Project Title: Mutation
Development: C# / Unity
My Role: Gameplay Programmer
Designer: Jak Tiano
Artist: Ryan Leslie
Programmer: Evan Schipellite
The basic aim for this project was simply to go about creating the direction for a Vertical Slice. This particular prototype, while only lasting about 3 weeks, underwent several changes that allowed it to evolve from a narrative-based experience game to a movement-based exploration game.
While we discussed several game ideas, eventually we found ourselves going into more detail with a particular concept that revolved vaguely around the idea of mutation. While the story itself was never completely founded, it generally conveyed a world where humans had managed to acquire mental powers that would change the way people could interact with the world. Within the story, these Gifted members served as the basis for experiments and studies, thus allowing the Normal people to create technology that would allow them to generate those advantages artificially. The Gifted people, while retaining their powers, ultimately would become a threat to others due to their subconscious ability to mutate the world around them.
The basic gameplay would rest upon the idea of allowing the player to explore a world that would constantly be reacting to their presence, thus displaying the mutation effect. The player would uncover their own abilities during gameplay, and the actual exploration would take them through a timeline to show the emergence of Gifted people, the development of technology, and the separation between the Natural and the Artificial powers.
Mechanics can possibly be separated into 2 basic categories: Inherent and Environmental.
Inherent mechanics would involve abilities that can be utilized universally. As a result, these mechanics are limited in their strengths, and therefore work best when paired with Environmental abilities.
The player has access to a dash ability that can be used once while in the air. By dashing, the player can quickly strafe in any direction, allowing them to close gaps, create precise landings, and avoiding potential threats.
The player would also be able to utilize a bounce feature. After jumping, and by holding the jump button, the player is able to increase their fall speed dramatically. Upon hitting any surface, the player has a brief window to release the key, thus simulating a bounce effect that can allow them to navigate from a high plane, to the ground, and then back up to another platform.
Environmental mechanics would require the player to look-at and activate their action ability by examining objects within their vision radius. The action key represents a single button that allows the player to target and utilize environmental objects depending on their effects. During the prototype phase, we managed to have 2 basic examples present.
An object that lights up yellow when examined indicates that the player is able to grapple toward that location. It is important to note that the action isn't specifically a grapple, but more of a force that pulls the player to the desired location. This means that during the trajectory, the player can dash, bounce, or move in any direction in order to combine the grapple with other mechanics.
An object that lights up red indicates that it can be stretched. Stretched objects may create bridges for the player to cross. Or, in many cases, stretches objects allow the player to ride blocks upwards to reach higher locations.
