Making of Probably Art #4

Making of Probably Art #4

Starting Fresh: Applying Lessons Learned to a New Project

November 28, 2024

by Schauermann /

After four months of working on a game that would have needed at least another year to complete, I made the tough decision to start a new project. It's called PROBABLY ART! The time constraints were too much, and while it was hard to walk away from something I had invested so much in, I knew it was the right call. The upside, however, was that I’d learned a lot during that process, and many elements from the original game would make their way into this new project.

The recycled main menu that found its way into Probably Art

Player Movement: A Lesson in Precision

One of the most valuable things I had spent time on in the first game was perfecting the main character’s movement. I had dedicated two weeks to getting it just right. It may sound crazy, but I spent hours each day simply watching the character move, jump, and interact with its environment. I paid attention to every detail - when the character would stretch or squash in the air, how long those animations would last, and how it all felt in combination with the jump height.

I created a level with no background, no distractions, just the character moving through space. The goal was simple: to make the movement feel intuitive and satisfying. I adjusted acceleration and speed until everything felt smooth. One issue that had to be fixed early on was jump behavior. At first, the character wouldn’t jump properly if the player pressed the button just before landing. The jump wouldn’t trigger because the game hadn’t yet registered that the character had touched the ground. To solve this, I gave players a small window of time to press the jump button just before landing, making the movement feel more responsive.

The longer you hold the jump button, the higher you jump

And of course, I couldn’t forget the small animation that signals when the player is at the edge of a platform. These small touches were already completed and ready to be carried over to the new game.

The animation that signals you are standing on an edge

Coyote Time

Another mechanic that added to the feel of the game was “coyote time.” This was something I hadn’t heard of until I started working on the first project, but once I learned about it, I knew I had to include it. Inspired by the Road Runner cartoons, where Wile E. Coyote often runs off cliffs and briefly hangs in the air before plummeting, I decided to incorporate a similar concept.

In the game, if the player runs off the edge of a platform, they’re still able to jump for a short time while falling, even though they’re no longer on solid ground. This small mechanic helps make the player feel more in control and reduces frustration when making precise platforming jumps. It’s a simple addition, but it does a lot to enhance the overall experience.

Coyote Time in action

These elements, along with many others, were now in place and ready to be applied to my new project. The lessons learned from the previous game were already shaping the foundation of this new direction, and I was excited to see where it would take me.

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