There were really two big focuses for this week. The first topic of concern was the further development for the current prototype. Our issue arose from the reality that we needed to blend two different mechanics, movement and scanning, into one general area of gameplay. These mechanics would have to complement each other, making each aspect required for interactions within the environment.
Our second area to examine was the creation of a new game idea. While further iteration on our current prototype was fine, we wanted to attempt to branch outwards and try something completely new. We figured that by pairing two unique ideas together, we could develop in different directions and have a better chance of uncovering entirely new ideas. We found that when we were just stuck with one game idea, we continuously were running into walls that were difficult to break through without forcing mechanics to stick.
The beginning of the week was mainly discussing the feedback for our initial prototype and thinking about possible ways to enhance it. After a bit of analysis on the prototype, we realized that the movement system and its direction were fine. We wanted to have the game contained a certain sense of flow, and the systems currently in place could be placed depending on the game direction.
Therefore, our brainstorming topic related to the scanning process. Ideally, this process needs to work alongside movement. The player should not feel the need to stop moving, and we agreed that uncovering treasure should be a process, not just a one-step goal. We spent some time pondering ideas, and eventually we decided to emphasize three aspects of the scanning process. First, the process would need to engage the player in exploring the environment, specifically encouraging them to look around. Second, the process would need to encourage the player to move through and to different locations, therefore generating the most out of exploration-based environments. Finally, the process needed to make sense, and it would need to be fun if repeatedly applied to multiple objects.
From the ideas we tossed around, there are a few that are currently being thought about for development in the current prototype. Ultimately, we arrived at three basic ideas that all result from an initial step.
The first step of finding a treasure limits the player only to the feedback from their detector. This tool will provide visuals in terms of direction and distance, as well as audio queues. While the radar components assist in conveying proximity of treasure, it is up to the player to explore in that direction to locate the object. Furthermore, the object would be designed as a part of the environment, and therefore does not highlight initially. The first step of the scanning process is for the player to find the object, and then proceed to aim and tag the object, lighting it up for collection.
The next step to collection is currently portrayed by three different ideas. The first idea basically has the player channel their character hand over the object. Distance from the object determines how long the channel process takes. This means that objects really close might be picked up instantly, but distant objects could take some time. The eventual goal would be to place objects within locations that require the player to maneuver by, therefore creating the challenging of movement and locking-on. This method is simple, but would likely work if the movement is enough.
The second idea conveys a situation where the player is tasked with placing teleportation beacons around the object. In a triangle formation, the player is noted three different spots on their mini-map. At this point, the player must journey to each spot and place a beacon down. Afterwards, the object would be teleported away, or collected. This method would provide a reason for the player to further explore the current area, and could create situations for puzzles relating to the object found.
The last idea provides a calibration component required for scanning. Over the screen, the player would see a device with green and red blocks. A blue block would descend down each column, and once it is over a red block, the player would need to press a button to turn it green. If completed within a certain time limit, the player would collect the item. This game would not halt movement, allowing the player to continue moving onward while also playing through the calibration part.
Aside from narrowing down these ideas, we have yet to further discuss which ones to pursue, or if these could be combined in any manner. This will likely be one of the primary tasks in the next sprint.
After spending a few days looking at these mechanics, we decided to start bringing individual pitches and ideas to meetings to generate discussion for a new idea. For about four to five days, we simply presented and iterated on pitches. At one point we had narrowed down possible ideas to four different pitches.
One idea was a boat / skiff game, enabling the player to explore a desert area in search of treasure, all-the-while tasking them with managing health traits. Another idea was a grocery game, allowing the player to take the role of a night guard preventing muffins from escaping through the exits of the store. Another idea involved a minotaur chasing the player through a labyrinth, and also had the player utilizing string and movement to assist their plight. The final pitched idea involved a top-down stealth game that involved a time flow that only functioned during movement.
Ultimately, all of these ideas had their downfalls. There were risks of scope, interest, further development, and visualization. We examined some other ideas that fell from the previous concepts, but our second idea to develop didn’t actually occur until two nights before the final sprint.
This idea essentially manifested during a meeting, but basically Sam Roberts brought up the idea of having social media quirks take form of quick gameplay pieces. We talked about it further, and within an hour we had compiled a list of possible game segments that could poke fun at various aspects of smartphone usage. These games would possibly have the player liking certain posts, uploading certain images, unlocking their phone, finding certain contacts, and more brief experiences. The game would be somewhat cartoony and fun, and also have a process of quickly cycling through randomized games at various difficulties.
While there were a number of additional ideas, it will be unlikely that further discussion on specifics will be started until the next sprint, but for now we will likely be presenting it as a possibility for feedback purposes.