Finalizing the Savanna Demo

🛠️ Devlog – Finalizing the Savanna Demo

Date: July 18, 2025
Goal: Make the first island fully playable, coherent, and immersive for the public demo on Steam.

✅ Completed Features:

🔄 Additive Scene Loading

• Implemented additive scene loading for smooth transitions between areas without returning to the main menu.

• Seamless switch between main menu and savanna scene.

• Fixed bug where camera would spawn below terrain — now corrected with ground-check repositioning.

🐭 Full Mouse Character Controller

• Integrated new MouseCharacter script with full Animator control: idle, walk, run, death.

• Stamina system: sprinting drains stamina, which regenerates when idle.

• Health system: drops to zero triggers death animation automatically.

🍎 Consumable Object System

• Objects tagged Food, Fruit, or Eating now show an "F" icon when in range.

• Pressing F triggers an eating animation, locks movement, and restores health.

• If interrupted before completion, no health is restored — fully safe and timing-based.

💥 Damage + Physical Reaction

• When damaged by an enemy, TakeDamage() applies:

  • health reduction,

  • blink shader effect (flashing visual),

  • pushback force using Rigidbody based on hit direction,

  • and impact VFX if set.

🌾 Savanna Ambience & Wildlife

• Environmental sounds added: wind, insects, birds, distant roars...

• Basic autonomous creatures wander in a fixed radius (ground birds, small dinos).

• Added first predators with AI logic (still under refinement without NavMesh).

⚠️ Bugs / Work in Progress:

• 🧠 Enemy AI: some predators still not reacting properly without NavMesh setup.

• 🍃 Climbing interactions: still rough on certain trees, rocks, or tangled roots.

• 🐦 Bird system: random flight is functional, but birds sometimes leave camera range — needs bounding.

• 🔄 Blink shader visibility: effect works but is too subtle with some URP materials.

🎯 Next Steps:

• Implement end-of-demo event trigger when reaching the key zone.

• Finalize toggleable HUD (simple health/stamina bars).

• Optimize Steam build size for the public PC demo release.