Shorter update this week as most of the work has gone into preparing for the stage challenge and not into design work, but I would like to share the visual design document showing the systems interaction between the various environmental objects and seed types in the sprite game.
The intent here is for the seed powers for each element to be broken up among a few simple concepts that have simple interactions with the other concepts. So, for example, an earth leaf seed can be burnt by fire or it can be blown around by air to create a platform. These interactions will remain the same no matter what other modifiers the leaf seed may have, so even upgraded versions of the seed will still have the same basic interactions. For example, an upgraded fire flame seed may be able to burn things at range, but it will still be doing the same basic interactions as its lower tier cousins. This will hopefully keep the amount of code needed to a minimum while also allowing easier level and systems design as in both cases the designer will know exactly what effect on the level each seed will have without having to worry about the specifics of the seed type used. So to take another example, the designer of the level may create a bramble that is blocking the path knowing that the player would have to burn it, and knowing that they would have to use a flare seed to do so, but it would be up to the player exactly how that may happen. They could get close to the bramble and burn it with a basic flare seed, or use a high tier flare seed to burn it from range, or use a vine seed to connect to the bramble and then burn the vine, taking the bramble along with it. This should allow each player a great degree of control over how they will play the game, while not requiring the programmer or designers to have to plan for every single possible course of action.
As stated above, we are challenging to go forward to stage 2, so expect an update on the blog once we know the results of the challenge detailing what we will be working on from there.
Until then,
Guardian Soul
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