Latest development on Spot-A-Fish

10/5/2024

• Decided to remove garbage sprites in the background for both aesthetic and functional reasons.
• Began integrating sound effects into the game using a free-to-use sound effects pack from the Unity Asset Store. You can find the sound pack here.
• FREE Casual Game SFX Pack | Audio Sound FX | Unity Asset Store

10/6/2024

• Updated Graphics for the First Cutscene.
• Working on Creating cutscene Animation

• Current Project can be played on Itch.io
• Spot-A-Fish by dreamsniper (itch.io)

10/12/2024

Integrated Timeline into the project after troubleshooting various issues when it would not load into my game. I identified it as a cache problem at the root of installation issues.

I began working on cutscene animations once the cache was cleared and Timeline was installed in Unity:

• Initially, I created some simple animations but found the need to separate characters for more advanced cutscenes.
• The characters now exist as separate sprites rather than a single image, allowing for a more dynamic animation control.
• Each character has been assigned two animations: an idle animation and a talking animation.
• Successfully used Unity’s Timeline’s Animation and Activation tracks to produce a 30-second clip for the cutscene, though further work is required.

10/13/2024

• I went over the Timeline features via @obalfaqih’s tutorial videos, I needed better clarification on some of Timelines functions such as the animation track, the signal track, and the activation track.
• I added text and text boxes for dialogue in the cutscene sequence and finalized character placements and timeline animations.

10/20/2024

• I reviewed the Timeline tutorial again, focusing on Signal Tracks for event control.
• Created word boxes for each character with an interactive “Continue” button, allowing players to advance the cutscene.
• The remaining issues include:
  • Animation jerking when pausing certain characters.
  • The game does not start immediately after the cutscene ends—adjustments are needed here for smoother flow.
  • Sound integration and Options Menu setup are still pending.

11/10/2024

• After the last panel discussion, I focused on enhancing the sound effects to make them more aquatic.
• Unable to find a suitable pack in the asset store, I turned to freesound.org.
• I found and edited the “Synthetic Water Bubbles” sound by Anarkya using a free PC program called Audacity.
• https://freesound.org/people/ANARKYA/sounds/402778/
• This sound file, which I split up to create the game’s sound effects, can be found here.
• Next, I will work on updating the info screen to explain the rules of the stage better.

11/28/2024

Special Effects Implementation

• Meeting Recap: Met with Hosni to discuss implementing special effects in the game.
• Challenges: Encountered issues where adding effects disrupted the existing code functionality.
• Solutions:
  • Decided to use animation triggers to produce the required visual effects seamlessly.
  • Downloaded a game graphics particle pack for a water splash effect: effects-244171.
  • Acquired a splash sound effect from FreeSounds.org: Splash Sound Effect.

12/01/2024

Typewriter Effect for Cutscene Text

• Implementation: Created a Typewriter Effect script for TextMeshPro.
• Resource Used: Followed a tutorial on YouTube: Typewriter Effect for TextMeshPro.
• Integration: Applied the script to word bubbles that display cutscene text for an engaging visual experience.

12/03/2024

Cutscene Animation Refinement

• Smoother Animation: Updated the cutscene animation to create more fluid transitions between scenes.
• Improved Experience: Focused on making character movements and interactions more visually appealing.

Future work will concentrate on UI and making sound effects for the UI for a more polished complete feel.