Level 03 Additions and Detailing

I did a little more work on the Level 03 exit pipe by adding a nice particle effect for the water splashing the surface of the mud bog as it comes out of the pipe. I also made some new rocks just to add a bit more variety in the amount of different rocks that are scattered about the level terrain.

I've also added a lot more detail to the terrain by adding more of the medium poly blades of grass, some more bushes, new rocks, scattered some toadstools around and added a couple more trashed mashed potato boxes to the terrain. I added about 4 or five more Potato Beetles around this previously undeveloped part of the terrain. Now it's really starting to come to life more and have a lot more to explore and look at.

I was thinking about possible making a mini lookout deck on that tree you see in the immediate background as a possible location to place another game pick up item on top of that Bud would need to figure out how to climb up there to get it. I'm not sure if I will do that it's just something rattling around in my head at the moment as a possibility.

I worked out a way for bud the Spud to get over onto that little island you see in the background. I want to place something special over there but I am not sure what yet at the moment. I'm thinking about placing some special "Hunter Potato Beetles" on that island as an early introduction to them as later on there will be more of them. Basically they will be the same as the regular potato beetles only their color will be a little different and they will have a smarter AI in that they will actually hunt down Bud the Spud when he gets within range of them. I should be able to mod my "Alien Zombies" AI scripts to make them suitable for the new "Hunter potato beetles".

Level 02 Additions and Optimization

Sorry I didn't post an update yesterday but I was swamped trying to figure out some stuff. First it took me the better part of the day to work on and then texture map my exit door area for level 02 of my game. Not sure why really, I had made a good start on the actual model before going to bed on Thursday night so basically all I had to do was add a few more details and then texture map it but the texture mapping too quite a while to do for some reason. Finally when that was done I managed to make it so you have to jump on the "Potato Beetles" twice in order to kill them. I had some great help from Chad Walker of "Walker Boys Studios" on the scripting for that, he pointed me in the right direction and I was able to get it so you jump on the beetle once and you get a nice enemy pain sound a "Squishy" bug blood spurt sound as well and then on the 2nd jump he splats and leaves behind a nice gooey mess.

I had some other issues with Unity Crashing on me every time I tried to save out as a web player version. I kept getting some "Fatal Memory Error message" and then Crash!! I think it might have been due to a lot of the massive 2200 sized texture maps I had imported into Unity, I'm so used to working in the print industry where you always need the highest resolution images possible that sometime it's difficult for me to think in terms of "smaller is best" when it comes to game engines. I just always want to see super sharp detail in my textures. So I expect a good deal of the morning making then no bigger that 1024 X 1024 and smaller wherever I could get away with it.

Above Right: you can see "Bud the Spud" about to head across the final deadly mud bog in level 02 towards the exit. It's kind of had to see in this screen capture as I wanted to show the path he must take in order to get there. I promise I'll post a good shot of the level exit area later on today. But first I want to see in on my "Potato Beetle" I can make it so that after Bud has jumped on him the first time he will look damaged. Chad Walker had mentioned in his email that a change in the texture map material might be a way to go, and I have seen that done before, I just need to figure out how that is done.