Introduction

Hello! This is the initial devlog for our game NULLSPACE, a 3D puzzle-platformer set in an abstract world full of absurdity.

We thought it'd be fun to write something short about what we've been working on recently.

Our Torch System

Much of our time recently has been spent re-writing how our colour-changing torch works.

Just like real-life torches, our torch can be turned on and off. It can also change the game's colour palette (of which there are currently four available).

Below, you can see the torch set to Palette 1, Palette 2, Palette 3, and Palette 4 respectively.

However, this isn't just a visual effect. Every object in NULLSPACE is visible depending on (1) whether the torch is on or off and (2) which colour palette is currently selected.

For example, in the image below, the torch is set to Palette 1 and is On. The wall behind the pillar is visible because it is set to only be visible if (1) the torch is on and (2) Palette 1 is the current palette.



Hence, when we turn the torch off, the wall disappears (revealing some lovely stars).

Changes to the System

Our previous system only allowed for 12 different possibilities for the visibility of an object. These were:

A major limitation of this system was that we couldn't set an object to, say, be visible in the situation: Palette 1 (Torch On) or Palette 2 (Torch On). This essentially locked objects to a single colour palette and torch status.

Our new system allows for any combination of these states to be set for an object, bringing the number of different possibilities for an object's visibility settings from 12 to 256. In addition to this, we've implemented an analogous system for whether the object should collide with the player in each of these states, bringing the real number of possibilities to 65,536 — a slight improvement from 12.

Looking Ahead

Of course, having more possibilities for an object's visibility/collision settings doesn't really mean anything if we're not using them (which we aren't yet). Having implemented this new system, we're now looking to focus on actually utilising it to add some interesting platforming puzzles to the beginning area of NULLSPACE. Stay tuned!