TOURNAMENTAL

Tournamental is a tile-based game project. What Went Right: Implementing Ice Tiles - I was able to quickly code my main mechanic for this project, which was a pleasant surprise considering I needed to use some pre-designed functions. Ice Tile Design - I don't consider myself an artist, but I'm really happy with how the material for the ice tiles came together. Documentation - At least two other students used my mechanic from during their Driver Sprint, and they were able to do so without any additional explanation from me. Breakaway implementation - Likewise, I was able to easily implement and iterate upon the mechanic I chose during my own Driver Sprint with minimal reference to my colleague's documentation. Combined mechanics - Though not technically challenging, I am happy that I was able to combine the two mechanics I implemented into one mechanic. We were only required to use the two mechanics together in one level, but this seemed like a natural progression. What Went Wrong: Player spinning - While I got the player to spin on the ice, the end result was not exactly what I was hoping for. Due to the nature of movement in the project, the effect was purely visual and could have been achieved differently with more focus. Audio - Similar to the spinning, the audio cues are something that could have been so much better with a bit more focus. As they stand, I just used in-engine sounds pitched to the point they sounded not terrible. Pit tile visuals - The pre-supplied pit tiles for this project are programmed to show certain walls under certain conditions, however this coding seemed to be broken in one of my demonstration levels. Sufficient challenge - When deciding a mechanic, I thought I picked something adequately challenging and somewhat unique. However, in the second or third lecture it was pointed out that previous students were pushed to go beyond simple ice tiles. If given the chance again, I would try to think of a mechanic that would challenge my skills more. Time management - This class took place during one of the busiest times of year for my full-time job, and while I never technically hit "crunch", there were a few times I was afraid I was going to miss the sprint deadlines. Overall, there were probably a few times I could have spent 15-20 minutes working on my project rather than waiting for larger chunks of time. Overall, I enjoyed this project, and am proud of how things came together in the end. I definitely could have put more polish into it, particularly seeing the showcases of previous students, but I learned quite a bit about topics I have not really explored yet.