jordanthoughtsoup - Tumblr blog

[jordanthoughtsoup]

This is a formal farewell to the Game Design IGB220 course.

Many stories, development posts, ideas, and art has been shared on this tumblr account. Sadly, this will be my last post.

Ether, Voyage is near completion. I don't think I can ever deem it complete, as the ideas we had go vastly beyond what we had time to implement. I am still very proud of the product, the process, and the learning progress.

We realized we had been coding in Unity this whole time, and it is against the guidelines. While this means that the game dev points will be harshly marked, I don't regret learning new software and creating something that went beyond what I envisioned to reach in this course. It was but an honest mistake.

I won't have the chance to make a proper postmortem, though I have learned a lot, because we extended the deadline for the submission.

If I had to change anything about the game or the process, I would focus on these three things:

Pick something smaller. I had a blast implementing complex and varied systems, but this meant that I would often create bugs or flawed dynamics. Games really are a system as a whole, and if it's parts don't cooperate well, then the balance is off and the experience unsatisfactory.

Divide tasks better. I challenged myself to take care of all the coding, and while most of it wasn't too hard, having the eyes of someone else tackle the same problems I face can help immensly. The same idea can be applied to art, which I didn't work on much.

Put UX as a priority, not a bonus. UI features, game mechanics, and the storyline need to be made with the player in mind. If I feel like the features are too vague or complex that I excuse them as "the player will learn as they go", newcomers will simply feel frustrated and discouraged. Making the game fair (not necessarily easy) to understand is essential.

Hopefully these concepts, along with all the other I have learned in this course, will follow me throughout my Game Dev experience.

Thank you for reading my posts, Jordan

[jordanthoughtsoup]

How did we become so sterilized that we inhabit planets without life. How did we become so sterilized that we inhabit the same planets we create. How did we become so sterilized that we inhabit our own prison cells.

You got caught. It wasn't because you didn't think it through, but just pure dumbfound luck. If only that old lady didn't forget her coat, you would've passed through the hallways unnoticed.

Kory warned you about the danger in stealing the Pollonic, but you knew it was within your skill reach. Damn it, you stole the Merchant's Ghoul so well the High Guards though they lost it. How do you even lose a spaceship? Anyways, the news didn't break to the public out of shame, and you can visit your jewel ship anytime you are on Yajira.

The night cat finally had a face to show. Your mughsot was all over the papers. Headlines read "Intergalactic thief lord caught by satellite engineer", "The Night Cat brought to daylight", "If he could see it, he could steal it".

Georgia Bonne was the name of the engineer that found you. The night you pulled the job, she had already gone home, but came back in the office to collect her jacket. Even though you had scouted the place for the previous 4 months, you couldn't have known she was leaving for vacation the next day, and needed her fur coat. Anyways, she played it well. You though she didn't see you, but she acted ignorant and called the High Guards as soon as she exited the building.

Now all you have left to do is stare at the smokey glass, waiting for the days to go by.

Is this the end?

Here is a screenshot of the findings from one playtest. These problems were classified with the respective field (to help in dividing tasks), progression findings (what the player was doing), and if they have been solved already or not. In the next few days I will run more playtesting after adding this initial round of feedback, and then write the report document. For now, we have ran four naive tests and a deep test. I know we will do at least two more tests before submitting the assignment.

But it's very good to know that players really enjoy the game! I was super surprised by the willingness of participants to continue playing beyond the tutorial for a long long time (more than 10 minutes) and complained about the game not being longer. Some of my testers were even quite sad when their ship died in combat! (Maybe because we don't have a respawn button yet)

[jordanthoughtsoup]

"Scarta! What are you thinking? Going to Gherson's? You're gonna get us all killed!" Shouts Daisy.

"Relax Daisy, they don't know who I am. I gave a fake name, look." Scarta shows his fake ID with the name of Rory Iversson. You wonder how he got such a good replica, it even had a registered Authority Citizen Number.

"I overheard a conversation between the Urgher and the High Guards, she bragged about having plenty armed guards monitoring the Merchant's Ghoul in the Main Hall. I got my drink, tipped the bartender and left. Nothing more, no tail, no trace." Scarta reassured.

It had been months since you started planning the Heist. What started off as a personal desperation cry dragged other two criminal souls into it. The Merchant's Ghoul is the Ether's next best ship: it comes with a full Eritheum hull, six thickened cannons, enough room for gold to safekeep all of the Authority's reserves and lighting fast dashers. Not to mention it's speed, agility, and potential for hosting thirty-eight crew members. Since its construction ended, it hasn't lost a fight and has carried more wealth than anyone could spend in a lifetime.

Needless to say, your eyes have been fixed on it for a while. Thats why you recruited Scarta, the UnderWorld's most well known getaway driver. As everyone knows, wherever Scarta goes, Daisy follows. His 20-something-year-old accomplice keeps him on his toes at all times. Nothing happens in the UnderWorld without Daisy knowing it, and Scarta's mishaps are no exception.

You know you have a real shot at pulling this job off.

In all honesty, I did not think the game could come this far in such little time. It runs smooth, looks stunning, has all of the four missions, upgradable ships and planets and an initial outline of a story progression.

The map has become much more interesting and the player experience followed.

As it is still a demo, I have not added procedural algorithms to spawn planets and save them across the galaxy. This is something (probably) out of the scope of this project. The UI is much more detailed, containt a minimap, bar indicators and mission trackers.

As you can see, there also is a dialogue between the player and the AI. This is pre-scripted, and guides the player through the initial steps, acting as a tutorial.

Fights are also much more fun. The player and enemies have more health, resulting in longer, more complex fights. Animations really bring the game to life, especially the bullet collisions.

I have added logic to conquer outposts, where initially empty planets have to be defended by the player against different enemies. If the player completes the mission successfully, they unlock a new outpost to level up. Surrounding every outpost there are two mission spawners: asteroid and pirates. The player can complete these missions as many times as they wish, collecting coins to spend in the upgrade menus, which also have been implemented.

Finally, the last mission also has been added: cargo missions. The player is tasked with reaching a faraway point in space and come back to Earth bringing an imaginary cargo with them. This mission is a little time consuming, but risk free. It's a good way to make money without fighting enemies, catering towards the more risk-averse players.

Here is a screenshot of an outpost fighting scene. The spawners still miss sprites (probably will be rendered as ruptures in spacetime fabric).

There are many logic blocks missing and bugs needed to be ironed out. Also, half of the storyline is missing and is fundamental for the player to understand how to play the game.

The next steps are focused on playtesting to gather information on how the users experience the game. This will help immensely to see the game from an external point of view and test if the game really is fun and worth playing.

[jordanthoughtsoup]

The orange, velvety sand straddles your feet, as a gust of wind blows away the grains on your ankles. There is nothing but dunes for miles, though the shiny reflection of metal you saw hours ago is getting bigger. Somehow, something already got here. It couldn't have been the Kolians, they never would venture this far East. The Ioners control the North very tightly and rarely explore outside their confinements.

The Lord Commander told you to be wary of the Mourgh. They are known to be extremely manipulative and selfish, especially when meeting an galactically-known Captain. Thankfully, your atire hides your identity, with shrouds covering your head from the heat. You left all of your badges on the ship, where Aytla was instructed to track your journey.

You look down and notice the red light of the radar is dimming. Usually, this means you would have 2-3 hours left of tracking, but in these extremely hot conditions it can overheat easily. Last time this happened, Aytla had to pick you up following emergency rescue protocols.

Let's hope you learned from your mistakes

The game is making rapid progress!

The initial development is focused on gameplay and game logic. The art (sprites, sounds, storyline) are all missing and delegated to the later stage of the process. For now, I was in charge of the coding aspect of the game. I implemented the movement logic, which is purposefully counterintuitive and clunky. The player can only accelerate, dash, and shoot in the direction they are looking at (pointing their mouse). This I predict will be annoying for new players, but I think it adds to the complexity and beauty of the game. The player will have to adapt and learn how to master the controls well, developing unique fighting techniques.

The asteroids and pirates spawners work well, though there should be a system to track the mission information. Furthermore, I coded the habitable planets (Earth and the conquered outposts) to reset health and fuel. For now though, there is no cooldown on healing nor there is incentive for the player to remain within the mission surroundings, so they can just stay on Earth and fight without losing health. Dashing works well too, with a cooldown and activation time system. These can be upgraded later.

Many things are missing: cargo and outpost missions, upgrades for ships and planets, a balanced currency system, dialogues and a tutorial. These will be all implemented in the next few weeks.

Wish me luck!

[jordanthoughtsoup]

"It's time to go Cap! We have no more minutes to spare!""

"Heat up the engines! Load up the cannons! Prepare the dash! We are about to have a turbulent flight.""

12 years you spent on that ship, and never had you wished to be anywhere else. It was only a matter of time until Corporal Matthews asked you to venture beyond the End. Nobody had done it before, and nobody had wished to be in your shoes either. Are we alone, in this vast, dispersive, chaotic universe? There was no reason to risk it.

Many had warned about what happens to humans beyond the End. Some scientists believe the absolute-zero temperatures would immediately turn us into ice. Others believed the opposite, where we would burn into crisps due to a phenomenon called "entropy fission". You, on the other hand, have heard from these so-called experts enough times to know that much of the scientific research is published with the intent of becoming famous, not being right.

So, with a lumpy throat filled with dread, you decide to accelerate into the unknown.

Ether, Voyage is the game we are developing. Spaceships, asteroids, enemies, conquering, upgrades, and storyline, what can go wrong? If anything, I'm scared of the task being too grand to be completed within the 4th of November.

It's just two of us, and we are planning our One Page design and clarifying some basics (how we will communicate, divide the work, etc). Here is a snippet of the One Page document.

I was swayed into working with Unity though I have never worked with it before. I am confident I can pick up the coding part (C# is very close to Java), but I'm sure I will be slowed down by the Game Dev aspects of creating levels and UI. Nevertheless, I am excited to take on this large challenge and I think I will learn a lot (and maybe create a beautiful game!)

We focused on adding different mission types to make the game more dynamic and follow an ideal progression which lets the player learn. This ties into the currency system, where simpler missions give less coins, and harder missions not only give immediate rewards, but also passive income. I think the most interesting addition is the Outpost Construction mission. In this, the player can fend off asteroids and enemy ships, defending an inhabitable planet. If the player does so successfully (within a time period), the planet becomes an outpost, where the player can heal, start new missions, set up structures and upgrade their ship. As you conquer the surroundings more and more, the positive income feedback loop grows stronger.

We are also interested in planning a storyline, where the premise is a bit different than the one I envisioned at the start. The player comes from Earth and is involved in the intergalactic expansion of humanity. The storyline beats are now not based on money, but simply follow a mission-based progression.

More fun stuff to come!

[jordanthoughtsoup]

As the driver pulls into the empty parking spot outside, you start moving towards the front porch. "Incredible", you think aloud, "I only ordered only 5 minutes ago".

They don't call it the fastest Australian delivery service for nothing. Not a single driver had been late in the last 10 months, apart from that one time when Barry slipped out on ice.

"We bring your food in steaming fast times" you read on the side of the scooter, as the pizza guy steps off the vehicle. It isn't until he comes 4-5 meters away from the door you realize you know him. He was cheerfully laughing the night before at one of your gigs, accompanied by a young lady (maybe his date?). You decide to pick up some extra cash as a tip.

*As the doorbell rings, you prepare to hand the driver his money. A tasty aroma of pizza seeps through the door crack as you open it.*

I barely had time in the last week, so I ended up being far from a playable implementation of "Pizza on the Scooter". Game physics were implemented, though I was missing the logic for a working currency and completing delivery missions without bugs. Still, there is some graphics and ideas to show:

I would love to extend this game to have procedurally generated city blocks with random buildings and obstacles. I believe this would add to the diversity and excitement of the game, allowing for longer and harder missions.

I look forward to starting the next assignment, where I hope I will be satisfied with the development by week 14. I will definitely still use a brainstorming technique for idea development, and having teammates will help when selecting good mechanics. Though it is not necessary for a game to have a storyline, I would love to work on one in the next project.

[jordanthoughtsoup]

This is but an intermezzo…

Halfway already?! Time flies.

The progress on Ether: Voyage is going pretty good. An initial prototype followed the game pitch and idea. There wasn't too much time to get it working, and even less time to play test it. With the help of my friends I managed to get some feedback and interesting gameplay results from their playing experiences.

For context, the prototype I built simply had a spaceship in the middle of the screen which shot at asteroids, trying to remove all inbound rocks as a collision results in losing the game. These asteroids resist a different number of shots, and spawn more frequently and move faster over time. The goal of the prototype was to survive as long as possible.

From the playtesting it emerged that the difficulty of the game grew too quickly. An average game lasted 20 seconds. After some tweaking of spawn rates, the experience was already much more enjoyable, with games lasting 40-60 seconds. Upon suggestions, I added a system of lives for the asteroids, where they would need to be hit a random number of times before they disappear.

Compared to the full game though, the prototype lacked many things: storyline, a currency system, upgradeable spaceship and variety in obstacles (asteroids). This made the prototype quite repetitive and unappealing.

Image of the prototype ^

Now I'm looking forward to a postmortem, new development of the racing game and creating a one-sheet and one-page document for this asteroids game.

[jordanthoughtsoup]

"Pizza on the scooter" is a unique racing and puzzle game. Players are tasked with driving a scooter around town and deliver pizzas in time to their customers, before they get too cold. A top-down view will make the experience feel funky and fun to play, as you will be able to see incoming traffic around the corner. This makes decision making all the more important, as being too eager in saving time can result in crashes!

The controls are the standard racing inputs: accelerate, steer left, steer right and decelerate. There is be no reversing, so make your choices thoughtfully!

This game focuses on a fast-paced, silly experience, where both interactions with customers and your bosses are surreal. The city moves in unexpected ways, unlike modern streets. Finally, if you ride fast enough, you can get some nice tips. This will allow you to invest in angels, who can save your run if and when you crash.

[jordanthoughtsoup]

"Ether: Voyage" is a modern take on the classical tower defense genre. This action-strategy game requires the players to defend their upgradeable spaceship from diverse asteroids. Not only will you have to shoot accurately and mindfully, you will earn in game currency to upgrade your turrets, thicken the ship's frame and gamble with coin multipliers. As you find your way through space, the challenges will become increasingly harder. Don't be fooled by your pretty ship, as a headless aircraft can only be doomed.

[jordanthoughtsoup]

The red gown drapes silkily around the bare ankles. A certain companionship between the fine gold necklace, a ring resting half way on her index finger and the shining teeth closing the laces of her leather sandals creates a polished dynamic.

After traversing the treacherous lands of trial and perserverance it comes as a relief to see a milestone behind you. Two thirds of the way to go left, though it feels as four fiths of the journey has been already walked.

It is with calm and comfort you accept the steps to be taken ahead.

The soups begins to take on some flavor.

The Platformer era has ended. It is now time to make way for the Asteroids. I will treat this post as both a post mortem and a development checkup.

There are many things I wish I had done differently with the platformer. Times and schedules were never really respected. Game design concepts got added gradually to the recipe the more I learned and read the book. The development was very fuzzy, especially at the start. This made it harder to come up with a good idea and to implement it in time. Though the prototype is only meant to provide a rough idea of the game, I wish I had the chance to add more of the features envisioned in the project plan.

As I have the opportunity now to start over, and having read the whole book, I feel much more confident with the process.

With the asteroids game I can comfortably think up new ideas with my two favorite methods: brainstorming and the stream of consciousness. The general formal questions pointed out by the book then give a solid starting point when answered. With a superficial understanding of storytelling and dramatic arcs, I already feel more at ease when developing a good premise and narrative.

It is important to note that when I started the platformer, I was too interested in creating an environment where the player could feel immersed. This, while very important, is not enough for a game to be fun to play. Gameplay therefore is now the focus of the Asteroids game and the digital prototype. Deeply thinking about what makes the game fun, what are the obstacles and objectives will really help improve the playing experience.

I have decided to implement a very basic version of the Asteroids to allow me to understand how far I can push the development in just a couple weeks. This can help make a feasible prototype and adjust my ideas to the timeline.

Now, there is but a discovery of gameplay left. This can, and probably will, take up most of the time in the next two weeks.

[jordanthoughtsoup]

I present to you: Escape from Inferno. The platformer engages the player by tasking him with beating multiple different levels based on Dante's interpretaiton of Hell. Here, you have to run through the sitcky sugary floor of the gluttonous, hold your ground against the wind of the lustful and slide across Satan's ice lake. Make sure you escape in time, as the clock ticks fast. Satan is only asleep for so long.

Here is an image of the prototype:

The controls are simple, directional input and double jumps. What gets you through the stages are dexterity and puzzle solving.

The game offers an intellectually stimulating experience, exploring one of the most famous writings of the middle ages. The gloomy art and music create an immersive experience, where players are encouraged to speedrun and beat not only the game, but each other.

To contact me: Jordan Sassoon, jordan.sassoon@connect.qut.edu.au

[jordanthoughtsoup]

It's the eyes that pull you in. The ruby, firey intricate dancing of the flames within the void center is truly to admire. You'd never seen such a tango before. Though you feel your hair follicles spike from the adrenaline, you decide to dive one step at a time towards her.

Your thoughts wipe away, leaving but an empty stream of consciousness. Your body moves autonomously.

No words have to be spoken, she was in the crowd before and she knows who you are. The glare speaks volumes as the silence muffles the surrounding voices. The eternal chaos moving through the ether of the world finally feels negligible, as the only thing that matters to you is the ardour.

You are now happily swimming in the soup of togetherness.

I have taken a hiatus from writing, I apologize. I invested my time into personal projects and the development of the platformer. I am now interested in finishing the textbook, I only have a couple chapters left. This should help me creating and tuning the next games in store for the course. Much of what I read I have implemented in the concept of the platformer. A synopsis of what it is can be found in the elevator pitch, but I can run through the ideas and how they came about.

For starter I defined what type of game I wanted to create: following guidelines, it had to be a single player format (platformer) against the game. This meant that the complexity of the game was stored in how the formal elements interact with the player, not other players.

Then I started a brainstorming process to figure out what features my game needed to have, along with a premise. Dante's Inferno is a book deeply rooted in Italian culture, so the idea of escaping from the various rings seemed perfect and natural for me to develop. Each ring presents it's own challenges and you have to complete every level before the clock runs out. This not only makes the game more dynamic, with increasingly difficult challenges, but also adds a sense of urgency, following the dramatic arc.

The player therefore goes through the mildly infuriating procedure of learning a couple levels at a time, slowly making their way upwards and facing new obstacles. If time runs out, they must restart.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to add this feature in the digital prototype, though I wanted to include a positive feedback loop where each completed level adds time on the clock. This means that even if you barely make it onto the next ring, you still have time to try it out. Furthermore, players who manage to go through the start faster have more time to do the later stages. After understanding the objective, challenges and rewards, I decided to include very simplistic character movement. This was chosen to reduce the time to be spent on complex inputs and create a smooth kinesthetic feel. The player can move left, move right, jump and double jump.

To create the different challenges, I based myself off of the punishments that Dante talks about in every ring. As the game does not have AI, the environment has to change for the player. Different terrains modify the player's movement parameters, some levels include weather effects like wind or sandstorms. Finally, some levels also include puzzle-like solutions.

Development was not too complicated. I admit, the digital prototype is very simple, though it was enough to gather some testing feedback. I made my two roommates play the game, and coming from different gaming backgrounds, I adjusted the levels to cater to both audiences.

The prototype contains only 4 levels and a small tutorial, with minimal art, no music and no menus. This can of course be expanded on easily in the future.

I found quite rewarding the fact that one of my play-testers was so dedicated to beat my game that they kept playing until my computer ran out of battery.

[jordanthoughtsoup]

Mic check

Mic check

1, 2, 3

…alright

It’s not the first time you stand up there, but still, you fall into the trap of escaping pressure with nihilism. The eyes glare at you from the dark cloudy crowd. Though it’s hard to imagine how you got here, you feel a warm sensation after each set, reminding you that this is what makes you happy, for now.

There might be another time, further down the line, where you realize all of this was a waste of time. You might find one big goal to dedicate your life to, compared to which everything feels small and insignificant.

I still believe you will look back with acceptance, not regret.

It’s time to start your show. A squeaky microphone noise seems to unsettle the crowd, but it mostly affects you. Muster up some confidence kiddo.

A couple of jokes to break the ice, it seems like your feet are starting to dip in the comfort zone. It’s almost as if you were dipping them in the warm, soupy broth your mum used to make when you were sick.

Things aren’t too bad...

I'm sorry for the unsettling image, it had to get soupy somehow.

Sadly, this week I have not had much time to work on the game. I wanted to already have a clear idea of what to create for the platformer, but I'm in the same spot as before.

Some more theory has been acquired: prototyping. In some way I think it was better to read more of the book before starting the development process.

The next few steps are critical: I want to spend some time conceptualizing (physically prototyping) the game's kinesthetics. This is where I define the player's behavior with the environment and how it should feel. Simple animations like jumping or dashing are good examples.

I will also need to work on a digital prototype eventually, but until I have the game clear, I will stick to pen and paper.

[jordanthoughtsoup]

You wake up. The light is yet to pierce your iris but your eyelids shade to red, spoiling what is to come. The sun beams through the intertwined leaves resting high above you. If only you could remember...

A faint voice hums in the distance, luring your attention. It’s a delicate, familiar melody, though you cannot piece where you know it from.

As you amble closer, the sound multiplies. Seems as though it was a choir singing all along, but your ears point in one obvious direction only.

Your eyes notice a foggy, misty female figure calmly washing her cloths in a pond, as the water ripples through the surface. You cannot quite see her, though everything around her is clearly visible.

The humming gets closer, louder, and fuller every step you take towards her. It’s as if she was singing through the body of three different intonations.

Without notice, she speaks to you from afar, though you can hear her whispers close to you.

“There is a long journey ahead of you, my dear. You can refer to me as Guidance, though I will solely talk to you when the time is right. You must go now; follow the path you wish to choose. Once found, will you be blessed with the soup.”

As a stream of questions rushes through, the innumerable choices before you have a paralyzing effect, cementing your feet in the soil.

You close your eyes, and in the hopes of following your heart, you take a first step.

The soup journey has begun.

Second week of lectures, first few chapters down and already a project on the way. Today marks the first day of development for Game 1: The Platformer.

Though I am yet to clearly define what the game will feel like, I definitely want to follow the recently learned Guidance rules for the ideation phase.

I am looking to invest the next few days brainstorming ideas based on other famous platformers, mixing them with the calm, relaxing storyline-based feel I already decided to implement. These ideas will be then collected and refined into my elevator pitch, keeping closely in mind the experience of the player.

Accustomed to working in SCRUM Agile, every week's iteration will have it's own issues. Every week, at the end of the sprint, the game will be tested. This is to ensure player-centric development, where I can gather feedback on what was implemented during the sprint. Unfortunately, we only have three weeks for this project.

I expect to have the game conceptually clear by the end of the week, granting me time to implement it well in the following two.