Weekly report May-4, 2024

Hello everyone! Thank you as always for your support. Let's take a look at this week's progress.

Demo Update

download it from here. The new password is "NF37kyWx3Tyyjy4".

• Official implementation of hitboxes

• Addition of practice mode items

• Disabled projectile usage

Official Implementation of Hitboxes

Based on last week's hitbox configuration plan, I proceeded with the script assembly. One change I made was integrating the three collider managers into a single HitboxSetManager. I realized that consolidating the information in one place allows for smoother collision detection processing.

I also managed to resolve the persistent issue of hitbox disappearance. The root cause was identified: Unity's physics engine, by default, implicitly disables collision detection to reduce processing load. This is controlled by the "sleep mode" in the Rigidbody2D component. Changing the default "Start Awake" setting to "Never Sleep" prevents collision detection from pausing.

This setting might be useful for 3D games or games with numerous colliders, but in 2D fighting games, the number of colliders handled at once is minimal, so performance issues are unlikely. The hitbox disappearance bug is now completely fixed. Let's celebrate with a bottle of wine!

Another unresolved collision detection issue was that child objects with physics components wouldn't follow the parent object's coordinates. This can be fixed by adding a Rigidbody component to the parent object and ensuring the child object's BoxCollider2D component has the isTrigger flag unchecked. Though a basic issue, it’s now resolved.

With the initialization of hitboxes and adjustments to hit effect coordinates, the official implementation of hitboxes is complete.

Creating Hitboxes for Each Action

Next, I created hitbox sets (HBS) for actual actions.

Aligning with the character sprites, I placed hitboxes, hurtboxes, and collision boxes, treating them as one HBS. Each action has 1-3 HBS, leading to about 70 sets per character. Though time-consuming, this gives the game a genuine fighting game feel. Let’s look at some examples.

Zdrada's 5C lacks a hurtbox at her feet, allowing it to dominate low attacks.

The universal 6A move for each character is invincible from the waist up, effective against aerial and high attacks.

Modius's 5S has a long horizontal hitbox, making it useful for zoning. It’s not surrounded by a hurtbox, preventing counterattacks.

I also realized that having three stages of HBS per action could enhance gameplay.

• Attack Preparation: HBS before the attack occurs. Hurtboxes extend forward as limbs move, allowing counterattacks.

• Attack: HBS during the attack. This is the most critical stage.

  

• Recovery: HBS after the attack. Hurtboxes extend horizontally, allowing counterattacks if the attack is dodged.

Ideally, all three stages should have separate HBS. However, not all actions have the necessary sprites for the first stage, making characters like Zdrada and Modius harder to counter from mid-range. I might leave this as an initial character benefit.

The HBS creation is complete, though the projectile-related work was not finished, so projectiles are disabled in this demo.

Addition of Practice Menu

Added a menu option in practice mode to toggle hitbox visibility. Most fighting games don’t include this feature, likely to maintain the immersive experience. While this feature is available in the demo, it will be hidden behind a special command in future public releases.

Additionally, I included the ability to change the display settings of the information window.

Modeus’s Ideas

While Zdrada’s combos are fun and easy to chain, Modius lacks combo variety. While this fits her character concept, some improvements are needed.

I got ideas from GGST’s Slayer, a character known for his combo power. Slayer’s combos control the opponent’s position, which inspired me for Modius.

For instance, Slayer’s 5S lifts low-positioned opponents, exposing them to high attacks, and 2S pulls distant opponents closer. If Modius could control the opponent’s position similarly, it would be engaging. A specific idea is to make Modius’s 2C a two-hit move, with the first hit lifting the opponent. If the distance is too far, the second hit may miss, adding complexity and rewarding precise hits.

This positional control could diversify Modius’s combos, though implementing it might take time.

Next Week’s Plans

• Re-implement hitboxes for projectiles

• Fix animation playback time bug (animations occasionally play slowly, and I have a rough idea of the cause)

• Adjust Modius’s actions

That's all for this week. Thanks to everyone's support, we can continue development! Much appreciation.
Have a great weekend!