#grush

Initial Plant Varieties of Chaundrea

Grush

Grush "Herba Humilus"

Classification: (Herba)

Location: Most of Chaundrea

Diet: Sunlight via photosynthesis utilizing Phycoerythrin

Weight: negligible

Height: 15-20 inches

Time: 0 PS to present

Grush is a grass-like plant that covers much of Chaundrea. It is extremely successful, changing little over time. It is part of the diet of many herbivorous and omnivorous creatures.

Grush is notable for its reddish colour, which is derived from its use of Phycoerythrin as opposed to Chlorophyll in more classic green plants.

Due to its success, it does not have any offshoots, and many plant niches it could have diversified into were taken by other plants. Thus, it is the sole member of the Herba family.

Vorta (Various)

Vorta "Aborvorta Tropicus (Tropical Vorta), Aborvorta Deciduous (Deciduous Vorta)"

Classification: Abora

Location: The forests of Chaundrea

Diet: Sunlight via photosynthesis using Phycoerythrin

Weight: Up to 11 tons

Height: Up to 100ft

Time: 0PS to present

Vorta are tree-like plants that occupy much the same niche. Within the genus Aborvorta are two species, Tropica and Deciduous, which occupy slightly different biomes. Tropica is more palm-like, and tends to grow to up to 60ft, with a fairly thick trunk. Deciduous is more akin to an oak, with a very thick trunk and large sprawling branches, growing up to 100ft tall.

The Aborvorta genus would diversify into various other genuses and species over time, filling many niches, but these two core species have barely changed over time. Similar to Grush, they possess striking red leaves due to their use of Phycoerythrin.

Temblick

Temblick "Putrescerus Parvus"

Classification: Mortuienduntus

Location: Most of Chauntea, except in the desert

Diet: Decomposing organic matter

Weight: 0.5-1kg

Height: 3 to 5 inches

Time: 0 to 1.6m PS

Temblick were small bud-like pseudoplants that occupied the same niche as many fungus, growing on and absorbing nutrients from decomposing organisms. They were cone-like in structure, with thin tendrils that’d burrow into whatever they were busy eating.

They would grow to full maturity after absorbing nutrients for around 2 weeks, after which the cone structure would begin emitting microscopic spores, at least some hopefully landing on other organic material, starting the cycle anew.

The species would last for over a thousand years, before other members of the Mortuieduntus family would outcompete them.

Kelgus

Kelgus (Omniforma oceanus)

Classification: Omniforma

Location: All but the deepest parts of the ocean

Diet: Sunlight

Weight: Varies

Length: Varies

Time: 0PS to Present

The Kelgus is an extraordinarily successful and interesting organism. Throughout its lifecycle it inhabits many of the various oceanic floral niches, including a microscopic plankton-like state as larvae to spongelike subadults and finally great tall seaweeds as fully grown plants.

Each stage of growth lasts a long while, with approximately a decade as larvae, to centuries as subadults and finally, the adult stage can survive for thousands of years. During the adult stage each year the Kelgus will release hundreds of spores which will develop into larvae, enough to not only act as the basis for much of the marine ecosystem but also to be able to grow into more subadult and adult Kelgi.

The Kelgus is incredibly adaptable and hardy, living through every extinction event throughout Chaundrea’s history, only minorly changing over time to suit the environment. Although potentially a slightly different species or subspecies, the modern Kelgus is so similar to its ancient predecessors and the original that it may just be the same organism, and the Kelgus has some unknown function to adapt to environmental changes without actually evolving into a new species.

Hello fellow game enthusiasts! As I wrap up the development of G.R.U.S.H, it's essential to reflect on the successes and challenges faced. This post mortem aims to provide insights that could help other developers in their own game development journeys.

Successes: Integrating rhythm-based elements in a space arcade shooter was a significant risk with the given time, but the extra work paid off by setting G.R.U.S.H apart from traditional games in the genre. The multi-phase gameplay tied to the rhythm of the music created a unique and engaging experience that was generally well-received by players during playtests. Utilizing tools like Discord for communication and GitHub for version control facilitated a smooth workflow among team members. Regular meetings and updates ensured that everyone was aligned with the project goals and milestones.

Challenges: As development progressed, the scope of the project occasionally threatened to exceed our initial estimates in terms of time and resources. Managing scope creep without compromising on the quality and vision of the game was a learning curve for the entire team.

To conclude...

The development of G.R.U.S.H, and by extension this unit, was a complex but rewarding endeavor that pushed the boundaries of what I thought I could achieve as a game developer. I hope that my experiences shared can inspire and assist other developers in their projects.

Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout my journey, I look forward to working on more innovative and enjoyable games in the future.

Hello fellow game enthusiasts! This week marked the most pivotal of the assessment, as it was this week that my team conducted a series of playtests for our Prototype. This exercise was crucial as it provided us with valuable insights into user experience, game mechanics, and overall engagement.

Positives:

Ease of Learning and Control Accessibility - Most testers found the game relatively easy to learn and play.

Player Experience - The fun factor of G.R.U.S.H was generally rated highly, despite not fully grasping the rhythm mechanics.

Game visuals - Feedback on game aesthetics was overwhelmingly positive. Players enjoyed the enemy designs and the game's background, which is a testament to our design team’s efforts.

Negatives:

Rhythm gameplay - Play-testers noted that the rhythm mechanics were hard to grasp and were not conveyed well during gameplay.

Lack of visual queues - Testers found that they could not differentiate the difference between the level's 2 phases, which stemmed from the game's lack of visual queues and animation variety.

Hello fellow game devs,

To start the final phase of my game development course, I have undertaken the development of a space shooter, G.R.U.S.H. I'm excited to share the tremendous progress we've made. With about 80% of the game prototype completed, it's been a valuable exercise of teamwork and GDevelop coding.

Current State of Development:

Game Mechanics and Features: We've successfully implemented the core mechanics that blend space enemies with rhythm-based gameplay. Players can now engage in the attack and defense phases, shooting and dodging in sync with our soundtrack.

Visual and Audio Integration: The visual elements are nearly complete, with most sprites fully animated and integrated into the game environment. The background scrolls effectively to simulate movement through space, enhancing the immersive experience.

Health and Scoring Systems: The health bar and scoring mechanics are operational. The health bar decreases upon enemy contact but regenerates if the player avoids further hits, adding a strategic layer to the game. Scoring is rhythm-based, however our team still needs to integrate the visual queues for rewarding enemy kills.