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Semester 3 Submission

FPS Mechanics Investigation / Ballbot Arena

Project Outline

This project is a top-down multiplayer artillery game. Two players take turns controlling a member of their team of robots. On each robot's turn, it can move a certain distance and use its two energy charges on weapons. Most weapons use 1 energy but more powerful ones cost 2. These weapons include basic gunfire, grenades, a melee hammer, and a rocket launcher among others. The goal is to use these weapons to eliminate the enemy team by reducing all their robots' health to 0. 


Project Context

As I didn't have any specific ideas on games I could make, I decided to begin the semester by experimenting with some first person shooter mechanics. There was more complexity to this project than I initially expected, and it turned into a detailed investigation into the challenges involved in shooter mechanics. With my new found knowledge on the subject, I decided to implement shooting into a top-down turn-based strategy style game. This idea came from wanting to exhibit my shooting mechanics and also explore player movement like snooker balls, rolling around a level and colliding with others. I wanted to make a game that gave me the opportunity to experiment with creating many different mechanics. I chose an artillery-style game because it allows the player to choose from a variety of weapons to defeat their opponent. Once I created the core mechanics of player movement and a turn-based system, I could keep creating unique weapons, each one adding more depth to the game. This way, I could learn a broader range of skills as a designer and demonstrate them in a single game. 


Key Areas of Research

Potentially the most popular artillery game series is Worms. These are 2D games in which teams must use their arsenals of weapons to defeat all other teams. I expected that this style of game but in a more modern 3D environment could be quite effective and have a similar impact on players as the Worms series, yet I couldn't find any existing examples of such a game. The style of the game took some inspiration from the racing game Micromachines. This game was a good reference point for the visual choices involved when controlling miniature characters.


Intended Outcomes of Project

When I first began the project, I intended to make the game single player and played against computer opponents, with game progression and levels. However, I decided that the implementation of AI opponents and the process of creating enough unique levels would leave less time for creating a variety of weapons and also be out of the scope of the degree. Therefore, I decided to make a game that is closer to a 3D version of Worms, with player-vs-player combat.


Relevant Blog Posts

Investigation into FPS Mechanics:

https://lewiswraygamesdesign.blogspot.com/2025/04/shooter-mechanics-investigation.html


Design Inspiration:

https://lewiswraygamesdesign.blogspot.com/2025/05/semester-3-design-inspiration.html


Design Documentation: 

https://lewiswraygamesdesign.blogspot.com/2025/04/semester-3-design-documentation.html


Project Reflection:

https://lewiswraygamesdesign.blogspot.com/2025/08/ballbot-arena-project-reflection.html


Project Demonstration



Splash screen image created with the assistance of Photoshop generative AI




Tower Ascent

Project Outline

This project is a 2.5 dimensional combat platformer in which the player must fight through enemies and reach the top of a tower. The extent of the project is a single level that is a form of proof of concept, demonstrating that the game could be expanded with more levels. The main gameplay loop is fighting enemies, but the enjoyment of the game comes from the customisation and upgrading of the player character to support this. For example, the player could find upgrades for their damage or experiment with different weapons and abilities.


Project Context

Originally, the purpose of this project was to test my Unreal Engine skills in a demonstration of some complex mechanics. I attempted this by creating a simple 2D platformer but with the added complexity of the character's movement being circular around the circumference of a tower. While this doesn't add much to a game gameplay-wise, it adds an extra layer of intrigue as it is not seen often in games and require a lot of complexity to create. Difficulties arose when making projectiles curve and creating levels, which I would usually do with cubes but had to adapt to using sector-shapes. 


Key Areas of Research

My main influence for this project was the game Dead Cells, a roguelike combat platformer. I always enjoy the fluidity of the combat and the traversal in this game and wanted those aspects of my game to stand out. It will also be a useful game to research if I wanted to expand my project into a roguelike game. I also looked into the game Impossible Mission and the 2D Metroid games for how they implement lifts in their levels. I used what I learned from this research to make lifts in my game act as a sort of checkpoint that the player can easily reach from anywhere in the level. 


Intended Outcomes of Project

The main outcome I wanted to achieve was to test and demonstrate my skills with Unreal Engine and technical design. I chose a project that had some fun elements that would be quite complex to implement due to the curvature of the game world. I also thought this game would be a good exploration of player reward because my main influence was Dead Cells, a game that I believe has one of the most enjoyable gameplay loops due to its consideration for player feel and player reward. I dedicated a lot of time to perfecting the combat visuals in my game, ensuring they feel fun and responsive for the player.


Relevant Blog Posts

Design Documentation: 

https://lewiswraygamesdesign.blogspot.com/2025/07/semester-3-design-documentation-part-2.html


Game Direction:

https://lewiswraygamesdesign.blogspot.com/2025/08/tower-of-babel-game-direction.html


Potential for Roguelike Adaptation:

https://lewiswraygamesdesign.blogspot.com/2025/05/making-roguelike.html


Project Reflection:

https://lewiswraygamesdesign.blogspot.com/2025/08/tower-ascent-project-reflection.html


Project Demonstration


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