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Semester 3 Design Inspiration

First Person Shooter Project

For this project, I looked into existing first and third person shooters to better understand how they handle shooting. The process is more complex than I originally expected, as one cannot simply spawn a projectile


Top Down Game Project

My idea for this game is a top-down strategy RPG that combines the gameplay of the Worms series with the style and perspective of XCOM or Baldur's Gate and the progression system of roguelikes such as Slay the Spire, Dead Cells and Hades. 



I plan to make the characters move around like Droideka from Star Wars. They are robots that turn into a ball to roll around then are ready to attack when they stop and leave the ball.

https://youtu.be/vczTsPuJ20s?si=r81kRWkQ3DVFGgvd



For the setting of the game, I plan to create maps of small environments, in which the player characters are miniature too. For this, I will take inspiration from games such as micromachines and Mario Party DS. The characters being small creates the opportunity for fun and unique scenery. As well as this, there could be some interesting level design and interaction with objects that can happen on a smaller scale, such as objects falling onto players or displacing them. These things could happen when players enter certain areas or destroy objects that are holding up other objects. 

https://youtu.be/X1AyBSntg7A?si=M2OnMS1fujeiAJge

https://youtu.be/VnRDrYxx6Aw?si=LBk6ANCLg1B4Wx3t



My game is similar to the game Worms. This game has an interesting throwing mechanic that allows the player to charge their throw power by holding their input down to throw farther. The difference with my game is that it is 3D, so it is more complicated to determine the exact direction the player wants to aim.

https://youtu.be/xA4oBUqGeok?si=fX21DSvM5yRWfAip



Because my intended theme for my game was small characters in miniature worlds, I began looking into how similar games create the effect of the characters being miniature. The player's only sense of scale in the world is the size of other objects, so I use an effect commonly used in photography called tilt-shift. After some research, I discovered this method takes regular photos and makes the objects in it look like miniature toys.

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53a2b3a1e4b0a5020bebe676/1610366822380-UKI6EGM85TOGHN5EHL9O/Goodden-Tilt-Shift-Photography-Tutorial-5.jpg

Games such as Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for the Nintendo Switch use this effect to make its world and characters seem miniature.

https://i.imgur.com/uBO6AXy.jpg

The tilt shift effect in games works by zooming out the camera but decreasing the field of view so the player can still see the same amount of the game, but they are further away, convincing their subconscious that they are looking at objects that are smaller. The blurring at the top and bottom of the screen (far from the focal point) emphasises this effect. 



The Just Cause games have a tether tool that allows the player to attach two ends to two different objects and pull them toward each other.

https://youtu.be/9N38THuM2-w?si=9XgZlPqQUrFcri-n


For the player's energy orbs, I took inspiration from the game Slay the Spire, as it has a good energy system and a character that attacks enemies with lightning orbs. 
















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