Bad Guys: Group Game #2 Polarity

polarityTitleScreen

With Polarity Shiyuan and I constructed a game that played more like a system.   The base game utilized the concept of polarity in that it attracted and repelled particles based on whether they were a plus or minus sign. We used this to create connections between the separate particles with the win state achieved through a total linkage of the network.

However, we sought to appropriately address the intent of group game 2 and integrate an appropriate ‘bad guy’. This bad guy would actively work against the player particle and attempt to sever the connections already made.  We implemented three different behaviors for the bad guy. Each behavior was in turn signalled by a change in  the bad guy’s movement and appearance. The first is a standard seek which switches targets between all the non-player particles in the array. This does not directly target the player but is directly connected with the movement of the network around the player. In this stage the bad guy is a slightly lightened black.

polarityMain1stBehavior

The second behavior is signalled by an off center red circle underneath the black circle of the bad guy. This second movement is the same as the first but with an enhanced maximum speed an turning speed. In motion this is a very aggressive action but still does not directly target the player.

polarityMain2ndBehavior

Finally, the third behavior is both quick and directly targets the player. By now the bad guy is fully red and demonstrates a clear threat the the player particle.

polarityMain3rdBehavior

Each of the behaviors is triggered by the length of play which is indicated by the number of mouseclicks.  Mouseclicks and the bad guy’s state are reset each time the player is hit. A hit will dissolve all prior connections, resulting in the player starting again.  We decided that mouseclicks were a good indicator of the duration of play. If the player has more time to connect particles then they should face greater duress from the bad guy.

The final design was an adaptation from our initial grey and black scheme. The initial interface was rather dark with sparse use of colour. Therefore we opted to change to an interface that was a little lighter and brighter colours so as to stand out. We designated red to be the positive sign an blue for negative. A bright green was reserved for the player particle to differentiate it from the rest of the particles.

AlternatePolarity

-Shiyuan He, Silas Osborne

Author: Silas Osborne