Designer Blog #2

Hello hello everyone!

I'm Marisa Moreno, the lead designer over at Sparkplug Studios, and I'm back this week to give an update on the production of our game Robot Riot.

While our team's producer Miciah Coley will discuss the production itself in his blog post, I will focus on the current state of the game as it stands today, and the direction we are striving for later on in production.

During this past two-week sprint, we were able to put together the game mechanics we had available, and our 3D designed props and environment pieces into a testable level. From there, I conducted playtesting to get an early feel of the game, specifically the game's mechanics, the position of the players' camera view, and the overall size and scale of the environment and props of the first level.

Since most of the bot characters designs (in both bot and combat mode) are similar in stature and width, we wanted players to assess the characters' size compared to the level's own scale. A majority of the feedback enjoyed the current state of the level with its moderately sized level. However, the camera position needs a slight adjustment in order to view the level better, which is something paired with the next area of testing: the base movement and combat interactions.

The movement control scheme was in its early stages at the time of the build, so some noticeable changes were not made until after playtesting. The players' jump height was too strong, and a few players were able to jump out of the map.

Since the game is also played on a pair of controllers, the look sensitivity on the right stick needs further improvement or a setting for players to be able to change the value to their preference. This also brings up the possibility to adjust the control scheme mapping, as a few playtesters were a bit lost on which buttons to press. We do have a control scheme map in the game's main menu for this build, but this brings to attention that one may be needed after players have started in the pause menu.

Even though the game is in a very early state, players had overall fun while playing against each other. Some bugs and collider issues on the game engine side are needing to be addressed and fixed, but that did not take away from the enjoyment experienced during playtesting. Other changes and additions to the game mechanics will also be addressed and implemented later in development, so please stay tuned for more updates.

At the time of this blog, we are working diligently to finish level two as we begin to move into Level 3: The Oasis. The idea is to have a sort of paradise mixed with Roman and Grecian themed architecture and structures, an idea that continues to be highlighted with our environmental models and structures. We are also diving towards the oasis theme with prop items similar to those in a tropical resort, as well as a central moat located in the center of the level. The overall level design was created by our very own Carl Moreno.

As for game direction, there was a slight design choice made in the creation of the game's second level, but a decision that did not entirely interrupt the flow of production we have completed thus far. It remains the Village theme I detailed in the previous blog, but with a more modern theme than originally planned.

Even though this recent build had very little incorporated into it, we were able to receive good feedback despite its current state to be able to adjust and improve upon it as production progresses. And I am so proud of the team and the work they have accomplished thus far.

Catch you in the next update!