Flatlander

Source code on Gitlab

This was an experiment, now abandoned because I will not use Unity anymore. I made many features that I will likely use in other projects, such as:

• It started with the mechanic of freely (and smoothly) switching between top-down and third-person camera views, and what restrictions that imposes on all other mechanics of a game.  One way to ensure that camera view-switching is always possible without complexity is to make the world flat, hence "Flatlander". 
• A wrap-around world, like in Asteroids but in 3D.  This involves rendering from multiple camera positions and compositing into the final framebuffer (simpler than it sounds).  The pitfalls with this technique involve anything that has continuity across the borders of the map. They must be handled correctly or it becomes a hinderance to the experience.  This includes AI pathfinding, trails, particles and shadows that cross the border.  It's an interesting problem set.
• Play as another character when you die.  Any given character is replaceable.  This prevents traditional storytelling because no character has "plot armour", but allows for other kinds of player-world orientation.  The player might think of themselves as many characters at once, as the unifying spirit of a group of characters, that which does not die with any one member of the group.
• Permenance. Your actions have a lasting effect on the world. When the player's actions have observable consequences, they have real agency.  I'd like to design a game around this one idea. Everything is serialized. Broken things stay broken.  Decals like blood splatter are persistent.  Footsteps make dark spots on the ground that are permenant, but are slowly modified over.  So you can follow the trail of another character, but only while the trail is not covered due to dust, grass growth, or snow. The environment itself retains the evidence of the history of the area.
• AI Character are observant and maintain a "favor value" for every character they see.  Characters have different sets of interests (and priorities). When another characters actions are contrary to their interests, then the perpetrator's favor is diminished in the eye of the beholder.  When they see someone doing something they like, then the instigator is favored.  This results in characters becoming friends and enemies organically (unscripted) as events unfold, no matter the reason.  "Favor" is propagated as characters interact with their friends. This means that your reputation spreads by word-of-mouth.  Consistently save the day and become famous.  Ignore the values/interests of others, and become infamous.

• A building system for creating your home/town was implemented. I did not go too deeply down this rabbit hole, because the entire game then focuses on building.... and many games already do that.
• There are other Zelda-like actions: you can use a sword and bow, kill bats, destroy trees, build things, and get people to follow you around.  

Thank you for reading!  Contact me if any of this interests you. Maybe we can collaborate.