Level 1: Boss Heracles The Ultimate Gym Bro - UQdeco2800/2022-studio-2 GitHub Wiki
Sprint 2
Level 1 Boss: Heracles (The ULTIMATE Gym Bro)
Pre-Design Testing
Before designing the Level 1 Boss we conducted surveys within our studio group to understand what potential users of the game believe the boss should look like. This information was required to ensure the villain's team, studio group and story team ideas could be collated so that we can derive relevant insights and create the best possible enemy for this game.
How the boss should look like
From the insights provided above, we can derive that the boss enemy needs to portray a very strong gym persona which displays these characteristics:
- Strong Muscles (larger than level 1 enemy)
- Muscles with definition - can be displayed through veins popping out
- Bald head - displaying strength and raw nature
From the insights provided above, we can derive that the boss enemy needs to portray a colour scheme which displays these characteristics:
- Dark colours - displaying evolution into a more evil enemy
- Purple, Red, Grey & Black colour schemes
- Dirty textures on clothing - displays grit
From the insights provided above, we can derive that the boss enemy needs to portray these specific themes :
- Immense strength - that looks like it cannot be controlled
- Anger - through features such as eyebrows, facial expressions, tensing of veins
- larger muscles then the normal level 1 Gym bro
Description
Heracles will be the boss of level 1. He will visually be strong and large to imply he is a boss, and to fit into the image of being the strongest gym bro. He will have a variety of moves.
Basic design
Walking animation
Attacking animation
Jumping animation
Design
Inspiration & Analysis
In the questionnaire, we asked, "What do you think the ultimate gym bro should look like?". The answers given were "Arnold Schwarzenegger ", "Hercules in Thor love and Thunder", "Huge", and "Buffed but super extra".
All the responses describe huge, big muscles. So we decided to make the boss enemy look like it had bigger muscles than the basic enemy. To keep the enemy consistent, we chose to change it from the basic enemy so that the user could associate it with the enemy when seeing a similar appearance to the basic enemy. However, as the boss enemy needed to be stronger than the basic enemy and also needed to look different, after some research, we decided to leave the boss enemy bald with green bruises on his arms and bigger muscles.
Colour Scheme
For the choice of colour scheme, we continued to use the story team colour scheme in order to be more uniform with the other game elements.
User testing for colour choice
Analysis
Some of the responses were not keen on the idea of keeping the same colour scheme as the basic enemy, with some users suggesting that the boss enemy could be tried to wear a darker colour scheme. We also found the darker colour scheme to be more popular for the boss enemy, with three users choosing dark purple and red, so we decided to go with dark purple for the top and red for the shorts.
Final design
Moves
1. Dumbbell frenzy attack (Original plan)
Description
This attack will make dumbbells fly out from around the boss.
Inspiration
Inspiration for the dumbbell frenzy attack is from a genre of games called bullet hell games. This move will test the dodging and dashing capacity of the player as they aim to dodge the dumbbells thrown at them. From fighting the basic enemies on level 1, the player should already have had some practice with dodging attacks. Therefore, this move will help to test the player's skill and hence will create an engaging experience. An example of a bullet hell game is below:
Changes
Based on user testing, as shown in the survey question below, people believe the dumbbells do not fit the Atlantis and Greek themes. In order to improve this but still keep the same functionality, we decided to change the dumbbells to discus. This fits in with the Greek themes, because the sport of throwing a discus was an event in the original Olympic games of Ancient Greece (https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports-and-everyday-life/sports/sports/discus-throwing).
2. Discus throw
Description
This attack will make Heracles throw a discus towards the player.
2.1 Inspiration
2.2 Discus design
For the discus, we chose the same colour as the dumbbell of the basic enemy to ensure consistency.
2.3 User testing for attacking
Analysis
The users thought that the discus throwing was in line with the game, but all the responses pointed out that it was not obvious that the enemy was throwing the discus, as the enemy was holding it. There were also some suggestions about the movement of the legs and arms when making the throwing motion. Therefore, we let the enemy throw the discus, changed the direction of his legs and made the enemy's arms stretch out after the throw.
2.4 Final design
3. Dash attack (Original plan)
Description
This attack involves dashing at the player. This move will test the dodging and dashing capacity of the player as they aim to dodge the boss. From fighting the basic enemies on level 1, the player should already have had some practice with dodging attacks. Therefore, this move will help to test the player's skill and hence will create an engaging experience.
Changes
Based on user testing, as shown in the survey question below, people believe the dash does not fit the strong gym bro image of this boss. In order to improve this but still keep the same functionality, we decided to change the dash to a jump and smash. This reflects the user feedback, as a jump and smash is visually very strong, and also, does not have as much of a cardio image as running and dashing does. That is why this move has been changed.
4. Jump/Smash attack
Description
This attack involves jumping up in the air and then smashing down onto the player.
4.1 Inspiration
This attack aims to show the strength of this boss. By jumping up high in the air and landing down hard, this can make the boss seem strong. This attack also takes inspiration from the Hulk, a character who is very strong and is often pictured jumping around and smashing things (https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Bruce_Banner_(Earth-616)).
4.2 User testing for boss enemy jumping
Analysis
For the action of jumping, we wanted to know if people could understand the movement. The answers given by the users tell us that the action is understandable, so we continue to use this animation.
4.3 Final design
4.4 Code (JumpTask)
The jump attacking is constructed as an AI task which involves 3 stages: Start, Update and Stop.
Start()This method would set the target’s current position as the destination and start a movement task with a high gliding speed, starts the gliding animation at the same time.Update()This method checks if the task owner reached to the destination. Involved methods areisAtTarget(),checkIfStuck(). Once the task owner reaches, it will judge if to continue a further attacking according the distance between destination and target’s current location.Stop()This method ends the whole process.
This task also implements priority task that only the target is in the attacking range and cool down is over then the task could be given the normal priority which is higher than any other task.
Future testing
By inspiring, designing, getting feedback and improving, we have been able to draw a clear vision for the boss's enemy. In the future design, we will be user testing the improved animations, focusing on enemy movement and gathering an understanding of whether the final design of the animation is appropriate for the task. Do specific movements of the enemy need to be changed as a result? In the next sprint, we need to focus on further testing of where we can improve the animation, which will help to understand if the movement elements need to be changed to improve the user's understanding of the enemy's movements.
User Testing Responses
These are the survey questions asked and responded too:
