Gameplay
This video demonstrates roughly what the gameplay will be like. While Malachi and I are still working hard to develop content for our virtual world, at least we can take a few "practice flights" to let us (and you) know where we're at. That's Malachi's finger in the upper right directing "Bella" where to go. Improvements could be made to how her body moves while flying, but that's why we run these tests. These tests also illustrate what content needs to be made. Right now as Bella takes us on this tour through the Unity 3D terrain we created, there's clearly not enough vegetation and flowers. I will continue to create the art for the assets and Malachi will continue plugging them in until we are satisfied with the look of the game.
Making a game look good is one thing, but the game has to be fun to play. This video gives us a taste of what players will experience when they play our game. We still have a long way to go to make the game more challenging as the game goes on. To do this we need to implement algorithms and timers, etc., all kinds of technical things so that the gameplay does not appear repetitive. Unity is helpful in that regard. Our goal is to create a game like Sims City, where the more you play the bigger your world becomes. Or in this case, your hive. As Bella completes her missions her hive grows. More young bees means more food is necessary and so the player must be more efficient than ever. Wrong turns cost time. Finding that great source of nectar is more important. Performing the "Waggle Dance" flawlessly is crucial. Not to mention all the other chores that take place in the hive - cleaning the cells, storing honey, building comb, feeding young bees... Sound challenging enough? That's just the beginning...
Now that Bella has a full load of nectar and pollen it's time to return to hive for more chores. Here Malachi demonstrates the "Waggle Dance". This tells other bees where to find that great nectar source you found. The diagrams below shows how real bees do it.
The language of bees is important to understand, and so we are committed to making a lesson out of it. Bees orient their hives North - South. They use the sun in relation to the food source and hive as a reference points. This gives us the direction of the food source. The frequency of the waggles and size of the dance circle determines the distance. http://newsroom.ucr.edu
http://animalwise.org
Here's a glimpse of the action inside the hive. These "games within the game" will demonstrate how hard bees work as well as test the player's wits and reflexes. At this point we are simply testing how the bees move and the interactivity of the whole thing.
The task being shown in the clip (right) is the storing of honey. It's a bit buggy, but we're working on it (no pun intended).
Thanks for checking in, Look for new updates as we hit the home stretch in the completion of Nectar: A Honey Bee Quest!
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