Learning how to use Godot has proven quite the challenge, not that I didn’t expect to receive one. Primarily the biggest obstacle is learning the engine’s unique scripting. It’s not very similar to other programming languages that am familiar with (Java, C++) and the learning curve is substantial, particularly for someone trying to just jump right in to the thick of game development. Nevertheless, I’ve been working on informing ourselves about Godot and how it fundamentally works. The following are demonstrations of different types of character (or Node) movement.
Link to video demonstrations: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qaJz9x1KQYljoqkF4CrNnxnr4FycyTT8
Movement Type 1:
The first video demonstrates 8-Directional Movement, a traditional style of movement in a 2D game which generally uses four separate directional inputs to result in 8 different directional outputs. This is the simplest form of movement of the three demonstrations. Also implemented are frame boundaries, which use the function clamp to ‘clamp’ the position of the character within the edges of the window. The piece of code used to construct this type of movement is found below the video.
Movement Type 2:
The next video shows a movement type very similar to that of the classic arcade game Asteroids. This type of movement uses Vector math to calculate the position and rotation of the character. It also implements a unique sliding effect that influences the speed and direction of the character if the character is in motion, but there are no more inputs. Essentially, the character drifts through the play space.
Movement Type 3:
The last video demonstrates movement comparable to a car. Similar to the previous style, this required the character to be rotated. However, such movement means that the rotation must align with the path on which the character is moving. Also, movement in the reverse direction is implemented as well.