Greetings folks! Welcome to the third dev diary of Carnaval Simulator. Last time I mentioned that we will be talking about further details on perk mechanics, different game modes, slewing rings (rotations), music and the balance mechanics. Last time I also mentioned the light shows but I have decided to move them to the last dev diary for next week due to the amount of features related to the light mechanics of the game. So let's get started with the said topics.
Perks
To add more strategy to the gameplay of Carnaval Simulator I wanted to create the possibility of having perks that you can choose each game that gives you a specific benefit. This can really make a difference in case you are in need of something specific. For example you have some energy left but you need more weight because you built too many props on your float. You look at the goal information and you see the parade is in daylight. In this situation lights aren't important so you can sacrifice your energy limit for a lighter generator. Or you are really wanting a specific character at one side of the float, well you can enable the perk bonus to create a better balance on the float. There will probably be some clutch perks but I think the less powerful ones are situational. I like that qua game design because balance doesn't always define the fun factor.
Initially the perks could be chosen again after each day so they would reset. After some testing I figured it would be way more fun to choose a new perk each day but also keep the old ones so it really feels like you are upgrading your float in a way. I love upgrading things in games and getting stronger, better, more organized etc. I believe this makes the game more enjoyable. This is also what I tried to incorperate into the game with the leveling system; you start simple but as you progress your floats can become more and more impressive, beautiful, bigger and more complex. This is what the perk system represents on a smaller scale.
I wanna add more systems like these in future updates in which you can upgrade your float in a tycoon sense. Stay tuned for future dev diaries on this one
Game Modes
To make the game extra interesting, Carnaval Simulator contains various game modes:
- Scenario/campaign mode
- Multiplayer mode
- Challenge mode
- Custom mode
- Sandbox mode
- Parade mode
We have already been talking about the scenario mode & multiplayer in former dev diaries. Hence I will skips these and I will be talking about the other 4.
Challenge Mode
This mode is unlocked in late game, at the moment by getting to a high level but it might become an unlockable mode after completing all the scenario plays. It's meant to provide the player with a refreshing challenge after completing all scenarios. In this mode, you play for 99 days and every day provides you with a new challenge to complete because after each day, the seed refreshes. The seed determines all kinds of values such as the theme, motto, prize money temperature etc. these affect the gameplay thus creating some randomly generated challenges. As days go by, your time becomes a bigger and bigger limitation so it becomes progressively harder.
In the future, I wanna add more randomness & challenge to this mode by integrating some of the unique features in the scenario play (such as colorless props, starting without cash etc.).
Custom Mode
In this mode, you create your very own scenario level simply by editing the values of the game. Very similar to a custom scenario from the workshop except this is user friendly due to the presence of an actual UI instead of editing a script. You cannot gain any experience from this mode.
Sandbox Mode
As the name suggests, it's a mode in which you can just play around with unlimited money, weight, balance etc. You cannot gain any experience from this mode either but it's simply fun to play the game without any constraints whatsoever.
Parade Mode
Personally I think this is the most interesting mode. In this mode you get to assamble an entire parade by using the floats you have made before. You can simply drag and drop them around to adjust the position. In total, you can have a parade of up to 8 floats. In the near future I wanna increase this limit.
Note: the UI of the main menu is still work in progress
Slewing Rings
In order to create a more dynamic float you should add slewing rings to your float. In real life, these slewing rings are used to rotate certain parts mechanically such as a character's head, a wheel or another kind of prop. In Carnaval Simulator, they provide you with extra engagement points since you create a more dynamic experience.
I have been pondering how to make a user friendly UI for these rotations. I came up with a having buttons that allow you to drag the rotation in a starting position and an ending position. There are also buttons to make it spin in a certain direction. Last but not least, you may alter the values manually. You can adjust the speed as well, making it negative means you reverse the rotation into the opposite direction.
EDIT: you can also link different props to your prop's rotation from the object window, eliminating the need to purchase a new slewing ring for each one. You can even add a slewing ring on these linked props for multiple rotations. For example, you may want a blade or another item to rotate, and simultaneously have smaller props rotate vertically with the blade – all of which is possible. Of course, you can also unlink them if needed. It's worth noting that while most props support slewing rings, some, like devices, do not.
Music
Music is an important part of the game. In real life, floats often use mechanical music nowadays to add to their atmosphere of the creation. In Carnaval Simulator, you should add music boxes as well as an amplifier to add the music to your float. There are currently 2 music boxes for the sake of strategy differing from stats (price vs weight vs power). The amplifier is used to be able to set and adjust the music. Adding music to your float is important for your score. Adding way too many music boxes may grant you penalties to your score. Make sure to divide them well over your carts so every part is covered with music otherwise you may lose points.
Above all, music can be uploaded from a folder. Any music may work. This allows the player to enhance the creation with fitting music. As you can see, there are also advanced settings but they will be further explained in the next dev diary about the lights. There's basically an entire beat system that you can alter so it recognizes how many beats the music should generate for the lights.
Balance
To make the game a bit more challenging I added the balance mechanics. Another major reason why this mechanic is important is so that it encourages players to build a more symmetrical float which overall looks so much better. Of course, you may add a different character on the other side of the float. As long as they are the same weight it won't affect you. The current system is very tolerant so you can add plenty of things on one side without any downsides. It's only to punish the players who really go out of their way. However there's a perk to help with the balance so if you really wanted to do something else for some creative reason you still can. In sandbox mode, this mechanic is disabled.
Final Words
That was it for today! The next dev diary will be the last one containing the last details for the current game; multiple carts, polyester, lights & light shows. The dev diaries that shall follow will be about the future and upcoming updates. The next dev diary will be published next week, so stay tuned. Ciao!!