Week 37 - The good, the bad, and the pixelated!

Howdy everyone! Welcome to another Juicy Developer Blog! This week I've managed to complete all of the 'Inventory' scene, and have cleaned up a few bugs with the levelling page. I have been hard at work trying to sort out a more polished version of the controls, but they are being stubborn. So, hopefully, I'll be able to show these controls off next week. Also, I know I mentioned that I would also show off the new and improved trap system... Well, unfortunately, again, due to these stubborn controls, this has put a slight delay on this, so unfortunately, I wont be showcasing any new trap mechanics this week... BUT DON'T FRET! I do have some nice, juicy stuff to still show you all which I am very excited about. Introducing to you all, the CHARACTERS! Now with a shiny new display!
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I'm really happy with the outcome of these characters. Not only does this bring them to life, but it also gives the game more volume and polish, and hopefully it will make the player feel somewhat of a connection with the characters they choose.

Implementing these characters was a load of fun as well. Now, I'm not a sponsor for Esoteric or anything, but their Spine2D program is AMAZING! Now, my background is more in line with 3D animation, but allowing me to animate 2D characters using a 3D system really helps me with my creative prowess. If you haven't had a look at Spine2D, I would encourage you to check this out, especially if you are planning on doing 2D animations. Anyway, animating and creating these characters was really fun to do, and I'm looking forward to making more of these guys later down the track.

Another thing I had worked on was refining the Inventory scene. I ended up adding the displays on the side, showing what the player has chosen for their characters as well as their levels. I also added a little info bubble when the player presses over the top of their current skills so that way they know exactly what that skill does. I also added a slight fade effect to the skills so that it isn't too hard to read for when the player chooses their skills. Hopefully with all these effects, it makes the game feel more refined, and more polished. ​

So, that's basically it in terms of this weeks shenanigans. Next week I'm "hoping" to have these trap mechanics sorted, as well as the controls scheme refined. Let's see if these controls will break to my will! 

Until next week,

Thanks for reading!