Posting this from home instead of the Appartment.

Things I worked on.

• 
• These are the art assets used for most of the game (Minus the stickers for right now) Most of these are in game minus the listerine bottle.
• I also helped in providing input and suggestions on presentation for the game such as transition screens, UI mocks as well as feedback for actions in game.

Timmy Gerlach - Final post

whoop this is a little late here's what i did

Initial concept and mockups:

(photo alignment is hard)

All code (except for background bouncing laser, Error Bar, top-of-the-screen slider, and screen shake implementations). This includes the game manager (which organizes the game loop), audio manager, judge (detects a 'perfect hit'), laser (movement & bar generator), player manager object (dealing with score counting and sending input signals to other objects), debugger, and UI

Level Generator script, scene, and objects – i am proud of this and others should know about it

cleaned up the beep noise from some random youtube video (there's some serious background noise there it's... ugh)

Thing We Used That Weren't Us

• LeanTween-https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/3595
• The tweening engine wasn't actually used in the final product, but it was used semi-frequently in earlier builds, so we figured it was important to include it
• Sounds For the Supermarket, a 1975 collection of supermarket music
• Karl Jenkins - "Mr. Lucky"
• Karl Jenkins - "Mr. Satisfied"
• Brian Alberici & Andrew May - "Summer Breezes"
• unidentified

Cole Smith-Final Post

Things done:

-Producer: I did a lot of the scheduling and organizing of meetings
-I arranged most of the UI stuff in game-the layout/positions of the title screen, level progress slider, and end results screen.
-I implemented the code on the slider to make it accurately judge and represent level length
-I implemented the red 'error' bar system.
-I implemented the 'perfect' screen shake
-I implemented the bouncing lasers on the title/results screen
-I was responsible for the now-excised feature where the bar changed color the more perfects you got
-Minor bugfixes
-I was responsible for most of the sounds effects in game.

Eric Speck Final blog post

Our game is at a beta stage and while it is buggy and not complete, it is a stage where it can now provide a complete experince. In future we may return to work on it more and maybe even see if it can end up on the app store.

My biggest contributions to the project were-
-Made all the levels that are in the final version for this class
-Suggested the red bars idea that show how far off you were
-Helped create the splash screen and result screen
-Conducted two playtest sessions
-Tweaked the gameplay feeling (how fast the laser moves, how much faster it gets etc) to where it currently is
-Suggested the cash register noises
-Came up with the idea that the laser would move faster after ever correct scan
-Did mess around sound a little bit, mostly with how the beeps change after every successful one

Cole Smith 11/17

For this week, I have been working on fixing bugs, creating some new features, and creating new sounds for the game.
In the last few days, I am going to work on implementing the last few features and sounds, polishing a few last details, and ironing out any remaining bugs.

Brian Abbott - A Little Late

So this week I created some stickers for our text icons in game as well as created a new laser in game to create a better feeling. This went better thanks to Cole adding a Post production bloom effect in Unity to generate a more visually pleasing aesthetic to the game. We will be having our last meeting on Monday for polish purposes and discuss any last minute changes.

Weekly blog post 11/10 Eric Speck

This week I conducted the second playtest and posted the report here, we got some valuable feedback. We also got together and planned out how this weekend and next week we plan to finish our game and make it as polished as possible. I am planning to work on the levels and make them more appealing and interesting while also making sure that they stay fair and challenging.

Playtest feedback 2

Playtest report 2

Questions

How the does the game feel?

How did you feel about the levels?

How do you feel about the end screen?

Is there anything that confused you?

Does the game feel responsive to you?

Notes

Player 1

It felt like nails scratching on a chalk board

Doesn’t feel smooth and feels irritating

Huge difficulty gap

Could not tell how he did by what item he got and found it confusing

Had problem with the miss sound and the red bar that shows how off you were

Did feel the game was relatively responsive

Has issues with game result art

Didn’t feel like results had anything to do with the game

Player 2

Liked the speed up

Automatic slowdown is a little too jarring and mood killing

Found slow down annoying, paying too much a price

Found levels fair but a little on the boring side

Felt the results screen made sense

Felt the result screen bars need to be closer

Player 3

Felt the game feel fine, just timing like any rhythm game just more visual then audio

The levels felt fair

End screen

The game felt responsive

Wasn’t hard to get use to

Player 4

Didn’t take too long to figure out the game

Felt the speed up was a cool aspect of the game

Levels didn’t feel like cheating

Took while to figure out the timing

End screen made sense

Game felt responsive

Ten things we plan to change

1.      A different miss  beep sound

2.      We plan to test Screen shake as a form of visual feedback

3.      A slider that makes sense and better informs the player of where they are in the level

4.      Improvements on the level design so that the levels are more interesting and fair

5.      Adding a “Terminal Velocity” to the laser

6.      Modifying the hit beep so that it doesn’t hurt people’s ears

7.      Adding transitions to the end of the levels

8.      Have the good great perfect stickers be more readable and stay around longer

9.      Tweak the particle effects so that they are more visible

10.  Putting a transition to the object the player is scanning for at the beginning of the level

Cole Smith 11/10

Last week, I worked on implementing a number of new features into the build-a title screen, new assets, a cosmetic bouncing laser, a redesign of the results screen, etc.
This week, I will be working on implementing a number of tweaks and bits of polish to the build-the title screen, for example, needs a bit of redesign, I need to set a speed cap on how fast the laser can go, the bouncing laser needs more size and speed.

Brian Abbott 11/5/16

This week we'll be working on getting our particle effects in our gameplay as well as developing some transitions between splash screens and gameplay. We want to ensure a somewhat chill experience with animations to spice the mood up.

Weekly blog post 11/3 Eric Speck

This week we worked on improving the game for beta and preparing for playtesting next week. We worked on improving core gameplay machines and played around with the debugger around to find the ideal laser speed, hitbox detection and such. I also worked on a fancy new splash screen that is just BARCODE Click to start.

Cole Smith 11/3

In the past week on our game, I have been fiddling around with the end result screen and developed a rough “margin of error bar”

For the next week, I want to get the end result screen implemented and looking good, fold the ‘error’ bar into the main build, and reinforce the miss negative feedback.

Brian Abbott Update

So this week after playtesting we're going to try and work on a couple things. One being presentation. I plan to try and develop some form of a particle effects for when the laser is being scanned and pitching things for a our splash screens. Other than that I've been focusing a bit on my other classes at the moment but will try and get this done before the quarter's end.

Cole Smith 10/27

In the past week on our game, I have been fiddling around with both the dbug settings and the  display settings for the end screen.

For the next week, I want to get the end result screen to look not like a prototype end results screen, and actually be appealing. I also want to implement feedback on the miss so that players have something to react to when they mess up.

Weekly blog post 10/27 Eric Speck

This week we improved on the alpha build and made plans for the next weeks leading up the Beta. We played around with the various debugger settings that Timmy made and found that making the laser be slower in the beginning and rapidly get faster feels better then what we had before. I also created a splash screen for the beginning and helped with improving the results screen make more sense. For next week we will improve the results screen, work on negative feedback and also make the game more interesting to the eye then just a laser and black bars.  

Timmy's thoughts - alpha

lots of new, kind-of experimental features here, and a lot of code that really needs to be refactored.
as it is, it's already been challenging adding new features with the current code setup i have, so i'll be spending quite a bit of time cleanup for the next few weeks. free time is a bit easier to come by at the moment, so hopefully it won't go too badly

the best thing to come out of this week's work was definitely finding out about the audio mixer. there's so much potential here. it's gonna be fun playing around with those settings more in the future, too.

Weekly blog post 10/20 Eric Speck

This week we created a working Alpha and made plans for what the Beta will look like. We added many features to the visual feedback loop such as the music and sounds changing as get more perfects and the laser speeding up as well. Our game has finally got to a good point where it is fun to play and has one more time addicting feel to it. I helped out by creating 5 additional levels, created the alpha video, contributed to design talks and worked with Timmy and Cole on sound feedback loop. For next week we will continue to work on the feedback loop as I have planned another playtest so that we can get valuable feedback.  

Cole Smith 10/20

In the past week, I have been working on several of the visual effects for the game-the minimap slider, the lighting, and the color change for the barcode.

For next week, I want to work on finding a good method for doing the you scanned/you got items, because right now our current method is way out of date and doesn’t gel with the rest of the project.

Brian Abbott Update Blog

This week we focused a bit on UI and we were pitching ideas in a way of conveying to our players that they are accomplishing a task or are doing well. It was more or less a way of trying to make feedback a bigger part in our game where we added text on how well they hit the bar as well as making the background light up slightly to the combo the player is initiating.

Once we get feedback on Tuesday, we'll know what direction we have to head in.

Alpha video

This week I didn't really have much artwise for the game since I'm trying to focus on my Capstone Project. I did some UI Mock Ups as well as ideas to spice up the feel off the game to try and make it feel not as bland. Will continue to pitch ideas and try to assist in implementing them into the game before Tuesday but I can't promise a whole lot in terms of big changes.

Weekly blog post 10/13 Eric Speck

This week I conducted the playtests and got valuable feedback regarding what direction our game should take. I also made 3 new levels that were longer which we have found is better than the short levels I had done the week before. I worked with my team to address design issues such as improving the feedback loop that we are putting in the game. We decided to have the laser speed up after every time you get a “perfect hit” which goes along well with the longer levels. Next week I will conduct another set of playtests and will add more levels as needed. I will also mess around in our game engine to adjust things like the laser speed until I find a good balance.

Cole Smith 10/13

Cole Smith

In the past week, I have met with the programmer and worked on creating a positive loop through sound.

For next week, I want to work on messing around with features of the UI to make the game easier to navigate/play.

Playtest 1 feedback

 First playtester had problems with the camera messing with his eye, thought it was very fast. Felt levels were short and never really had problem getting the right object.

Second playtester was able to get the hang of the game quickly and after that never really had any problems with the levels. Was confused by the objects at the end and didn’t realize it was a judge system until it was explained. Felt the levels were short and easy. Said that he wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing or not.

Third playtester really enjoyed the experience but felt the levels were too short. Also found the objects at the end confusing. Was able to figure the game out quickly and got the hang of it in the first level. Didn’t have a problem getting the right object and thought the game was too easy but found the game engaging.

Fourth playtester enjoyed the experienced but had minor motion sickness from the speed of the game. Felt the game was really challenging at the start but once got the hang of it didn’t too many problems. Didn’t always get the right object.

Fifth playtester had fun but had eye problems from the bars moving fast. He found the game engaging and this wasn’t the first time he played the game and found it more responsive then the last time. Felt confused by what was the right thing to do.  

List of ten things we plan change

1.      We will make the barcodes change colors if you do well and if you mess up

2.      Add context to the items and show

3.      Longer and more difficult level design

4.      Camera changes to prevent motion sickness

5.      Laser increase speed in general

6.      General gamefeel concerns (feedback loop)

7.      Possibly add more sound

8.      Changes in the results screen

9.      Popup visible feedback

10.  Axe brake

Cole Smith

In the past week, I've been busy, but have managed to get some planning done.

For next week, I want to optimize the pipeline so that the feedback loop gets completed.

Weekly blog post 10/6 Eric Speck

This week I started experimenting with level design for our game and preparing for playtests. We got valuable feedback from class that we intend to incorporate and explore to improve our game. This week I created 8 levels of various lengths. One thing I am curious about is if our levels should be long or short. Next week I will conduct the first playtest session and create more levels taking in feedback. I also plan to meet up with my team in the lab where we can address critical design issues and make choices about the direction we want to go in. 

Brian Abbott Assets post

This week I didn't have as much time to do 6 assets so I had 4 for this time. I plan on Cranking out a few more during the weekend and before class on Tuesday and then I want to start with talking to everyone about UI for the game.

timmy gerlach - 9/29

No major coding challenges this time around, save for (A) trying to figure out UI stuff (currently on hold because it wasn't needed for the core gameplay improvements), (B) trying to work with a broken laptop screen (my standard mode of working for a couple days: pushing the screen up against a wall), and (C) motivating myself to actually do the work that was in front of me like god seriously timmy just focus on the code it's not as hard as you're making it out to be

Work for Tuesday mostly consisted of rewriting the Judge class - the first iteration only worked after the level was completed, scanning the user-generated bars and comparing them to the image below. The Tuesday build, in addition, made a comparison every frame that the player held the spacebar. It worked decently, but it had some absolutely weird problems - I still can't figure out how it judged "perfect hits".

notice i was talking about the stupid tuesday judge in the past tense

That would be because the Thursday judge actually works and is pretty neat. Instead of trying to get a "perfect hit" by looking at how close the player was to a change in color, it uses collision triggers, which are quickly generated from the initial barcode image with a little script.

The arrows are debug images for the collision boxes; they don't appear in-game.

The width represents the "grace period" for a Perfect.

Perfect hit feedback hasn't been implemented yet, but now we can actually make it, so there.

Oddly enough, none of the other guys mentioned the changes that got the biggest response - the new braking mechanic and music. But while they were good design decisions, I won't say much about it either because it wasn't much in the way of code so :P

Blog Post 9/29/2016 Eric Speck

This week we made improvements to our prototype from the previous week to make it easier for the designers, Cole Smith and Eric Speck, to make minor modifications to the project. We added the brake mechanic that slows down time and added sound effects.  I have begun developing additional levels for the game and next week I will continue working with Cole to improve the positive feedback loop. Also starting next week I will conduct playtesting sessions to gather feedback for our work as it progresses. 

This week I managed to crank out some quick assets for victory screens of our game. Each takes about 30-45 minutes to make and is usually doable by the end of the week when I need to make about 6 assets per week.





Next week I plan on coming up with some UI ideas so we aren't just faced with a bar code and white background.

Cole Smith 9/29

Cole Smith

In the past week, I've been keeping up with the coordination business, and started messing around with the prototype. Again, most of my obstacles were coordination related, but it was also a bit of work to get/edit the good sounds.

For next week, I am going to work on developing new iterations of the game that give feedback for better timing, messing around with a positive feedback loop, and coordinating everybody to work on those new iterations.

9/22 - timmy gerlach

this week: lots of code.
specifically, creating a working prototype of essentially the whole core gameplay. not the most relaxing night of my life but not the worst

a few days before i did have the barcode generator working, so there was that. though it was the cause of the most annoying problem right before i finished the build:

the bars used 2d box colliders

i tried to write the judge using 3d physics raycasts.

it took me at least 30 minutes to figure out there was a problem with that.

from here on, my concerns will be cleaning up the mess that is my prototype code (probably my top priority at the moment) and making it easier for the rest of the team to mess with variables.

the biggest problems to come are design decisions which haven't been considered yet. So that's gonna be fun!

Brian Abbott -Weekly Blog post

This week our biggest challenge was getting our prototype to a playable format. I was sick today so I wasn't able to make it to class but when Eric and Cole got home we talked a bit more about the prototype. I put forward a few assets this week like the Apple, Pear, and Apple Laptop as items to appear later on after completing a level. I was not able to do a whole lot this week because of my Capstone and other classes but I plan on making alot more next week than I did this week for sure.

Weekly blog post 9/22 Eric Speck

This week we collectively worked on the prototype that we had agreed was the best idea to move forward and develop. The biggest challenge we overcame so far was creating a prototype that demonstrated the gameplay that we intended to produce. However based on different reactions in class, we may have to go back and revise our design goals and enhance our game until it captures the real experience that we had hoped to create. Another issue that we will have to handle is the feeling by some that the game is interesting at first, but can seem boring and limited after a while. I spent this week working mostly with Timmy to complete the delivery of the prototype. Next week I will work with the team to revise the designs and create additional levels, and also do playtesting so that we can get much more important feedback. 

Cole Smith 9/22

Cole Smith

In the past week, most of what I’ve done has been coordination-what are we doing, when are we meeting, who needs to do what by when, etc. Most have my obstacles have involved trying to coordinate schedules and getting people on the same page.

For next week, I am going to have to work on establishing a regular pipeline for the team-what art needs to be made, what new features need to be added, what needs to be polished, who does what-and schedule it in such a way that everyone can complete their things in a timely manner without being overstressed.

Cole Smith 9/15 post

Cole Smith

In the past week on our game, we’ve done mostly brainstorming and refining ideas into pitches. The biggest obstacle here was mostly figuring out what pitches to refine and bring to class.

For the next week, we need have a meeting to figure both a) everything we need to do for the prototype (and beyond) and b) who is doing what on the prototype. This is going to be a big enough challenge on it’s own, as it’s going to be a lot of planning and defining specifics. The other big challenge is that there’s inevitably going to be a lot of messy overlap in who does what, which I as producer will have to sort out.

Weekly post 9/15 Eric Speck

This week we narrowed down the ideas that we found to be the most compelling and worthwhile for further development, specifically: Barcode Wars, Trolley Problem, and Point out the Assassin. We also spent time working on the PowerPoint presentation and how the pitches would be presented to the class. Barcode Wars was chosen as our project and we are now moving forward from the conception phase to the first development phase. Our next goal is to create a proof of concept prototype. This effort will require that we identify and organize the tasks that are necessary and then decide team member responsibilities to avoid anyone feeling either overwhelmed with too much work or left out by not contributing enough and feeling disconnected from the rest of the group. We need to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding and vision for Barcode Wars. 

Then, suddenly Eric had ideas.

1.      On subway train trying to hang on and keep glasses on (Difficulty: 4, Innovative 4)

2.      Mosh pit, avoid falling on the floor and getting crushed (Difficulty: 3 Innovative 2)

3.      You have the answer but you must figure out how to connect the answer to the question (Difficulty 2, Innovative 4)

4.      Constantly moving forward, stay on track to your goal as disruptive forces try to knock you off course (Difficulty 4, Innovative 1)

5.      Relax and doodle in class but make sure the teacher doesn’t catch you (Difficulty 3, Innovative 2)

6.      Protect your leader from harm using your body, but time it right so that you don’t get killed while doing so (Difficulty 4, Innovative 3)

7.      Keep the ball rolling as it increases in momentum by changing pipe components on the fly (Difficulty 4, Innovative 3)

8.      Balance your life so you get enough sleep but also get enough work done and are reasonable entertained

9.      Choose which cave tunnel you want go through but beware that not all paths lead to good ends (Difficulty 5, Innovative 1)

10.  Scavenge as much as you can but beware that your time is limited and the more you take, the slower you become.  (Difficulty 4, Innovative 4)

The ideas that I felt had the most promise were 1 and 10

1

Titles

Free swinging

Overtasked

Game pitch

On a crowded bouncy subway train you must hang on but also keep your glasses on your face but you only have one arm to do so.

Goal

The goal of this game is to fulfill the class requirements to be an app game

Easy

A simple game that is mostly ragdoll physics and abstract representations of humans.

Innovative

A game mostly focused creating gut laughs from amusing poses and the amusing struggle to keep your glasses on your face.

10

Titles  

Tough living  

Take it or leave it

Overburdened

Game pitch

Running from a horde of zombies, you must collect vital supplies to stay alive however take too much and you’ll be hard pressed to make it out alive.

Goal

The goal of this game is to fulfill the class requirements to be an app game

Easy

This game only requires a simple backdrop with minor variations that can be as simple as different colorations, basic asserts that can be made in a week or two, it also is a simplistic sidescroller that only features two buttons and would not require lots of programing.

Innovative

This game forces the player to make decisions on the fly and carefully weigh taking too much vs too little and trying to find that magic happy middle.  

TIMMY HAD IDEAS TOO

i went into maybe too much detail in my formatting but i think it worked out?

anyway here's a direct copypaste of my brainstorming document:

Cole Smith's Game Ideas

First, the various ideas, scored

Flash step 4/4

Loss feed 3/5

Which is my room 3/4

Lewd feed 3/5

Powerpoint skim 4/4

Shoe replacement 3/3

Mech Repair 2/4

Printsync 3/3

Juggling 3/3

Switch gunner 4/3

Build up courage 3/3

Control roulette 2/4

Bees 3/2

Trash roll 4/4

Point out the assassin,  4/5

Bulk on subway 3/3

Snooze alarm 3/1

Find idea 3/3

Make a lot of noise 3/3

Drink tracking 2/4

Speedy blackjack 1/2

Delicate art of adding the male nipple to figure drawings 3/5

Roll in bed 3/3

Perfect timing 3/2

Posing 3/3

Eating contest 3/3

Dog eat bee 3/4

Ogre wash 4/4

Slot machine 3/1

Trolley problem 5/5

Angry lobster throws dishes 3/3

Avoid conversation 3/3

Don’t panic 2/2

Make art 3/2

How long can you keep that uhh going for 2/4

Flip table 2/2

Build tower 3/2

Bad ideas man 3/3

Paint bees 1/4

Aim sneeze 3/2

Spout garbage to pass turing test 3/3

Attempt to pack stuff in car 3/3

Courage to remove the headphone jack 4/4

Which of these red drinks is the right flavor 3/3

Pizza toss 3/2

Advanced coin flipping 3/3

Find best meme 3/1

Ruin names 3/2

Kill death 2/2

Accidentally stumble onto puns 2/4

Eat pool noodles 3/5

The good ones, refined into pitches

Switch Gunner-You’re in a spaceship, fighting off a horde of enemies who are flying straight into your shots. The challenge is to match your guns to the enemies flying in, red gun takes out red enemies, blue to blue, etc..

1. Game Titles - Switch Gunner, Straight Shooter, Choice Shot
2. Game Goal - become a successful commercial indie title
3. Easy to make - 1) prototype is just automatic gun+enemy spawner

2) Art would be just ship, enemy ships, and gun shots-could be as minimalist as needed

3) Simple prototype means we would have a lot of time to iterate and perfect the design over the quarter

4. Innovative and Appealing - The game would be an interesting twist of genres that would take shooter elements and turn them into something almost like a rhythm game

You are a dying dictator, lying on your deathbed, poisoned. There’s a crowd surrounding you, and wouldn’t you know it, your assassin is right there, among them. With your last breath and fading strength, you must point them out.

1. Game Titles - Point Out The Assassin, With My Last Breath…, It Was Them! They Killed Me!
2. Game Goal - win game festivals
3. Easy to make - 1) Easy to prototype a simple physics arm/pointing system

2) The basic level of art would just be an arm and some silhouettes, and could be improved as the quarter went on.

3) Once we created the prototype, most of the rest of the quarter could be easily spent iterating on the prototype both in art and design.

4. Innovative and Appealing - This game would take what would normally be a dramatic and weighty event and would turn it into a farcical physics challenge.

A game revolving around the humble trolley problem. The player is faced with an unending series of trolley problems, and must decide whether or not to flip the switch based on who is on the tracks. The player must attempt to save as many lives as they can, while keeping their guilt gauge low.

1. Game Titles - Trolley Problems, Philosopher’s Trolley, A Treatise on Levers and Trolleys
2. Game Goal - Become a successful commercial indie title
3. Easy to make - 1) Prototype is not code heavy at all-does trolley go on path A or path B, increment gauges based on who gets run over

2) art can be as minimalist as needed, assets that are the most work are trolley and people

3) After prototype, it will be easy to spend most of the quarter tweaking the “who’s on the track” and guilt mechanics.

4. Innovative and Appealing - The game takes a complex, weighty philosophical problem and turns it into a ludicruous, goofy mess of a game