{"id":5928,"date":"2026-05-07T08:20:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T12:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/?p=5928"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:49:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T12:49:51","slug":"kaiju-hero-k-o-cycle-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/?p=5928","title":{"rendered":"Kaiju Hero K.O.! – Cycle 3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Armed with valuable feedback from my cohorts and mentors, I decided it was time to level up the gameplay experience this time around, and that would involve puppets \u2013 battle puppets, to be precise.  I wanted to free the players from poking static cut-outs and provide space for mobility.  I also wanted to freshen up the visuals, including adding a retro gamer cityscape for the projected stats.  The bar graph I decided needed to go down, not up, showing a decrease in vitality as hit points accrued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The puppets were wired to the Makey Makey with zones of aluminum either glued or taped on the figure, specifically foam core pieces (handcrafted to fit over the body and support the wires).  For the bulk of the body I used my balloon twisting skills.  I really felt it was important to incorporate an inflatable element (especially since the kaiju suit\/puppet will be made of inflatable materials for the thesis).  Furthermore, the balloons were easier to repair\/replace.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much testing of different designs went into the process of bulding each puppet, the balloon designs needed to be styled for easier maintenance, so I refrained from excessive details or complexity.  For the heads of the hero and kaiju I knew they would be taking a good amount of punishment during each round, so I employed a balloon art technique called \u201cdeforming\u201d \u2013 inserting a balloon inside of another balloon \u2013 which insulated key balloon components with two to four layers of latex.  Wiring the aluminum zones into the kaiju claws, hero sword, and hit zones took some considerable time but once in place proved reliable for dynamic contact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Available resources were not only physical materials\/equipment but also expertise from within the cohort of students.  One such classmate, Chad (an avid Touchdesigner fan), assisted in my patch for the background music to speed up after one of the bars reached halfway down (ten of the twenty hit points).  More logic components were involved.  I also was able to add a boom noise when the kaiju got K.O.ed (I couldn\u2019t figure out how to apply it to both in time, so I kept things as is for this cycle).  Considerable noodling ensued as Chad prepared specific component\/settings for me to integrate into the patch.  Such is the way of Touchdesigner, a series of tweaks and threads in the process, oftentimes retracing steps to work out better solutions\/outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n