I have taken the liberty to do some research in getting the level to expand. From what I have found, we have run in to a width constraint with Flash. According to my findings, the size of a movie clip can only be go from -2400 px to +2400 px in width, giving us a total of 4800 px to use. Somehow, our level is 5300 px and still functions fine.
Now, I am pretty sure that everyone has looked at the level design flowchart from a prior team project game. I believe that their level is way over that limit. I can see a couple of options here: 1) Take the current level we have and beef it up to make it more interesting and have longer in play time. 2) Shorten up the current level for a Tutorial Level. 3) Make smaller movie clips and expand the game level through code.
If we went with the first idea, then we would have to come up with some extra challenges to keep the player interested. The second idea would make it hard for the level design team and, depending on our decision, can cause them more work to do before interfaces. The third idea I do not believe would be presentable for interfaces.
As for presenting this at Interfaces, I think we should run with what we have after our milestones for this week. When we present, we will tell everyone that we are in our very early stages of our beta and that there were some unforeseen issues that we are currently addressing through critiques, testing, and IDE restrictions. I think we should say something along those lines before we show the game that way we sound professional about it and not judged to early on.
I now ask all the team member to pick one of the options so we can move forward with it:
1) Take the current level we have and beef it up to make it more interesting and have longer in play time.
2) Make smaller level movie clips and expand the game level through code.
This decision needs to be made asap as it effects a lot everyone on the team. Personally, I am for the second option.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
you changed your options at the end! I vote a smaller tutorial level, easier for the level design team with the time constraints for interfaces!
ReplyDeleteThe second one sounds good to me. Having a sneak peak of our level lets be a little mysterious.
ReplyDeletePerry I don't think you understand what your agreeing with. We would have the same level but requires more code to get working.
ReplyDeleteWe can do the second option for interfaces. Th other options are for moving forward after interfaces. So we still need to pick one of ther other two optikns regardless
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI like the tutorial option as well as the movie clip option. However, I'm concerned with the movie clip option at this moment. Considering some of Paul's decisions set us back, I fear that the specific code required may not be 100% ready at all thus giving us a cripple version.
ReplyDeleteAlso Trevor, I wouldn't even say we're anywhere near Beta. I would avoid using that term at interfaces considering beta is in relation to a near complete version that needs some minor tweaking. Think along how like Halo: Reach is in beta, They got everything working for what they want to show, and they just want user feed back on how to better balance the final game. If anything we're still in Alpha right now.
So.... if the fix for our level size is to make multiple movie clips and put them next to each other... then that seems like the simplist idea. I dont think we need to expand or cut back at all. We spent a good bit of time getting the level to where it is and we cant start testing, perfecting OR working towards an alpha prototype if we keep changing the small stuff. If we find that something is wrong after some play tests MAYBE THEN we can change the level, but as of right now, throw each section (between the first 2 trees... the next two trees etc). into its own clip and call it a day. if that requires some more programming then it requires more programming.
ReplyDelete