Week 3: Fighting for the Tin Crown

Hello again, derby fans! The past week has been a whirlwind of prototyping as we refine what makes Double Dare Derby truly special and create our game design doc. Let’s dive into the details.

Win Condition 👑

After much debate and experimentation, we’ve settled on a King of the Hill-style objective that captures the chaotic spirit of roller derby. Here’s how it works: Teams battle to hold onto a single crown, racking up points for every second they maintain possession. Opponent players can steal the crown by hitting or whipping against the holder, leading to chaotic interactions. To keep the action spread along the map, we’re introducing scattered hoops that grant bonus points when passed through, if you are holding the crown. This creates a strategy to either play it safe and guard the crown, or take a detour to snag extra points! 

Movement and Feel ✨ 

Movement has been a major focus this week. During testing, we identified that our original B-button stride mechanic created inconsistent movement, making precise maneuvers like lining up jumps through hoops and approaching opponent players unnecessarily difficult. 

We've implemented a new control scheme where: 

• Continuous motion replaces button-mashing strides, letting players control speed with the left joystick pressure alone.
• Momentum matters releasing the stick slows you gradually rather than stopping abruptly, making tight turns and quick dodges feel more natural. * 
• Sharp brake when pulling the joystick downwards. *
  
(*) not yet implemented

This week we also focused on developing our core player interactions, implementing precise hitbox and collision systems that carefully distinguish between teammates and opponents. Each physical interaction now communicates its outcome through dynamic text feedback. WHIP~ appears during boosts, SMACK! bursts from successful collisions, and BLOCK!/MISS flashes on well-timed defenses. These visual cues work in union with our updated physics to make every move feel intentional.

Meet the Rivals 🐀

We've got two teams clashing it out in the arena: 

• Waste Warriors: A gang of rats ready to snatch up the crown and leave nothing behind.
• Dumpster Divers: A crew of possums who always attack when you least expect it.

These teams will be created from the same base model but re-textured to reflect their own personalities. This approach lets us maintain consistent animations and hitboxes for fairer player interactions while still making each team visually distinct.

Week 3 Progress (5/28 - 6/4) 
✔️Implemented Player Interaction and Scoring
✔️️New 4-Player Split Screen
✔️️First Character Design