Work flow
- 1. Callum Deighton Work Flow of making my 2D Game The first thing I did for my game was make a sprite for my player character; I made it 32 by 32 pixels so it would be an appropriate size on screen during gameplay, also I centred it so it would be easier when putting the character into the game room itself. Once I made the sprite I modified its mask, the mask basically is like a “hit-box” which identifies the parts of the sprite which can get hit by stuff such as lasers. Next I created an object for the player which used the player sprite for its appearance in game, I added a step event (something that triggers in the game) and then added some code into the game. The code I added into the game basically programs the players movement into the game, for example I added a piece of code that tells the game that when the “W” key is pressed, the player will move up, then when “A” is pressed the player will move left and vice versa. The way I did this was that I told the game to move the object by moving the x/y value by +/- 8.
- 2. Callum Deighton After programming my player character the next thing I would create would be the room in which the game would be played. I made the length of the room 1024x576 pixels so the game can be played at an appropriate time. Once I programmed my room I created a scrolling background for my game which, as the name suggests, moves alongside the player in the background, I gave my game a space theme so I used a lot of various stars and planets for my background. Once I had done this I had uploaded the background to the room as well as placed my player character into the game and then I tested it.
- 3. Callum Deighton Once my room was complete I began creating a particle system which would function as the jet engine for my player character, I would make a small sprite which would be the appearance of the particles that would come out of the jet. Next I created some coding that would incorporate it into the game. In the coding I basically told the game where to put the particle system, the size of it, what sprite to use etc. As soon as I had made and tested my particle system my next plan was to create projectiles for my player character to fire, what i did was I created a small rectangular sprite for the laser itself and then created an object for it, in the code I told the game where the projectile would spawn as well as to make it get destroyed when it left the boundaries of the room so It wouldn’t infinitely keep going through the game.
- 4. Callum Deighton Next I downloaded some provided sounds into my game folders then created separate sound files for the game such as sound effects for when the player shoots a laser and music to play in the background during gameplay. I would attach the sound effects to the object or room so it would play as soon as it would spawn/start. My next plan would be to then add an enemy into the game for the player to fight. For the sprite I would duplicate the sprite of my player character and then edit it to alter its appearance. Next for making the enemy spawn I would create a system object that would determine when the enemy will spawn and how many will spawn. Then in the enemy object I would code on how fast it will spawn.
- 5. Callum Deighton Once I had tested that the enemies would spawn into the game I would next create an explosion sprite for the enemy as well as create multiple frames of different colours of the sprite. Next I coded the enemy sprite so when it would collide with the players laser (also I programmed the player laser to get destroyed as well when it collides with the enemy). Next for the explosion I made an object of the sprite and coded it so It would appear as soon as the enemy would be hit by the players laser as well as make it repeat and spread to create more of a desired effect. Next I made a laser for the enemy sprite which also featured multiple frames. When coding it I would tell the game so that it would “home in” on the player and that it would also get destroyed when it left the room boundaries.
- 6. Callum Deighton The next task I had once I tested the enemy laser was to create a health/shield system for the player in-game. In the system object I would code a health bar for the player to spawn in the corner of the room, I would also have to code the colour, size and percentage of the health. Next I would program the enemy laser so that it would take off a certain percentage away from the health bar. Next I created a new explosion sprite for the player which would be a different variety of colours from the enemy explosion. Next I would program the player object so that when the player's health reaches 0% it will turn into the explosion sprite and the game will restart.
- 7. Callum Deighton Added Title Screen to the game with music Once I had fully coded the player health and explosion I would then program a score counter into the game which will count how many times an enemy is destroyed the counter increases by one. Next I created a font for the counter so for how the numbers would appear visually. Next in the system I would code where it would appear on the screen and how it would increase when the player destroys an enemy. Once I finished and tested the score system I would make a second tougher enemy to put into the game, I also created a bigger enemy laser for him which would take a larger percentage of the players health, but the laser would move directly horizontally instead of homing in. In the system I coded it so that the second enemy would travel in a different pattern from the first enemy.
- 8. Callum Deighton The next thing I planned for my game was creating an intro/title s creen. I would create a new background which would feature the pl ayer’s character as well as the ti tl e of the game. Next I created some new sprites and objects for a start and quit button for the menu which would program the room to do as the button would say as well as change colour when it is interacted with by the mouse. Al so I create a new room for the intro s creen which would be the fi rs t s creen for the player to interact with. I would also add mus ic for the s creen which would play once the game s tarted (and would end once either of the buttons was pressed. My next plan was to make a death screen which would appear when the player died. First I created a sprite for the game over sprite and then afterwards I would create a background and room for the game over screen. Next I created an object for the game over sprite which I would code so that when the player exploded, after a brief amount of time the game would move back to the title screen. Also I would use music for this screen and program the room to stop all other sounds and music from playing.
- 9. Callum Deighton My final plan was to add a boss battle to the game, first I searched online for inspiration on what to design my boss, next I created a new room for the boss to appear in and a key to spawn in the first game room after a certain amount of time which would transport the player to the boss room. Next I created a larger missile for the boss to fire which would fire quicker and instantly kill the player, once I tested that I would create a health system for the boss so that once the player had fired enough projectiles at the boss the boss would be defeated. Finally I created a win screen which would appear for the player once the boss was defeated and it would run credits up the win screen that I had made as well as add new music for the boss and win rooms. After that my game had been completed and I filmed footage of my game to show alongside my blog.