This post covers the past and the present of my Sky Hook game idea. At first this idea was created while visiting two friends of my mum; one of which worked on Eternals, The Northman, the upcoming barbie movie and the Willy Wonka prequel film. So I had a quite good time looking at photos of the sets and getting ideas for future game ideas. This idea specifically was created in a notebook containing other figures and characters. (First pic below)
Then as third term started and I looked upon what I could create, a prototype with a grappling hook looked promising. As you'll see however I was more focussed on level design rather than the coding, I wanted something that I could create and make my own so that's why this idea just has AI agents and features similar to grappling but no actual grappling game mechanic implemented. Plus time management as usual.
Original sketches for Sky Hook
What the player in Sky Hook would look like.
As you can see from the picture above, this notebook hold the foundation of my ideas for the prototype I submitted. There were several more islands and miniature floating rafts to gather materials from. The player started on the "Woodland dome" then found a gem and traversed across an invisible path. This would take them to a larger "Cavern dome" filled with stalactites & stalagmites and then they would find a slot to put the gem in.
Across from the second island the player could do parkour across lots of smaller islands including a nearby airplane and abandoned gliders. Then just like my present day prototype the player would end the level at the "Living dome" housing apartment blocks in the middle of of a luscious habitat area. There was also a separate island called the "Antenna Aquarium" which was a man-made island and the player would recover resources from it. The enemies would also increase over time, in this original sketch they were called Domeros and their appearance was similar to the clockwork robots in raft that protected the islands from the player.
The picture on the right is what I had originally imagined the player to appear like in this 3d or 2d game. They would have a suit of armor molded and shaped around a flying squirrel and use a grappling hook to progress.
Domeros inspiration from the game Raft
My early mind map for Sky Hook game mechanics, features and pillars.
pre unity prototype level sketch
This incomplete mind map above showcases the more recent adaptation of my original design and has a more basic idea of what the main game mechanics would be. Grappling was a huge part of it, the fact that the stand-in title was "Sky Hook" showed that I really wanted this idea to take off like ones I had sketched out in the past. Some of the more prominent aspects of the original sketches were taken away however. The individual biome domes were scrapped and made smaller, Domeros are more cubic in their prototype design and the individual gliders/sky rafts were taken away too.
Some were simplified and still didn't make it into the present day build of the prototype game. As I was going through and smoothing out the coding, it would take a lot longer to code the player to fall down a vertical shaft and jump down hovering platforms while still being a point and click adventure.
But that last part was on my behalf, picking the AI agents meant that while I was simplifying my work load, it also made the level gameplay even more simple than what I originally imagined. But I do hope to add more stuff in the future for my portfolio and side work projects.
Sky Hook Digital level map (mind map too)
First initial landscaping and area plan for my prototype in unity
More object added and first person view of 1st island
(Link I used for my island tree selection)
While building my islands, I was thinking back to my last project were I had used a book of different tree shapes to decide what was best for the Egyptian environment I was creating. As however I was making the basic objects in class I did not have this book handy and instead used the link above on the Woodland trust website to look at what trees would best fit my islands. I wanted the correct name and colours and shaping so it would look as realistic and cartoony as possible. I had the box bush and duplicated them for the trees on the right. Then used probuilder to make the pine trees on the "Living Island Dome".
A box bush and its description, my inspiration for making my tree bushes.
My trees on island 2 in comparison to the Box Bush plant on the left.
Another example that I used to make my island trees based upon these Topiary trees.
Another bushy tree.
Island 1 and Island 2 basics
Island 1, 2, 4 basic shapes and assets.
Here is where my progress greatly improved and I was happy this was all done on the first day of prototype building. I had created some extra assets like the fence which could be used but its more like something I'll use in another prototype and the lake which surprisingly would cause me the most problems later down the line. The second island was very bare at this point and would not change until I continues the coding pathway for the AI agents. In my many drawings, the second island was bustling with life and possible a cave and a campfire but as this was prototype, I had to simplify its design.
The fourth island was in the works and the only building was the core of the island, its what it it stand out apart form the others. All extra or unused items were moved to an extra square of land where the player and enemies also stood before I wrote the code for them.
The video below showcases my first day of work on the Sky Hook Islands and it gives the viewer a look at how they would progress, a look at my prototype materials and my hierarchy and Island folders.
Video showcasing a tour of what I had made so far of the Sky Hook islands
Making complicated objects with probuilder
Making the island engines
The islands are now afloat
enemy ramp
On my second day of working on the Sky Hook islands I finished Island 4 and 3 using probuilder for more of the complicated sized and shapes objects. The Hexagons were extremely useful for arches and tunnels that would later be used for a AI pathways. I also created the engines that sit underneath the islands and would then allow me to raise them upwards to work out how the player would progress. Island 3 has a helipad and like the lake it caused me problems later down the line whist coding on the 3rd day making the prototype.
Another video tour of my second day of progress making the 3rd and finishing the 4th island.
Without prototype materials
With prototype materials
As you'll notice some of the assets and object being shown lately and onwards from this point are using Prototype materials. This is what is standard and makes the prototype actually stand out with its limited colour scheme. Also the two pictures above differ some more as the outer islands are missing. This was because I could not make the first file into a zip folder which I knew would be necessary for submission. So I made a new folder and made prefabs of what I originally made to transfer over to the new file on the right. I also found out that without the prototype materials when moved as a prefab, the assets turn pink as unity recognises it having no official texture. So from now on the new file has got several zips of it and I shall be using that from now on.
AI Agents being tested on 3rd island arena.
AI agents and the player being tested on island 1/2 traversing and phasing to evade each other.
AI Agents forming a wall to stop player from passing through..
Testing player movement on buggy/sticky bridge.
Next up I had a stressful couple of hours trying to fix the sticky bridge glitch, I made a newer, shorter, wider versions of the bridge while redoing the baking with the enemies as well. In the end It was 5.30pm and I just had to leave to get home and rest. If this issue cannot be resolved before I sent the prototype in as a build then it will be noted as a major bug on the build notes following the submission.
The layout of the prototype level area has changed a lot and I did not want to start using a first person camera if I couldn't finish the code. Harry gave me some tips and videos for smoother NavMesh creations and paths but what you see with the player and AI movement was unexpected and I just kept any odd occurring events or issues/faults and called them features. Just like you'll see in the videos with the player and enemies phasing through the floor instead of falling off the side where the mesh link path is showing them to go.
Funny video of enemies falling over and slip sliding down bridge connecting island 3/4
I did have a laugh or two though as for some reason around where I had done a complete NavMesh circuit path for the characters, some of the duplicated enemies on the bridge were acting up. The video above has the perfect paused image for it as basically those specific enemies as soon as a pressed play would fall to the ground and slide down it like a ramp only to crash into each other at the bottom. This was a hoot among my friends and it turned out they like the bridge had a rigidbody component paired to them. These enemies have been fixed since and would still cause more trouble later but it was fun while it lasted.
One actually clever tactic by the AI agents was a couple of them forming a wall a the entrance of the tunnel leading to the 4th island and blocking the players progression to that point. None of them had priority (from what I could see in the code) but yet again this was another "unexpected game mechanic/feature".
More objects to put in prototype level to make progression easier
A recent addition in the works as a suggestion from my father was to add items that make the level ending area more easier to see. This would include a checkered flag and shining door in the doorway of the building and a target. This would help the player see that the door was the exit of the level and the flag like in the Mario games would let the player see the finish line from afar. The target could also be something I continue another time where the player could shoot missiles at the target to possibly open the door or close the tunnel behind them to stop the enemy Domeros chasing the player even further.
Final video showcasing build submission and non sticky bridge for player progression.
Here I have added gameplay use of flag pole and door so player can see where the end of the level is.
Added flag pole and golden door with door nob
Final side shot of whole prototype level
I did mess around after trying to get the player to phase through the door and enter the building but by taking off the colliders, it meant that they could walk through the entire building anyway. I even extended the back area and tried to place a secret item but this will be something I can continue another time.