Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Shooting
Various types of weapons are an essential part of any action game. They must per-
fectly balance and run like clockwork, giving the player maximum pleasant experien-
ce. The story is not about dozens of variants of different guns or swords, but a couple
of really good specimens because as usual, players are attached to very small ar-
senals, switching mostly between normal and heavier weapons in games. Habit is a
second nature. A player will change something only if he is convinced that the new
item is as good as the previous one, or even better, for example, if it is more powerful
or operates faster.
Astronaut isGoneisdesignedonlywithtwomajorweaponsinmind:alasergunanda
gravitymanipulator.Accordingtotheplot,bothofthemarepartsofengineeringequip-
ment. Each AMU has these weapons on board. By default, they are needed for vari-
ous repairing procedures outside the spaceship, but because of events in the game,
the main characters should use them for other goals.
The laser gun is a basic weapon in the game. It shoots long impulses of energy, being
capable of hitting a very distant object. The player has to aim by placing the astro-
naut in front of a target; a special color circle (sight gizmo) appears, highlighting the
object. It will be shot as soon as the
FIRE
button is tapped. The protagonist as well
as his enemies cannot hit a target placed at the line rather than in front of them (for
example, an object situated below cannot be shot); of course, that is a silly restriction,
but it forces the player to move the Unit much more actively, and allows him to easily
escape the line of fire using strafe tactics. It also helps to organize different puzzles
and mazes as far as the player can be ensnared into specific locations for more ef-
fective frontal attack.
At the beginning of the game, the gun needs some time to reload; but later, its firing
rate can be increased via upgrades. The power of the laser is constant all over the
game. The laser gun is capable of destroying medium objects such as small rocks
and satellites because in some situations, the player can carve his way by shooting
the obstacles of moderate dimension. In an ideal case, an object that is hit explodes
