We accomplished three concepts by having each of the six designers on the team pitch their concept within the team before submitting anything to our professors. After the concepts were complete, voting began to narrow down our six initial concepts into our final three. I then brought the top three design concepts together into one document. That had been submitted to our three advising professors to review and provide suggestions on a concept we should move forward to rapidly prototype.
After voting occurred, the concept I designed was not chosen. I had pitched a design that has the player control a fat cat that becomes faster as they progressed through the level. The objective is to juggle many different objects while dodging a playful dog attempting to tackle the cat to the group as one of the end conditions. If an item hit the floor, it would create a new obstacle for the player to avoid to continue juggling their objects. The player will have power-ups for their player token such as catnip, which increases the player token’s speed and agility. There would also be manipulators for the objects being juggled to alter their physics. This would allow the player to keep objects in the air longer to increase their score and ease play for a short period of time.
I had designed this concept using the MDA game design method I had learned in a previous course at Full Sail University taught by Zack Hiwiller. I like this method because of the focus on gameplay mechanics, player experience, the alternative approach to aesthetics, and what makes the game fun. You are able to see the design easily through your designer's eye as well as easily seeing it from a player's point of view by reversing the process. I think this is a really great method that helps get me through the design process. I am looking forward to see how the MDA method helps our development throughout the next three months of final project. Hopefully I can prove it as a valuable means of design and development to use for later projects.
While we wait for our professor's feedback, we are going to go over our current two concept choices, which are; a tower defense shoot-em-up and a puzzle game with easy swipe and tilt controls. Right now the majority of our team is leaning towards the tower defense game, but our professors seem to be leaning towards the puzzle game. This obviously makes our puzzle game concept a viable choice. By the end of the week we will have the first iteration of our living GDD written up and getting prepared to rapid prototype. This week has involved a ton of documentation, but it has been great learning and design exercise. I am very excited about moving forward, prototyping, and developing a kick ass final project that will make my portfolio look great and finally allow me to enter, and hopefully win, an indy game contest.
Tower Defense Concept Doc Download
(Swipe / Tilt Controlled Puzzle Game)
Vertigo Concept Doc Download
"I am always looking for talented people to work and network together"
ReplyDeleteOh dear. If it means anything (Spoiler Alert: It won't), I am baffled at how your team didn't choose your drugged fueled cat concept. Are they boring people, Jay?
:D What better story behind the game concept? The inspiration was the cat, but to be honest I think about the story and all assets last. It could always change before the game's gold build is shipped.
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