HOT AND FRESH*
(*maybe not entirely functional)
[Here is the link to this week’s video on the game]
Here we go, the end of week #2! I finally moved the level outside with the intent of testing against a sloping hill (kind of like my backyard). My hope is that at some point heads will accumulate back there.
In the game, that is. Not my yard.
Finally Out of the Test Lab
Speaking of the backyard, there’s a backyard! The collider is a bit off, so objects aren’t level with the ground. I made this one in Blender pretty quickly, then pulled it into Unity. It’s not what the backyard will really look like, but works for now (and looks better than that boring old floor!)
I really wanted to test two things: could the zombies handle a hill, and could the remote control car drive on it? It turns out that they can! There’s just one problem. The zombies are pretty dumb.
It’s my fault, I made them that way. The video explains more, but I need to step up my zombie AI game.
Where’s the Demo?
In order for the game to actually be something like a demo, I really want to have two features working. The zombie generator, and a working bait gun. While the generator IS working, a la “It’s Raining Men“, the bait gun is purely cosmetic. An improved AI will help the zombies prioritize bait whenever it is present, then look to the closest target (such as the TV, or … you!)
It ended up taking a lot longer than it should have to get the rag-doll physics working on Burger Boy, but in the end, I think it was worth it. As long as I (or Google and I, to be honest) can build that mini state-machine for the zombies, the pre-alpha demo will be available no later than June 20th.
Alien Technology is On the Way!
The slow-motion shown in the video is just one of the built-in perks to the VR Interface Framework I’ve been using. I want to use it as part of the alien technology that drops as you destroy UFOs; there are some other crazy power-ups I’d like to add, too. I think it’s going to be one more week on the demo, it’s just not “playable” in any sense just yet (unless you like boxing zombies!) I’m hoping the extra couple of days means I can finally bring in one of the UFOs?
Where’s the BCI stuff?
You’ll notice there was nothing on the BCI stuff this week — it turns out my computer can’t keep up with recording the incoming data as well as recording video! I can work around that with a second computer, but it’s pretty late in the day to be trying to re-record that stuff. And it’s time to sit down on the couch.
I think I’m moving in slow motion, too. No alien technology required.