My Totally Unofficial Horse Game Roblox Devlog (aka: How I'm Wrangling Virtual Ponies)
Alright, folks, settle in! I figured I'd start a devlog for my latest (and arguably most ambitious) Roblox project: a horse game. Why? Well, because I'm knee-deep in code, textures, and polygon counts, and I need a place to vent... I mean, share my progress and challenges. Plus, maybe someone out there can learn from my mistakes (and hopefully a few successes!).
Initial Concept: More Than Just Riding
So, what's my horse game all about? It's not just gonna be another "hop on a horse and ride around a pretty field" kinda thing. Don't get me wrong, I love those games, but I want to go deeper. I'm aiming for a blend of horse care, training, breeding, and exploration. Think Red Dead Redemption 2 meets Star Stable, but...blockier.
The core idea is to build a connection with your horse. You'll need to groom it, feed it the right diet, train it in different disciplines (jumping, dressage, maybe even some Western riding), and build a bond that affects its performance. Breeding will play a big part too, with different breeds possessing unique stats and appearances.
And of course, there's gotta be exploration! I'm envisioning a large, open world with diverse environments, hidden secrets, and maybe even some quests or storylines. Yeah, ambitious, I know.
Week 1: Wrangling Roblox's Limitations (and My Skills)
Okay, week one was mostly spent staring blankly at the Roblox Studio interface. Just kidding (mostly).
The biggest hurdle so far has been getting the horse model right. Roblox's limited polygon budget is...well, limiting. I've been playing around with different low-poly techniques, trying to balance detail with performance. It's a constant battle between making the horse look good and making sure it doesn't turn into a lag monster on lower-end devices.
I ended up settling on a fairly simple base mesh in Blender, then relying heavily on textures to add detail. It's not perfect, but it's a good starting point.
Movement is another beast entirely. Getting the horse to move realistically and respond well to player input is proving tricky. I've been experimenting with procedural animation, using inverse kinematics to make the legs move in a natural way. It's still a work in progress, but I'm starting to see some promising results. The horse no longer looks like it's ice skating on a freshly polished floor! (That was a fun bug, though).
Week 2: Gameplay Loops and Tiny Achievements
This week was all about the gameplay loop – the cycle of actions that keeps players engaged. I started with the basic horse care mechanics: feeding, grooming, and training.
Feeding is pretty straightforward. The player can purchase different types of feed, each with its own benefits (e.g., increased stamina, improved health). Grooming involves a simple mini-game where the player has to brush the horse in the right direction. It's not the most exciting thing in the world, but it's a necessary chore to keep the horse happy and healthy.
Training is where things get more interesting. I'm experimenting with different training methods for each discipline. For example, jumping training might involve navigating an obstacle course, while dressage training might involve performing specific movements in a precise manner. I'm trying to make it challenging but also rewarding, so players feel like they're actually improving their horse's skills.
A Small Victory
I managed to get a rudimentary stamina system working this week. The horse's stamina decreases as it runs, jumps, and performs other actions. If the stamina runs out, the horse becomes exhausted and moves much slower. This adds a layer of strategy to the gameplay, as players need to manage their horse's stamina carefully to avoid overexertion. It's a tiny thing, but seeing that stamina bar deplete and replenish felt like a real accomplishment!
Week 3: The Dreaded UI and Future Plans
Ugh, UI. It's the bane of every developer's existence, right? I spent a good chunk of this week wrestling with Roblox's UI system, trying to create a user-friendly interface for managing horse care, training, and breeding.
It's...functional. Let's just leave it at that. It definitely needs more polish, but at least it's now possible to feed your horse, groom it, and start training sessions without having to use the command line (yes, that was a thing for a while. Don't judge).
Looking ahead, I want to focus on adding more content to the game. I'm planning to create a more detailed breeding system, add more disciplines, and expand the world with new areas to explore. I also want to start working on the storyline and adding some quests for players to complete.
Also, I desperately need to improve the UI. I'm thinking of bringing in someone who actually knows what they're doing in that department. My programmer art skills aren't exactly top-tier.
Wrapping Up (For Now)
So, that's a quick rundown of my horse game Roblox devlog so far. It's been a challenging but rewarding experience. I'm learning a lot about game development, and I'm excited to see where this project goes. I'll try to keep this updated regularly as I make progress. Any feedback or suggestions are always welcome! Wish me luck! (I think I'll need it). And maybe, just maybe, one day you'll be able to saddle up and ride in my virtual world. Until then, happy coding!