BLITZFIRE
ROLE : TECHNICAL DESIGNER (SEPTEMBER 2016 - DECEMBER 2016)
PLAYABLE EXE (XBOX CONTROLLER REQUIRED) :
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bynxe8QH1U8saWxYQ1lhLTZtVHM

​Blitzfire is a Doom styled first person shooter that attempts to explore the concept of orthogonal unit differentiation. The game features two NPC classes orthogonally differentiated on a few axes. The player has at his disposal two different weapons that map to specific use cases in the possibility space. The goal is to author a level where the player is actively formulating strategies which derive directly from the relationship between his weapons and the NPC classes

PAGE 1 LINK TO PAGE 2

To recap on the results from phase 1 of development, based on results from previous gameplay iterations, I was able to create a balanced system with an orthogonally differentiated system of  two weapons (pistol : long range, low damage and shotgun : short range, high damage) and two NPC types (soldier : hitscan, low damage and commando : projectile, high damage). To this very basic system we added two additional mechanics to see how the game mechanics interact with orthogonality and therefore player strategy. The first was an enemy stun feature and the second was a crouch based cover system. We now intend to add a third mechanic, a time based forcefield feature. However, before the feature is added in the mix we thought it would be an interesting experiment to see how these features play out in isolation. The information from these tests will allow the formulation of player strategies to specific scenarios therefore allowing us to utilize these learnings in a level with all of these scenarios combined. Here is what we found.
  • Inherent player tendency is towards the path of least resistance, in this case charging  towards enemies to simplify aiming.
  • Cover as a legitimate tool neutralizes this tendency. Time based forcefield on the other hand, encourages charging.
  • Therefore, we have an orthogonal differentiation between the usage of cover and the usage of a forcefield. Furthermore this usage also reinforces the existing orthogonality between weapons, i.e. pistol is more useful with cover
and shotgun is more useful with forcefield. Our next level should be an attempt to get players to think about which would be more applicable given a scenario, and an attempt to create sub levels where optimum weapon - scenario pattern inverts. In designing this level we will utilize and test the following learnings :

COVER

  • Usage : Player use cover only when it is perceived as necessary to clear the level. The utility of cover points are largely governed by the field of vision from a peek.
  • Behavior : When in cover mode, players typically first peek from cover to assess enemy locations before attempting to fire after peek.
  • Weapon Differentiation : Shotguns force players to move to cover points where enemies are in range, while pistols allow the safety of staying on one cover point until jeopardized.
  • Provoking Player Movement : Breaking cover depends on weapons available or effective in the scenario. Example - A commando could provoke movement when only a pistol is available.
  • Intelligent Play : Break cover and rush towards enemy when timing is right. For example, enemy has just fired and no danger exists in breaking cover.

FORCEFIELD

  • Usage : Players typically use force fields when the level starts to look overwhelming, unseen damage is being taken or to get close enough to an enemy to deal stun damage.​​
  • Behavior : When in force field mode, players alternate fire on soldiers to maintain stun, but only within a reasonable field of vision.
  • Weapon Differentiation : Shotguns are most effective in conjunction with forcefield. However, pistol allows for a greater stagger rate.
  • Provoking Player Movement : In force field mode, there is pressure to utilize time effectively. Therefore the range and effectiveness of a weapon can be used to maneuver the player.
  • Intelligent Play : Optimizing forcefield time by invoking just before enemy fire.