Development Update - Dynamic Lighting
Just a quick update this week. I've been optimising the lighting system. One of the key gameplay mechanics in Karma is the lighting system. Lights are your only defence besides hiding. Because all lights can be turned on and off and almost every item is movable/examinable, I'm unable to bake lighting information into the textures.
The ghost in the game can be temperately disabled if you turn a light on while she's right beneath it. If she walks into a light that is already on she will blow that light making it unusable. This gameplay mechanic creates a challenging gameplay loop for the player while also limiting the number of lights they'll want to leave on.
In addition, I have implemented a system where by any light that is on and cannot be seen in the players current location will be switched off while out of view. The ghost will still blow these lights if she comes in to contact with them while left on. It's purely a little bit of trickery to ensure each persons experience is as good as it can be without being hampered by performance.
