For this sprint I worked a bit on the Micro-Game creation process. From this point onwards, most of my sprints will likely revolve around implementing new Micro-Games, as well as polishing / improving existing systems. One of the last systems needed for the game was the Landscape rotation, allowing for Micro-Games to easily be built and displayed utilizing the iPhone's horizontal perspective. Therefore, along with another Micro-Game, I specifically spent some time working on a Micro-Game that would require the Landscape view, therefore creating a simple function call to toggle the landscape mode on / off.
All Micro-Games now have a built-in function call to toggle between Landscape and Portrait modes. This specifically calls an aspect ratio component within Air to actually allow for the visual flip between the view modes. Along with this perspective change, I also needed to send out the toggle information to a number of other systems in order to properly render HUD elements as well.
For instance, the black bar above the games will now be replaced with a longer version while in Landscape mode. This will also change the manner in which text information is spaced along the bar. Achievement reveals and the Pause screen reveal will also center properly regardless of whether the game is in Portrait or Landscape. Aside from these few adjustments, the game should only ever switch the landscape while in a Micro-Game, so the various menu systems will not need to be altered.
Utilizing the game as an example ground to test the Landscape functionality, this game simply challenges the player to quickly shut sliding doors when objects appear within them. This game is a reference to Five Nights at Freddy's, and therefore is meant as a brief parody experience of the core gameplay. The player waits until an object spawns within view of any of the doors, and then has the option to slide the door shut, therefore locking it. If this does not occur fast enough, the player loses the Micro-Game.
Overall, the gameplay is extremely simple, as are all the Micro-Games due to the requirement to rapidly created and add them to the overall session. The sliding component took a bit of time to construct, just because it needed to be feel responsive. Therefore, the detection for the slide tab is actually a bit longer and wider to account for the user's general gesture. Furthermore, after releasing the tap, the door will still continue to move for a short duration afterwards. This ensures that the user can quickly swipe down on any of the doors and shut them.
Another simple game, based on Not a Hipster Coffee Shop's Whale Wars concept. The goal was simply to bring the experience of harvesting energy from leaping objects by holding the tap down over target reticles. This game could potentially go through further polish, but for the moment, most of its mechanics have been kept as simple as possible.
Sharks spawn at a specific spawn rate, each with varying positions and velocities. Once in the air, the player can effectively trace over the main target. Once held long enough, it is destroyed and a few more spawn. A meter at the top of the screen designates the current percentage of Energy harvested. There were a few issues relating to collision detection and perimeter bouncing, but now that most of those have been resolved, the over values just need to be tweaked to solidify gameplay.
Since I have been creating major systems for the last few sprints, it was nice to return to developing Micro-Games. The Landscape system did take a bit more time than expected, therefore preventing me from tackling a third game. However, with each upcoming sprint I intend to continue trying to implement at least two games per iteration, and potentially more depending on whether I continue polishing currently implement systems and available achievements.