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Finally Scrappy’s Shootout has reached a basic, playable state! In this devlog I’m going to cover what Scrappy’s Shootout is, what’s in the demo, feedback, and what’s in store for the future. Stay tuned!

Cardinal Game Studios

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What is Scrappy’s Shootout?

For those that are just tuning in Scrappy’s Shootout is a casual first person shooter with an emphasis on simplicity while delivering an enjoyable experience. There isn’t much that’s special about Scrappy’s Shootout other than its casual nature and family friendly atmosphere. While the demo isn’t a perfect representation of what I’m going for it is fairly close.

What’s In The Demo?

The game, in its current state, only has one map and one game mode in singleplayer. Multiplayer has not been implemented as of yet and three to four more maps for the game are planned alongside three more game modes: team deathmatch, capture the flag, and last man standing. The game does have controller support which you can find in the settings menu. Only one powerup, healthpacks, are in the game at the moment sadly. The bots in the game are basic and buggy, so be warned. The game will be better when facing others! There’s not much else. The game is relatively simple and you will see that for yourself when you launch the game.

Feedback

The primary reason I’m releasing this demo is to receive one thing: feedback. Please give me feedback on the demo. What did you like about it? What’d you dislike? Did you experience any bugs? Have a suggestion? Send me an email to CardinalGameStudios@outlook.com or Tweet at me @CardinalGS! All feedback would be immensely appreciated.

You can download the current build from itch.io or from my website here.

What’s In Store For The Future

In the future I plan to release updated builds of the game I’m currently doing. I won’t have a set frequency of how often I update, I still plan to do bi-weekly devlogs, but releasing will likely be irregular due to the size of updates. For instance, if one devlog I do a bunch of work on art, develop a map, etc, I will release that as an update. If in another I begin work on a multiplayer system I wouldn’t due to that requiring far more time to develop and test.

If you wish to stay tuned you can follow me on Twitter or check in on my site every now and then. Don’t forget to give feedback! Stay tuned!

Hey everyone! In the past weeks I accomplished a lot, from the design decisions like removing recoil, artistic improvements by adding UI sprites, and gameplay updates by establishing the core of the games AI. I said that if I made enough progress I’d be able to release a demo by this devlog but it seems like I’ve fallen a bit short. I have plenty of work to get done before the demo is released but I’m well on that track. My goal for the demo is to give a solid feel of what the gameplay will feel like so I can get plenty of insight and criticism on it. That way I can improve and make it better for the player! My goal for a demo release is currently August the 15th.

Cardinal Game Studios

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Two Week Roundup

In the past two weeks, as I’ve already mentioned, I’ve added a few new features. Here’s a little run down of what those include, and I may include a short summary for some.

– Scrappy Bots

A large chunk of the last two weeks was dedicated to developing and debugging the AI in the game. They have the basic patrol, attack, and flee patterns based on the situation given. They are still very basic and predictable but they will do for now.

– Some animation touchups – FPS Arms & Animation

– Created Singleplayer Match Setup

– Updated UI sprites

– Added healthpack powerup

– Removed recoil

I implemented recoil in the game because I thought it was standard for FPS games to have them and it gave the firing mechanic a sense of feedback. I realized this was only distracting for the player and no other games really had it. This lead to me implementing the FPS arms and animations.

Demo To Do List

The following are things I still need to get done to get the demo ready:

– IK Player Torso Movement (For aiming)

 – First Person HUD & Sprites

 – Death sound and animation

 – Death camera

 – A bit of polish & tweaks

Once the demo is ready I will provide a download link and will definitely be open to feedback. I’d like to make this game as enjoyable of an experience as I possibly can. But after running this game over and over again tweaking and debugging the littlest of features, its hard to tell what might make the game fun.

More news will be released on August the 15th, hopefully with a playable demo! Follow me on Twitter @CardinalGS to stay updated on progress!

Cardinal Game Studios

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Making this Ludum Dare project was probably one of the harder projects I've done. No, not because its graphically impressive, or mechanically complex (I think those things are obvious when you first boot up the game), it was hard because of my own self confidence the the pressure I put upon myself starting this project. I went into Ludum Dare 39 having very high hopes. I did not expect to make a big game, but I expected to make a good game. I don't feel like I've achieved that goal.

When it comes to creativity, don't think of your limitations.

When I discovered the theme was "Running out of power" my heart sunk. This was one of the few themes I had no idea for and it just got chosen. Immediately I wanted to give up, because I sat there for two hours with a blank notepad document infront of me, rattling my brain for ideas. I had no ideas. I eventually caved and decided to just make an infinite runner, and a mediocre one at that.

Now, looking back on it, I could've made so many cool things if I didn't worry about the expectations I was putting upon myself. What if I made an RC race car game? Perhaps a puzzle platformer? Maybe a sci-fi game where your gun had charges? Why not a turn-based Pokemon clone with a power mechanic added to that? I have so many ideas now and its because I'm not screaming to myself all of the qualifications I must meet. "It has to be fun, it has to be simple, and it has to be achievable." I spent so much time thinking of that one sentence that I had just about none leftover to actually think of the idea for my game.

I think that's the first lesson I learned working on this Ludum Dare project. If you let your creative side run free and write down all of those wacky ideas that come to your head, and then begin to strip down those ideas so it resembles a more basic, achievable counterpart, then you will have a much better time at the drawing board for any project you work on, not just a three day game jam like Ludum Dare.

Everyone is better than you, but that's no excuse to give up.

When I finally began development of Delivery Bot I immediately felt the pain of feeling like your game will be mediocre at best. When developing the art all I could think was "This looks weird.", "These colors are all off", "How can I make this not look like a 3-year-old's MS Paint creation?" This has always been a challenge of mine, this was not new But this, combined with developing and playtesting the mechanics of the game, made me feel very disappointed in what I had to present.

So, I made a mistake. I looked at other peoples progress so far, on Twitter, on the Ludum Dare website, and on some Discord servers. That did not help at all. At the time I took it much more personally than I should have. I viewed it in less of a "this is a bad project" kind of way, and in more of a "I'll never make good games" kind of way. I didn't even want to show my game to the world, I felt like a failure. I was downright embarrassed, perhaps even ashamed, of it by this point. And it made me think of my main project, Scrappy's Shootout and how it will turn out, or if I'll ever even finish it. I was seriously feeling discouraged by this point. I wanted to give up.

But I was determined not to give up, even if every fiber in my body was screaming at me to do so. I was tired of giving up, that's pretty much all I've done in the past, and I have nothing to show for it. Sometimes you may hate your project, your job, your relationship, your life, or yourself, but giving up has never been a real option, because in all honesty, it gets nothing done. Sometimes you have to grit your teeth and push through the thick of it. Tell yourself it isn't something you can do, its something you have to do. It's not an option. Shipping a bad game is better than shipping no game at all. Completing a bad project, start to finish, gives you the experience you need to complete a good project, start to finish. Giving up does not give you that experience. This mentality applies to a lot of aspects to life, not just game development, and its helped me through a lot. If you push through, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Even if I hate still hate the game I made, I'm proud of what I learned as a result of it. Game development isn't always fun. Neither is life. Sometimes it sucks. But as long as you stick around those enjoyable days will return. That is why giving up is not an option.

Delivery Bot

If you'd like to play Delivery Bot, you can visit its itch.io page here. In short, its just a little infinite runner where you must deliver mail for points and collect batteries to stay charged. 

Check out my other posts to see information on my main project, Scrappy's Shootout, a multiplayer FPS game with a focus on being family friendly and fun!

Devlogs will be bi-weekly. Check back on August the 9th for more information

Thanks for the interest meleter0! It means a lot. Just a reminder: The game will be entirely free to play (no IAP) and will release on the PC, Mac, Linux and Amazon Fire TV (controller required) platforms when its finally completed. Follow @CardinalGS on Twitter to stay updated!

In this second devlog of Scrappy's Shootout I'm going to cover who Scrappy is, new content that has been added to the game, my plans for Ludum Dare, and what I plan to do in the next two weeks.

It's been a productive two weeks and I've gotten a nice amount done. Here's to another fruitful two weeks! If were lucky and things aren't too challenging within the coming weeks then we may get to see a playable demo release in the next devlog!

Cardinal Game Studios

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Who Is Scrappy?

Scrappy is the main character in Scrappy's Shooutout. Scrappy is who you play as in the game, and also who you play against. What? How does that work? Remember, Scrappy's Shooutout is a simulation. So Scrappy is used to this! Scrappy is smart, but shy, so he doesn't like to speak up, so you won't be hearing much from him. He always wears his favorite brightly colored suit and helmet with color changing technology, which he calls the Scrappy Suit! Here's a look:

His weapon of choice is his laser gun, the Rei X, the best fully automatic laser rifle ever designed. Heres what that looks like, too:

New Content

In the past two weeks we've added a couple additional features, designed two systems, and created some animations.

The first feature added was controller support! That's correct. The game will have the option to use either the keyboard+mouse on the PC or a gaming controller! Here's me testing it out:

Another feature added to the game was the ability to shoot with recoil! The shots in between are delayed and recoil is added to make it a bit more challenging to fire at one another. This may be subject to change.

In the game I've designed two new features: the advanced AI and the UI. The AI will be explained further in depth when it's been implemented later on. Here's a little look at the UI design. Remember, this is still early alpha!

In the game I've implemented three new animations. I've added the idle, crouching idle, and shooting idle animations for the player. Here's some gifs and screenshots of them in-game!

What's Next?

In the next update I'd like to deliver the following: AI pathfinding, AI algorithms, more animations, UI implementation, and more. If you'd like to be updated on daily progress and updates check my Twitter @CardinalGS

Ludum Dare

Cardinal Game Studios will be participating in Ludum Dare 39! Progress will be updated on Twitter (@CardinalGS) as development progresses. If all goes well the completed mini-game will be documented in a single devlog, along with a download link!

The third devlog for Scrappy's Shootout will be released in two weeks. Stay tuned!

Very early alpha logo

What is "Scrappy's Shootout"?

Scrappy's Shootout is a free to play multiplayer First Person Shooter being developed by Cardinal Game Studios with planned releases on a number of platforms. In Scrappy's Shootout players are transported into a virtual world where they are to combat both one another and robots in an arena setting to see who's the greatest of them all! Who is Scrappy? Scrappy is the main character of the game. He is the dude in the brightly colored suit and helmet. He is who you control whenever transported into the virtual world! That being said, it might be a bit strange to fight Scrappy, playing as Scrappy. But Scrappy is used to this. More information on Scrappy will be released later.

Cardinal Game Studios

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Gameplay

The gameplay of Scrappy's Shootout is intended to be a fast paced, simple, easy to pickup multiplayer first person shooter, with an emphasis on a more casual gaming community. The movement is designed to be quick to make the game more action oriented and engaging, rather than slow and tactical.

The controls and mechanics of Scrappy's Shootout will remain rather traditional by FPS standards to make the game easier to understand for both children and casual gamers alike. Rather than bogging it down with gimmicks and quirks we decided to make Scrappy's Shootout a simple, down-to-earth shooter meant to be enjoyed by an audience most often neglected by the genre. The game will feature power ups, three dimensional movement, and more. In other words, your standard gameplay.

The game features four game modes, each belonging to two categories: Team vs team play, and free for all play. The game modes included are team deathmatch, capture-the-flag, last-man-standing, and free-for-all. Players will have the choice to play these four game modes on five different maps, by choice of the match host.

The game also sports multiplayer play. Players will be able to create public or private rooms and will be able to decide the game mode, number of players, and the map type. Private rooms will be locked with a special PIN number created by the player. Additionally, the player can decide to fill their match with bots if they do not have enough players in the lobby, which will be filled via the match making system. Lastly, for the gameplay, the game will support both controllers and keyboard+mouse combos on the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions of the game.

Art

The general art style of Scrappy's Shootout is meant to be rather cartoonish, silly, and colorful to make it as appealing to children as possible, and not an eye sore to any adults playing the game as well. Visually, the art is low poly with a toon shader applied to them to give off that simple, cartoonish feel that we're going for. Here's two examples from in-game models:

These are early alpha versions of the models and my be subject to change at a later date. But they do give a good feel of the art style.

The music and SFX in-game is intended to compliment both the visual nature of the game along with its gameplay. Upbeat and fast. There are currently no examples of any audio from the game. However, in later devlogs we will release more information on the state of the audio in our game.

Release information

Scrappy's Shootout, upon release, will be entirely free to play, with no DLC, microtransactions, or ads in the game. The game is meant to be an enjoyable, hassle-free experience for the player.

Currently, Scrappy's Shootout's release date is unknown, but is planned for sometime during the Winter of 2017. The game is set to release on Windows, Mac, Linux, and the Amazon Fire TV (controller required). The Android, iOS, and Kindle Fire platforms will not be supported due to traditional FPS controls not porting well to the touch screen. More information will be released as development continues.

New Content

Here's some screenshots of some stuff we've developed in the past week:

We've rigged Scrappy and gave him a basic running animation

We've imported the first map into Unity and are hammering out any kinks

Awesome little game. I love the style! And plays nice, too!

I really enjoy the game. Feels very clean. Also I love the effect. Great job!