Many new additions had been made to the game, these include a new weight system that accounts for different limb type behaviours and weights. Simple content generation has also been introduced depending on player choice of limbs. Additional visual elements have been introduced for both the UI and textures and objects.
New Visual Elements
Results from the Visual Aesthetics case study found here. The implemented elements include changes to the UI, materials, textures and lighting.
UI Elements
Bright Colours used for large text, this was done to contrast with the dark background. All text throughout the game uses the same font as well as the same colour, this was done to maintain consistency, however there may be room to change this since this font can be difficult to read at smaller sizes. Other font colours have been used to emphasise text when appropriate. E.g buttons and button text reflect the UI colour choice when players are choosing their player colour.
Previously, players have expressed slight confusion with the menu UI. They especially found it difficult to tell which button was currently selected. To remedy this, UI image pointers and button colour transitions were used to highlight which button is selected by the player.
Colours were also adjusted to vibrant hues to contrast from the background.
Textures
Textures of objects are kept simple and cartoonish. They use 512×512 texture maps without bump/normal maps to maintain the desired aesthetic.
Skybox
The Skybox was produced with dark blue colours and soft edges to emphasise the immediate in-game surroundings. However there are some issues with the skybox, the edges of each side do not blend together so well. This is a small issue as the in-game camera angle looks down towards the ground and follows the zombie body.
All the above elements were produced with a cartoonish style identified in the previous case study. Upon reflection, the sprites and images used for textures, while bright, did not necessarily fit the tone and general atmosphere I wanted to get across. As such some post-processing effects were added to darken shadows and draw emphasis on lights.
Gameplay
Content obstacle generation
Previously playtesters expressed that playing the Arm limbs would be boring and that they had nothing to do when playing as the arms. This was addressed by producing obstacles that challenge both players controlling both legs and limbs. These challenges are expressed as obstacle type courses that players must navigate.
These obstacle courses are presented in different sections which can be generated depending on what the player’s limb choices are.
Player count reduction
Maximum player count has now been reduced to two players. It was found that more than two players can be too difficult for players to manage, which caused tension during some playtests. This is because limbs need to coordinate in order to move effectively. For example walking with the legs requires timing skills, this was shown to be difficult should 2 players control a leg each.
Part of the reduction was to also lock choices for limbs. That is players can now choose only both legs, only both arms or every limb to control exclusively. This could possibly relieve some of the tensions and make it easier for players to control the limbs as they can solely focus on those limb actions.
New Limb system
Too many bugs and issues were found from playtesting (zombie body floating away, limbs getting stuck in objetcs), as well as some general gameplay issues where players expressed slight frustration at how the zombie limbs acted. This lead to reconsideration on how the zombie body forces are handled and how other limbs work. As such a new Limb System was developed that would aggregate masses of every limb part and torso, this was then used to adjust the upward standing forces on the body to keep the zombie body upright. This was a better approach as it could react to different limbs and possilby support additional customization of limbs, for example part of the original plans of the game were to allow players to customize the limbs they control by changing the length, number of limbs or even how it would function. The below steps were taken to implement this new system:
- Limbs were reweighted with the following percentages: https://exrx.net/Kinesiology/Segments. The system takes checks the masses of every part of the zombie body.
- Upward standing forces are adjusted to use the correct amount of force based on the combined total mass of the body.
- Regular type foot behaviour was modified. Before, large mass was applied for each foot when not active/used by the player. This force was so large it disrupted the behaviour of the torso and other objects like the obstacle course objects, resulting in physics bugs like spasms and stretching meshes.
- Thumbsticks now control the corresponding limbs on their sides. That is the left thumbstick controls the left side limbs, and vice versa. This was done to further simplify the controls and to resolve any confusion. However, this has now taken away the ability to rotate the arms over and under the shoulders. So limbs can only move on a horizontal plane. This is not too much of an issue as none of the obstacles and challenges require this ability. However, this does limit the possible challenges that could be produced, then this new addition must be kept in mind when producing additional obstacles.
- Now limbs “grab” objects by creating temporary joints between them, this seems to simulate stepping well enough. Possibly reducing frustration and confusion with the limbs.
With these new adjustments made, playtesting was conducted.
Playtesting
The following playtests were conducted with playtesters who already had experience with previous builds. These were conducted in-person. Afterwards playtesters were questioned with a focus on the above changes.
03/11/2021
UI
- Playtesters found the colours used to be clear.
- One playtester expressed some concern with accessbility for colour-blindness. Specifically when players are choosing their UI colours, the choices are between Blue and Red. Red is difficult to differentiate from green for those affected by Colour Vision Deficiency (which composes a majority of text colours)
- Players found it clear which button is currently selected.
- Players did not express any issue with each menu.
- It was still not clear to single playtesters that the both the legs and arms are selectable.
- UI and overall aesthetics impress players of a “retro but modern feel”, one playtester said “it reminds them of early 2000s games.” This is great as it is the intended efffect.
Physics
- Limbs can become stuck to surrounding objects.
- Zombie body head becomes stuck inside the torso.
- New approach for leg behaviour works well, however floating is still possible though not as drastic.
- Bug occurs where grabbed objects cannot be dropped.
- Similarly legs can become stuck to objects when “stepping”.
Gameplay
- Playtesters expressed slight frustration when the zombie body is behind various obstacles as it is obscured.
- Triggers for leg activation can be prevented if players push thumbsticks then press triggers.
- Players still need to be told how to control the zombie body and it’s limbs.
- Grabbable objects cannot be easily grabbed. Especially the hammer for breaking brick walls, this can be easily pushed down and away. It is difficult to reach afterwards.
- Obstacles are still visible and well lit with the new post-processing and lighting settings.
Player suggestions
- A magnetic mechanism, that lets players attract and float grabbable objects to the grabbing limbs.
- Change text in limb choice to explicitly communicate both limbs can be chosen.
Playtesting fixes
- UI Explicit limb choice – Make it clear to players that both limb sets can be chosen.
- PHYSICS Sticky limbs – Current limb behaviour involves limbs generating temporary joints, this can sometimes generate an additional joint that cannot be destroyed as intended. As such a management and check system for the joints may be approrpriate. This would apply for arm grabbing objects.
- PHYSICS Floating check – A similar system like the one above could implemented where the zombie body is brought back down should the lower half not be in contact with ground type objects.
- GAMEPLAY Dithering visual effect – Another system may be needed for detecting when the zombie body is obscured by objects and changing the opacity of the materials of the obscuring objects.
- GAMEPLAY Tutorialisation – A possible short section of the game may be needed where players are shown how to use their respective controls, this may be similar to the original plans where players must use their respective controls to burst out and move in a small space like a coffin. The purpose of this would be to demonstrate the player’s different controls for the different limbs.
- GAMEPLAY On-screen UI – Onscreen UI Images could be used to show player input of the limb buttons.
A Different approach to Customization
One large issue is the different limb types. So far all obstacles and challenges have been designed with the regular type limbs in mind. Other limb types have been produced that are selectable and functioning, however they incur their own bugs and issues. Furthermore, unique challenges and obstacles need to be developed to challenge these specific limb types. This would require a lot of time to produce sufficient amounts of obstacles for each different limb type. As such I have decided to remove the limb types, and instead implement the ability for players to customize the regular limb.