Restricting Building Zones and Enhancing Unit Control in 'Architects of Caelum'

"Restricting Building Zones and Enhancing Unit Control in 'Architects of Caelum'"

Author: Miguel Martinez Olivares

Posted on: August 24 2023

The Problem

This week, two significant challenges arose during the development of our game, "Architects of Caelum." The first issue was related to the building mechanics. Players could construct buildings in unauthorized areas, including their enemy's bases. This broke the game's balance and led to confusion and frustration among players.

The second problem was with the control of the Architect units. When a player selected an Architect and right-clicked to attack a target, the team would sometimes ignore the command if it was already moving to a different location. This lack of responsiveness affected the gameplay experience, making the control over units feel inconsistent and unreliable.

Problem Solution

Restricting Building Zones

I implemented a system that restricts construction to specific buildable zones to address the building issue. Each team now has a designated area to build, preventing them from constructing structures in unauthorized locations, including enemy bases.

The solution involved creating trigger boxes that define the buildable areas for each team. When a player attempts to build, the system checks whether the construction site is within the team's buildable zone. If not, the construction action is denied. This ensures that players can only build within their designated areas, preserving the game's balance and eliminating the confusion caused by unrestricted building.

Enhancing Unit Control

The control issue with the Architect units required a more nuanced approach. I implemented a system that allows the Architect to attack the unit below the cursor when selected and right-clicked. If the Architect is commanded to move to another location, it sets a "busy" status and ignores the attack action until it reaches its destination.

This was achieved by using raycasting to detect the target under the cursor and setting the Architect's behaviour based on the player's commands. If the player commands an attack, the Architect will engage the target. If the player controls a move, the Architect will set its status to "busy" and proceed to the destination, ignoring attack commands until it arrives.

This solution ensures that the Architect responds to player commands in a consistent and predictable manner, enhancing players' control over their units and improving the overall gameplay experience.

Other additions are; a New Map, and 3 new buildings and assets.

Conclusion

These two challenges provided valuable insights into the importance of clear game rules and responsive unit control. By restricting building zones and enhancing the control over Architect units, we created a more balanced and engaging gameplay experience. The feedback from testers has been positive, and we look forward to continuing to refine and improve "Architects of Caelum" as development progresses.