Devlog #2
As I was working through my combat prototype, I chased down a few “good idea fairies” that will need to be scrapped but ultimately helped inform my design. Before I knew it, I was adding complex movement and rotation schemes to player attack hitboxes, building a detailed enemy AI framework, and even programming an auto lock‑on feature. Chasing the good ideas helped me realize 2 fundamental things about my game design:
Key Takeaways
- Melee hitboxes are better stationary
Unless you’re firing projectiles, keeping hitboxes static during an attack feels smoother and more predictable. - Auto lock‑on kills the fun
Automating the player attack direction stripped away any sense of challenge. I scrapped this prototype and am moving with more clarity in a different direction now that I’ve explored the possibility.
Plan of Attack
So after that, I decided to revert to a few steps back and try again. My focus will be on just making the player movement and attack simple and effective. Then, I will give the enemies a simple AI and fix their attacks so the hitboxes don’t float around aimlessly as they are now.
True, these may be small goals, but a series of small goals over time is how I’m going to build my game. As the saying goes: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and as our mantra goes…
BUILD ON EVERY DAY
-Ethan
Build On