zfxaction26_1/ROUGH-DESIGN.md

I plan to participate in a gamejam, duration of one month. I want do do a side scrolling shooter in godot. Since the game jam topic is not yet known, I can't do a proper content design. But I can prepare a systems design. Please create a DESIGN.md page with my topics, and keep as many options open for when the final topic is known, so it can be customized. Here's what I want:

Level

• multi-layered background parallax scrolling (without collision)
• interactive elements layer
• multi-layered foreground parallax scrolling (without collision)
• repeating
• might change as level progresses, need proper transition
• fixed camera path, varying speed

Enemy Types

• consist of composed sprites, each with an own behavior
• A behavior can be one serial or many parallel sequences of events (traverse position/orientation path, fire a projectile, etc.)
• either spawned and move freely, or part of the interactive elements layer of the level
• may belong to a cluster
• may spawn a collectible when destroyed

Enemy Clusters

• contain of several instances of several enemy types, spawned at different intervals
• destroying all enemies of a cluster awards points

Colllectibles

• Add points
• Primary weapon (fill empty slot, otherwise replace current slot)
• Secondary weapon (replace)
• Clear screen
• Shield charge
• Special weapon ammunition
• Squadron mate of a specific type

Hero

• Has a level, influencing primary weapon
• Collects points, point thresholds cause level up.
• Has fixed number of primary weapon slots, player can toggle current primary weapon
• Has initial number of shield charges (3). Getting hit reduces by one, leveling up increases by one.
• Dies when hit without shield charges
• Contains a max amount of squadron mates (4)
• Keeps collectibles at the end of a mission, begins next mission with kept collectibles
• Loses all collectibles on death
• Has 3 retry counts for rebirth after death. Game over when exhausted.

Squadron mates

• All of them are of the same type, the type is determined by the last collected one.
• Maintain relative position to another squadron mate depending on type
• Collide/consume with enemy particles, taking no damage

Types

• Hug: close together on hero's nose
• Orbit: circular motion around hero, mate id is phase offset
• Line-Formation: equidistant formation on top and on bottom of hero
• V-Formation: equidistant formation on back/top and on back/bottom of hero
• Follow: fly towards front of oldest enemy on screen

Heros and Squadron mates

• Fire current primary weapon forwards
• Fire secondary weapon to another direction

Primary weapons

• infinite ammo
• many/fast/weak or few/slow/strong ballistic, constant speed
• Flying only forward or seeking nearest enemy
• Laser, appear/disappear filling entire row
• Grenade cluster, fires fast, gets slower, big explosion on stop
• Possibility to collide and consume enemy projectiles

Secondary weapons

• infinite ammo
• Always fire forwards
• Projectiles don't collide with enemy projectiles
• Fire additional projectiles depending on type

Types

• Fire upwards if on top screen half, or downwards if on bottom screen half
• Fire upwards towards positive diagonal if on top screen half, or downwards towards negative diagonal if on bottom screen half
• Fire backwards

Special weapons

• Can be chosen in shop
• Have initial ammo, may be replenished by collectible

Special weapon types

• Bomb (gravity does its thing, explode once on impact). Lots of ammo.
• Crawler (gravity does its thing, crawls forwards following terrain contour, explodes once on enemy impact). Moderate ammo.
• Napalm (gravity does its thing, huge horizontal spread and 1s burn on impact). Moderate ammo.
• Black Hole (3s invulnerability period, pull enemies, destroyed upon impact with player). Few ammo.

Game loop

• Logo, intro choreo, can be skipped
• Menu (start/controls)
• Mission loops
• Rebirth retry / Game over / Normal victory / Secret victory choreo
• Highscore

Mission loop

• Shop for choosing one special weapon type for the next mission
• Queue mission specific music, play mission specific intro choreo
• Fade to actual gameplay
• Queue boss music, play boss specific intro choreo
• Mute music and play boss destruction vfx
• Queue victory music, play generic mission outro choreo and fade out