Time for the Holidays!

28 December, 2023 

Merry Thursday, folks! As you might expect, ol’ Squiddy’s back at it again with another edition of the Weekly Cheese - bringing you nothing but the freshest updates this side of Provolone Mountain. This week we’re in the midst of the holidays, and it’s a time to celebrate with those you hold dear! But you already know this, and I’m sure your gift to me is on its way. I’ll be looking for it! Until then, let’s begin…

Witness Our Motion

It’s been a very collaborative week here at 3rd Shift, with the whole team coming together to discuss some exciting functionality that will be present in the afflicted demo. As such, I figured it’d be nice to bring you the team’s updates in a group format, rather than the parceled out method I’ve used more recently. Gotta play into the holiday spirit, ya know? Here’s how this week went:

• Ryan (in his own words, of course)

  • Started refactoring the entire project - I've gained a pretty good understanding of the project over the past few weeks. With my recent discussions with the creative side of the team, I've been hearing a lot of fucking amazing ideas. So amazing that they make me go "oh fuck, we cant support that yet." So I’m adding a couple of new layers to the overall hierarchy of the game so the project doesn’t become littered with If statements, unnecessary error handling, and redundant logic. The focus is modularity here.

  • Added new UI configuration options to the GamePlayMode class that will allow us to enable/disable certain UI components based on the game mode such as the mini-map, compass, scoreboard, etc.

  • Began working on Game Design Documentation that will cover the code base in detail. (Squid note: I’m v excited abt this).

  • Gave generic zombies a yellow glow.

  • Completed the Base classes/prefabs for two different types of zombies. Swarmers (high quantity - less features) and Unique (these ones will be titans, bosses, and other specialized NPCs with more features).

  • Began refactoring the item database into an “EntityDatabase” this will now serve as a central point of modification for all aspects of gameplay. For example, it’ll allow us to edit the players movement speeds, NPCs attack damage, item properties like text colors/icons, and possibly game mode parameters. It will essentially put the entire game into a single object for the creatives to modify and allow for much cleaner programming on the technical side.

  • Added item quantity to inventory items.

  • Got basic inventory logic implemented (stacking items, swapping items, moving items, inventory overflow -> drop remaining items, etc).

  • Added Inventory Feed UI component to show items that have been added/removed from inventory.

  • Updated to the latest version of Photon Fusion v1 (1.1.8-f-725).

  • Got the Main Menu ((( mostly ))) working for controller support. Some further redesign is required to handle certain components.

  • Added ability to select rarity for each item, which will control the UI colors/look for items in inventory and pickup feed.

  • Added rarity-based outline to StaticPickup.cs.

  • A BUNCH OF TROUBLESHOOTING. (Squid note: Send Ryan your condolences, please).

• Bryan

  • Worked with Ryan on the design spec and functionality of the rarity system that will be used on gameplay items.

  • Designed initial concepts of a Home Base AI that will be involved in several player-focused events of gameplay. This character will also serve as the proverbial Virgil to the player’s Dante, guiding them on their journey to becoming an afflicted expert.

  • Worked up concepts for additional easter eggs and their ramifications in-game.

  • Tried to make sense of credit cards in the world of afflicted. (It’s more complex than you think, I promise).

• Bruce

  • Worked on initial concepts of the Zombrie DNA model, which will be used as the primary pickup / objective for Grated Escape.

  • Assisted the team in discussions around easter eggs and how they could impact the gameplay.

  • Designed the beautiful image header for this blog and our holiday Instagram post!

• Cole

  • I’ve been trying to get my damned 3D printer to do what I want so that I can provide some….unique rewards to our special backers. Just need to fiddle with it a bit more, but it’s sucked up a lot of my time.

  • Adjusted several pieces of the swamp map to make it more swampy.

  • Added contextual elements for the nav system into the swamp map.

  • Continued icon work for new game elements.

In Closing

Even in times of joyous holiday and celebration, we continue the glorious fight in the name of The Emp afflicted. Ryan continues to spearhead our progress, and we’re starting to get to the point where it’s time to plug the main components together and see how they react in tandem with each other. Exciting times around here, so stay tuned! Take some time for yourself and those you care about, this is the time of year for it! We’ll see you all in 2024.

Still waiting on that gift,  

Squid