https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/co...gar_from_swedish_indie_dev_coilworks/dkujit9/
Haha! Appreciate it! :D Though, just so you get the right expectations.
Unlike those games [Titanfall, Mirror's Edge] we use physics [in Super Cloudbuilt] to drive the movement even on walls, so there is a full 360 degree of movement, and no binary distinction between vertical and horizontal runs, and
momentum/velocity is respected between moves and is a vital part of how you get around. It might be a bit of a learning process, but gives a lot of depth and many possibilities :)
https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/co...e_journey_like_behind_a_game_6_years/duanmbw/
1: ...It's been a process of over 6 years, and it's always easier to see things after the fact. One of the biggest takeaways would probably have been to work on the tutorial and introduction of the game much earlier, as that proved to be a very difficult part. Teaching players new mechanics is very tough, especially if they on the surface might remind them of things they think they know from before. It might sound strange, but
one of the biggest challenges for us was to teach players how wall running really works, as our wallruns are nothing like all the other games with them. Which brings me neatly on to question number two :D
2: There is actually video we made that explains the unique movement mechanics in the game. It might look interesting in a video, but what makes it really unique and what gives it the incredible depth takes a little more to explain, which we intend to do here:
Super Cloudbuilt - Movement Mechanics Demonstration
To put it simple, there are no canned animations and fixed movements, everything is nuanced and actually physics inspired,
meaning you have to use and build on momentum and speed. Every move is your own skill, and there are hundreds of ways to clear every challenge. Hope that sounds interesting :)
https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/co...e_journey_like_behind_a_game_6_years/duah5u1/
...When it comes to new mechanics, things like that usually grow and change a lot as the development proceeded. It's a pretty organic process with a lot of iteration and testing, making it very hard to predict, and making something truly new while making sure it works really well takes a lot of time. In the case of
Super Cloudbuilt, we spent a lot of time on technology, but designing the brand new movement mechanics was one of the biggest time sinks. The rocket parkour thing was a brand new thing when we started (actually announced it back in 2012, even before Titan Fall). We released Cloudbuilt in 2014, although happy with how it turned out, we continued to polish on it. When we then got the opportunity to start working on Super Cloudbuilt in 2015 we went back to the drawing board and re built pretty much everything, now with a clear end goal from the start. It took a lot of time to make that mechanic work well, but the end result is
a very deep movement system where there is a lot of room for player expression and skill. We did a video covering what makes the movement in Super Cloudbuilt so unique if you are interested. Might help to give insight in the things we had to work on:
https://youtu.be/rFxoZi16KC0
Every game is its own journey so we can't say anything definitive and general, but I hope you found that insightful :)
[
0m50s]...You're in full control of every part of the movement, meaning that you have a lot of freedom,
but it also means you have to earn it. In Super Cloudbuilt, one input equals one action. This is an important feature, meaning that there is
no automization: everything you see and accomplish is a result of your own skill. So, what does this actually mean?
[
1m50s]...What's even more important is
the conversion of momentum between actions. If I run up on a wall and jump before I lose all my upward momentum, that momentum will carry over into the jump. Likewise if I ran up on a wall and that momentum fizzles out before I jump, the resulting jump will be a lot lower.
This conversion of momentum is true even when chaining multiple interactions, like wall running into a jump, into another wallrun, and so on...
[
2m20s]...Take this case for instance. Running at it with perfect angles I can get up here.
If I use bad angles it converts my momentum differently, making it hard or impossible to get up. Not only finding the combination of moves but all the timings, angles, and momentum is important if you want to be successful. There's a lot of depth here, but also a lot to learn, as most games don't really work like this...
[
4m27s]...Mastering these techniques... is key to becoming a successful and skillful [player]... If you pay attention and practice a bit, they will soon become second nature, and let you move around the maps freely. When you eventually get there, it will feel great looking back and knowing the journey and [the fact that now] everything you do, is your own skill...
