Frogcket Launch - Dev Logs

Pt 1: Starting Anew

04/01/2024 - Starting Anew

Starting a new project in game dev is so daunting, just as it is with a number of projects unrelated to game development. This is especially true when you have an idea lulling in your head for months while working on another project. I am not known for actually completing projects I've worked on, and the last one was no exception.

With Z.O.H.A., my last game, I was nearly complete and then got the flu and even when recovered, the project stalled for nearly a month and a half before finally giving myself the few hours I needed to complete the project. 

Low and behold, part of the reason was just the idea of starting work again after a lull was mentally just draining - add into this that my computer isn't the best and that even loading up Unity for the project could take time... It ended up just being one thing after another after another of excuses to not touch the project. Plus I REALLY wanted to work on Frogcket Launch and having to work on something else was almost a chore.

I am 100% proud that I got the game to a state of completion to the point that I am satisfied and no longer need to tweak and modify it. It was a project started from an idea and I've finally washed my hands of it all.

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So now that I've finally started Frogcket Launch, where are we?

The game so far is little more than a character controller with platforms and attempts at adding a rocket launcher to the shoulder of the premade character from the Free Unity Asset I am testing with. 

Is this much? Nah, but it's at least a start. 

Now that said, there are few things to unpack here, because basically the character is the hardest part of the game - vehicles damaging the player and moving across screen and all that? Easy street... Ideally I would like the character to be able to ragdoll and move with at least the ease of early Fortnite character movement. 

So for this, the goal is currently just to have the character's back towards the player, always looking forward towards the camera's facing. I'd also like the rocket launcher to aim up and down with looking direction so that you don't have to aim to shoot. With the game's idea being... kinda silly, I also feel like I may just have the weapon attached to the character's shoulder and just move the whole upper body - who has time to legitimately animate arms and hands, AM I RIGHT?!

After that, the next thing to work on would be having legs move in the appropriate direction when moving, regardless of facing. This is all animation work - but at least the ideas are on written down to stick with.

I feel like I am rambling so I suppose I should instead first just get the rocket jump to work.