I'm working on a very basic prototype for a platforming game with a 2D/3D mechanic. I've put together a single level that runs pretty smoothly, but I've hit a minor problem: It's hard to tell, visually, what's going on.
The basic idea is that there are a couple 'layers' that the player can travel on, and movement between these layers is in the control of the player. (Right now, there are three layers - foreground, middleground, and background. I don't plan on adding more right now since it'd turn into visual soup, fast.)
When you're on layer one, you only collide with obstacles that are also on layer one. You can move into layer two, unless that would put you *inside* a layer two obstacle, and it's the same with layer three. Navigation involves, not just jumping from platform to platform, but shifting between the different layers at the right time.
Right now in my pre-alpha build, items in the foreground grow more transparent as the player moves back, and items in the background get darker. (So an item two layers behind the player is black, one layer behind the player is grey, one layer in front of the player is 50% transparent, and two layers in front of the player is 75% transparent.)
However... it looks bad. It doesn't convey itself quickly or easily, so it's hard to respond reactively. Right now, going towards the background or foreground are bound to up and down keys, but the opacity/shading doesn't really convey depth very well at all.
One idea I have is to convey depth with a bit of perspective, so that all the props move a little closer to the camera (and get bigger) when the player moves to the background, and visa versa when they move to the foreground. I think that would *look* good, but it seems way out of my league in terms of programming and animation skills.
So... I need a simpler workaround. If it's impossible to easily tell what's going on just by looking at the screen, then it won't be fun to play and I won't be able to make the rest of the concept work.
Suggestions - especially suggestions that won't be hard to program - are appreciated!
EDIT: I forgot to mention, there *will* be enemies, eventually, and it'll be necessary to get around these enemies by moving along layers that the enemies aren't on. (Sidestepping them, basically.) So whatever solution I come up with needs to work for moving, attacking enemies.
The basic idea is that there are a couple 'layers' that the player can travel on, and movement between these layers is in the control of the player. (Right now, there are three layers - foreground, middleground, and background. I don't plan on adding more right now since it'd turn into visual soup, fast.)
When you're on layer one, you only collide with obstacles that are also on layer one. You can move into layer two, unless that would put you *inside* a layer two obstacle, and it's the same with layer three. Navigation involves, not just jumping from platform to platform, but shifting between the different layers at the right time.
Right now in my pre-alpha build, items in the foreground grow more transparent as the player moves back, and items in the background get darker. (So an item two layers behind the player is black, one layer behind the player is grey, one layer in front of the player is 50% transparent, and two layers in front of the player is 75% transparent.)
However... it looks bad. It doesn't convey itself quickly or easily, so it's hard to respond reactively. Right now, going towards the background or foreground are bound to up and down keys, but the opacity/shading doesn't really convey depth very well at all.
One idea I have is to convey depth with a bit of perspective, so that all the props move a little closer to the camera (and get bigger) when the player moves to the background, and visa versa when they move to the foreground. I think that would *look* good, but it seems way out of my league in terms of programming and animation skills.
So... I need a simpler workaround. If it's impossible to easily tell what's going on just by looking at the screen, then it won't be fun to play and I won't be able to make the rest of the concept work.
Suggestions - especially suggestions that won't be hard to program - are appreciated!
EDIT: I forgot to mention, there *will* be enemies, eventually, and it'll be necessary to get around these enemies by moving along layers that the enemies aren't on. (Sidestepping them, basically.) So whatever solution I come up with needs to work for moving, attacking enemies.
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