Modify mechanics for a mini-game

[jgbourque]

Why this task matters

Modifying mini-game mechanics teaches you how to customize existing game systems rather than building everything from scratch - creativity within constraint. This is a crucial skill in game development - most professional projects involve adapting, extending, and refining existing code rather than creating entirely new systems.

Git Setup

1. Update your local repository. Open Git Bash and navigate to your project folder. Before creating a new branch, switch back to the main branch and pull the latest changes from your team's GitHub repository. This makes sure that the new branch you are about to create will have the latest updates from your team's StoryQuest.

   git switch main
   git pull

2. Create a new Git branch
   Now, create a new branch for your work:

   git switch -c new-branch-name

   In general, choose a branch name that reflects what you're doing, like intro-outro-tilemap or add-custom-path. This keeps your work organized. Click here for a more detailed guide and more information on updating your local repository and creating a branch.

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General Tips For Each Mini Game

Stealth Minigame Tips

These tips focus on features specific to the stealth minigame, especially the patrol behavior of guards and the way player defeat is handled.

1. Character Animations: Defeated & Alerted
The player character should include a “defeated” animation. If you don’t have unique artwork for this animation, you can leave the animation track in place but remove the individual frames inside it. Guard characters have an “alerted” animation that plays when they detect the player. You can customize how this looks by editing the frames in the sprite frames resource.

2. Setting Up New Guards & Patrol Paths
To add a new guard with a custom patrol path:

• Duplicate an existing guard in the Scene Tree.
• Click your new guard in the Scene Tree to see its properties in the Inspector.
• In the Inspector, reset the "Patrol Path" property. This disconnects it from the original path.
• Just above that field, click the button labeled “Add or Edit Guard Patrol Path.” This creates a new Path2D node and automatically connects it to your guard.
• Select the new Path2D node and use the path buttons above the viewport to add points to create a patrol route, delete points, select existing points to move around or close the patrol shape using the “Close Curve” button, so the guard walks in a full loop instead of turning around at the end.

Path2D Toolset Pictured Below

3. Adjust Guard Behavior in the Inspector
Each guard has several properties that control how it behaves. Be sure to check the Inspector for each guard you place. You can customize things like: Vision cone size, patrol speed, alert delay, etc.. Adjusting these can change the feel and difficulty of your stealth scene.

4. Use Checkpoints to Set Player Respawn
This minigame supports checkpoints, which let the player respawn at the last checkpoint they reached if they’re defeated. An example checkpoint is already in the template scene. To add more, duplicate the example checkpoint and place them throughout your level.

Combat Mini-Game Tips

This mini-game is all about deflecting projectiles into targets. The core gameplay is already working, but there are many small ways you can customize or change how the game feels.

1. Explore the ‘ThrowingNPC’ Node
This part of the Scene Tree contains everything related to the throwing behavior:

• You can swap the Projectile sprite frames by selecting the Projectile node inside ThrowingNPC and changing the SpriteFrames resource in the Inspector.
• Try adjusting the Thrower’s properties—things like speed, direction, and throw timing.
• If you want to add sound effects when a projectile is thrown or hits, you can do that here too.
  Take your time exploring all the child nodes and Inspector properties inside the ThrowingNPC to find what’s available to change or build on.

Throwing NPC Node Pictured Below

2. Adjust the Game Using ‘FillGameLogic’
This custom node allows you to change how many targets (or barrels) need to be filled with projectiles in order to win. It’s also where you can add or edit the opening dialogue that appears before the game starts. This game handles both these elements in a single place to keep things simple.

3. Add Color Matching Challenges
Each Target node has a color field in the Inspector. If you assign a color (like red, blue, or green), the thrower will sometimes toss projectiles tinted with those colors. Only projectiles that match the target’s color will count toward filling it. If you use this mechanic, make sure to label your targets clearly so players know which projectile goes where. This adds a visual matching challenge on top of the basic deflection.

Sequence Puzzle Mini-Game Tips

The Sequence Puzzle mini-game is a memory challenge inspired by games like Simon. Players watch a short sequence of color pads light up, then must tap the same pads in the same order to complete the challenge.
This system is great for puzzles tied to memory, rhythm, melodies, or cultural patterns.

1. Understand the Structure
The main node called SequencePuzzle organizes the entire minigame. Inside it, you’ll find multiple SequencePuzzleStep nodes—each one represents a “round” of the puzzle that the player must solve. You can reorder the SequencePuzzleStep nodes to control the order players encounter them.

Sequence Puzzle Overview Pictured Below

2. Use Color Objects
Each step in the puzzle uses objects like Red, Blue, Green, etc. The color pads are already placed in the template scene under the Objects node in the Scene Tree and can be seen and selected in the viewport as well. When customizing a puzzle step, you'll choose these pads to create a specific tap sequence. You can add new pads to the scene if you want more color options. Just make sure they’re added as children under the Objects node. This keeps everything organized and ensures they show up in the list when building sequences.

3. Create and Customize Sequence Steps

To create a new puzzle step (a new round):

• Duplicate an existing SequencePuzzleStep node in the Scene Tree (under Steps node).
• Select your new step and use the sequence property in the Inspector to build your new sequence.
• Click “+ Add Element” and choose color pads (like Yellow, Red, etc.) in the order you want players to repeat.
• These pads will light up in that order as a preview before the player takes their turn.
• Each sequence step can be made harder by using longer or trickier sequences.

You can change the order of SequencePuzzleStep nodes under the Steps node to change their play order.

4. (Optional) Connect Steps to Hint Signs
You can link each sequence step to a Hint Sign, which gives the player a clue:

• In your SequencePuzzleStep, use the Hint Sign field to assign a HintSign node.
• Select the hint sign in the Scene Tree and check its Inspector. Is Solved can switch the visual after the puzzle is complete.
• You can add optional sound effects like chimes or ambient sounds. This helps embed your puzzle in the story or setting more clearly.

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Save To Git and GitHub

1. Stage and commit your changes. In Git Bash, here is an example of how this flow will generally look:

   git status
   git add scenes/quests/story_quests/yourStoryQuest/
   git commit -m "Add your message here - explain to your team what you changed"
   git push --set-upstream origin your-branch-name

• Make sure the file path shows your actual story quest name, write your own descriptive commit message, and use your actual branch name.
• You can use git add to add more than one file simply by putting a space between file paths you paste in.
• You only need to use --set-upstream the first time you push a new branch to GitHub.
  Click here for a more detailed guide and more information on saving and pushing your changes to GitHub.

2. Submit a pull request. Go to GitHub, navigate to your fork, and click Compare & pull request. Write a clear title and description indicating what you changed and why, then click Create pull request.
   Click here for a more detailed guide and more information on creating a pull request to your team's forked repo.

Note: Pull requests are better with a peer review! Click here to learn more. If you are working alone, you can merge your own pull request after submitting it.

[wjt]

I updated the sequence puzzle guide now that #696 has been completed. SequencePuzzleStep nodes are now discovered automatically, just like SequencePuzzleObjects.