Games Ediacaran

Ediacaran

Summary of the project
In a nutshell - like a Spore, but without a creature constructor, but with real fossils. A game where you control a creature, eat, evolve and discover new creatures. The game is limited to the Ediacaran period. The platform is originally Android, but I plan to make a version for Steam and possibly PlayStation.

V2 Features
(V2 differs from V1 by fixing bugs that make the game unplayable.)
First prototype: three scenes in total. One is the entry point, the second is the main menu with one button and the third is the only test level.

There is one animal (Kimberella) at the level, which can be controlled and also rotate the camera.

Roadmap
In the next update (within the next one to two weeks). Want to add:

• Level borders to keep from falling off the terrain.
• Stones to bring the landscape to life.
• Sand for a variety of textures.
• Underwater environment shader.
• A colony of bacteria that will grow and serve as food, as well as a system of eating and hunger.
• Other animals - bots that will be competitors.

 

The summary sounds like something I'd be into. I like games where you play as animals, especially weird ones. Evolving into other things is also quite appealing.

I know you compared it to Spore (which I never played, but am somewhat familiar with), but I wasn't expecting something 3D. How big is your team? What kind of gameplay do you have planned?

 

Thanks for your interest in the game!

The team is very small - only me. The gameplay is simple - eat food (bacteria) and not die of hunger. There were no predators in the Ediacaran period. Perhaps, to complicate the process, I will add an aggressive environment or natural disasters. The main interest will be in improving animals, discovering new ones and playing for them. Also, as achievements, chapters of the in-game encyclopedia will be opened, as is done in Take on Mars. In total, there will be at least 20 genera of animals, very unusual. Not similar to modern ones, except perhaps jellyfish and sponges.

The update is planned for July 23-24, I'm already working on the level boundaries and the effects of the underwater environment.

 

Ok, so you'll mostly be moving your creature around, eating stuff and trying not to touch hazards. Will the different genera have unique attributes or abilities?

 

For the past two weeks, I've found time to work on the game. And some results are available.

Firstly, the generation of the map borders so that the player does not fall off the terrain. Borders are created at the start of the level and their size depends on the size of the terrain. I'm preparing in advance for the fact that there will be several terrains.

Secondly, the generation of stones. For each terrain, you can adjust the number of stones of each type. The generation is not absolutely random, the minimum distance between the stones is indicated in the script.

Thirdly, underwater environment shaders. I did it according to tutorials from YouTube, with changes to suit my needs. This is the volumetric fog on the camera, and the splitting of the reflection on the Perin noise generator. Now it looks more like the action takes place underwater. Graphics and shaders will improve, but then.

And now it's time to work on the basic gameplay - colonies of bacteria, eating them, hunger, starvation, and competitors who will eat food right in front of you.

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