First one is fully-scripted and raycast based and second uses physics constraints such as hinges and springs. Spent an unfortunate amount of time on this sadly
I missed the chaotic freedom of older Roblox games where games were largely run by player-driven experiences instead of only the ones created by developers, so I'm bringing it back.
My new design philosophy is to create game mechanics that prioritize freedom. Think instead of a key that simply opens a door to the next room (which was your only option) to maybe a key that can open an 1 of 50 rooms, which are random every time, and have their own set of challenges.
In the new update I have been working on, I implemented a new mechanic to phase out my old noise meter (which just passively increased every time you moved around). Now, everything that can make noise produces physical noise orbs that everyone can see, including the entities. The entities no longer track players or passive meters. They simply track these noise orbs and feel around for nearby players. This is to give players more opportunities to craft their own experiences. Do you throw an item to make noise? Hold onto it for later? Run? Hide? Risk it for a special skin? It's all up to the player now.
What are your thoughts? Is this the direction you think we should be heading or is the simulator market as popular as it is for a reason?
Super excited about my latest update! Starting with the pulse controller, I have updated it so the orbs propagate from the character instead of the camera even with my custom character logic!
I also added some optimized pooling to further improve performance instead of creating and destroying hundreds of orbs. The new transparency shifting and movement maintains a crisper look.
Next big thing is modular map generation!
My biggest problem was that the game became too predictable which ruined the eerie feeling of not knowing whats around you. Now, even if you are the owner like me or someone who has won over 10 rounds, nothing will look the same! I made a bunch of custom made modules (to keep the tense look of tight areas and fragment spawns) then randomly assort them next to eachother, hiding the connecting walls if used.
I also added dynamic color changes for the orbs when players get close to fragments or ghost orbs as a visual cue, and some rooms are different colors to emphasize hostility (some constantly increase your noise while in them)
I added some hidden loot and items too, currently I have RESET and NULL items to reset your noise or prevent it from increasing temporarily.
Just need to finish the ghost objectives and swap out the skins, but this is what I have gotten up to since my last update and I'm curious to see what you guys think!