Dev Blog 80 - Implementation of Feedback (success/failure)

Today I fixed the level 9 master notes that were causing proper color transition issues, and pushed out a fix for the in-game shop to resolve the Google Play errors (yet to be tested).

I spent a few hours trying to implement feedback from game design professors and students. Gravity is now a little stronger (increased to 14 from 9.8) to make Teli fall a little hard and faster. I had to bump up his jumping speed from 6 to 7.5 to compensate, so Teli can still jump the same heights but fall down harder. This way I don't have to go through and re-design every level.

I also attempted to implement double jump and hold for extra high jump (separately) based on feedback. Both proved difficult, irritating, and seemingly impossible given the current way movement/gravity is implemented.

These would be straightforward implementations if I knew about them 8 months ago when I first wrote the movement/gravity code. Because I'm using a Character Controller and modifying the movement direction for jumping and gravity, I couldn't figure out a way to implement a double jump or extra jump. I tried dozens of different methods. Online resources proved unhelpful, most leveraged rigidbodies instead of Character Controllers.

I actually did get the "hold for extra jump" working, but in the opposite way it should have. If the player tapped the jump key Teli would jump  higher than if the player held it down (by a negligible and unnoticeable amount).

I decided to scrap both of these pieces of feedback. These would help improve gameplay a little bit, but are not essential. I would have to rewrite the entire movement/gravity system (which the entire game hinges on). Rewriting the system could potentially be very short and simple. Or it could be catastrophic and break everything. I don't intend on finding on which, since I've already sunk hours into this. This late in development, it simply isn't worth the effort. I'll be moving on the other feedback and features.

Update: Just got the chance to test the in-game shop fix, it worked!!! Purchases can now (probably) go through. I say probably because while the Google Play error is gone, I have yet to actually make the purchase to see if it goes through. I have the option to spend money or cancel, so it very likely will. I won't go through with an actual test purchase until I have the actual skins implemented, waiting on artist for that.

Luckily my friend's Android device that I'm using for testing has $1 on it from when I gave him a $5 Google Play gift card I received before interviewing with Google! Funny how that credit comes full circle.