One Week of Creating my Procedural Roguelike | Unity Devlog

Summary

A game developer shares their exciting journey of creating a unique roguelite inspired by Risk of Rain 2. After years of working on games, the developer has taken the leap into making their own. The game features a mage character with an evolving combat system and flying mechanics. Using assets like Vroid and animation packs, they are crafting stylized magic and dynamic movement. The project includes procedural generation for fresh maps and a hub for NPC interactions, drawing inspiration from games like Hades. The developer invites feedback and ideas from the community to help shape the game.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker has decided to create their own game after nearly a decade of game development experience, aiming to make something different from the current trends.
• 😀 The game being developed is a roguelite inspired by Risk of Rain 2, featuring 3D world-building, verticality, and a unique combat system.
• 😀 The player character is an elf mage, inspired by the anime *Frieren*, with a focus on stylized magic that evolves from weak spells to god-like abilities.
• 😀 Flying is a core feature in the game, initially burning mana but becoming a regular movement style as players progress and expand their mana pool.
• 😀 The flying mechanic is smooth and integrated with the character controller, utilizing a kinematic controller with physics to provide a glidy, smooth feel.
• 😀 Two primary attacks are implemented: a ground attack summoning a staff to shoot crystals and a stronger attack that launches a sword using inverse kinematics for smooth targeting.
• 😀 The game development relies on animation packs, like the *Kawaii 100* pack, to provide high-quality, anime-style animations for character movements.
• 😀 Procedural generation of maps is a key feature, with *Map Magic* used to create dynamic, unique levels while keeping them cozy and not overwhelming in size.
• 😀 The game’s maps are designed to avoid repetitive layouts, ensuring that each map feels fresh, with a portal (inspired by *Suzume*) as the key objective to reach.
• 😀 The hub area, inspired by *Hades*, is being developed as a place for players to interact with NPCs and advance the story, although it's still in early development.
• 😀 The speaker is seeking feedback on character design and game features, inviting the community to share ideas on Discord to help improve the game's development.

Q & A

What is the primary inspiration for the game being developed?

The primary inspiration comes from Risk of Rain 2, particularly its 3D world, verticality, and build variety. The developer aims to push the genre forward by introducing a roguelite game with flying mechanics and a focus on stylized magic.

How does the developer approach character design in their game?

The developer uses Vroid to quickly prototype a character model, specifically an elf mage inspired by the anime *Frieren*. While Vroid is a good placeholder, the developer acknowledges it needs further optimization, and plans to either hire a character artist or learn modeling in the future.

What is the significance of flying mechanics in the game?

Flying is a key feature that will be available throughout the game, allowing the player to move freely in combat and exploration. It will start as a unique mechanic and evolve over time, becoming a standard mode of movement as the player progresses and expands their mana pool.

What challenges did the developer face with flying implementation, and how were they overcome?

The developer initially struggled with the smoothness of the flying mechanics. However, by utilizing an existing sample from Easy Character Movement 2, they were able to implement smooth flying with acceleration and a gliding feel. Though it's a good start, the developer plans to add high-speed movement and aerial dashing later.

How does the combat system work in the game?

The combat system features a mix of staff-based magic and sword attacks. The staff summons crystals that target enemies, and the sword attack involves aiming with inverse kinematics, ensuring smooth animations when targeting. The developer relies on animation packs for most animations, as they lack animation skills themselves.

What is the developer’s approach to procedural map generation?

The developer uses Map Magic, an asset that simplifies procedural generation. They focus on creating smaller, more manageable maps with one terrain, allowing for a cozy exploration experience. The goal is to avoid repetitiveness and ensure that each map feels fresh, unlike some of the later stages in Risk of Rain 2.

How does the developer plan to create diversity in the game’s maps?

The developer plans to use procedural generation to make each map feel unique, with a focus on verticality and diverse terrain. They are working to implement changes in the map design for future updates to keep the experience fresh and varied.

What is the concept behind the game’s hub area?

The hub area is intended to serve as a place for NPC interactions and story progression, similar to *Hades*. While it’s still in early development, the hub will allow players to advance the storyline and interact with characters between gameplay runs.

What kind of community engagement does the developer seek?

The developer encourages community involvement through feedback on character design and other game mechanics. They invite players to join their Discord to provide input, particularly regarding fabric design and other aspects of game development.

What is the developer’s current focus in terms of game mechanics and features?

The developer’s current focus is on refining the core gameplay mechanics, including smooth flying, combat systems, and procedural map generation. They are also brainstorming how to expand the hub area and are open to suggestions for the game's development direction.