2ndDevCycle

Prototype Development

This week I focused on exploring options for the controls of the player in the game and the presentation of the gameplay elements and prototyped different options.
Additionally, I finished the last details for the presentation.
Currently, I’m working on the development of game features.

Economies

I was responsible for detailing the game economies. Economies revolve around the flow of resources. These resources can be categorized as tangible or intangible, and the player will have to manage both in order to thrive in the island’s harsh environment. Whereas the main intangible resources are the player’s health, food, and water bars, tangible resources have a greater variety, spreading across multiple aspects of the game.

The most important ones are food and water supplies, crafting materials and tools, special weapons found in temples and time. Regarding food supplies, the player will be able to collect berries from bushes or meat from dead animals. Water can also be gathered from two different sources and is found in lakes and the sea, although the second one will lower the player’s health bar.

Concerning crafting materials, the player can gather logs, wood, and stones, allowing him to craft the tools mentioned previously. The player can also find special weapons after entering temples and solving its puzzle, these will be unique and cannot be found elsewhere or crafted.

Time is another important resource the player will have to keep track of, even though he has no control over it, as time changes the day/night cycle, provoking variations of temperature, and influencing the wild animals’.

The resources were later categorized in sources, drains, converters, and traders.

Play Scenarios Improvement

I was focused on improving the previously defined scenarios with more detail regarding in-game activities in order to reflect the different game experiences, namely exploration, survival, and puzzle resolution. Therefore, each play scenario reflects different player persona preferences. Additionally, I also created new scenarios based on the feedback received in the workshop.

Workshop Results Analysis

This week I was responsible for the analysis of the workshop results and for the elaboration of the workshop report.

Overall, the workshop was a success allowing us to discover new ideas and bring a fresh, unique set of eyes into the design process since the end-players can often discover hidden opportunities and possibilities or missed design values. Additionally, by believing they were designing a game for themselves, the process became more innovative.
The utilization of different workshop methods was also beneficial since it made the workshop environment more dynamic and allowed us to cover a broader spectrum of concepts. Besides brainstorming and designing ideas, we were also able to prioritize them and analyze which aspects worked in the context of the project and which were feasible.