IGB120 Blog

Hamish Burnett, n11027401

[rustymojo]

Assignment 3 Postmortem: Week 13

Midnight Forest is now a fully functioning, playable, enjoyable and amazing prototype game! Through countless hours, playtesting, surveys, design reiteration and team work we have turned our base game into an amazing prototype which players from all around can enjoy.

Development Journey In the initial stages, we identified through our playtesting the need to enhance both the complexity and duration of the game. We have really amped up the difficulty rating and expanded the map size to ensure our players remain engaged and fully immersed in the game. With new enemies, themes, aesthetics and power-ups, we have a game which is simple enough to play in short breaks, but has enough variety and difficulty to make it challenging and unique.

Future Aspirations If we had more time and weren't limited by the capabilities of GDevelop, we would:

Add more monster varieties to increase the diversity of challenges.

Introduce alternative scoring systems to add depth to the gameplay.

Implement better map generation techniques for more dynamic levels.

Continue expanding the game's story to provide a richer narrative experience.

Gratitude

We want to say thankyou to our seven different play testers who took time out of their days to play the game and fill out our surveys. Their contributions made the game what it is today. Through their feedback, we were able to identify the key areas that needed improvement and ensure our game could be enjoyable by a diverse audience.

source: Self made

[rustymojo]

Game Changes - week 12

After the playtesting feedback received last week. We have made a few changes to our game to make it more difficult and improve the overall experience.

Increased Difficulty

As you know from last week, the game was having quite a few issues around being to easy. In response we have redesigned some core aspects and now present the following changes!

Four monsters: We have introduced four new monsters, each with a unique elemental them and special ability. These varying monsters will definetly make the game more difficult!

Parkour Galore: We have added more objects, new maps and harder jumps! The players will need to have precise timing and skill to proceed

Death resets: To fully embrace the challenge, the stakes have been raised. Now if the player dies, they reset all the way back to the last checkpoint.

These added changes will make the collection of all the fireflies a tedious journey! The players must make risky jumps, dodge scary monsters and continuously adapt their playstyle as the game does on!

Better Visuals

All of our new monsters and spirits are custom art! With each monster and spirit art style correlating to their respective elements, we aim to fully immerse the players in "Midnight Forest"

Thankyou for staying tuned, we hope you are loving the game changes - its going to be hard!

Source: self made

[rustymojo]

Playtesting the Prototype! week 11

With our prototypes first version finished, we moved onto some playtesting! We found several users with a variety of gaming experience, from seasoned gamers to complete newbies to playtest our game.

After a few questionnaires, surveys and gameplay run throughs, I can say its a hit! These playtests have allowed my team to collect data on what was loved, hated and tolerated in our game. This invaluable feedback has provided us with insights on what was loved, hated and mediocre about our game! We now have a better understanding on areas which need some improvement, and what core aspects were most enjoyed! For example, It was found that most the players loved the aesthetics but noted how easy the game was to finish. Each user has given us feedback which we can use to build the roadmap to improve our game! It is safe to say our game is provides a enjoyable, cozy and immersive experience. However, the feedback also highlighted the need to increase the difficulty level and improve the game's fluidity to reduce clunkiness. We're excited to refine these elements and enhance the overall gameplay experience. Challenges and Surprises

One of the biggest surprises we got during play testing was how rapidly players mastered the controls and beat the game. While we thought the game was going to provide a challenge, almost all players quickly mastered the controls and once the ball got rolling, it never stopped.

Next Step

Based on these playtests, our next iteration will be on:

increase difficulty: we will be adding more monsters and obstacles

Improve controls: we will ensure the controls are smooth and responsive Check in next week to see what changes we have made!!

[rustymojo]

Time to Prototype! - week 10

With week 10 on the way, we have started work on Assignment 3. We will be forming a group with other inspiring game developments and bringing one of our game ideas to life! Our group, called Twilight Games, consists of three dedicated game developers, all studying at QUT. Here's a bit more about our team:

Lead Game Developer: Our first member is the lead game developer. We are building off their game "Midnight Forest," a storytelling-based game with a vibe reminiscent of Mario Brothers.

Co Game Developer: I will be will be actually building the game in GDevelop and having regular meetings with the lead game developer to ensure it fits their vision

Animation and Artwork Specialist: Our second member is in charge of animation designs and other map artwork. Their expertise will ensure the game is as immersive and visually appealing as possible.

The aim for Assessment 3 is to make a working prototype of our game and perform intensive playtesting. The prototype playtest will allow us to collect feedback that will be used to refine the game and make multiple reiterations that enhance the overall player experience and fix any issues.

We are excited to continue on this journey, please stay tuned for next weeks update!

[rustymojo]

Road Rage Rampage Post Mortem

We have come to an end of development for our Post-Apocalyptic, car racing, trap dodging, enemy shootin' game!

How it went We believe this prototype has went quite well, for what started off as a simple idea for a 2d remake of road rider, has turned into an action packed, mad max clash of a game. I believe we really pushed our imagination and love for mayhem on this one! What to change I think next time I would love to spend some more time developing the uniqueness side of this game, as we spent most our time followings Fullerton's importance in thematic cohesion for game design. We spent a lot of time trying to get the right theme, animation and overall aesthetics of the game whilst remaining arcade themed. This led to an underdevelopment on player progress. I believe that in the future it would be great to have some more vehicle customisation and player choice when it comes to their playstyle. Do they want to be agile and good at dodging? Tanky and shoot lots of bullets? This would help keep the game from becoming to repetitive and also showcase some form of "reward" as players could compare builds, stats and progress. I believe that overall we could focus some more on the user experience of every second of game play. However, for now I think it is time for the player to run out of gas, and development on this game to come to a halt...

Source: Gemini AI, Caption: Broken down car on a highway, top down

Other News! We finished off our assessment 2 and are now preparing for assessment 3! We will be joining teams with some other game developers and taking one of our game to the next level! Keep in tune to see what happens!

[rustymojo]

Road Rage Rampage Development - week 9

We are another week in to developing Road Rage Rampage and it is going well! What we are trying to Achieve! Through the use of GDevelop we have been trying to make the game a little more immersive and visually appealing compared to our initial top down idea! The goal has been to make the game slightly 3D, with the camera position above and slightly behind the Player, providing some more chaotic realism whilst still hitting that arcade feel. Something We have Learned! This game has been such an educational journey after our asteroids attempt! We are learning the importance of balancing progressive challenge and key rewards that ensure the player grows their skills, but without absolute chaos and anything too difficult that might make them quit. We have been experimenting with different difficulty levels and discussing how to make a more "progressive" system to ensure a sense of accomplishment, yet encouraging the urge to push themselves! Setting/Style We have been really loving the use of flat colours along with combinations of colours that a player might consider "dangerous", such as reds and oranges. This inspiration has led to design ideas of apocalyptic stretches of orange desert that the player drives through. It really gives a feel of death, danger and desolation all the while being vibrant!

Source: Gemini, caption: Car on post-apocalyptic highway, orange theme

Other News! On another Note, Assessment two was a One Page and One Sheet on our asteroid Game. It was amazing to distill our game into its most essential parts that helped the viewer visualise our goal and draw attention to our upcoming Game. We believe we were able to get the core gameplay and vibe of our asteroid game down and detailed enough that someone could easily rebuild it themselves, but simple enough that anyone could understand the potential Gameplay! - see below!

Source: GDevelop

[rustymojo]

Road Rage Rampage - week 8

May I introduce the new action packed, arcade racing, top-down driving game with a little bit of shooting! The goal of this Game is for players to take on the role of a racer, driving a battle-ready car through a post-apocalyptic world! They will need to dodge obstacles such as potholes, barbwire and explosives, whilst keeping an eye out for racing bandits that have a thirst for destruction! Hopefully by the mid-development phase, We will have an arrange of weapons and vehicle perks that help the player navigate the roads and fight back! The main mode of gameplay for this game would be this top down, fast-paced, vehicular combat that requires some good reflexes. It would be an endless game (until the player died), with a goal to get as high as a score as possible, kind of like our asteroid game from earlier. The style is going to be a bleak (colour wise), desolate and old looking background/highway. We want the player to feel like they are in a post-apocalyptical world, fighting to survive. With the constant obstacles and danger around the player, hopefully we can make a gritty yet captivating and immersive atmosphere. We will definitely aiming this game to those action-loving gamers who grew up playing in an arcade. Hopefully this clash of Road Rider and "Mad Max" will captivate the audience and help them unleash their inner road warrior!

[rustymojo]

Dodge Them All - Post Mortem - week 7 Introduction

Week 7 here we come! Our spaceship flying, asteroid dodging game is coming to an end! Dodge Them All has successfully evolved into a top down simple yet entertainable game that requires skill, luck and a lot of meditation. From the early days of a basic prototype, where our spaceship clumsily followed the mouse cursor, to this animated and wacky yet fun game it is now, the evolution has been nothing short of remarkable . In our latest update, you'll notice a complete revamp of animations, we have some new and smart enemies, and an array of exciting game mechanics that keep players on the edge of their seats and add simple yet effective complexity. GDevelop has allowed us to add mechanics such as powerups, random enemy spawning, bullet tracking and asteroids flying in from all angles. Player feedback and adjustments Last week I took some time to introduce the game to a few friends and grab some feedback. By the end of the week I know I needed to find a simple way to increase the difficulty and create some form of competition. How did I do this? Timers. Simple timers have revolutionised this game. The longer you stay alive, the harder it gets. Enemy spawn increase, object velocity goes up, angles start changing, bullets start flying. This allows our players to compete for the highest score and was an effective way to make the game get progressively more difficult. Future Goals I truly believe these changes have made the game drastically better. But there are always future goals! I think the development on more complex and a wider variety of powerups could spice things up. Perhaps the ability to have select spaceships with different passive abilities to cater for each players playstyle. The goal would be to make this game enjoyable for all generations, anyone who is simply looking for 10 minutes to distract their mind and beat a mates highscore!

[rustymojo]

Dodge Them All Development Update - week 6

We are now into week 6 of IGB120 and I am starting to get the hang of GDevelop! This week has been really interesting and informative. We have covered how rules don't limit the game, but actually make it seem more in-depth, provide realism and make the game more challenging and Fun! Getting Mathematical: The development of this game has really brought to my attention how many numbers are in the back end of game development. From timers to random X,Y Coordinates, Angles to Distance in pixels. There are a LOT of different variables with different numbers! This has allowed my game to become more dynamic and difficult by encouraging random asteroid spawning with different flight angles and speeds

Making It Pretty

As i finished off some of the core mechanics of the game, I have now started working on some different animations and colour aspects. This has really helped bring the game to life and shows that small detail changes can make the world of a difference and make the game feel more interactive, alive and fast-paced! I am thinking about ditching the asteroids and use some different images for the obstacles do dodge. Perhaps we can make it fruit themed just to make the game a little bit quirky? Changes to be Made

There are a few things I want to adjust with this game. I want to make it more then just a asteroid shooter, I want it to actually become difficult. I am thinking more unpredictable with the asteroids, timed world events and perhaps other enemy ships that can shoot back to make it more intense. I also want to really get some good animations in the bring everything more to life!

[rustymojo]

Dodge them all - Elevator Pitch! - week 4

"Blast through some asteroid fields and Alien enemies in this spaceship shooter game! Try to dodge the asteroids whilst upgrading your ship to take out the enemies in endless space combat" This week we have went into a top-down space game and got to learn about different mechanics such as bullet travel and random object spawning. These concepts help build the core of the game from dodging asteroids to shooting enemies! For my initial Idea, I am thinking the mechanics should be:

Ship Upgrades such as Speed, Health and Weapons

Waves of increasing difficulty

Top-down space combat

Earn high scores by survival time or distance travelled

This simple game would target any audience that loves old style arcade shooters like Galaga or the iconic space invaders and want to just quickly have some space-themed gameplay and beat their high score.

[rustymojo]

Platformer Development Post - week 3

Greetings, fellow adventurers!

Just here with another update!, We have now entered week 4 of IGB120 and have started bringing our game ideas to life. This week has been around game culture, playstyle and the game development process. The initial Game idea proved to be more difficult then expected, however we are pushing forward! We have made success in conquering the challenges of random maze generation and now onto the interactives!

Mastering the Maze:

Repetition can become quite boring. We want to create a game that offers a fresh experience with every playthrough. We want to have the same goals in mind, but a different challenge each time the player runs through the game. To achieve this, we delved headfirst into the world of random generation, crafting algorithms that would breathe life into our ever-changing mazes. After countless iterations and a few hours reading up on GDevelop capabilities, we finally emerged victorious, with a system that creates a new and random maze for each playthrough. In the future we want to also include random enemies and interactable items.

Navigating Animation Hurdles:

As we basked in the glow of our maze generation triumph, a new obstacle loomed on the horizon: player animation. Even though it is supposed to be a simple task, and one of the first examples we learnt in class, despite our best efforts, we found ourselves struggling to make our player animation work. From idle stances to running and shooting, every movement needed to be pixel-perfect to ensure a seamless gaming experience and make the game a little more interesting. While we are stuck now, we are sure that we will be able to fix this issue, just maybe with some help in the next weeks workshops!

Enemies and Interactables:

With the groundwork laid for our random maze system and player animation underway, we set our sights on the next frontier: adding enemies and interactables to our ever-evolving world. Drawing upon our idea of a Maze Runner and Binding of Isaac crossover, we began populating our maze with formidable foes and tantalizing treasures. We aim to enable some form of difficulty setting and random item generation that can make each playthrough completely different.

Reflections on the Journey:

As we reflect on our progress thus far, we can't help but marvel at how far we've come. At first this seemed like just a fun idea, but as each day goes by and progress is made. It is growing to a reality, an actual game we can play and enjoy. A piece of work we are proud of. We are beginning to run some play-testing and fine tuning all the different aspects of the game. Get Out is only going to get better and better as time goes on!

[rustymojo]

Platformer Elevator Pitch - week 2

With week 2 on the way, we have started looking at game creation and Elevator Pitches around platformers. I knew that for my game, I wanted to focus on dungeon exploration and game randomness to keep each run through different. I figured I could do this through a form of Item collection, Monster generation and random room/dungeon generation to make some form of Roguelike Platformer. With these in mind, may I present my Elevator Pitch for Get Out: "Can you escape the twisted labyrinth filled with monsters from your childhood nightmares? Get Out is a roguelike platformer where you do just that! Think The Binding of Isaac meets Maze Runner - brutal boss fights, unsettling enemies, items to level up and maybe some friends along the way. Can you survive the monsters in the dark and escape the maze!" Below are some of the mechanics I want to incorporate into the game

Mechanics:

Explore a procedurally generated labyrinth filled with nightmarish enemies

Overcome platforming challenges and puzzles

Collect power-ups and items to customize your playstyle (think Binding of Isaac)

Team up with (or against!) other trapped children (think Maze Runner social layer)

Controls:

Simple arrow key movement (or wasd) with space to shoot along with a top down view on the character and map

I believe with these Mechanics and a style/setting that screams disturbing yet not too scary along with a ever-shifting maze with thematic Zones I would really be able to target the below audience:

Audience:

Fans of challenging platformers with high replayability

Players who enjoy roguelike elements and risk-reward gameplay

Those intrigued by a dark and mysterious narrative

I really wanted to Merge the roguelike elements from The Binding of Isaac with the social and puzzle-solving aspects of Maze Runner for this Platformer and hopefully create the below selling points. Procedurally Generated Nightmares: Each playthrough features a new maze layout filled with disturbing enemies and hazards. This high level of replayability keeps the game exciting and unpredictable.

Risk & Reward: Escaped: The essence of risk-reward gameplay. Just like The Binding of Isaac, players will encounter rooms with powerful items but guarded by fierce enemies. Do you fight for the upgrade or play it safe?

Master Your Arsenal: The game offers a wide variety of power-ups and items, each with unique effects that alter your playstyle. Experimenting with different combinations allows for high levels of customization and effects

[rustymojo]

About Me! week 1

A Coffee addicted Computer Science student stepping into the realm of Game Development through IGB220, I can't wait to explore the boundaries of creativity in game design. The idea of crafting immersive experiences that captivate players excites me, and I'm eager to dive into the process of game development headfirst.

My aim for this journey is simple yet ambitious (maybe slightly coffee crazed): to gain a comprehensive understanding of the game development process and to ultimately create a prototype that brings joy to all try it. Through this course, I hope to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to bring my game ideas to life, from concept to execution.

I'm eager to absorb everything I can about game design, programming, and the art of storytelling in games. Together, let's push the boundaries of creativity and innovation in game development, one step at a time.

Here's to learning, creating, and, most importantly, having fun along the way!