Marc Dijkhuizen
(Technical) Game Designer
Game Overview
Survivor-like where your character
is a 18th century ship that shoots broadsides.
WIP
Project info
This is my current solo project, I am doing this to show something on my portfolio that is 100% mine.
First prototype
The idea of this game was making a
cannon-system on an old warship that shoots in sequence.
I combined this with my desire to finally
make a survivor-like game.
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In the first prototype there were various features that were necessary for a survivor-like
- Automatic shooting of the player at near enemies.
- Enemies with behaviour to shoot at and attack the player
- A lvl-up system that gives the player the ability to choose out of random upgrades
GIF of the first prototype
Progression & Homebase
First version of the dialogue system with NPC traders.
The idea I had in mind is that you have to build up your island base with buildings that can upgrade your ship.
To make the island feel alive I wanted NPC's and a dialogue-system
-This will give it a vertical progression throughout the game which I like in Survivor-like games.
-The NPC's could give you quests and upgrades
Second version, added animations, characters and a bit more dialogue.
Cannon Logic
My cannon-system had to have a few key features, to be called useable and modular so I can easily add new things or edit them accordingly without breaking anything.
1. Increase the amount of cannons in game-time without losing functionality of the shooting.
2. The cannons don't shoot at the same time, there has to be a delay between shots, because this gives off the shooting feeling that I want to reproduce.
3. This method has to work for enemy ships as well so it has to be designed for player and AI alike.
GIF for the blueprints that handles point 1
GIF for the blueprint that handles point 3
AI logic
WHY MAKE ENEMIES BEHAVE LIKE THIS?
In most Survivor-likes, the enemies just rush the player and do melee damage.
But I wanted something unique and fitting to the theme, so that is why a majority of the enemies have the same basic attack as the player.
They can only attack with their broadside.
Enemy behaviour pattern
1. Move in range of player
2. Rotate to face player with broadside
3. Fire
4. Repeat
In this GIF I demonstrate how enemy boats are circiling the player.
While the yellow boats will go in for a self-destruct, the white, red and black ships will move to the players side and shoot at the player.
