Mall Maul Prototype Now Live! 🚀

Mall Maul Prototype Now Live! 🚀

             Hey everyone, Solyn here from RiotMill 👋

🔹 What’s in this build?

• First-Person Basics: Walk, sprint, and look around (tweakable mouse & move speeds)

• NPC Spawning: 7 “Shopper” bots appear at random markers (they don’t wander yet—AI pathfinding is next!)

• Ragdoll Test: Hit R to turn yourself into a floppy capsule and watch the physics fly

🔧 Current State & Known Issues

• Player Feel: Movement is functional but still a bit “floaty.” Camera look speeds can overshoot—tweaks incoming.

• NPC AI: Shoppers spawn correctly but only step toward targets in single increments. Proper navigation & smooth path-following aren’t wired up yet.

• Collision & Level: Basic floor & wall colliders in place; environment is placeholder geometry. No interactive stores or hazards yet.

• Networking: Framework placeholder only. Right now it’s a purely local experience.

🚀 What’s Next?

1. Polish Core

   • Refine acceleration & deceleration curves

   • Clamp vertical look limits, invert keys optionally

   • Smooth out ragdoll transitions

2. NPC Pathfinding

   • Hook navigation mesh properly so Shoppers actually stroll around

   • Add idle ↔ wander states with timers

3. Gameplay Loop & Roles

   • 7 Shoppers vs. 4 Mall Cops (real players, no AI Cops!)

   • “Riot Meter”: Shoppers tag rivals, smash displays, spike points; Cops chase & tag back

   • Extraction Phase: Hit the exit before lockdown once meter hits max

4. Multiplayer Integration

   • Full 11-player online matches planned, but this will take time to build robustly

   • Interim Solo Mode: You’ll still be able to run as a Shopper offline (no Cops), and all new hazards & pick-ups will function locally

🛣️ Mid-Term Roadmap

• Dynamic Hazards: Random fire alarms, runaway carts, confetti bombs

• Power-Ups & Loadouts: Trick items (slip ’n’ slides, decoy mannequins)

• Level Expansion: Multi-floor layout with escalators, secret vents, and balconies

• Polish Pass: Final art, soundscape, UI layers

Your Feedback Matters!
This is an ultra-early, solo spare-time build—every bug report, balance note, or “hey, this feels off” helps shape the next sprint. Jump in, tear it apart, and let me know what you want to see. Thanks for checking it out, and I can’t wait to riot (responsibly) with you all! 🎉

— Solyn @ RiotMill