Project_Roger is a free-to-play platform-fighter developed in the Godot Engine utilizing rollback-netcode.
January Update
It’s been a busy few months, and we are getting closer to a playable demo to pitch to publishers. Adrian has completed a working version of the innovative game mode we’re working on (which we’re hoping to show in the coming months). Riku has redesigned and started animating the wizard character. Several people are currently working on the swordsman since that character requires so many animations, but I’m happy to say that we’re nearly done (until a million adjustments are needed). Until we can share more about the new game mode, I’ll share some of the new animations and art, and how they look in-game.
- Leakybob
Some gameplay showing a few new animations and Fabi’s incredible environment art.
Summer Update
Now that there are a few more contractors onboard, development is going smoothly. Adrian, who is functioning as the lead network programmer, successfully connected the game to a cloud host that allows for matchmaking at the click of a button. He also added controller support, which feels awesome. The work he’s doing now is top-secret, so most of the other updates here will pertain to the game’s art. I’ll attach an attack animation from MapleC for the redesigned swordsman character as well as some animations that I’m working on. I’ll also attach a video of a recent playtest which shows the grab mechanic in action. In the next update, we’ll have more animations to show, and potentially some landscape art from environment artist Fabi.
- Leakybob
Grab mechanic in action
June Update
With another programmer on board, the animation process for a new character has begun. The character type is a wizard, so the moveset will be primarily projectile-based, and the base movement will be a bit slow and floaty. Here are some animations for the new character:
Spring Update
Although hindered by sickness over the winter months, development on Project_Roger is back at full speed. Some meaningful updates include:
One-way platforms which allow players to jump through from below.
Projectile attacks — in the current character’s case, he simply throws his shield.
General stability — almost no crashing or mismatches when playtesting.
In the coming few weeks, Leaky Pipe Productions is hoping to hire at least one contractor to aid in further development. Updates will continue to be posted to the site, although much of the work done won’t be able to be discussed until release, so posts will mainly regard visuals and audio.
Here is a clip from the latest playtest:
“Freeze”
Many fighting games, like Super Smash Bros., features a freeze or pause when one player lands a hit on another. The animations and velocities of both the player and opponent are paused, and the duration of that pause depends on how strong the attack is. This feature is now functional in Project_Roger.
Tower Construction
While taking a short break from the character animations, it seemed time to add a platform that looks a bit better than a gray box. Here is the work-in-progress stage as of now:
Animation update…
Continuing animating the new player character as well as adding VFX for running, jumping, etc.
Time for a facelift…
Now that the networking and basic mechanics of the game work—for the most part—, it seems appropriate for a cosmetic upgrade. Animating the placeholder character for any new mechanics would be wasted time. The new art direction will be pixel-based, as shown here in a few work-in-progress animations.
Finally, a match without a crash!
While playtesting tonight, my brother and I were able to play through an entire match without the game crashing, which is a huge milestone. There is still plenty to fix as the game still crashes often, but progress is progress! Here is a clip of the end of the match. My brother won, by the way…
Slightly Less Crashing, But…
There are still a ton of mismatches happening. Good news is that my brother and I had fewer mismatches than last night’s playtest, so it’s still progress! Here is some gameplay from a match that only crashed at the very end.
First Long Distance Multiplayer Match
Although we faced a couple of crashes, my father and I enjoyed battling each other for the first time in Project Roger. He isn’t much of a gamer, so it was encouraging to see how quickly he got the hang of the mechanics. He is currently over 1000 miles away, so it was pretty cool to play the game for the first time over a long distance — beauty of the internet!
The game is utilizing the rollback netcode addon developed by Snopek Games, and getting it up and running wouldn’t have been possible without the help from the Snopek Games discord.
Multitarget Camera and Ledge Combat
A quick example of the multitarget camera and ledge combat with a very simple enemy A.I.
Shield and Damage System
Implemented a basic shield and shield roll, as well as a damage system that resembles that of Super Smash.
Parallax Layers and Player Outline
Worked on some parallax layers and realized that some sort of outline is necessary around the player.
Down Air Attack: Camera Shake
This impact effect is based around the Y-axis velocity of the character right before hitting the ground. The velocity is measured by a vertical raycast once it collides with the ground.