg.itch.io/fish-tail-vs-urchins-prototype/devlog/161202/fintail-gladiator-prototype-update-new-ai-opponents[6/23/2020]
The prototype is ready for download on all PC platforms (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
https://mrjbrpg.itch.io/fish-tail-vs-urchins-prototype/devlog/156807/opponent-fish-ai-implementedThere are two game modes in the demo: Opponent Demo (with opponent fish) and Urchin Demo (with spiky urchins)
Anyways, I want to focus on a particular aspect of the game:
Opponent Fish AIThe current build has a A* pathfinding on a grid with basic behaviors of seek and flee, which is workable but sometimes act wonky. I eventually want to make subclasses of different opponent fish AI types to create more interesting behavior, including the all superior "Attract Mode Player".
I have a few goals in mind with the Opponent Fish AI:
Category | Intent
|
Pathfinding Algorithm | Currently implements A* path-finding with a grid. Always updates in realtime to force opponents to always seek the closest player and then flips to temporarily flee when close. If no players are around, they are supposed to wander. However, needs more refinement to account for physics and virtual joystick movement. Additionally, I want to eventually expand movement behavior of the opponent fish AI for flexibility, such as local avoidance.
|
2D Physics | I decided to stick with Unity's default physics because it suits a more chaotic gameplay that requires delicate and deliberate movement to survive. I want to integrate velocity to take account into the path-finding algorithm, but does not have it yet.
|
Virtual Controller | Since the game only uses the joystick, the virtual joystick influences the opponent's movement. The current implementation has virtual controller influenced by the path-finder alone. I eventually want the virtual controller to be more dynamic to allow custom behaviors like spinning around and not moving the controller to allow velocity and slow drag to do the movement. I also want to eventually implement simulated "controller input lag" as it can be a big deal to hardcore arcade lovers sometimes.
|
Anyways, feel free to give as much constructive feedback as possible.
I would be more than happy to receive suggestions to improve the game so that it can be more ready.