Brain and Brawn – Dev Log #2: Catching Up

After a 6-month hiatus to do game design for Demiurge Studios, I have returned to Brain and Brawn to finish the game.

During my absence, David was able to make two major updates. The first is a graphical overhaul. The result is a clean look with a slightly angled perspective that gives depth to the world. The improved graphics also do a better job of communicating the workings of different mechanics.

Before (left) and After (right)

The second major update that was a long time coming was the switch from a physics-based system to grid-based system. This change is huge because it allows us to easily separate game logic and visuals, which opens the door for dynamic tweens, animations, and particle effects. The difference is outlined below:

Old System (physics-based):	New System (grid-based):
Did the player do input? (swipe/arrow keys) Accelerate player sprites in that direction Every frame, check to see if brainy or brawny sprites are colliding with another game object If a collision occurs, resolve the collision.	Did the player do input? (swipe/arrow keys) Based on the grid layout and desired direction, what should happen? (cell collision) Animate all of the things that are supposed to happen?

The only down side is that we lost some features in the transition that will have to be reimplemented. These features include the HUD (with move counter), sound effects, dynamic level centering, and some pretty cool debug cheats, but they will be back and better than ever in no time.

Tomorrow, Brain and Brawn will be casually demoed at the Boston Indies Demo Night, where I hope to get feedback on 4 brand new mechanics and a Level Editor I created.