Based on the questions posed in the last section, we must come up with some answers. So, let's do that here. This set of answers will serve as the implementation plan for our difficulty balance.
Our first set of decisions focuses on the overall game concept. Here are those decisions:
- Implement one game level.
- Provide the user with three game difficulty settings. Setting names are provided here:
- I'm a Baby Cucumber (Easiest)
- I Can Handle This (Moderate)
- Bring It! (Most difficult)
Now that we've decided to create three game levels, we must determine how they will be different. This is easily managed by using a matrix. As we fill in the matrix, we will be able to document answers to most of the previously listed questions. Here is what we will refer to as the Difficulty Implementation Matrix:
| Component | I'm a Baby Cucumber | I Can Handle This | Bring It! |
| Number of Cucumber Beetles | X | X * 2 | X * 5 |
| Damage from Cucumber Beetles (to Cucumber Man) | -5 health points per second | -10 health points per second | -20 health points per second |
| Damage from Cucumber Beetles (to Cucumbers) | -5 points per second | -7 points per second | - 9 points per second |
| Cucumber Beatle Starting Health | X | X * 2 | X * 5 |
| Cucumber Man Starting Health | X | X * .75 | X * .5 |
| Cucumber Starting Health | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Number of Cucumbers | X | X * .75 | X * .5 |
| Cherry Gathering Rate | 1 cherry per second | 1 cherry every 2 seconds | 1 cherry every 3 seconds |
| Maximum Number of Cherries Held by Cucumber Man | 99 | 75 | 50 |
| Damage from Cherry (to Cucumber Beetles) | X | X * .75 | X *.50 |
There will also be a set of decisions that will not change based on the user-selected difficulty level. Here is a list of those decisions:
- The aggressiveness of the Cucumber Beetles will not change. We will script them so that if they are aware of the Cucumber Man, they will attack him.
- We will establish a pretty small vision area for the Cucumber Beetles making it easy for the Cucumber Man to sneak past them and perhaps, more importantly, outrun them.
- Cucumber Beetles will be able to easily find cucumbers.
- Cucumber Beetles will not communicate with one another. So, there will be no coordinated attacks. This does not mean that more than one Cucumber Beetle can't attack the Cucumber Man at the same time. All Cucumber Beetles' within range of the Cucumber Man will attack.
- The Cucumber Man will start with three lives.
- We will not limit the number of cherries a player can collect, but they will all be lost as part of the respawn process.
- Respawning will be randomized between the five respawn points previously identified in the game's mock-up.
- The Cucumber Man will start with full health after a respawn.
- The cucumbers will be placed randomly in the game within the cucumber patches.
- The number of cherry trees and cherries will not vary with different difficulty levels.