Today, I worked on the cover mechanics. The protagonist can now “stick” to a wall and walk alongside it, like in most stealth games. I’m using a 3D model that comes with a bunch of game-ready animations, but it doesn’t include stealth animations…so, I had to improvise.
Here, you can see the protagonist sticking to cover. The temporary placeholder animation I’m using is a “nonchalantly leaning up against a wall” pose. This looks much different than the type of animation you would usually see in a stealth game…but I’m starting to wonder if it might actually be appropriate.
The game takes place in public places, and the protagonist is supposed to project the image of an innocent, ordinary girl. Traditional stealth game animations might look out of place here. Perhaps the character should have more “casual” animations – animations that do not draw attention or make her look suspicious. Maybe this particular animation (where she’s leaning up against a wall) is actually something that should stay in the game?
Animations like this one can be connected to the “Yandere Meter” feature. The more violent actions you perform, the more insane the character becomes, until she can no longer fake a casual or innocent demeanor. If the Yandere Meter gets high, then her animations look more “insane” and “creepy”, and more similar to the animations in a traditional stealth game – threatening and predatory. But if you keep the Yandere Meter low, then she retains her self-control, so her animations look more casual and innocent.
What do you think? Leave a comment if you have an opinion on this subject.