Into the next Dimension!
Like with most projects, the early stages are when you want to make the most significant changes. The idea of being months—or even years—into production and then deciding to completely overhaul a core component of your game is a daunting thought. While it’s not entirely uncommon, it’s something I wanted to avoid at all costs.
So, last week, I put out feeler polls in a few Discord servers I’m part of, asking for feedback on a variety of topics. Specifically, I wanted to know what art style people prefer: 2D Pixel, 2D Stylized, 3D Low Poly Flat, 3D Low Poly with high-fidelity texturing, 3D Stylized, etc. I also asked about control schemes and camera handling—whether people prefer WSAD/Controller (which is better for fast-paced action combat) or point-and-click controls (which are slower but offer a more methodical approach).
After gathering all the responses, the results were pretty clear on at least one point: 3D is what people want. While there’s certainly a niche market for 2D Pixel games—especially those that evoke nostalgia—the majority of people just aren’t as excited about them anymore. Would they play a pixel-based game? Probably. Would it stand out enough for them to Wishlist? Less likely.
Based on this feedback, I’ve decided to shift gears early, before I’ve invested too much time into the movement, combat, or camera systems. I’m now aiming for a 3D approach and will be incorporating Blender into my workflow. While I’ve dabbled in Blender before, it’s been a few years, so I’ll need a bit of a boot camp-style refresher. To that end, I’ve been researching some tutorials online to get up to speed, with the goal of creating a character base and a few props for prototyping.
I know that learning Blender will slow down production a bit if I shift my focus entirely to it, so I’ve decided to split my time. On certain days, I’ll focus on Blender, while on others, I’ll continue working on the code. On the days dedicated to coding, I plan to take the typical approach—starting with a simple capsule player and an embedded cube to provide a visual cue for the player's direction. The goal is to at least get the basic movement and camera systems up and running. Of course, these will need to be adjusted for actor animations once the base models are ready.
One thing I’ve always disliked in games is when character movement feels "slidy," where it looks and feels like the character is gliding across the ground. For me, getting this right is a crucial component. I want each step to feel like a genuine step, not just an animation playing while the actor floats along.
As you can see, there's still a long way to go. Right now, it's using free Mixamo graphics and animations, but it's a good starting point to get the controller working. There are still some issues with cross-fading the animations, as they feel a bit too snappy for my liking. Of course, all of this will be adjusted once better animations are used for locomotion.
That's all for this week. Until next time!