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[HELP] I am lost with my game's design.

Discussion in 'Game Design' started by midogame, Mar 14, 2017.

  1. midogame

    midogame

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    Hello everyone,

    So, for my second semester, we had the "signal" as theme. My team mate and myself decided to take on light as type of signal.

    The idea concept goes like this :
    The player finds himself in a pitch dark space, you're lost in darkness. The player can fire "light balls". When a ligh ball collides with a surface (pillars, staires and walls), they emit light, to light the space and guide the player to find his way out.

    This is out core system.

    Problem is: it's too "easy". The player only needs to keep firing light balls against these "sensitive" surfaces in order to illuminate the space and find the way out.

    For the game's proposition, I thought of a Puzzle Platformer. Like Portal, and some inspiration from the game "RenaissanceE".

    In terms of Rational Game Design, I'm really lost. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to proceed. It seems like the player will lose interest.

    Can someone help?
    If it could help, I could upload some gameplay videos to show off what we have in the core system, so far.

    Thanks
     
  2. Murgilod

    Murgilod

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    I think some videos might help, yeah.
     
  3. cdarklock

    cdarklock

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    Problem: The player can fire too many light balls.

    Analysis: Don't let him.

    Solution: You have a limited number of light balls. (That's what she said.) Every time you fire one, it takes a certain amount of time to recharge. This time is longer as you use them.

    Since this is a student project, and you're lost, I'll make a quick reference implementation here which I have not tested in any way at all. I am just typing from memory and may not even be using the right syntax. This is just to give you something to debug.

    Imagine for a moment that you have a limit of five balls. You fire one, and it will be two seconds before you regain that one ball. You fire another, and it will be four seconds before you regain that one, and the rest of the two seconds before you regain the first. Your last ball is reduced in power by the amount of recharge. We'll need four variables to make this work.

    Code (csharp):
    1.  
    2. public int maximumBalls = 5;
    3. public float rechargeSeconds = 2.0f;
    4. public int currentBalls = 5;
    5. private float currentCharge = 1.0f;
    6.  
    In your Update() method, you charge up the balls like this:

    Code (csharp):
    1.  
    2. if(currentBalls < maximumBalls) // only recharge under max ammo
    3. {  // algebra on word problems! YES IT WAS USEFUL
    4.     currentCharge += Time.deltaTime /  // Divide frame time by...
    5.         ( rechargeSeconds * // two seconds per...
    6.             ( maximumBalls - currentBalls ) // ball less than maximum
    7.         );
    8.     if(currentCharge >= 1.0f) // If we're done recharging...
    9.     {
    10.         ++currentBalls; // Add one ball
    11.         if(currentBalls < maximumBalls) // if we are still charging
    12.         {
    13.             currentCharge -= 1.0f; // subtract the full charge
    14.         }
    15.         else
    16.         {
    17.             currentCharge = 1.0f; // cap the charge at full
    18.         }
    19.     }
    20. }
    21.  
    All the rest of your Update() method can stay the same. Now, when the player fires a light ball, you simply wrap that code into an if(currentBalls > 0) { } block and --currentBalls somewhere in there. If you want the light balls to be dimmer based on the charge status, you can multiply your light's intensity by the currentCharge when you instantiate it. If you don't, well, don't do that.

    Most importantly, play with this and use player feedback to find what makes the game the most fun. Tweak and poke at the system until you've made it as good as you can manage.

    And don't be afraid to throw it out if you have a better idea. It's your game.
     
    Ryiah, Kiwasi and TonyLi like this.
  4. theANMATOR2b

    theANMATOR2b

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    Look up The Black Swan for some quality reference - as this idea is nearly identical to it's core system.
     
  5. AlanMattano

    AlanMattano

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    Each time the player start the map is different (generated procedurally). The player has a limited amount of energy in the ship. The light radius is low and lower when energy go down. Can launch a laser that bounces light and drones to explore. But all that subtract energy. So if he go out of energy and restart, the map is different.
     
  6. Not_Sure

    Not_Sure

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    I've come back and forth to this wanting to help, but I've got to say that I think that the problem is that the core concept is uninspired.
     
  7. midogame

    midogame

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    Thanks for the input and the code !
    We've implemented it and it's way better than before now.

    Now I'm gonna design around it. And I've also thought about the light ball getting smaller till it disappears. Will see about that.

    Thanks again
     
  8. midogame

    midogame

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    Can you send a link? I only found a game that looks like Candy Crush.
     
  9. midogame

    midogame

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    I'm not sure if my programmer will be able to code Procedural Generation. But I like the idea. I'll write it down. Thanks a lot !
     
  10. midogame

    midogame

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    Care to elaborate?
     
  11. theANMATOR2b

    theANMATOR2b

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    Doh!
    The Unfinished Swan :confused: not the black swan.
     
  12. AlanMattano

    AlanMattano

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    Did you take a look to this Unity Learn Tutorial?
    Procedural Cave Generation tutorial
     
  13. aer0ace

    aer0ace

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    How about including "light at the end of a tunnel" tricks? Like, you could lead the player to think he/she is close to the exit, they approach it, and find out it's just an LED on a wall. Also, you can hide these sorts of exits by angled walls, such that not only are they fighting through the darkness, but also through a maze. Of course, you'd have to balance that out, because a maze in darkness can get frustrating really quickly.

    Also, do the lights time out? If they do, then it becomes a memory game. That, including limited light balls, can create some interesting gameplay.
     
    theANMATOR2b likes this.
  14. cdarklock

    cdarklock

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    This series may be useful.

     
  15. jballou

    jballou

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    A few general ideas to get your noodle going. This idea is pretty good, and I think there is a lot of meat here once you start unpacking the sort of experience you're trying to create.

    • A reward for using smart ways of firing the balls, where players get to "reclaim" balls/energy which meet a certain criteria for a behavior you want to reinforce. Especially if you have a later mechanic which will require that behavior to master.
    • Shooting in an arc with tight spacing to locate a small platform, or shooting far/near to increase chances of success need to be reinforced or balanced to keep the challenge up and encourage ideal gameplay.
    • Abilities to find upgrades and combine/charge balls. So you have 100 energy, you can shoot 100 very low light balls, 10 medium brightness, or one massive light which will also illuminate sporadically on its trajectory, regardless of if it lands true. Having more than one way to solve the problem opens up a whole new set of possibilities.
    • Timed lights, where a light will fade out over time. This adds some urgency, but still keeps the player in control of the overall pace.
    • Secondary fire to "remote charge" a light, by using a laser to increase its brightness. This should be more energy expensive than simply shooting more balls into that light, but is much more reliable and safe for enhancing far-off or hard to hit balls.
    • Recovery of energy to gun by consuming lights, as it fades players can pull back a portion of that energy and slowly dim out the light. Should be a close-range thing probably. This combines with the traps to let players "bank" light on the other side of a trap run so that they can get moving again faster by thinking ahead.
    • Moving/timed platforms, where the player can jump to a more difficult position (and maybe even allow the balls to "roll off" later-game moving platforms to increase challenge) or take a longer and more energy-costly path which is safer.
    • Enhanced lights, where shooting the same light spot with multiple balls increases the energy there to light up a larger area. This lets cautious players get enhanced light, without requiring them to take big risks by shooting the larger shots. This should be more expensive than the single shot, so a player can fire a 10 energy ball or spend 15 small balls to reach the same light level.
    • Platforms "charge" the gun a small amount as soon as the player lands on it, then slowly charge to capacity over a much longer period. Going back to a previous platform will net a smaller bonus, as all platforms build up that insta-charge over time. This lets players who go fast and have good accuracy move much faster, but also allows players who need more time or run out of energy to still be able to go back and acquire what they need to move on.
    • Recharge rates for the energy gun change based on conditions, moving or going forward increases charge rates and moving backwards or being still reduces it.
    • Trap platforms (which are identified by lights being red when they hit the trap) which drain energy or even zeroes it out in later levels. So, players would have to shoot past the trap, know the next 2-3 moves that need to be made, and make them before the balls extinguish and they are left on a platform without energy. This lets you break up pacing for fast players, and "reset" your pacing and balance in a way which normalizes player state in a more fair way.
    • Power ups to help players through areas, which can be banked and used at any time. Stuff like "Battery Pack" to be able to carry 20 energy which can be instantly added to the gun, "insulators" which protect the player from a trap sapping their energy for a short time, "overcharge" which gives them a constant stream of small balls for a short time.
    • Certain platforms should be able to buff players, or even have an illuminating effect when the player moves on them.
    • Harder to reach platforms with better vantage points, so there can be optional areas the player goes to which reward them with easier shots to subsequent platforms.
    • Map portions or other way of showing a player a representation of a part of the map so they can have a better idea of what is ahead, ideally in a way that needs them to interpret and apply the knowledge (i.e. not just a giant light that flashes and shows the actual level, but a paper map they need to interpret).
    • AI who may just move through on their own, showing the path, or harm/help the player.
     
  16. midogame

    midogame

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    Thank you, A LOT !

    I'll study these suggestions !
    In terms of experience, I want to create a narrative experience. Something happened in the area where the play is that led to the people inhalation. I've already created all the shaders needed. So I have a dissolve shader where I'll be using to write messages on walls, or pillars, etc to narrate the story. They will be shown when the player fires a light ball.
    If you know about the game "NaissanceE", this is the kind of setting I'm looking for.

    Thanks a lot again for the ideas !
     
  17. josehzz112

    josehzz112

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    If may I suggest some options to improve on your core mechanic...
    • Make the Player only shot 1 light ball, and he has to grab it every time he wants to shot again, you could do this and add some hazards along the way to make it challenging and set the travel velocity of the light kinda slow so the player sees at least for a brief moment what lies ahead.
    • If it shots too far make it return to the Player so the difficulty won't increase that much.
    • Increasing the brightness of the light the further it is might also be nice.
     
    MV10 and Kiwasi like this.
  18. Kiwasi

    Kiwasi

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    The solution has been covered well. If a player is breaking a game by spamming an ability, simply limit the players options to use that ability. This can be done with a cool down timer or a limited use mechanic.

    It's worth talking about why this works. Games are all about making interesting decisions. Decisions create tension in the player. Giving the player the right set of decisions at the right time is key to game design.

    And a very simple desicion to offer a player is 'should I use ability x now, or later'. This works because it mirrors how our brains work. Humans are constantly balancing the needs of the immediate with the needs of the future.

    So when you are designing the mechanic, don't think 'I'm making the game harder'. Think 'I'm creating decision points'. The clearer in your mind these desicion points are, the better your game will be.
     
  19. Dynatics

    Dynatics

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    Let's take a look at a few things that could enhance gameplay.
    • Either make it so that the illuminated surface darkens after a short period of time, or restrict the player's ability to shoot based on the amount of the darkness surroundings him.
    In my opinion, the second option, COMBINED with the first one, is a very suitable fit as it will introduce a challenging aspect to the game. Well, good luck, @midogame !
     
  20. midogame

    midogame

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    Thanks everyone for the suggestions !
    I've made some adjustments for the main mechanic and the objects' behavior that interact with it.

    Now, the player has a main reticle to fire a light orb,a dn a secondary one for the charged orb (like in Overwatch with Symmetra, where a second reticle appears for the right click weapon). He can charge the ball, from 0% to 100% and depending on the percentage of the orb, the surface will emit the same amount of light (so let's say the player charges 25%, the ball will illuminate 25% of the capacity of a pillar/wall/object).

    The ball now has a life time. It will decrease in terms of diameter until it disappears completely. That way the world tension of being always pitch dark will always exist, and the player will have to use ability wisely.

    My programmer also managed to create platformers that are activated by the ability, so now we can have puzzles using them.

    The second ability (light torch) is now better : it stays floating on the space for a while then decreases in diameter until in disappears. The player can't use it forever, he has to use his main ability and light a couple of "X" surfaces in a row to be able to use it again.

    The prototype is really nice now and those who tested it were somehow impressed.

    Now the real problem comes upon. The game will be designed just like Portal: puzzle chambers with a door at the end of each one that leads to a corridor (like an interlude, where the players gets to experience the narrative side of the game).

    However, I'm really bad a Level Design and I have no idea how to design these chambers. Can anyone help by indicating sites or anything that I could read/watch to be able to design some?

    Thanks a lot again everyone !
     
    Dynatics likes this.
  21. jballou

    jballou

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    Anything that exposes story to players should either be interactive, or completely hands off. Personally I'd hate having to walk through an area, listening to museum exhibits. The only time this was interesting was the Handsome Jack exhibit in Borderlands 2 :)

    What sort of story are you looking to tell, and what are the natural breaks in the story which will allow you to "chapterize" the narrative? If you're not just going to do a quick cutscene at the beginning, the exposition should expand the player's abilities as well. So, you could go through a room that explains how the gun works, and reveal a hidden feature. Next map, using that feature is necessary, giving the player a reason to not skip the narrative.

    Doing this means the story had better be good, and the rewards or gameplay abilities granted by sitting through your storytelling must be high. I'm a much bigger fan of letting the gameplay drive the narrative, rather than separating the two.

    Perhaps it'd be better with something like finding "books" on certain platforms, which when read reveal new information or unlock new skills for the player to explore? Or, even using them to show the player how to access hidden areas and content?
     
  22. Dynatics

    Dynatics

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    About sites, I'm short. Though, I'd like to ask a few questions;
    • Is this a maze kind of chamber game?
    • Is it ancient or futuristic?
    • How large do you want it to be?
    • Should there be more spacious rooms or cramped pathways? (Like in a ratio, like 1:2)
    That should be some of the basic things you want to be thinking about. Once answered, I shall ask a few more questions based on your answers, which'll ultimately, hopefully, help you to visualize the chambers and their layouts.
     
  23. midogame

    midogame

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    - Yes, maze/chamber game
    - Kinda futuristic, it's set in a nuclear post-apocalyptic world
    - Not too large, the idea of this student project is to showcase "the game" with all the aspects we thought of, so a couple of levels, maybe 10 chambers, each having different puzzles
    - Didn't understand this question, sorry.

    Thanks !
     
  24. midogame

    midogame

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    The story will be telling the player what happened that lead to the nuclear explosion and what caused the world to become so dark. I'm intrigued by a story showing the evolution of humanity and technology, you know like in the start of Soylent Green. Something of that kind.
     
  25. Dynatics

    Dynatics

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    For the fourth question, I meant that whether there is going to be one BIG chamber every level (which I assume not, since it'll take away the dynamic feel of the game), or if it will be like one chamber connected to another, again connected to another, to reach level. I asked if there would be narrow pathways between these chambers, or do they just lead directly to reach other (without a pathway, that is)? And, how will the player advance to different levels? Through a long pathway that you'll skip when the game is transitioning, or a type of elevator that takes you to another level?
     
  26. midogame

    midogame

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    Every two chambers will be connected to eachother through a corridor that will work as an interlude (like the elevator in Portal), where the player will experience the narrative side of the game (he won't be able to use light balls, it'll be a checkpoint, like a tour in a musuem, where each side of the corridor will have some kind of messages, voice lines, statues, etc)
     
  27. Baharreth

    Baharreth

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    If it's for a school project, and you don't know how to design the puzzles, I'd suggest you try to adapt some of the puzzles in existing games to your mechanics. The more you practice creating puzzles, the more easily you will get thoughts on how to tweak them, adapt them, and then in the end make them your own.
    Additionnally, when playing with darkness, the difficulty of a puzzle can quickly increase. Maybe there could be some surfaces that do not actually work with the lights, making that some areas stay dark?
    You could also have switches activated by the light to activate platforms or open doors, and maybe need to find the exact right spot to fire that one light ball so that it activates all the switches?

    The concept sounds really great, and I love games that play with darkness (I do have the project of making one in VR myself :p). If at some point you want more feedback on your prototype, I'd love to play it!
     
  28. midogame

    midogame

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    Thanks for the tips ! :)
    Yeah I already defined some surfaces "sensitive" to the light (that create a chain reaction, aka emitting light) and others that aren't.
    Plus, the surfaces don't emit light permenantly, when the light orb touches one or more of one of them, they light for sevral seconds then turn off again. So it's like a memorizing game where the player will always need to know his location in the game's space and always be careful where they move.

    Everyone that has tested it actually suggested it to be done in VR. But we suck at programming, so for now it'll just be on a standard PC in FPS. :)
    I'll upload a version of the game once I have some levels done to get some feedback from you guys :)