December 2020 Upcoming Plans for Ninjatō: Shinobi Simulator

Alot happened from July 2019 - 2020.  The initial concept was formed, the mechanics of the initial project (VRIK 3.0) were scrapped for a better system (VR Interaction Framework), everything has been reworked and improved including player movement, fight mechanics, grabbing and item interaction as well as enemy behavior, better AI combat and hit detection. Everything is much more solid and fun to play, and I'm very excited with how it has turned out.

The game design doc has been rewritten and I've decided to scale the project down a little to compensate for the fact that this project is being developed by a single individual. I have to be realistic and understand that it's unlikely to compete against current AAA title games.  However, it's a good thing for development since VR games are much smaller and more intimate experiences, especially when developed by smaller indie development teams for games such as Beat Saber, Pistol Whip & Super Hot. The landscape is changing as VR games are becoming more popular and are created by larger and larger game companies. 

Anyways, so what's next for Ninjato?

Combat has been my latest focus due to it being a primary mechanic for gameplay.  Tying into that is player vs weapon interactions, since that directly correlates to combat. Since each weapon has it's own unique mechanic, I'll be focusing on getting each weapon type setup and functioning primarily over Christmas break. This means, getting explosions to set enemies on fire, hiding in smoke, reacting to caltrops thrown on the ground and all the various reactions.

Weapons also have a secondary action, much like a gun that be used as a melee weapon or to fire projectiles. The secondary state of a sword would be a reverse grip or activating a hidden blade. Other weapons can switch between animations or active special functions. The blowgun can be used as a melee weapon, fire darts, or used as a breathing tube during infiltration missions. Each weapon can have multiple functions for combat or stealth purposes.

If you're curious as to the weapons I'll be working on next:

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Bladed Weapons

• Swords (1 & 2 Hand)
• Glaive

Specialty

• Nunchaku
• Sais

Blunt Weapons

• Staff (1 & 2 Hand)
• Sticks

Items

• Health Potion
• Rice Ball

Throwing Weapons

• Shuriken
• Various Bombs
• Caltrops
• Explosives
• Gas Bomb

Prototypes & Weapon Tests:

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Starting January 2021:

Once each weapon type has been complete, Q1 of 2021 will be spent working on enhancing enemy behaviors. This means that enemies need to react accordingly when encountering all the various player actions: hunting the player, reacting to dead bodies, or if they see an innocent looking rice ball on the ground, do they pick it up and eat it?  Of course they do!

I'll post again in January of 2021, but until then I hope everything has a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year!  Don't drink too much!