Production dev Blog 1

Hello. The game we are developing is called Steel Specter. The Steel Specter project consists of 12 team members, and the overall game design was developed by game designer Leland LeVassar. If you would like to know about the overall game design, please visit his blog to understand his vision.

Next, I will inform you about the vision of Steel Specter. Steel Specter is a shooting game where the player can hack and possess enemy robots to change weapons and abilities. The game is in the cyberpunk and mech-style SF genre, developed using the Unity engine. Players can hack enemy units of light, medium, and heavy robot types, utilizing their abilities and weapons to battle in deteriorated areas. Since each enemy type has different capabilities based on their mechanical type, players must strategically hack enemies while simultaneously defeating them. Occasionally, enemies can be killed to collect energy cells for recovery. The ultimate game goal is to eliminate all enemies and complete the level. Based on this vision, here is the work completed in Sprint 1.

Programming Before starting development, programmers began basic document work by creating a Scripting checkout list sheet in Excel format to easily distribute given cards and check the progress of their work. Based on this checklist sheet, programmers divided the parts they needed to develop. After dividing the parts, programmers wrote ClassMaps for each part to discuss future development features with each other, minimizing the trial and error in the Main Branch when merging the Player Movement and Weapon classes from their Branches in Github. This step was necessary as it planned how development would proceed through mutual prior agreement. Later, the programmers produced two ClassMaps: Player Movement and Weapon. Based on the created class maps, Dylan was responsible for the robot's basic movements. Robots can change direction with WASD, switch cameras with the mouse, and jump with space. In addition, the basic structure of the Hacking system, a core element of Steel Specter, was created to implement the hacking. Chase programmed two types of weapons for Steel Specter. There are two types of weapons that players can use in Steel Specter: the Primary weapon and the secondary weapon. Below are the core elements of the game developed by programmers.

Chase Morgan's work

Dylan Dorey's work

Modeling While players explore the cyberpunk city and engage in combat with various enemies, our modeling team focused on creating all the props needed for the in-game environment. Since the main robot's body type concept art has not yet been completed, the team worked hard to create various props commonly seen in the city environment. These props include gas cylinders, pipes, concrete barriers, traffic cones, neon signs, steam-venting air vents, and the health cell that players can obtain when they defeat an enemy was also designed. Each prop plays a role in immersing players in a world lit by neon signs and the bright lights that illuminate the night in a desolate world. Like modular buildings suitable for props, these props will allow level designers to find appropriate spaces to place them and experience various environments. In addition, Dylan from the modeling team had concept art for the head part of the initial Light body type, so he was able to create the head for this body type.

Dylan Wiltermood's work

Peter Gahl's work

Jonathan Villaloboz's work

Level Design The level designers did not want players to encounter enemies right from the start, so they decided to create a tutorial. The composition of the tutorial is as follows: Players will learn the basic movements, Primary weapon, Secondary weapon, and the basics of the Hacking system through various levels designed by the level designers in the tutorial scene. Players test the basic movements, shooting, and hacking they learned in the tutorial. Although players have not yet played the tutorial, the level designers have implemented various level designs for the players in the tutorial. You can check the levels they implemented through the following screenshots.

Angel Madueno's work

Brad Farris's work

Animation Since there were no characters, the animation team mainly modeled props that could have animations themselves. Dominick created the animation for the moving light arm. Keana produced a reference video for the light body type to show how the light body type would move.

Keana Lee's work

Dominick Guarin's work

2D Art Anthoney was responsible for designing the Concept Art. The reason Concept Art is needed is that it allows team members responsible for modeling to refer to his concept art to figure out how to build the robots. Therefore, Anthoney simultaneously produced BluePrints for Light, Medium, and Heavy body types for the modeling team members.

Anthoney Jonsston's work

Conclusion 

In the first sprint, our team achieved 56 points out of the assigned 122 points. The reason we only achieved half of the sprint is my responsibility for not considering the production of concept art. Therefore, next time, I will assign cards to the team considering the work of other team members. In the next sprint, we will complete the digital prototype and production of Level 1, enabling players to actually fight on this map. In addition, we will complete the overall modeling of buildings, not just props, and work on placing buildings on each level. Finally, based on this produced prototype, we will conduct an initial playtest to consider the direction in which the game can develop.