Appetite Apocalypse Postmortem: From Dreams to Dynamic Agents

The Beginning: Dreams of a Colony Sim

Ever since I started working with Unity, I've had the ambition to create a colony sim game. As my first ever completed prototype, Appetite Apocalypse represents a small but significant step towards that dream. Developed as part of the One Game a Month" game jam, this game explores the priority system that governs the behavior of the colonists or agents in the game.

The Core States: Eat and Wander

Appetite Apocalypse features agents with two primary states: Eat and Wander. These agents switch between states based on their needs and the availability of food. The main challenge in developing this prototype was getting the state system to work smoothly, with the understanding that if I could successfully manage two states, I could expand the system to handle more complex behavior in the future.

First Prototype and Game Jam

This prototype holds a special place in my heart, as it is the first one I've ever completed. It took many half-completed prototypes and tutorials to reach this stage. Initially, I spent three weeks working on another prototype for the game jam before realizing it wasn't coming together as I had hoped. I made the tough decision to scrap the initial project and refocus my efforts on Appetite Apocalypse. With only one week left, the pressure was on, pushing me to streamline my development process and focus on the most essential aspects of the game.

Challenges and Solutions

Implementing the state system proved to be more difficult than anticipated. Ensuring that agents transitioned between states smoothly, and that their actions matched their priorities, required careful planning and debugging. The following points highlight the major challenges encountered during development:

- Agent Priorities: Ensuring that the agents' priorities were accurately determined based on their hunger level and the availability of food sources was an essential aspect of the game. To address this, I created a priority determination function that took into account these variables, allowing agents to make the best decision in any given situation.

- State Transitions: Smooth transitions between states were crucial for maintaining a seamless gameplay experience. I had to fine-tune the conditions for switching states, as well as handle any edge cases that could cause unexpected behavior. This involved a combination of testing and tweaking the code to accommodate different scenarios.

- Balancing and Difficulty: Striking the right balance between challenge and enjoyment was important to keep the players engaged. I added various factors such as a hunger decay rate, the introduction of a waste-eating agent, and a money management system to create more depth and complexity in the gameplay.

Lessons Learned and Future Plans

Appetite Apocalypse has been an invaluable learning experience, especially considering the tight deadline of the game jam and the challenges of completing my first prototype. Some key takeaways from the development process include:

- Iterative Development: The importance of prototyping, testing, and iterating cannot be overstated. It helps identify issues early on and allows for adjustments and improvements throughout the development process.

- Scalability: With the state system in place, I'm now better equipped to expand the game's mechanics and behaviors. The foundation laid by Appetite Apocalypse will enable me to introduce more complex states and features in future colony sim projects.

- Embracing Change: The decision to pivot and change directions when a project isn't working out can be crucial. Sometimes, the best course of action is to let go and move on to something more promising. This experience has taught me to be more adaptable and resilient.

Looking ahead, I'm eager to take the lessons learned from Appetite Apocalypse and apply them to my future game development projects. This prototype has provided me with a strong foundation to build upon, and I'm excited to continue refining my skills and exploring the world of colony sim games. Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I hope that sharing my experience inspires other developers to persevere through setbacks and embrace the iterative nature of game development.