Assignment One - 2D Game Demo

See a published export of the game here at: https://www.scirra.com/arcade/shooting-games/generator-aegis-6899

See a download link to the Construct 2 game file here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_AoffRugTw8eEdPRzFIaFRvREU/view?usp=sharing

Bug list and Job list:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1S_cmyn48M1FcXqxJtbGOwrpOznyWvzRTr0-2eO7y_mI/edit?usp=sharing


Production Log:

Here is a screenshot from when I was working on creating the generator health bar. To do this I used a global variable and editing the text so it would show a percentage rather than a number.

This screenshot was taken when I was working on the spawning system for the aliens to spawn from the crater in the corner of the map. To do this I used the event shown in the second screenshot, where three aliens spawn from the crater at separate image points every 30 seconds.

This screenshot was taken when taking a play-test while testing the strength and toughness of the Blood-beast that spawns every 45 seconds. I did this to determine whether this was too difficult or too easy and try to balance it. 

This screenshot was taken when testing the functionality of the global variables used within my game. You can see from the screenshot that the main variables I used were titled 'GeneratorHealth' and 'PlayerHealth' which determined loss conditions. 

These are two example of stages within my event sheet that I used for the entire project. When I next create a Construct 2 project I will make sure that I take care to separate it into groups for better organisation as I often bewildered myself with the amount of commands active to see where I would have to add or edit functions to fix bugs. I was in too far of production when I decided that grouping them would be a good idea, and I felt that if I tried to organise them now then I would find myself losing functions and events.

Here is a screenshot of when I was in the process of editing an existing sprite I made to an alternate pattern for in-game as well as the icon used when exported to Scirra Arcade.

Industry Practice:

Reflect on Finished Product:

I originally intended to create a corridor/dungeon top-down shooter in Construct 2, with enemies attempting to kill you in tight hallways and rooms. I then decided that there would be too much work with the time given for production to implement the path finding feature, as I have no experience with it to make it work and flow well. However, I then decided to create a generator-defence game with techniques I learned during previous Construct 2 experiences. I believe it fits the purpose as the generator has a 'health' value and enemies can damage it, in which the player must stop the enemies from doing so; it also has a start screen and a restart screen, which gives a somewhat finished look to it. It also has a number of different functions, namely the generator health tracker which can be restored with the use of a maintenance power-up signified by the randomly generating wrench icon. It also has a sound feature, such as a laser sound playing when the player fires their weapon, and a monstrous roar playing when the Blood-beasts spawn and die.

Production Skills:

In terms of level design, I believe that for the genre of the game it works well. There is a point on the screen which is clearly outlined as the point you are to defend, with two barriers and a generator. The aim of the game is to protect the generator from the aliens, and there are certain points at which more enemies will spawn than others, which can raise difficulty. The Blood-beasts are tougher to take down and smash aside barriers and cause high damage to the player and generator. Again this raises difficulty as it forces the player to deal with it while the other aliens attack the generator. In terms of workflow I've done quite well in terms of daily progression. The majority of the game was created in three long sessions and other, smaller features were added as I gained ideas or fixed bugs, such as the Blood-beast failing to damage the generator which was a relatively easy fix. I efficiently allocated sessions to work on the project in college, as I set myself a task to do in every session and to complete it, marking it on my job list or checking off my bug list. In terms of technical competence, I believe that as a novice to game engines as a whole I have done quite well with my finished game demo, and I have seemed to learn how to use the engine quickly and use a variety of functions and techniques.