SiC as a whole game is a different game from any I've worked on before. All my past projects have either been small single screen, or at least small play area, games that pull more from arcade games and mobile titles. SiC on the other hand, is aimed more to pull from narrative shooters and linear RPG's. Which sort of fundamentally changes a lot of level and mechanic design, as something that's fun for a minute at a bus stop isn't necessarily fun stretched into a three hour narrative.
In the past, I would have described my design style as more punk rock than anything else. Do whatever seems fun, damn the consequences(in this case consequences being world building). Though with SiC I've been looking at everything from the level design, to the enemies, to the actual mechanics, doing my best to make sure it all coalesces into something that is, more or less, a cohesive whole.
I'd recently put in a slew of scoring mechanics that were broken down for you at the end of every level. How many enemies were killed, how many secrets were found, how much score was attained, how long did it take you to finish. Most players liked this, they knew how well they did, and how many secrets they could go back and find. I have an issue with it though, because in the vaguely cohesive world of SiC there's no reason for these terminals. In the end, I'm working on a few ideas for similar to this, simple reports of things you missed on the level, but I want them to be smarter than just a list of the things you just did. I want them to inch players deeper into the world that we're creating.
This is all assuming I can pull off the hat trick of completing the game, a sizable number of people buy the game, and a sizable number of them beat the game. Not that I don't think it can happen, its just - you know - there are a lot of great games out there.
Thanks,
Wyatt White
Caught between Uncertainty and Taboo.
In the past, I would have described my design style as more punk rock than anything else. Do whatever seems fun, damn the consequences(in this case consequences being world building). Though with SiC I've been looking at everything from the level design, to the enemies, to the actual mechanics, doing my best to make sure it all coalesces into something that is, more or less, a cohesive whole.
I'd recently put in a slew of scoring mechanics that were broken down for you at the end of every level. How many enemies were killed, how many secrets were found, how much score was attained, how long did it take you to finish. Most players liked this, they knew how well they did, and how many secrets they could go back and find. I have an issue with it though, because in the vaguely cohesive world of SiC there's no reason for these terminals. In the end, I'm working on a few ideas for similar to this, simple reports of things you missed on the level, but I want them to be smarter than just a list of the things you just did. I want them to inch players deeper into the world that we're creating.
This is all assuming I can pull off the hat trick of completing the game, a sizable number of people buy the game, and a sizable number of them beat the game. Not that I don't think it can happen, its just - you know - there are a lot of great games out there.
Thanks,
Wyatt White
Caught between Uncertainty and Taboo.