Develop Game Progression and Level Advancement Logic

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Description: The game currently lacks a defined progression system that guides players through levels or stages, increasing in difficulty or complexity. A clear progression system is essential for maintaining player engagement and providing a sense of achievement. This task involves creating a level structure, defining objectives for level completion, and implementing mechanics for advancing through the game.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Define clear objectives for each level that align with the game's theme of sustainability and food waste reduction.
• Implement a system for tracking player progress towards these objectives.
• Design levels with increasing complexity or difficulty to maintain player engagement.
• Create transitions between levels, including feedback on player performance and the unlocking of new levels upon successful completion.
• Ensure that level progression is saved and can be resumed after closing and reopening the game.
• Documentation outlining the progression system for future reference and expansions.

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Level structure and objectives

• Tutorial levels (Level 1-3) introduce players to basic game mechanics e.g. selecting ingredients, creating dishes, and matching them to customer preferences.
• Early levels (Level 4-10): introduce sustainability concepts e.g. using local and seasonal ingredients, reducing waste by planning meals, and recycling. Establish game's educational goals early helps integrate learning seamlessly with fun.
• Mid levels (Level 11-20): increase complexity by introducing guests with multiple dietary restrictions, limited ingredient availability, and time constraints for dish preparation. Gradually increase difficulty maintains engagement by challenging players + preventing monotony.
• Advanced levels (levels 21+): introduce complex scenarios requiring advanced planning e.g. managing food inventory to prevent spoilage, catering for large events with minimal waste, incorporating sustainable practices like composting. Advanced levels should test player's mastery of game's mechanics and sustainability practices - provide sense of accomplishment and depth to gameplay.

Progress tracking and level transitions

• Progress tracking: implement progress bar or checklist for each level's objectives. Use visual indicators for immediate feedback e.g. green check for completed, red cross for failed ones
• Level transitions: after completing a level, show a summary of performance (dishes created, waste produced, sustainability goals met) and provide tips for improvement. Unlock next level or a new set of ingredients/recipes.

Saving progress

• Implement cloud saving to allow players to resume their progress on any device. Players expect to be able to pause and resume gameplay seamlessly across sessions and devices. Removes barriers to continuous play.

Additional considerations

• Feedback loops: incorporate regular feedback loops where players can see the impact of their choices on sustainability. For example, show a "sustainability score" that increases with eco-friendly practices.
• Community challenges: weekly challenges or community goals that encourage players to work together or compete in sustainability cooking practices
• Education content: offer in-game rewards for engaging with educational content about food sustainability, such as short videos or articles

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UI Components for Progress Tracking and Level Transitions

44, #45, #46, #47

Ingredient and Dish Tags

48

Educational content

49

Feedback Loops and Visuals

50

Community Challenges

51

[pandaxin8]

• Design Objectives for Tutorial Levels (1-3) #59
• Implement System for Tracking Player Progress #60
• Create Educational Content and Feedback Loops for Sustainability #61