TopDownShooter-ToolKit

Apparently I've never make any announcement post for my latest release on AssetStore. To make it up, I hereby announce that TDSTK is now live on AssetStore. And so is the subsequent update v1.1. Now I won't go through what TDSTK can do here. You can simply get that from the TDSTK main page.

Truth be told, TDSTK start from something I work for fun over the weekend. I'm quite happy with the way it turns out. It has a very flexible system that allows a lot of synergy between the weapons, effects, ability and collectibles. Any effects (damage, stun, slow, damage over time, etc) can used for any weapon, ability and collectible. Weapon can fire abilities, abilities usage can be set to behave like collectible or weapons, Collectible can grant weapon or ability or modified weapon behaviour and so on. It's not the same thing but it feels so much more free form and powerful then what I've done in both TDTK or TBTK.

The fact that I spent almost as much time playing the demo as I worked on it is a testament of how fun the mechanic is. Or I'm just so deprived of the simple pleasure of playing a simple top down shooter game that I find a simple demo so fun. I guess the new visual direction that I went for helps too. There's a strange satisfaction when every time when I shoot at something and it shatters into pieces. If you are sold based on what I've described so far, try play the demo yourself. You can find the link at the TDSTK main page.

Some of the behind the scene screen shot for the demo

On a more technical side, the implementation is objectively better. Most of this won't be immediately obvious to the user but it will be a lot more easier for me to maintain, update and expand the toolkit in the long run. For a start, the code for the editors are better organized and it support multiple instance editing when it can. Then the UI is done a lot more efficiently, drastically reduce the amount of code required. I'm planning to apply all this new techniques here to both TDTK and TBTK.

Of course, there's plenty of room for improvement and expansion. I can see myself adding support for some sort of character progression system, or inventory system, taking it very close to being an action rpg framework. A very exciting prospect indeed. What I'm trying to say is I will definitely trying to experimenting and adding new interesting feature in the future. Basically Just like what I did with TDTK and TBTK.

Finally, some shameless self-complimenting. The new tank and turret set I've made for the toolkit, quite nice aren't they?