Birds: The Game
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About.
This project started from the thought “wouldn’t it be cool to fly like a bird?” This game attempts to bring the player as close as possible to the feeling of flying like a bird.
The game is currently in an unfinished alpha-state. However it is still playable with features like flying, walking and perching being already implemented. The eventual goal is a sandbox game that allows the player to experience all aspects of bird life.
The flight of the bird in the game is achieved using accurate flight physics models. In order to better simulate “what it feels like to be a bird” the game modifies the input of the user (without altering the physical model of flight) to ensure that the bird doesn’t spin out-of-control. The bird also will try to avoid running into things like cliffs, trees and the ground.
How to play.
As the game is still unfinished, there are no in-game instructions yet. So if you want know how to play you will have to read the brief instructions here. You can pause the game at any time by pressing the “P” key.
Walking.
Use the arrow keys to walk around when the bird is on the ground. If you prefer you can use the W,A,S,D keys. If you have a joystick or gamepad you can use that as well.
Moving the mouse while standing still allows the bird to look around at his surroundings. Moving the mouse while moving allows you to move the target around the screen (which will be of use when other features are added to the game)
Press spacebar to jump. To fly you can double-tap the spacebar, or simply press the spacebar when the bird is already in the air. If you walk off a tall ledge the bird will automatically begin to fly to prevent him from falling.
Flying.
Use the arrow keys or (WASD) to control the flight of the bird. The control scheme is similar to other flight-simulators, where the down arrow-key pushes the nose of the bird up and vice-versa. You can bank the bird to the left or right using the left and right arrow-keys. If you tap the spacebar rapidly the bird will flap his wings faster and speed up.
Moving the mouse around while flying allows you to move the target around the screen. If you move the target over a tree or the ground and click the mouse-button the bird will attempt to land at that location. If you are too far away from the tree or the ground nothing will happen. Some smaller trees wont have any area that you can land on so try landing on some larger trees.
In the future.
As I previously mentioned the game is unfinished. There are some bugs I am already aware of but if you discover any please feel free to leave a comment on this page. One issue you will probably notice is that currently the bird can fly underwater(!).
I have big plans for the game and many gameplay ideas that I have been considering, some of which are already in development. If you have any suggestions or ideas for the game please leave a comment.
Thanks.
I would like to thank the very helpful and supportive community at Unity3d.com. Without you this project wouldn’t be possible. This game makes use of the Nikko’s version of the Community Ocean Shader as well as the Skydome for Unity3d 3.X by Pixelstudio.
