Le' Matrix
Main Objectives:
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Created all of the actors
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Program the player mechanics
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Make an endless wave system
Theme:
At first, I wanted to go to the classic sci-fi space setting. But as further I go along the development I've decided that a matrix setting could be pretty interesting. You're ship infiltrating the Matrix space to free its subjects from it's influence
Player Related Mechanics:
Made a player pick up after killing an enemy. This gives the player a boost in combat as the waves get harder. The player can also lose power-up levels if he gets hit. Aside from that, for every round the player survives, they restore 1hp. Gives the player a chance to survive in later rounds.
Endless Wave:
My first iteration of the final wave was to just have the boss and a limited amount of enemies spawning to basically defend the boss. As I go through the game, I realise that the game wasn't difficult at all towards the end. So instead, I have a bunch of them spawning in unlimited waves as long as the boss is not dead yet.
Reflection
Game balance is not easy, trying to balance out the game and tweaking little things can either make it extremely difficult or extremely easy. One good example is when I added the endless wave to the boss it was almost impossible to win the game. I decided that in order to make this wave possible, one of the enemy's bullets can be destroyed by the player's bullets. This dramatically changes it to be more playable. Overall, I enjoy the experience of tweaking tiny little details.
Additional Screenshots:
