Spin Break Dev Blog 01 - Design Notes
by Jeremy Easoz · 04/07/2012 (5:00 am) · 3 comments
Starting a small blog development series on a T2D project I started called, Spin Break.
Project: Spin Break
Description: Guide a constantly rotating Spinner through a twisting, turning labyrinth as fast as you can without colliding into the walls. Collide once before reaching the goal incurs a time penalty. Collide three times and it's game over. Can you beat the record time before you break?

This is the Spinner. The Spinner constantly rotates 360 degrees at a given speed. The Spinner has three health. Collide with a wall outside the starting zone incurs an -x time penalty and one health. Collide with a wall outside the start zone three times and the Spinner will break.
Game Play Mock Up

This image is a mock up of the game play. You have to guide the Spinner through the level moving it past changes in the world based on it's rotational values. Each level is timed and recorded.
Levels - Objects
Map - Each map has a starting zone, and a goal zone. The Spinner starts in the center of the starting zone. Once the Spinner's center point exits the starting zone the level timer starts counting up until the center point of the Spinner enters the goal zone which stops the level timer and records the time.
Level Timer - Records the time it takes for the Spinner to exit the starting zone and enter the goal zone.
Countdown Timer - Gives a brief 3, 2, 1, Go, countdown letting the player know he/she can start moving.
Starting Zone - Square/Rectangle area of the map. The Spinner spawns in the center.
Goal Zone - Square/Rectangle area of the map that ends the level once the Spinner enters the zone.
Conclusion:
This is a very simple game design that could easily be muddled and complicated by piling on all kinds of extras and fluff. That stuff can come after the core game play is fleshed out and developed. Because we all know if the core isn't fun no amount of extra fluff will save you.
I'm not much of a designer so starting with the next post i'll jump straight into code and development.
Project: Spin Break
Description: Guide a constantly rotating Spinner through a twisting, turning labyrinth as fast as you can without colliding into the walls. Collide once before reaching the goal incurs a time penalty. Collide three times and it's game over. Can you beat the record time before you break?
This is the Spinner. The Spinner constantly rotates 360 degrees at a given speed. The Spinner has three health. Collide with a wall outside the starting zone incurs an -x time penalty and one health. Collide with a wall outside the start zone three times and the Spinner will break.
Game Play Mock Up

This image is a mock up of the game play. You have to guide the Spinner through the level moving it past changes in the world based on it's rotational values. Each level is timed and recorded.
Levels - Objects
Map - Each map has a starting zone, and a goal zone. The Spinner starts in the center of the starting zone. Once the Spinner's center point exits the starting zone the level timer starts counting up until the center point of the Spinner enters the goal zone which stops the level timer and records the time.
Level Timer - Records the time it takes for the Spinner to exit the starting zone and enter the goal zone.
Countdown Timer - Gives a brief 3, 2, 1, Go, countdown letting the player know he/she can start moving.
Starting Zone - Square/Rectangle area of the map. The Spinner spawns in the center.
Goal Zone - Square/Rectangle area of the map that ends the level once the Spinner enters the zone.
Conclusion:
This is a very simple game design that could easily be muddled and complicated by piling on all kinds of extras and fluff. That stuff can come after the core game play is fleshed out and developed. Because we all know if the core isn't fun no amount of extra fluff will save you.
I'm not much of a designer so starting with the next post i'll jump straight into code and development.
About the author
#2
There was a great Gameboy Advance gameboy like this back in the day, Kuru Kuru Kururin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEVgVxzttew&feature=related
Would love to see an updated take on this!
04/09/2012 (9:19 am)
Awesome!There was a great Gameboy Advance gameboy like this back in the day, Kuru Kuru Kururin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEVgVxzttew&feature=related
Would love to see an updated take on this!
#3
04/09/2012 (9:33 am)
Wow! I will have to track this down. The levels in that video are crazy. 
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