Level design blockout - Bouldering Platformer in Godot
Bouldering wall types converted into platforming / soft difficulty levels:
- Vertical walls (Straight):
o Platforms that extrude from a vertical wall
o Allows for jumping
o Basic platforming
o Falling causes only slight loss of progression
- Slab (Slightly leaning away from climber)
o Decreased depth / size of platforms.
o Positively angled wall allows or requires wall hugging (Creates moments of precision / carefulness)
o Player may want to jump towards the wall
o For 1000% lore accurate climbing experience: Falling down means grinding against wall spikes
- Dyno (Momentum / jump requiring movement in order to reach next platform/hold)
o Higher risk
o Jumping to higher platforms
o Jumping to between objects (precision)
- Spikes
- Slopes
- Avoid insta-death
o Uses spikes’ pushing force to give speed to the player
- Overhang (Walls leaning towards or over the player)
o Highest risk
o Platforms that are “hanging” from the ceiling.
o Emptiness below
o Sense of height (darkness / fog below?)
Main themes:
- Bouldering
- Fantasy Castle Ruins
- Outdoors adventure
Level progression and variation with different challenge types.
Narrative: Pushing yourself forward, less people stay with the journey until the end.
Achievement during the journey, and a view down at the top.
Ideas for dynamic platforming sequences, and a camera trick that shows the player the distance below that they've climbed as well as how far they have come.
Introduction: Player character walks to the bouldering gym, people(placeholders humanoids with simple waypoint-follow animations) are coming in and out of the gym.
Walking onto the door mat opens the door! Encouraging player's exploration.
Making the levels fun with small narrative scenes and situations: Busy gym with people climbing and having fun!
Leading the player with platform rows and lines between doors and door-opener buttons.
