GDW and Comp Animation Update

GDW & Computer Animation

GDW: 

We got a lot done this week in our GDW.  We managed to get the overview on the plot of our game, each level, enemies for each level, and the bosses at the end of each level figured out.  The notes from our meeting can be seen below:

When you start, people who are currently working on you are coming down the corridor to shut you down. 
You have to figure out how to move and interact with objects and escape, before they get to you. 

-Blades in the arms for melee weapon

-Batman arkham asylum like combat, with fast transitions to the next locked on enemy.

-Guns are situational.  Will pick them up and be able to dispatch of enemies quickly, but will have low ammo, and you will
move really slow while you hold it.

-Energy bar constantly drains.  Killing enemies replenishes your energy bar

-Last level will be player fighting lots of enemies with 2 seperate endings.  1 ending is getting through the horde to the robot
rights group, and the other one is you die fighting, trying to get there

-Mechanic = Overclock:  You get noticeably stronger, but your energy bar drains faster.

-First level - X-men style sterilized lab.  Enemies will be military robots and drones.
-Second level - R&D level, with enemy scientists and military personnel
-Third level - Bunker level, similar to Halo with vehicles moving back and forth
-Fourth level - Top level, similar to a warehouse setting.
-Fifth level - Corn field.

Bosses:

-First level = Robot that produces little robots
-second level = Soldier in an exoskeleton suit
-Third level = APC with guy on turret
-Fourth level = 3-4 super soldiers with unique abilities
-Fifth level = Tank with enemy horde

Enemies:
-First level = combat droid(s)
-Second level = fast combat droid
-Third level = support drone and military personnel
-Fourth level = military personnel and "spectres" (exoskeleton like halo spartans without helmets)
-Fifth level = new military personnel (sniper) 

Next, we have to iron out what we want our combat to be like, and go over details on our enemy.  I suspect we will start doing preliminary design and such shortly.  We also already have somewhat of an engine going, so that will also give us a jump start on our game.

Below are some pictures of ideas on our levels, weapons and enemies which we found online.  Keep in mind that these are just possibilities what we are looking at.  A lot of it might not make it into our final game.

Levels:

Weapons:

 

 Enemies:

Computer Animation:

I got started on my homework questions over the weekend.  I plan to hopefully get to level 2 a week before our midterm, so that I don't have to do all of it at the last minute.  Other than that, there is not much to report on this topic.  I am enjoying the lectures however, and am learning a lot.

GDW and Computer Animation

GDW Update and Thoughts on Comp. Animation

GDW:

  This week, we got quite a lot done, in terms of preliminary design and ideas towards what we really want to achieve this year in GDW.  We decided to do an Isometric Action RPG game, which is gonna be focused on a humanoid combat robot, escaping his creators.  We decided on our studio name, Vibes Studio, and got some ideas on mechanics.

  We intend to make the action as fluid and fast paced as possible.  There are a couple of foreseeable obstacles right now, which we are currently working on pertaining to this style of combat.  One, is we don't want the combat animations to be too clunky, which would slow down the action.  Another issue is, the melee combat.  We don't want to focus too much on ranged combat, but we also don't want the melee combat to become monotonous, or boring.  If we only, say, have right clicking as our main attack, we don't want it to become a button masher that loses appeal after a while.  We are trying to make it as engaging and entertaining as possible, while not straying to far from our original plans.

  Since the story will be focused on our  robot trying to escape this R&D facility, the majority of our levels will be focused in the building.  The first couple levels will probably be more of a clean, sanitized, science lab like environments. The next couple will probably be more gritty and industrial, with the last level probably being outside.

  In terms of enemies, we are looking at military, science personnel, and maybe agency officials.  Weapons will be a mix between modern and futuristic.  The robot will also have 2 arm blades built in, and will be able to pick up additional melee weapons along the way. The weapons you see are similar to what we are looking at.

  

  We are also looking at a sort of system which will encourage the player to move as fast as possible.  Our current plan is to have an energy bar which will deplete over time, causing the player the fighting through enemies and get to the boss as quickly as they can.  The enemies will drop energy, however, which will give the player incentive to stay and fight, rather than ignore them and run.

  The robot will also have a cloak, which will be directly reflective of his shield, and will slowly be destroyed the more damage he takes.

  Over the next week, I will be looking into the sort of enemies, weapons, and levels we will have.  I will also be looking into how the weapons work, how they affect the enemy, and ways to overcome issues affecting our combat system.

 Computer Animation:

  At the end of our last class, we watched a movie on "Uncharted 2" and the sort of animations and techniques they implemented into it.  I particularly found the reference node quite fascinating.  Placing a coordinate on an object, and then referencing everything to it was something I had never heard of before.  I would really like to find out how to implement such a system.  Other things we learned were things like additive animations, taking two different base animations and putting them together to get a unique effect, components and more.  Being able to put 2 animations together, and get a new result will prove to be a valuable asset, especially when trying to be as efficient as possible.

 

League Of Legends Animation

League of Legends

 

Overview:

League of Legends is a Tug of war game, based off of DOTA (Defence of the Ancients) custom game from Warcraft 3.  There are 2 teams, and 3 lanes on the map.  Each team has 5 players on each side.  It is the job of the player to help push with the minions which are automatically spawned on a timer.  As players push, they will run into towers which act as both defence, and objectives.  

The main goal of the game is to push completely down one lane, destroying all of the opponent's towers and nexus, attacking their main base, and ultimately destroying it.  The main base cannot be attacked without destroying all the towers, so focusing on the towers at first is a necessity.

Animation:

There are an immense amount of animations featured in this game, from the basics like moving and attacking, to the more wowing, like special attacks, and teleporting.  I will focus more on presenting some of the special attacks featured on the Champion "Nautilus".

Attack:

Nautilus cycles between 3 different attack animations.  One, he comes down with an overhead blow, another he punches his enemy with his gauntlet, and the last one, he swings with his anchor from left to right, and then back again.  I would imagine they would achieve these animations by manipulating the joints of Nautilus, as well as manipulating his anchor.

Dredge Line:

This is Nautilus' first ability "Dredge Line".  He fires his anchor in a straight line in front of him, hooking onto enemies or objects, and pulling himself and the enemy together.  I would imagine this is done by choosing an end point, and then having the anchor move their over time.

Titan's Wrath:

  

His Second Ability is "Titan's Wrath".  He produces a defensive shield around him, which glows blue and has old sea diver helmet grates orbiting him.  To create this effect, I believe they would have blue light emanating from an origin, which would be defined in the centre of Nautilus.  I would believe they would do a similar tactic for the grates orbiting around him, defining a point and having them move at a constant rate in a defined path around that point. 

Riptide:

Thirdly, he has "Riptide".  This ability emanates a circle of waves, increasing in diameter as it moves outwards from Nautilus.  I think this ability would be done from designating a circle, and have waves placed on them.  You would then slowly increase the diameter of the waves over time, until they would eventually dissipate.

Depth Charge:

 

Finally, we have Nautilus' ultimate ability, "Depth Charge".  Nautilus fires out a charge, which homes in on his opponent and upon hitting them, launches them in the air.  This would be achieved by having an animated wave, and increasing it's position relative to it's target in the world.  Once it hits its target, it would show another animation, which would apply force to its target along the Y-axis.