Dev Log 1: Movement and Aiming

Reading time: 3 min

When developing Dwarf Legacy, I wanted every aspect of the game to emphasize precision platforming. The shooting mechanic was no exception. Traditional twin-stick controls divide player's attention between aiming at a distant point and managing their character's movement. This approach didn’t work for my game, as players needed to focus on the hazards directly surrounding the character. This challenge led me to rethink and prototype a new system.

Introducing Weapons

Playing the game without any weaponry, I found the most enjoyment in avoiding danger, jumping away from swarms of enemies, circling around them, and progressing through levels while keeping threats at bay. Once I mastered the movement mechanics, it felt natural to position the character relative to enemies: to the left, right, above, below, or at diagonal angles. This inspired the idea of limiting aiming to predefined directions.

Instead of free aiming, I clamped the shooting angles to the nearest 45° increments based on the right stick’s position. If the right stick wasn’t used, bullets would always fire straight up. This system felt intuitive until I introduced multiple bullets.

The Multiple Bullets Issue

I loved the concept of firing bullets in multiple directions simultaneously. Initially, I implemented a system where one bullet was always fired straight up while the second followed the right stick’s input. However, this design was frustrating. Players often felt like they were wasting the upward bullet, especially when trying to aim precisely. Additionally, circling around enemy swarms became cumbersome, as players had to continuously adjust the right stick to track enemies. This friction led me to abandon the right stick altogether.

Position-Defined Aiming

To me, movement and positioning are the most compelling aspects of precision platformers. This sparked a new idea: what if aiming was entirely tied to the character's position and state? Shooting could then be simplified to a single button press.

In Dwarf Legacy, the character exists in one of three states:

1. Standing on the Ground

2. Hanging on a Wall

3. Flying in the Air

I designed the aiming directions based on these states. Here’s how it works with a two-bullet upgrade:

1. On the Ground: Both bullets fire upward.

2. On the Wall: One bullet fires toward the level, and the other fires diagonally upward.

3. In the Air: One bullet fires upward, and the other fires downward.

Here is how it looks in motion:

Shooting From the Ground

Shooting From the Wall

Shooting In the Air

Future of This Feature

Simplified aiming has significantly improved Dwarf Legacy. It’s intuitive, enhances the core precision-platforming mechanics, and allows for additional bullets amount upgrades by adding new directions to the predefined states. Additionally, I’ve designed some enemy AI to benefit from these mechanics. For instance, enemies often hover diagonally from players, making them easier targets when the character is hanging on a wall.

Free Demo Coming Soon

A free demo is coming soon to Steam, where you’ll be able to experience this feature firsthand. I’m excited to see how players adapt to and enjoy the refined aiming system. Wishlist Dwarf Legacy Now!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2426280

See you in The Mountainhome!

Wulo, Solo Dev of Dwarf Legacy