FINISHING THE GAME IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

With the intent of having the game be out of early access by mid October 2024, we're doing our best to move quickly to finish the game. While there is lots to do, we're looking forward to adding alot of quality content and secrets along the way as we're huge fans of classic games.

Originally, Jump World was supposed to be a small project, but that small project which contained a small starting area turned into a small world and 3 themed worlds became 6.  This project has been expanding so quickly that we're excited to have people play it to give us some honest feedback about their VR experiences.  So why this post?  Because a great deal of improvements have been made and we want to document some that journey about the development of this game.

So What Happened During PHASE TWO?

• The starting world was expanding and we started experiencing quite a bit of slowdown on the Quest 2. FPS was hovering around 24-32 while the Quest 3 experienced no slowdown at all.  This was a concern as we wanted things to run smoothly for everyone. We reworked ALL of the assets with performance in mind and managed to make a huge performance increase, now running 70-72 for the Quest 2.
• We added 3 more worlds which brought the total to 6. Because each world had 5 levels associated, that brought the total level count to 30.  But we didn't stop there because we wanted something unique for the player to experience at the end of each world. Thus... dungeons were added.
• Yes! Dungeons. More difficult areas that aren't timed, so players could simply enjoy the experience as they navigated through the dangerous corridors of this new and dark environment.  This was a head nod to some old classic games that we absolutely loved back in the day. One dungeon per world was created, which sparked 6 dungeons in total to get created with more coming in the future.
• We also added coins and breakable blocks to the world.  This added a missing piece to the world which focused solely on being an obstacle course game.  This allowed for fun way to deviate from the path while running to your goal and allowed us to do some additional fun things with the blocks themselves such as become walls, platforms and obstacles for the player to smash through.
• And if destructible blocks were to be added to the game, then we needed a smash / stomp effect for the player as well.  We also added an area effect that could be used to smash lots of blocks if you happen to be in the right place at the right time.
• One of our team members really wanted unique music for each level, so he went out of his way to find different chip-tune songs for each level that would remind us of the old games.  Music often reminds me of games such as Megaman, Castlevania, and more, so I'm glad this was added to the game. I found myself not only enjoying the variety in the worlds but also in just finding out what the next song was going to be that I was going to hear.  It just added another level of enjoyment that I didn't know I wanted.

A dangerous topic: Warp Pipes!

• Everyone knows this iconic device is used in other games, so we know it borderlines on copyright issues. However we had these assets from the water world / kids playhouse that had plastic tubes that kids usually climb through and we had to use them for something.  In VR the concept of warp pipes are much harder to do, but we're extremely happy with the ending effect.  We did our best not to make them GREEN and to have a different experience and feel to them. 
• These warp pipes are not very common in the game and are quite rare if you happen to come across them.  With that being said, they usually only appear to have get to across larger distances so you don't have to walk and run everywhere.
• There may be some additional secrets added to the game related to warp pipes, but who can say for sure?

Additional Mechanics

• To add a level of difficulty to the obstacle course so the player couldn't mindlessly run through the levels hitting everything in sight, we added a health and respawn system to add a sense of danger to the game.  This instantly increased the enjoyment of the game because players now knew to avoid the dangers presented to them and the real possibility of getting set back 5-10 seconds could cost you a trophy at the end of your play session.
• Added display counters for the coins you collect and a display in the "lobby" for both coins and stars.
• We also decided to add a short run ability tied to a stamina bar. We figured if we ever incorporate multiplayer that this would limit the ability of those competing to spam the run button in order to win. Through testing, we've found that players definitely liked the ability to run in order to help make difficult or long distance jumps, which ultimately helped us craft more difficult levels later on.
• Added a mirror and simple store where you could purchase different hand colors using the coins you collected. While a minor mechanic, it's nice having some variety so you aren't always just looking at the white gloves you start out the game with.

Special Unlocks: Stars

• The final castle which is coming soon will be tied to the stars you've discovered along your journey.  This forces the player to have to do a little exploring if they want to experience the full game.

Locking System Implemented

• Instead of having all worlds available to play from the start, the game is now linear.
• In order to unlock the next world, you have to complete the previous world's dungeon.
• In order to play the dungeon, you must complete each level in that world.  You've don't have to get a medal to complete this requirement, only reach the finish line by any means possible.
• For those having difficulties, you can also unlock a world by using the coins you've collected.
• There may be other ways to reach worlds that are "locked".

In the end the game is still Early Access, but nearing completion...

We're very pleased with how the game is turning out and we hope you get a chance to play it.  Feel free to try the entire first world and final dungeon for free here: Jump World Demo.  

We hope you enjoyed this post!

-Ninja Playground Team