Blog Post 5: First Playable
The name of our game is "Race of the Teleporting Cars," and I was the programmer. The game is a simple racing game, except your car can teleport forward, even through walls whenever you want. To start, we made the game design document and outlined everything we wanted to do. Then, as the programmer, I implemented the track and car using art from the artist. For this first prototype, the levels are rough but they each are unique and interesting in their own way. Each level is longer than the last and allows for a different use of the teleportation mechanic.
The main feedback from the sessions was that the driving mechanics were clunky. It drives like a real car, with the controls accelerating or turning, however it gets weird when pressing left makes you go right while the car is facing down. Also, the collision is a bit rough meaning players often have to make 3 point turns to get away from a wall after a crash. I plan to tweak the driving to make it a bit easier, but I also like that the clunky driving helps promote use of the teleportation mechanic. For example, if a player is struggling to make a turn, they can decide to maybe just cut the corner with a teleport instead. About the teleport mechanic, most players understood it, but it would definitely help to have a clearer tutorial, for example a track where you are required to teleport to beat it.