Devlog 7 - July 11 - July 17

Welcome to this week's devlog for "Ditch the Dollhouse"! Over the past week, we've been focusing on adjusting our build based on the valuable feedback we received from playtests and our Alpha demo. Here’s a detailed summary of the work accomplished:

Feedback-Adjusted Build:

Gameplay and Mechanics:

Roll State Fixes:

• Behavior Adjustment: Fixed issues with the roll state not behaving properly in the Alpha build to ensure smoother gameplay.

Movement and Detection:

• Coyote Time Added: Introduced coyote time to give players a brief window to jump after leaving a platform.
• Ground Detection: Increased the sphere cast radius for better ground detection.

Player Colliders:

• Moving Platform Compatibility: Fixed the moving platform to work with the new player colliders.

Limb Mechanics:

• Limb Tagging: Increased the duration a limb stays untagged and adjusted the layermask in the TrajectoryPredictor to ignore the player.

User Interface:

Limb UI Overhaul:

• Updated Visuals: Updated the Limb UI to a new pink design and replaced the old Limb UI.
• Recall UI: Added a new Recall UI that shows which lost limbs are in recall range.

Scene and Menu Updates:

• Sound Effects: Added a sound effect for menu button presses to enhance user feedback.
• UI Elements: Updated the scene with new UI elements for a better user experience.

Quality of Life Improvements:

• QOL Updates: Made several quality of life updates, including adjusting level transitions and ensuring a smoother overall experience.

Visual and Animation Fixes:

Rig and Animations:

• Lookat Point: Changed the bottom rig lookat point to improve character animations.
• Door Animations: Fixed inverted door animations to align with player expectations.

Tutorials and Bug Fixes:

Tutorial Implementation:

• Tutorial Completion: Completed the initial tutorial to guide new players through the game mechanics.
• Debugging: Removed debug statements to clean up the codebase and focus on essential gameplay elements.

Camera Enhancements:

Aim State Adjustments:

• Camera Update: Updated the camera in the aim state to improve player targeting.
• Aim Code: Moved aim code to OnFixedUpdate for better performance and accuracy.

Greyboxing and Initial Prototyping:

Level Design:

• Initial Greyboxing: Started the greyboxing process for new levels to layout the basic structure and gameplay flow.

Next Steps:

• Polish Tutorials: Further refine and test the tutorial for clarity and effectiveness.
• Fine-Tune Mechanics: Continue to adjust and balance gameplay mechanics based on ongoing feedback.
• Bug Fixes: Address any remaining bugs and ensure a smooth, enjoyable player experience.
• Art and Level Design: Progress with the detailed art pass and level design based on the greyboxing layouts.

We’re very happy with everything we've accomplished thus far, and we can't wait to update you on what comes next!

Team Ditch the Dollhouse