Controls:

• Movement:
  • WASD or Arrow Keys
• Scanning:
  • Alt / Option Keys
• Abilities / Skills:
  • 1-4 number keys as seen below the icon

Game Jam Submission for Pirate Software - Game Jam 16

Theme

You Are The Weapon

This theme can be expressed in a number of different ways. Maybe you are cursed and become a weapon that other characters have to wield. Maybe you're an integrated organism that pilots a world destroying gun. Maybe you're Doom Guy. He's basically just a weapon, let's be real. Or even taking it a different direction maybe you're a weapon that kills things like viruses and saves people.

Whatever the case you exist to influence your surroundings in some direct way. Have fun with the theme and do something weird with it. Themes are like a box you have to find your way out of. An escape room for game development. Be creative.

Main Idea of the game:

1. Learn about Tile Maps
2. Learn about character animation
3. Learn about object collision

Working in the game:

• Travel around by  WASD or Arrow keys
• Road provide a speed boost
• Collsions work, there are a few secrets showing this
• Abilities / Skills are half working
  • Look is functioning, however the Option / Alt Look command is a much better version of it
  • Attack throws a punch, but does not apply damage
• Some Trigger systems are working, like the UI display

Issues with the game:

• The dialog system broke just before submission and not sure if it was due to a web export setting or something deeper in the code
• Game control options are not working
  • Save
  • Settings
  • Music Control

• Combat is not working, as in damage is not applied to anything
• Items can be highlighted, but not picked up or equipped
• Signs can be seen and highlighted, but not read

Game Design Document:

• Created this the first day of the jam
• Referenced a lot in the first few days
• Updated on the last day
• Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTlMRQzS4eiGnpGT4BojnoOVlXBZ8Do_LhNb3NbYCovz7zhSXWSFio1mU6t_hT7mHXeK0D_ZRXS19Dr/pub

Development Info:

• Game Engine: Made with Godot 4.1.4
• Development Time: 18 hours
  • 2 hours to the initial GDD and updates
  • 1 hour to hunting game art and some animation tutorials
  • 14 hours to the game
  • 1 hour to the web export and play testing on itch 

Future Plans:

• Continue learning:
  • Expand combat systems understanding
  • How web export can effect game features (do not include a quit button)
• Further Development:
  • The current version of the game is locked until after the Game Jam Judges have reviewed the submission.
  • We are looking at making a second page to be able to post updates and collect more feedback.

Main Lessons Learned:

• Making a game jam game is different than making a Steam game.
  • Steam games are hard centered on the visuals of the game and to ensure you have a good runaway length to build wishlists needs to be addressed very early.
  • Game Jam projects need to focus on building the core mechanic and theme implantation.
  • Game Jam projects need to have a limited scope focus, even more than a Steam game.
    • Example 1: 
      • The game was planned to have multiple areas: Camp, Outer Farms, Mine, and City
      • Transitioning the player between these areas, while a good learning experience and will help with future projects cost a good chunk of available time.
      • Solution in the submitted version was that these areas were:
        • Cut down to Camp, and Outer Farms
        • Combined into a single TileMap with some triggers to change UI and a few other elements
      • Lesson: Use simple solutions until it will not work. A "large" TileMap had very limited impact on the game, and would have save more than an hour of time.
  • Example 2:
    • While working on the animations hats were thought of being something cool to add to the game.
    • Hats were added, however there was add complexity on picking them up, and animating them.
    • While a few hat items remained in the game they failed to work as planned due to changing a base class continuously.
    • Lesson: Keeping focused on playable code vs. expandable code. Meaning if you need to make equipment, signs, and chest items in your game focus on getting them in the game and working before looking to streamline the code side of the system, and for a game jam maybe ignore that side at all if there isn't a good reason.