​Dev Log #2: Expanding the Framework

Version: 0.1.1

Date: 2025-05-02

🎉 New Additions

1. Basic Settings Menu

   • A lightweight in-game panel for core options (graphics quality, audio volume).

   • Built to be extended in future: will plug into our Json-driven GameConfig.

2. Jump Distortion Effect

   • A player “squash and stretch” shader triggered on take-off and landing.

   • Adds a visceral sense of weight and momentum to every leap.

3. Eyebrow Emotion System

   • Four presets—Fear, Anger, Neutral, Happy—driven by blendshape values on the character rig.

   • Triggered by game events (e.g. low health → “Fear”, picking up power-ups → “Happy”).

   • SyncVar-backed so every client sees your avatar react in real time.

4. Grappler Weapon

   • A hook-and-line tool that fires a tether, then reels the player toward the target at high speed.

   • Uses Mirror’s reliable RPCs to synchronize hook position and reel-in across all clients.

5. Breakable Projectile Weapon

   • Fires network-spawned shells that shatter designated walls on impact.

   • Already prototyped small-scale destruction; plans to expand interactions with players, enemies, and environment in future.

6. Local Destruction System

   • Walls now fracture into rigid pieces on enough hits, with synchronized physics impulses so every player sees the same explosion.

   • Fragment auto-destruction keeps the scene clean after a configurable lifetime.

🚀 Progress So Far (Dev Log #1 + #2)

Core Networking & Discovery

• Mirror Networking on Unity 6, LAN auto-discovery and seamless “lobbyless” connect flow.

• No-lobby peers broadcast and join automatically, with auto-reconnect and host/client roles fully supported.

Player Systems

• CharacterController + NetworkTransform for smooth, jitter-free movement.

• First & Third Person Cameras: toggleable, with DPI-aware sensitivity.

• Jump Distortion Shader adds tactile feedback on every leap.

Customization & UI

• Username & Color Picker: six-color palette, synchronized via SyncVars.

• Pause Menu with live camera zoom, in-menu color slider, and UI slots for collected items.

• Basic Settings Menu introduces a persistent options panel, ready to expand.

Interaction & Items

• Pick/Drop Framework: generic CollectibleBase, authority transfer, SyncVar hooks, UI integration.

• Flashlight & Firearm Prototypes:

  • SyncVar-driven light toggle, authority-based input.

  • Network-spawned bullets with configurable speed, gravity, impact VFX.

• Grappler Gun for rapid traversal.

Destruction & Physics

• Eyebrow Emotions: blendshape control drives avatar expressions on key events.

• Projectile-Breakable Walls:

  • Networked wall hits count, fracturing into pieces.

  • Server-spawned fragments run a client-side FragmentPiece script to apply explosion forces.

  • Auto-destroy cleanup via FragmentsAutoDestroy.

What’s Next?

• Polish the config menu and expose more Json settings.

• Deep-dive into cooperative mechanics (lever puzzles, boss AI).

• Flesh out PvP arena rules: respawns, scoreboards, power-ups.

• Expand destruction interactions: vehicles, larger set pieces, ragdoll physics.

Stay tuned for Dev Log #3, where we’ll tackle co-op level scripting and first pass at enemy AI!