Today, we're diving into the creation of another puzzle element- moving platforms. Moving platforms play a crucial role in the game, adding dynamism and complexity to the level design. However, their implementation was not without its obstacles.
Moving platforms introduce dynamic and interactive elements to the gameplay. They are platforms that are capable of changing their position on certain triggers or player actions. These platforms add an extra layer of challenge and strategy, requiring players to time their movements and make precise jumps to reach higher areas or overcome obstacles.
We faced an exhilarating challenge in the implementation of button-activated platform movement. Each platform was designed to have a predetermined destination when the corresponding button was pressed, with the direction varying from upward movements to other directions. Upon releasing the button, the platform seamlessly reversed its course. However, achieving smooth and fluid motion for these platforms while handling collisions with environmental blocks, interactable elements, and characters proved to be a formidable task.
Our goal was to create a truly immersive platforming experience, where players could interact effortlessly with the moving platforms without any disruptions or glitches. The challenge lay in maintaining the integrity of the platform's motion while ensuring accurate collision detection and response, preventing characters and elements from becoming stuck or experiencing erratic behavior.
To address the challenge, we incorporated trigger colliders slightly larger than the platform's size. This setup allowed the platform to gradually decelerate upon encountering an obstacle, ensuring a smooth stop. If the path obstruction was removed, the platform resumed moving in its intended direction.
However, this wasn’t the end. Initially, we assumed that the character and other interactable elements would behave correctly on the platform by leveraging the standard physics engine. However, issues arose when characters stood on moving platforms. When moving vertically, the character would jitter, and when moving horizontally, the character would remain stationary while the platform continued to slide away.
To resolve the jittering and sliding problems, we implemented a system where any element or character landing on the platform's surface becomes a child object of the platform. This approach allowed the character to walk on the platform's surface while moving with it. We used a combination of OnCollisionEnter events and additional code to determine whether an element or character hit the top or bottom surface of the platform. Based on the Y position check, we could appropriately parent or unparent the character.
By implementing the parenting and unparenting mechanism, we successfully eliminated the jittering and sliding issues. Characters could now seamlessly move on top of the platform, maintaining their position relative to the platform's motion. We are delighted with the outcome of this solution, as it significantly improved the player's experience and ensured smooth interaction with moving platforms.
Thank you for joining us on this development exploration.
Best regards,
Playdew team