Vinyl Vandal
CONTROLS:
Movement: WASD
Camera Recenter: CTRL
Speed Boost: SHIFT
Camera Control: MOUSE
CONCEPT:
Collect the 15 vinyl records before the ghost catches you!
WHAT WENT RIGHT:
I was able to create a 3D character with inverse kinematics and create a simple state machine for the "Idle" and "Running" Animations. I discovered that I really enjoy animation programming and creating character animations with this project. I plan on making a more advanced character controller system using the one I created in this jam as a foundation.
This is also the first time I modeled an environment. This helped me have a better understanding of level design and how a good floor layout can heavily affect gameplay.
WHAT WENT WRONG:
A big issue I faced was the 3D camera that was used. I used a Cinemachine package to create a third person camera. This would work well for an open environment, but for a small area, I feel that a fixed camera would be better.
I also had a problem with character collision issues when the Speed Boost is used. Better collision detection is something I plan to fix in a further update. The Enemy AI also needs improvement, I would need to implement collision detection so that the enemy will not go through obstacles.
WHAT I LEARNED:
This project helped me understand the need for more play testing in early stages of the project. I did not get a chance to play test the project as much as I wanted to until the final hours of the jam. I felt like I got stuck on minor issues early on, for the next jam I will focus on the main mechanics and make sure those are polished earlier on in development. I also learned how crucial game documentation is to time management, so for my next project I will dedicate more time to the planning stage.
This game jam helped me get a solid understanding of asset management and establish a good pipeline from Blender to Unity.
WARNING:
You might clip out of certain locations when using shift. This will be patched soon.
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I had a lot of fun with this. As a previous DJ and vinyl collector it was a cool theme. The player character and ghost are so cute. I did have some trouble with the SHIFT and WASD for player movement. Also, the camera kept moving behind the walls and I would get lost. It was cool to go upstairs as well. The color scheme and models you made were awesome. The vinyl records look spot-on for the style you made them in. Adding some BGM music and SFX would have been nice. Overall great work!
This game had a lot of heart. Did you make all the visuals yourself?
Most of the feedback involves noting technical issues that I'm sure you are aware of. The camera has a lot of jank and it's almost impossible to control on the second floor. I'd recommend looking into CineMachine and it's CameraCollider components. It will solve all of those problems.
Everything here looks like it was authored originally. The animations and models all mesh together well. Also the screenshots for the game over screen and winning screen were a nice touch,
From a UX standpoint, there's no reason to have a sprint button since the ghost is faster than the walk speed. I would remove it outright since it's not utilized.
It's impressive that you went for a third person action game for your first entry! There is a lot of good work here.
Good artistic theme overall, tying the collection of vinyl records with the music store setting. Its also amazing you get it running on the web! I think one of the major issue with the game however is the feel of the character controller. The character does not FEEL fun to control, it could be due to speed, movement, but I suspect a big culprit is Cinemachine. Another issue is the sprint button, there's a quote from somewhere in GDC that says "if there is no reason to not press a button, then there should not be a button". Since you have to run all the time, taking it out might be a better approach. But overall, I like that you are able to make a full game loop, and also create animations (in pictures) of winning/losing states.