Abilities Part One: Use Cases & Implementation Guide

This four-part series guides you through the new Abilities granted by unique items, shows you how to incorporate them into your Experience, and offers tips for creating engaging gameplay with them.

As part of The Sandbox’s Game Maker and Game Client 0.11 update, we’ve introduced Abilities, which grant unique behaviors to specific items that Players can find and equip in-game, allowing them to embark on more expressive and challenging gameplay. The first iteration of this system will include three abilities: Flight, Air Dance, and Double Jump.

To help our Creator community understand how to leverage these exciting new features, we’ve launched a four-part series guiding you through each step.

1. Abilities Part One: Use Cases & Implementation Guide
2. Abilities Part Two: How to Use & Implement Flying Abilities
3. Abilities Part Three: How to Use & Implement Double Jump
4. Abilities Part Four: How to Use & Implement Air Dance

Abilities are now available to use in Alpha Season 5 Experiences! You can learn how to use them in the Alpha Season 5 Hub.

Abilities Open the Door to New Gameplay

Abilities impact gameplay by offering Creators new ways to build challenging, dynamic, and fun Experiences. Below, we examine some ways that gameplay might be impacted that should be considered when creating your next Experience.

Multi-Layered Verticality

With the introduction of Abilities, verticality becomes a key element in level design. Levels can feature multiple layers of platforms, ledges, and hidden areas that Players must reach by combining Air Dance, Double Jump, and Flight.

Layering levels vertically allows Players to discover hidden pathways, secret areas, and shortcuts that require mastering specific Abilities. For example, a Player might Double Jump or use Flight to reach a high platform to uncover a secret passage.

Vertical exploration can tie into level objectives by placing key items, switches, or narrative points on high ledges or floating platforms. Players must combine Double Jump and Edge Recovery to reach these areas.

Floating islands and moving platforms add challenge and variety. Players may need to time their movements carefully, using sprint-fly or hover to navigate shifting platforms.

Puzzle Solving Through Movement

The expanded movement system offers new ways to create and solve puzzles, incorporating different Player Abilities. To reach a high switch that activates a door, the Player might need to long jump, Edge Recovery, Double Jump, and sprint fly across obstacles. This multi-step puzzle could require mastering various mechanics in sequence.

Incorporating environmental hazards such as spikes, lava, or collapsing floors can be balanced with hover or flying mechanics. Players must determine when to utilize their Abilities to navigate these obstacles.

Freedom of Exploration

Levels can be designed with multiple paths where Players choose how to navigate. Players can use Flight for speed, climbing for a stealthier approach, Air Dance to cover distances, or Double Jump for a more challenging platforming Experience.

With these new Abilities, Creators can place hidden collectibles, Easter eggs, or lore-heavy areas in spots that require specific combinations of movement Abilities. Only Players who explore thoroughly or master the mechanics can discover these.

Challenging Platforming Sequences

With the expanded movement set, Players can be challenged with more complex platforming sections. These can involve a mixture of precise jumps, timed use of hovering, and edge climbing. Some use cases may include:

• Long-Distance Gaps: Place wider gaps that require a Double Jump, or long jumps where Players must time their edge climb to avoid falling. This encourages skill-based platforming.
• Platform Puzzles: Combine sinking platforms with the hover mechanic to introduce a layer of tension. Players must hover at the right moment to avoid being trapped.
• Flying Through Obstacles: Players can be tasked with flying through a series of moving or rotating obstacles, forcing them to master sprint flying or direction changes mid-flight.

The upcoming section is a tutorial on how to use Abilities in your Experience.

How to Enable or Disable Abilities in an Experience

Game Maker 0.11 lets you customize which Abilities your Experience includes. In the Game Maker menu, you can toggle Flight, Air Dance, and Double Jump On or Off as needed.

To do this, open Game Maker and go to Gameplay Settings. On the far right, you’ll find parameters where you can toggle the values.

Step 1: Head to Gameplay

You’ll find “Gameplay” at the top of the Game Maker menu. Select it to open a new menu.

Step 2: Head to Parameters

Once here, you’ll find the “Enable Special Abilities” section, where you can view the available Abilities and toggle them On or Off.

If all Abilities are turned off, the screen will appear like this during gameplay.

A text box will appear on-screen, indicating that Abilities have been disabled, along with red icons showing which ones are unavailable. If only some Abilities are disabled, the red icons will only appear for the unavailable ones.

Step 3: Place Assets With Abilities in Your Experience

Assets with Abilities can be found in the Asset Packs section of the Asset Library. You can use and place one or multiple assets from the “0.11 Abilities Assets” pack in your Experience. Learn more about the updates to the Asset Library here.

Step 4: Equipping Abilities

To activate Abilities, Players must collect items with Abilities attached within your Experience. These items are exclusive to the Experience and cannot be carried elsewhere.

Once collected, they will appear slightly different in the Player’s inventory.

Items feature a small icon showing the Ability they carry. Once equipped, the menu updates to display the Ability and usage instructions. This updated menu appears on the right side of the inventory screen and will look something like this:

The display shows the number of slots in use, active Abilities, and instructions, including controls and tips. This gives Players a quick overview of their equipped Abilities, which can be easily unequipped or swapped as needed.

Once Equipped

When the Player equips an Ability, the in-game menu will appear like so:

The menu shows that only three Abilities can be equipped at once and indicates which controls are assigned to each Ability, allowing the Player to check their setup at a glance.

Unleash Your Creativity with Abilities

By utilizing the new Abilities, you can introduce fresh ways for Players to interact with your 3D environments, adding layers of interactivity and immersion to your Experiences. Whether enhancing movement with Flight and Double Jump or adding festive flair with Air Dance, these features elevate your worlds and deepen Player engagement.

Start experimenting today and unlock the full potential of Abilities to shape your creations in The Sandbox. Stay tuned for Part Two!

Create Now.