Non-Combat Sequences
Idle Breath With Head Turn Behavior
(optional) Talk every 5-10 seconds.
Wounded Breath With Head Turn Behavior
Dragon is wounded, player can walk up and inflict damage in this state. Player needs to look for weak spots.
Stationary Flight With Head Turn Behavior
Dragon appears flying stationary at start of map. It tells player they should turn back, head rotates with player. It flies off towards the back of the ice cavern and is not seen again.
Combat Sequences
when player enters cave, door closes back up behind.
dragon lures player into cave, says they can approach world portal behind them.
Stationary on foot, head moves around to follow player
When player passes trigger box, dragon turns to player and says you fool, blasts them with ice (turning off player movement until they break chains–maybe entrap player in giant ice cube instead, feels more on theme), and flies out of the cave.
after player passes cave trigger box (to follow dragon)
dragon summons rats to mount crossbows (crossbows don’t exist until this moment), flies stationary for 20 seconds taunting the player. Occasionally flies over the player (low pass) then returns to stationary position taunting. Doesn’t do any damage. Dragon occasionally launches slow moving projectiles, player can avoid them or hit with ballista arrows or hammer. This part does damage.
Dragon flies in an overhead circle then flies down to a lower point and launches projectiles at player
Particle Effects On Projectile & Dragon Breath
Projectiles: looking at using bp_ky_shot_ice as an effect model for the projectile itself.
consider using ky_cutter for another take on projectile
consider ice-spiderling projectile
magic spray ice 02 for dragon breath
moving spin ice 02 is cool for potential big projectile
projectile bomblet ice 02 is interesting
spear blast maybe good for end of ice breath
dragon falls down after player hits with arrow. Dragon looks more wounded. Player has to hit dragon 3 times. Program radius around it for when player enters.
Player enters radius, dragon perks up and says “this is not OVER”. Puts player in ice cube, starts to run in one direction. (this cues a new save/restart position)
Player has to hit dragon during this phase by reflecting its projectiles or somehow hitting with hammer or grippable weapon (will be difficult since it’s far away). Dragon takes 5 hits, announces voice when hit, flashes when hit).
Dragon flies over head, swoops over player and drops icicles from above.
Dragon flies to direction above player, stays in stationary position and spits slow moving projectiles player needs to destroy before they are hit.
When the player hits the dragon during this phase with hammers, it flies or runs directly back to the recharge area.
When player destroys portal object, enter last phase. Large dragon ghost appears in middle of map on pedestal.
Dragon runs in one of 8 octagonal points. It turns and fires projectiles at the player (player must duck/weave past projectiles as they fly in or hit with hammers). Dragon then moves to next octagonal point.
If player hits dragon with weapon, it sits stunned for 15 seconds. Player can hit during this time and damage inflicted shows on body. Large dragon ghost in center of map decreases in size and flashes when dragon is hit (this is life bar).
If dragon is not killed while stunned, it goes ghost, a ghoulish laugh plays from center, then it respawns at one of 8 octagonal points.
When player finally kills dragon, the center pedestal where ghost was shows a new sword. Player can use this sword to break portal and teleport back to main world.
Made a behavior tree called baseDragonPlayer Swoop
Tested keeping dragon within a specified radius and adding to its turn radius to keep it within the edges of the circle
Still ran into issues with collision with large objects on map when dragon was at low elevation after swooping towards player.
Also ran into some issues with this approach of adding to turn radius where it either looked choppy or momentum would still take it to uncalculable position.
Also found that experience of dragon swooping on you in first person isn’t as fun–the first person aspect of it blocks all view of the dragon’s destruction because of the particle effect coming down on you.
Decided to re-orient design more towards a siege fight with allies so you can appreciate the dragon’s destruction from a third person.
Player can open 4 portals for turtles who will assist firing projectiles at the dragon.
Dragon will attack those turtle positions and take a center stationary flight position and shoot homing projectiles at player. Player will be forced to go between turtle positions to reactivate them or find area shielded from dragon.
This approach also gives a better lead up feeling to the fight with the dragon–you are rallying increasing numbers of turtle allies as you fight your way through the bottom canyon.
TODO:
draw distances inside cave need looking at, new max values are not updating.
add some more roll to the dragon turning on its end, will make it feel a bit more real.
add a bit more pitch variation, potentially tied to wing flaps.
BearHammer Games 