Devlog 5: June 21 - July 3

Hello, everyone! We've reached an exciting milestone in the development of "Ditch the Dollhouse"—our Alpha build is complete! Over the past couple of weeks, the team has been incredibly productive, and we are thrilled to share the progress we've made. Here's a detailed breakdown of our accomplishments and what's coming next.

What We've Achieved:

Gameplay Mechanics:

Pressure Plates and Interactions:

• Reliable Pressure Plates: The pressure plate mechanics have been significantly improved. They now work reliably when the player or limbs rapidly exit the trigger. A major bug causing the exit to trigger when the plate lowers has been fixed.
• Binary Triggers: Lever and button interactions are now implemented as binary triggers, enhancing gameplay variety and puzzle complexity.

Level Design and Refinements:

Camera and Movement:

• Camera Fixes: Several bugs with camera behavior, including wrapping around the player and spinning during the roll state, have been resolved.
• Movement Tweaks: Adjustments to the player's movement mechanics, such as tweaking gravity and wall bounce speed, have improved the overall fluidity and responsiveness of the gameplay.

Art and Audio:

Visual and Audio Enhancements:

• Model and Texture Updates: Added textures to the Alpha build and started decorating scenes with model prefabs, including a new doll model.
• Sound Effects and Music: Integrated background music, set it to loop, and adjusted the volume. Added sound effects for levers, buttons, and pressure plates to enhance the auditory experience.
• UI Enhancements: Fully implemented the Limb UI system and added a start menu for better user navigation.

Bug Fixes:

• Collision and Triggers: Fixed several bugs related to collisions and triggers, such as issues with the recall system, hit markers, and the player getting stuck on the edge of platforms.
• Platform Interactions: Improved interactions with moving platforms, ensuring objects can be picked up off of them and added an option for steady speed rather than linear interpolation.

Next Milestones:

Coming Goals:

• Refine and Polish: Continue refining gameplay mechanics, fixing any remaining bugs, and polishing the overall experience.
• Additional Puzzles: Develop and integrate more complex puzzles and interactive elements to challenge players.
• Playtesting: Conduct extensive playtesting to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments for a smoother and more enjoyable gameplay experience.
• Final UI and Audio Integration: Complete the integration of UI elements and finalize all audio components, ensuring they enhance the game's atmosphere and player immersion.

We are incredibly proud of the progress we've made and are excited to share our Alpha build with you. Stay tuned for more updates as we move towards our Beta build and continue to bring "Ditch the Dollhouse" to life!

Team Ditch the Dollhouse