Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
and turns into small fragments accelerating from an epicenter. Simple enemies
can be defeated by one shot only, but armored ones required more hits. Massive
obstacles cannot be demolished by the laser gun; as an option, they can change
their trajectory a little bit. But it is better to avoid such features because the game
level can be easily turned into a real mess by the player.
The gravity manipulator is a very funny thing. It lets the player play with Newton's
laws; so, such a feature should be used only if the game has an appropriate physics
engine; the objects must interact naturally. To use this gun, the player has to tap a
special switch near the
FIRE
button. The sight gizmo should change shape to a rect-
angle without a crosshair. Now, if the player taps the
FIRE
button, the Unit will attract
the closest small object that was floating in front of the protagonist. While the button
is pressed, the gravity manipulator is holding the object; in the meantime, the Unit
can maneuver in space carrying it along. Once the button is released, the manipulat-
or throws the object forward, giving it some good acceleration. Besides the fun, this
weapon has other advantages: it consumes much less energy than the laser gun. An
object in front of the protagonist plays the role of a shield. To force the player to use
it, some special game situations can be created. For instance, a bunch of enemies
digs into a narrow corridor between rocks, and there is the artificial anomaly that ab-
sorbs the laser beams; so, they can be defeated only by thrown stones. It is worth
mentioning that a large amount of resources (small rocks) should be provided when
the player is in such a situation, letting him make mistakes when he is throwing ob-
jects at the enemies. This can be easily done by placing a small stream of obstacles
nearby that can constantly grant new rocks.
The gravity anomalies distort the trajectories of thrown objects. This fact can become
the basis for various smart puzzles. For instance, there is a powerful turret inside a
cube-shaped artificial anomaly opaque for the laser gun. A strong gravity anomaly
