Project Vault Game Dev Log 17

That is another month down!! This was a super fun month to build some stuff up for. Lot of effort went into some of the last major traversal and level mechanics that were still needed for the game. With this I've sort of hit a spot where I'm almost ready to start heading into the pre-production phase of the game. There is still tons of work to be done over all, but it's been nice to sort of get to a place where I can really feel how the overall game experience will be :3!!

Reactive Ruins: One of the major mechanics that will be tied in with the stealth aspect of the game is the Reactive Ruins. This is pretty much a modular system of background assets and environments that will change if Bod is spotted (or is able to stay hidden long enough). I've built up a handful of the systems now for the game, mainly revolving around smaller and larger blocks and structures that I can place as needed in the environments. Going to be super excited to play with these some more and introduce a few others down the road as I think up new ideas :3!!

Traps: Everyone loves some good traps! Been finally working on a couple of new environmental traps and interactions that Bod can play around with in the levels. This brought about an rehaul of my switch system also. Reworked it a bit so that I could use a modular system that is easier to copy and paste to any new traps or level assets I create in the future. First up on the traps was a bomb trap and trip wire. The first version I've currently made sits in the ceiling and will drop a handful of bombs down when the appropriate trigger is hit. A trigger plate and kickable power relay has also been added as additional trigger methods for mechanics and traps. As with the reactive ruins, this has given me a lot of stuff I can play with right now while staying super flexible for future updates also!

Horizontal and Vertical Pipes: This was one of the last major navigational mechanics that I needed to add into the game. Been wanting to have some pipe systems that Bod can either hang from or climb up to get to various areas. Unlike the ladder, the pipe hang systems tie in with the grip/stamina system for Bod. Although convenient for escaping or hiding, Bod can only hang on to them for a short period of time. At the moment I've gotten a decent chunk of the Horizontal one done and working. The vertical one does work right now, but the sheer quantity of animations is going to have me push it a little bit later on down the road.

Void Dagger Mechanic Idea: Lastly I got a bit of time to finally doodle up another mechanic in the game. One of the major tools Bod will acquire is the Void dagger which will allow Bod to grabble and subdue guards in the game. I've taken a bit of an approach closer to MGS games rather than typical stealth kill mechanics when it comes to this. I wanted to bring about some flexibility with it so that it didn't feel like something where Bod is just always sneaking up and knocking out enemy after enemy. It will have a ton of options such as a knockout, kick, or even the ability to jump off the enemy to reach un intended areas. Now to just build it all in game XD!!

Next Month: I am finally hitting the end of my current design sprint for the year! For October the main goal is going to be to finally introduce a modular dialogue system that I can easily use for NPCs found across the game. For this I'll be starting to work on a new NPC model for the game that Bod can interact with! Which means I finally get to to show off some cool concept art that I've been commissioning from some of my game dev friends! So have a sneak peak at one of NPCs that you'll see in the game :3!!