Jump Buffer

So before this point, I haven't really been mention resources or research that much as I was mainly just building up my own idea. Obviously I have been using Stick It To The Man as my main reference point since my game is based off of it, but I haven't felt extensive research to be necessary yet. This is where that changes as I was sort at a loss as to what to do in order to make the platforming side of the game more fun. I added the dash which definitely helped, but it didn't feel quite there yet, it still felt slightly clunky. So I went and read articles about elements that contribute to good 2D platformers and an article by Matthew Dogherby that gave me some insight: https://game-designers.net/complete-platformer-game-design-guide-2025-physics-level-design

My main takeaway from this article was the various quality of life changes that can be applied to a 2D platform in order to make it feel smoother. The 2 I took note of were a Jump Buffer and Coyote Time.

A jump buffer in practice is simply allow the player to hit the jump button slightly early and still allowing them to jump. This makes it significantly easier for the player to jump over and over again with the best possible timing as the timing window becomes wider.


So this is the bulk of my jump buffer. Not much to say in terms of the development of the mechanic as it was quite straightforward in my opinion. Simply check if there is an active jump buffer when the player lands and start that jump buffer timer whenever the player presses jump and they're in the air. My timing window as of right now is 0.18 seconds, though that may change.

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