Setbacks

The Easter holidays have trickled past us much faster than expected. After another slump and series of tribulations, we’re back on track, ready to take on the third phase of production. Granted, there’s still a lot to be done, and staying perfectly organized the whole time is near impossible – however, with this update, we’re proud to present some more artwork and concrete progress.

Technical updates

All the pickups and traps have been programmed and implemented into the game, as well as most of the main mechanics. Since we had to scrap all previous progress, we are in the midst of rebuilding everything to ensure a smoother experience. The camera, for example, has been remade and is now in its base form: the race begins with a timer, and once the timer runs out, the camera begin sliding forward at a slower pace, then gradually speeds up until it plateaus at a stable speed.

Along with this, the actual field has been enclosed by two planes – one white one ahead of all the players to limit how far they can run, and a red one behind the players that would kill them if they fell behind it.

Bug fixes have also been implemented, mostly in regard to collision not working vertically. The camera still needs minor tweaks, as well.

Graphical updates

For this update, we have a large set of decorative assets and obstacles, as well as main pieces that will serve as the runway for the little characters, such as bookshelves, platforms, and tables. Thanks to this, we will be able to emphasize the miniature aspect of all characters and already have something far more immersive than the previous blank, solid colour planes in the demo. (The example down below does not include all the newly made assets)

We have also considered to make the level into an actual room, where the tracks would turn 90 degrees at every corner of the room.

Rigging and animation is also progressing very smoothly. Since the arms have different, ragdoll-style physics attributed to them, they will be added seperately.

Huff and puff

Time is running out, and emotions are running high. In the end, we’re still learning, and dealing with this is part of our progress. By next week, we will have more concrete progress to show, and with each coming update, we will construct something unique, fun, and hopefully with a personal twist.

Thank you for following the development of trash travellers!