Galactic Assault Devlog

The Journey of Developing My First 2D Game

Hey there, fellow game enthusiasts! Welcome to the devlog for my very first 2D game. This project has been a rollercoaster of creativity, problem-solving, and a lot of learning—and I’m thrilled to share this journey with you.

Starting from Scratch

When I embarked on this adventure, I knew one thing for certain: I wanted to make a game that reflected my love for creativity and technical problem-solving. Armed with Unity and C#, I set out to build a game that would help me learn the basics of coding and challenge players while also being fun and engaging. Having no prior experience with game development didn’t deter me—if anything, it fueled my determination to learn as much as I could.

My game is a 2D Space Shooter that combines fast-paced gameplay with unique mechanics like dodging lasers, introducing progressive difficulty, and even a fight with a final boss controlled by a state machine. While the idea might sound straightforward, the process of bringing it to life has been anything but simple.

Tackling Core Mechanics

One of the first challenges was designing enemy behaviors. Early on, I decided to avoid using a shared base class for enemies, opting instead to keep each enemy’s MonoBehaviour class independent. This approach gave me the flexibility to create highly specialized behaviors for each enemy type, from basic attackers to a "SmartEnemy" that can dodge, target the player precisely, and accelerate exponentially. Implementing this behavior required a mix of vector mathematics, precise timing, and a touch of creativity to make the gameplay dynamic.

Speaking of difficulty, creating a Wave Manager to control how enemies spawn and escalate the challenge was a highlight of the development process. This system dynamically adjusts the difficulty across phases, culminating in an epic boss fight. Designing the boss’s state-driven AI was another major milestone, allowing the boss to change attack patterns and laser behaviors during the fight.

Iterating on Design

No game development process is complete without iteration. Throughout development, I encountered countless moments where features didn’t work as planned. Whether it was ensuring the SmartEnemy’s laser fired accurately from the correct position or troubleshooting why power-ups were being destroyed prematurely, debugging became a regular part of my workflow. Each problem was an opportunity to deepen my understanding of Unity and C#.

I’ve also experimented with modular mechanics, like implementing enemy shields that absorb one hit before deactivating. Balancing these features to keep the gameplay fair and engaging was both challenging and rewarding.

Bringing It All Together

As the pieces started to fall into place, I began to see my vision come to life. From the fluid transitions of enemy dodging to the synchronized animations for explosions and shields, every element contributes to a cohesive gameplay experience. Adding audio effects, UI elements like collision warnings, and particle effects for explosions brought a level of polish that I’m truly proud of.

Documenting the Journey

Throughout this process, I’ve been documenting my progress in greater detail on my Medium account. If you’re interested in diving deeper into the technical and creative aspects of my project, I’d love for you to check it out. From tackling the nuances of Unity scripting to designing scalable game mechanics, my Medium articles are a treasure trove of insights.

What’s Next?

While this game is still a work in progress, I’m excited about its future. Your feedback will be invaluable as I refine the experience and bring the game closer to completion.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out like I was, I hope my story inspires you to dive into your own projects. Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to follow my Medium for a behind-the-scenes look at game development!

Happy gaming, and see you in the next devlog!