Week 12 (16 Nov – 22 Nov 2015)

cleo Dev Blog
Developing a plan for the upcoming weeks to Softs based on playtest feedback.
Developing a plan for the upcoming weeks to Softs based on playtest feedback.

ART

  • Worked on new “Floating Molecules” collection art
  • Made an electronic temperature meter
Concept for electronic gates that open at specific temperatures.
Concept for electronic gates that open at specific temperatures.

DESIGN

  • This week was rather painful due to me being taken out of commission by two separate illnesses. We’re currently scrambling to finish the finishing touches on the game but I think we’re getting results as far as application in the classroom. The number of playtests that we’ve done so far has allowed us to zero in what the problem areas are and we are currently working to address them.

PROGRAMMING 

  • Implemented new “falling zones”, which are areas where the camera follows the player more closely (such as during large drops and when the player moves upward quickly). This allows you to “look ahead” when moving fast through these zones
  • Added the explosive property, which allows containers to explode when their pressure exceeds maximum value
  • Added an explosion which can be customized for different size and duration
  • Implemented auto-save & load, which tracks the player’s current load zone and saves the corresponding checkpoint. When the game is started it loads the last checkpoint. This data can also be erased by restarting the level.

PRODUCTION

  • This felt like a slower, less organised week because Kshitij was out of town, but we did make some progress and learn some useful information.  We had a playtest at Trinity High School and one for 25 Hubbard Middle School kids who were touring the ETC.  That was the first time we tested in a roughly classroom setting, the Cluster.  This showed us that students were very interested in the collection mechanic especially when it came to competition between classmates, and frequently grouped up in groups of 3 or 4 around a single player to discuss the puzzles.  We also got some feedback from Dave Culyba on our temperature gates and gears, and on how to work towards a final deliverable.  At Trinity, we gained insights from Mr Botzer on how to ask the assessment questions, and what teachers would need to bring our game into the classroom.  We also brought a group of teachers from Montour to visit the ETC, and held a roundtable discussion with them about our game and how it relates to teaching.  We will playtest at Montour School District at both the middle and high schools on Monday.  Next week will be short due to Thanksgiving and we still have a lot to do especially with documentation and archiving before Softs on the following Monday.  I’m anxious this will get overwhelming in the last week, and the team will have to work closely together to figure out our priorities.
Playtesting with students in a classroom-like setting is certainly a different experience. We found that students tended to form small groups and strategise how best to play the game. Students also enjoyed the collection mechanic and were very competitive with how many they had each collected.
Playtesting with students in a classroom-like setting is certainly a different experience. We found that students tended to form small groups and strategise how best to play the game. Students also enjoyed the collection mechanic and were very competitive with how many they had each collected.