Escape from Mars

Project Description

Another project created while processing through "Complete C# Unity Developer 3D: Learn to Code Making Games" course. Once again I decided to expand course project with some of my ideas that came to my mind while project concept was presented by course teachers. Expanding course project with my own ideas aims at providing player fully finished product.

Game Description

The player takes on the role of a rocket pilot and his task is to move from launch pad (point A) to landing pad (point B) meanwhile avoiding all of dangerous obstacles placed on levels. In addition, the player must pay attention to fuel level, if it fall down to zero, the player will have a big problem. Traveling across space levels will go hand in hand with collecting alien coins. After level completion, level score is being calculated - the main component of the score value is percentage of collected alien coins and player lifes left.

My own vision

My own ideas which I extended the project with are:

• Alien collectible - player can collect alien coins (created using blender), those coins are one of main components of level score.
• Rocket collectible - player can collect rocket collectible (created in blender) and restore his life if he already lost some. If current life is equal to maximum life, Maximum rocket count prompt will be displayed for a short time. Player lifes are displayed on life bar (three rockets).
• Life Bar - if player lose life, one of rockets will fade out (code created using C# script), if player picks up rocket collectible one of rockets will be filled once again, scaling rocket image to 120% scale and then drops to 100% (code created using C# script) to create simply animation.
• Auto Landing - when player collides with landing pad or refueling pad auto pilot system is turning on moving player into the center of landing/refuel pad and rotated to starting rotation. Meanwhile player cannot control the rocket.
• Fuel System - use space button to apply thrust. Applying thrust uses rocket fuel which player can track on fuel bar.
• Refueling System - when collinding with refueling pad, rocket fuel is getting refueled. The smaller fuel level, the faster speed of refueling. Also refueling pad can be used as a checkpoint. If used as a checkpoint green flag(created in blender) will be raised behind refueling pad.
• Meteorites (obstacle) - created meteorites obstacle objects (created in blender) to simulate large group of meteorites falling from point A to point B. The same meteorites objects were used to create flying (single) meteorite from point A to point B. One more obstacle was created using meteorites objects - I created hole in the ground and surrounded it with crystals, then I simulated meteorite flying up from the hole.
• Metal Gates/Floodgates (obstacle) - constantly opening and closing doors, which can be adjusted individually by setting some properties: delay time we can delay gate start.
  opened time we can set how long gate stays opened.
  locked time we can set how long gate stays closed.
  closing speed we can set gate closing speed.
  opening speed we can set gate opening speed.
• Fire from nozzle (obstacle) - simple fire created by using particle system, it can destroy player rocket or metal boxes spawned by BoxMachine. Fire Nozzle is also customizable:
  delay time we can delay Fire Nozzle start.
  prewarm time period of time where prewarm fire is shown to warn a player that soon Fire will be active.
  active time period of time where fire is active.
  pause time period of time where Fire Nozzle is not active.
• Rotating Fan (obstacle) - simple fan created by using unity primitives, placed on the wall and rotating, we can adjust rotation speed and direction.
• Anomaly (obstacle) - simple anomaly created by using unity primitives and particle system. We can adjust:
  delay time delay anomaly start.
  active time how long obstacle will be dangerous.
  pause time how long obstacle will not be dangerous.
• Lift (obstacle) - simple lift moving up and down created by using unity primitives. Player has to move inside the lift, carefully move rocket with lift and travel further into level.
• Metal Box (obstacle) - simple metal box created by using unity primitive with five different materials. Box can collide with:
  Rocket destroying it.
  Squeezer Machine getting moved by Squeezer face.
  Fire Nozzle when collides with nozzle fire, metling effect is getting spawned from metal box, after 2 - 4 seconds box is getting destroyed and explosion animation is getting spawned.
• Box Machine (obstacle) - machine is spawning metal boxes. Machine can work in 4 different modes:
  static machine stays in place and spawn metal boxes after specified time (can be adjusted in inspector, the same as delay start time).
  normal machine travels from the first point to the last point, then moves to the first point and repeats, spawning boxes when reaches each point.
  reverse machine travels from the first point to the last point and from the last point to the first point, spawning boxes when reaches each point.
  random machine picks random point and travels to them, spawning boxes when reaches each point.
• Camera Move - when level is to big, we set up camera trigger, when rocket triggers it, timeScale is set to 0f, camera moves to the next point, previous stage entrance is getting blocked to avoid players trying to go back. When camera is in the right place timeScale is set to 1f. Camera triggers also enable next stage obstacles.
• Cheat Manager - while in the Main Menu player can type cheats. Currently there is only one cheat playground which enables Playground button in main menu. Pressing it will move player to playground level which is similar to tutorial but it's much larger and player can "drift" with rocket without colliding with obstacles. Cheat manager is tracking player inputs (only alphabetical - char.isLetter() == true), if pressed button match one of letters it moves to next letter index, if player inputs match whole cheat it will get Activated, if player make a mistake while typing password, cheat tracking state is getting reseted.

Game Mechanics:

Main Menu:

• Continue
  If player already pass through first level Continue button will be shown and after pressing this button, player will be moved to Level Selection screen where he can track his current progress, check level scores, restart and overwrite old level score to get better score.
• New Game
  Clear all current game progress and start new game.
• Highscores
  Highscore can be submited in level selection after completing all levels. Only ten best scores will be displayed.
• Options
  Player can adjust master, background and SFX volume here. Each of them has own slider to adjust and save sound levels in PlayerPrefs.
• Quit
  Quit the application.
• Game Tips checkbox
  If player press the checkbox short information window with controls will be shown. Player can also press Tutorial button to try those controls and game mechanics in tutorial level.
• Tutorial
  After colliding with any obstacle on this level, player rocket will be repsawned and heal value will be reseted. When fuel value drops to 0, fuel value will be set to maximum automaticly. Player starts in no gravity mode where he can get familiar with controling rocket. When he feel more comfortable he can pass through Gravity Controler object and turn normal mode. All core objects are displayed with yellow arrow along with short prompt about that object.

Level Obstacles:

Rocket can only collide with alien collectible, rocket collectible, refueling pad and landing pad all other object are threated as obstacle and will result in the destruction of the rocket.

• Moving and Rotating rocks, crystals.
• Narrow slits on the road to landing pad.
• Flying with high speed meteorites.
• Flying crystal kernel from ground holes.
• Constantly opening and closing metal gates.
• Rotating Fan.
• Deadly fire from nozzles.
• Mysterious space anomaly.
• Moving lift.
• Metal box.
• Metal box machine this machine is creating metal boxes, they are mostly placed at the top of level which causes metal box to fall down until they hit the floor.
• Squeezer this machine is pushing metal boxes into the fire.

How to play

Controls

• A/Left Arrow - rotate rocket left.
• D/Right Arrow - rotate rocket right.
• SPACE - apply thrust.

Goals
Start on blue launch pad, finish on neon green landing pad, avoid obstacles and use refueling pad to reach checkpoint or refuel rocket.

Bonus content
Type playground while in the Main Menu and feel free to drift with rocket ;)

Download link
Google Drive Link - 43mb
Alternative Link - 43mb

Media