I blocked out an initial layout for the whole game world so I could run through it and get a feel for its size.
The image shows the main path through the game's various zones. At the moment it just represents the shortest path from A to B but will eventually be weaved into a more complex network of intricate tunnels and caverns.
On previous projects I've often spent a lot of time recreating detailed level design sketches in the editor, only to find that the scale is way off throughout the whole level. One of the things I love about Unity is how easy it is to quickly chuck in a load of prefab shapes and copy and paste until I have a simple layout ready. Then with one click I'm swimming around in the game engine and very quickly getting an idea of whether it feels the right size or not.
The world of Luminesca is still in its early stages but it feels like a good size; it's big enough to give a sense of grandeur without being so big that it's unreasonable to try and fill it all with enough detail.
The next stage is to look at each zone individually and start implementing the main gameplay and story beats. I'll start with the mid-game section before book-ending it more simple and more complex versions of the gameplay.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Saturday, 4 June 2011
end of the IndieGoGo campaign
Yesterday marked the deadline for supporting Luminesca on IndieGoGo and I'm pleased to announce that the project reached a total of:
I'd like to say a huge "Thank you!" to everyone who donated to support the game, your generosity makes all the difference. While the result of the crowd-funding campaign was a long way off its ambitious goal the money raised will be a great help in supporting development for the near future.
what happens next?
This is really just the beginning for Luminesca. The plan is to continue making the game and taking pre-orders to fund development along the way (this may take a little while to get up and running).
The preview demo we have been working on alongside the IndieGoGo campaign provides a good foundation to build upon with a set of fun mechanics and interesting characters. Behind the scenes I'm drawing up maps and plans for the game's full story mode which is now beginning production.
If you donated on IndieGoGo you will be contacted soon.
Check back here soon for more news, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or IndieDB for notifications.
$1,510
I'd like to say a huge "Thank you!" to everyone who donated to support the game, your generosity makes all the difference. While the result of the crowd-funding campaign was a long way off its ambitious goal the money raised will be a great help in supporting development for the near future.
what happens next?
This is really just the beginning for Luminesca. The plan is to continue making the game and taking pre-orders to fund development along the way (this may take a little while to get up and running).
The preview demo we have been working on alongside the IndieGoGo campaign provides a good foundation to build upon with a set of fun mechanics and interesting characters. Behind the scenes I'm drawing up maps and plans for the game's full story mode which is now beginning production.
If you donated on IndieGoGo you will be contacted soon.
Check back here soon for more news, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or IndieDB for notifications.
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
update 006: control fixes
This is the last update before the IndieGoGo timer is up. If you want to donate and start playing the game, now's the time!
The update addresses some problems players reported with the controls for the game, and is automatically applied and playable now for anyone who has donated $5 or more.
The update addresses some problems players reported with the controls for the game, and is automatically applied and playable now for anyone who has donated $5 or more.
- Removed the buoyancy effect that pulls you upwards all the time and replaced it with a simple floating animation which plays when you're not pressing any buttons.
- Replaced the brief pause when you take damage with a screen shake.
- Improved the tube worms' animation and allowed them to damage biting bugs and smash breakable blocks.
- Improved movable blocks physics stability and smoothed out movement.
Although this is the last update before we run out of time on IndieGoGo, the game is still in early stages, and there will be many more major improvements to come in the future. This is made possible thanks to the generosity of everyone who has donated so far and we hope this is just the beginning for Luminesca.
Thank you!
Monday, 30 May 2011
last chance to support us on IndieGoGo!
Time remaining on IndieGoGo:
Time's up!
Click here to support us on IndieGoGo!
The Luminesca crowd-funding campaign is coming to a close, so this is your last chance to make a donation and get rewards in return.
Why should I donate?
Time's up!
The Luminesca crowd-funding campaign is coming to a close, so this is your last chance to make a donation and get rewards in return.
Why should I donate?
- It helps support the game's development, allowing us more time to to dedicate to making it as good as it possibly can be.
- You get free stuff in return! Any donation over $5 gets access to the work-in-progress build of the game, which is updated every week with new features and content so you can play the game before it's even finished. $10 is essentially a pre-order for the finished game, and there are more rewards for higher donations. Come and take a look at the full list!
I really appreciate all the support Luminesca has gained so far. This is the last push to determine how much time I can dedicate to the project, so if you were on the fence about donating now is the time to decide!
There will be one more update before the time is up to address the keyboard control issues people have reported with the demo, but this will by no means be the last one!
Monday, 23 May 2011
demo survey
A big "thank you" goes out to everyone who came to try out the preview build over the free weekend (at one point there were so many of you that Dropbox had a mini-meltdown).
If you were one of the people who played the demo (or have played it in the past) I'd love to know what you thought about it. That's why I've set up a short survey. If you can spare 5-10 minutes please click the link below and share your views.
Go to the Luminesca demo survey
If you haven't played the demo then please do not fill in the survey; the questions are mainly about your experience with the game.
If you were one of the people who played the demo (or have played it in the past) I'd love to know what you thought about it. That's why I've set up a short survey. If you can spare 5-10 minutes please click the link below and share your views.
Go to the Luminesca demo survey
If you haven't played the demo then please do not fill in the survey; the questions are mainly about your experience with the game.
Friday, 20 May 2011
FREE WEEKEND IS LIVE
(Sorry, the free weekend is over!)
Please remember...
- Luminesca is still in its early days and this is just a preview build demonstrating the general idea in a free-form sandbox level. The finished game will be much bigger and better and will follow a full story experience separate to this preview level.
- If you experience any bugs or have any questions, comments or criticisms of Luminesca I'd love to hear from you. Send me an email at luminescagame@gmail.com or leave a comment below. Be as honest as you like! I take everyone's opinions on board.
- If you like this preview please make a donation on IndieGoGo to support Luminesca's development. Donating $5 or more lets you keep playing the preview as long as you like, along with free weekly updates.
I'll be answering questions on Twitter as much as I can this weekend: @LuminescaGame
Enjoy the game!
Enjoy the game!
- Matt
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
free weekend + demo update 005: lured by lights
Big news today! Firstly there is another major update to the game in the preview build, available to anyone who has supported the game's development with $5 or more on IndieGoGo (only 2 weeks left for your chance to claim special donation rewards!) This update makes big changes to the creature behaviours, bringing the game much closer to its planned design.
In other news...
If you're a Twitter user come and follow @LuminescaGame to get immediate updates.
In other news...
FREE WEEKEND
Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd May
This weekend the Luminesca preview build will be free to play for everyone! This is a great opportunity to get everyone involved in guiding the direction of the game, making suggestions and sharing ideas, so I hope you'll come and take a look this weekend and let me know what you think.
If you're a Twitter user come and follow @LuminescaGame to get immediate updates.
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