Ain't Leaving Now - Week 8 In the Alleys

It has been 3 weeks since the last update I had on the ALN Project but great progress was made since then. I made some simple progress a week after the last update by adding a simple Main Menu UI and working around with set enemy patrol routes, those unfortunately require complicated coding not suitable to be implemented with my workload so I had to disable them for now. There was major bugs with player health and Health Bar UI where they won't work and a delayed punch action for the player character due to missing code checks. Those would be easy to fix.

The biggest update however is the introduction of Level 1 - The Alleys. The previous level I worked on will be converted to a tutorial level to introduce players to controls. In line with my vision of Beat Em Up where you tear up the hooligans in your city, I designed a small level of alleys and rooms. The previous testing gave me the idea from a comment on a Hong Kong triads style for the game. So I modified and the result was urban East Asian that could also thread to cyberpunk even if I haven't planned to fully take on the vibe. The Health system and Health Bar UI were also fixed along with Player Punching.

It would be the next testing session where I got an unexpected result. One of my testers while exploring the new map done so through attempts to parkour on the props. This unexpected made me realize the element of parkour fits in line with the platformer them I was assigned with. If in platformers jumping on platforms it's technically parkour, then what if I expand that idea beyond floating platforms?

So I further developed the map so that the players does not need to run through the alleys as their only path. There are tarp awnings, AC exhausts, boards, neon sign boards and more that is the second path players can take, while still keeping the linear routes of classic platformers and all the while add more depth and detail in the map. The Punching Animation of enemies was also added as I attempt to rework the Damage System in the game to phase out from simple object collision.

I find myself confident and even though my old flaws had impeded my progress the project goes on and I do see my skills developing throughout this semester.