DevLog: Week 10 – Fluffy bird

This week’s development focused on adding new levels with unique environments and a dynamic bird transformation system, along with a bird selection feature at the start of the game. As players reach specific score milestones, their bird will transform into completely new bird models, adding variety and reward for progression. Players can also select their preferred bird at the start of the game, making the experience more personalized.

New Features:

1. Environment-Themed Levels:
   • Desert, Winter, Night, and Day Levels: As players progress in the game, the bird flies through various environments, transitioning seamlessly between different themes such as the desert, snowy winter landscapes, nighttime, and daytime settings. Each environment introduces new visuals and obstacles, making the gameplay more immersive and challenging.
   • Score-Based Transitions: The environments change dynamically as the player reaches specific score milestones (e.g., 20 points for the desert, 40 points for winter). These transitions are smooth and non-disruptive, keeping the player engaged as they progress.
2. Full Bird Transformations:
   • Bird Evolution: As players achieve certain scores (e.g., 10, 30, 50 points), their bird will not only change in appearance but fully transform into new bird models. For instance, starting as a basic bird, players can evolve into a larger, faster bird with unique visual traits such as feathers, wings, or even special effects like glowing trails.
   • Bird Upgrades: Each transformation offers a new visual style and potentially enhanced abilities, making the game feel fresh and rewarding as the player progresses.
3. Bird Selection at Game Start:
   • Custom Bird Selection: Players now have the ability to choose their bird model at the beginning of the game. This selection adds personalization, allowing players to pick their favorite bird model from a roster of unlocked birds. The chosen bird will accompany them throughout the game, with further transformations occurring as they reach score milestones.
   • Unlockable Birds: As players achieve higher scores, new bird models are unlocked, which can be selected in future playthroughs, providing a sense of accomplishment and encouraging replayability.
4. Progressive Difficulty:
   • Increased Speed and Complexity: As the player advances through different environments and unlocks new bird models, the difficulty of the game gradually increases. Pipes move faster, gaps become tighter, and the game challenges players to maintain their reflexes as they explore new levels.

Challenges:

• Smooth Bird Transitions: One challenge was ensuring that the bird transformations occur smoothly during gameplay without interrupting the player’s experience. By using seamless transitions and careful timing, the transformations are engaging and exciting without disrupting the flow of the game.
• Balancing the Selection and Unlock System: Another challenge was creating a bird selection system that offers enough variety without overwhelming the player. I focused on balancing the unlock system so that players feel rewarded but not overwhelmed by too many options too quickly.

Next Steps:

• Further Bird Customization: I plan to introduce more detailed customization options, allowing players to modify their bird's color, accessories, or effects before starting the game. This will add more personalization and variety to each playthrough.
• Additional Levels and Environments: Future updates will focus on adding more themed levels with unique obstacles and backgrounds, such as a forest or ocean level.
• Enhancing Enemy and Obstacle Interactions: I will be exploring the addition of moving obstacles or enemies that interact with the bird, creating new challenges for the player to navigate through as they progress through different levels.

Summary:

The introduction of environment-themed levels and the full bird transformation system has added significant depth to Fluffy Bird. Players now have more reasons to progress and reach higher scores, with each milestone offering exciting new bird models and environments. The bird selection feature also provides a personalized touch, allowing players to choose their favorite bird model at the start of each game. These updates make the game more engaging and offer a greater sense of progression and reward.