Orbarella (MonoGame) Devlog #2 - Game math & JSON data

In this update I show the progres I've made in the game, getting the nasty math bit out of the way and also working with JSON data to allow me to create the buildings more dynamically.

AI Generated Summary: Cannon Movement and Orb Mechanics

• Introduces the new game with basic cannon movement and an orb at the end.
• Discusses the challenge of coding the orb's tracking mechanism, which involves a few lines of code.
• Explains the charging mechanic for firing; quick shots are slower, while charged shots reach full speed.

Progress Bar Implementation

• Describes how the progress bar is created using two graphics: an empty bar and ticks.
• Mentions potential abstraction into a class for progress bar functionality but decides against it due to uncertainty of reuse.
• Details gravity value and base speed calculations during the ball's flight state.

Trajectory Calculation Challenges

• Explains difficulties in aligning cannon origin with ball origin for accurate trajectory calculation.
• Demonstrates how firing mechanics were affected by angle adjustments in gameplay.
• Notes that adding gravity improved visual representation of projectile motion.

Graphics Editing with Krita

• Introduces Krita as a new tool for pixel art creation used in game development.
• Discusses editing graphics to ensure proper attachment points for rotation without visual issues.
• Expresses satisfaction with charge mechanic implementation relative to orb position.

Future Game Enhancements

• Plans to add targets to aim at before finalizing video content for YouTube.
• Mentions minor aesthetic enhancements like pulsating effects and slight rotations upon firing.

Building Object and Data Handling

• Two lines of code are used to read data and serialize it into classes, creating data classes for information storage.
• An instance of the building object is created after reading in the data; it calculates placement based on previous buildings.
• The speaker prefers uniform window sizes for buildings, indicating a desire for consistency in design.

Modifying Building Textures

• The speaker decides to replace an unsatisfactory building texture (house three) with a larger one (house eight).
• This approach allows for easy level creation by defining backgrounds and house types within the file.
• The simplicity of swapping textures encourages experimentation with different levels in the game.

Game Mechanics and Visual Elements

• The game will feature windows where faces appear, requiring players to interact with them using orbs.
• Different colored orbs will be introduced, matching them to corresponding faces as part of gameplay mechanics.