Game Idea Research
The game idea that I have decided to develop and research in more detail is the Roly Poly Game (this name may have to change in due course). Based on the feedback I received from Shaun and the research I did myself, this is the game idea I will be taking forward in my project. Today’s blog is all about researching my idea further, developing the game, thinking of how it may work and how I will create it on Unity. I did some research myself and have found a few videos which may help me to create my maze for my game; https://youtu.be/IrO4mswO2o4, https://youtu.be/S8XVGMDZM8U , and one on how to make the silver ball and how to help it move https://youtu.be/yiv57JuzaHs.
The game is going to be a puzzle, the whole idea of the game will be for the player to get the silver ball from one side of the maze to the other in the fastest time. It will be a 3D game. The maze will have multiple exits as mentioned in my last blog to make it easier on the player as the player will be viewing the maze from eye level so it may be difficult to find an exit, but this is why it will be interesting & fun!
3 Mechanics that will be used in my game;
Timer:
A timer will be used in my game, hopefully a working timer which times the progress of the player & how long they take to complete the task. The timer will automatically stop when the player reaches an exit and pushes the ball off of the side of the map. The timing system will help players to see how well or how bad they are doing and make them go quicker. This will be displayed the top right hand corner of the game and will start when the player presses the start button.
I believe a timer will work well for some people in this game and bring out their competitive streak or it will not work well with the people who can't complete the maze and it will bring out frustration, either way I think it will be interesting!!
Here is a video found during my research on how to create a working timer- https://youtu.be/ijAN0QI70UU
Here is a link to an article I read on the use of timers in games during my research too- https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JackPalmer/20151019/256526/Time_for_a_timer__Effective_use_of_timers_in_game_design.php\
Turning Mechanics:
As this game is all about speed and who can complete the task in the quickest time the player needs to be able to move in all directions quickly in order to move through the maze and find an exit. So the ball will need to be able to turn in every direction quickly, Forward, Backward, Left & Right. Having this mechanic will help the player to make quick decisions on which path to choose or to quickly undo their decision and to take another path.
Here is a video I found showing you how to move a ball on unity- https://youtu.be/7C7WWxUxPZE
Here is an article found online showing different types of game mechanics that you can use in your game- https://gameanalytics.com/blog/14-best-hyper-casual-gameplay-mechanics.html#Puzzle
Obstacles:
Technically my whole game will be an obstacle course. The maze will be the obstacle, in this game I will try to make some parts of the maze harder than others to give the player a challenge. There will be multiple exits for this maze as outlined already to help the players out a bit. The maze/obstacle will be built high so there will be no way for the player to see above the maze and find out exactly where to go to find the exit. The game will be a trial based game, the player will need to try different paths in the maze to find our which one has the exit and if they find the exit they will succeed.
Here is a video on how to create a maze- https://youtu.be/E3ujH-6lwnY
I am very excited to see how this game will be turn out with lots of research and designing. I am looking forward to developing this game idea more and creating some prototypes for it to see if it will all work out well. I don't know how an amature game designer like me is going to design a fully working game from just an idea but from my research I see there is lot of help & resources out there to help me along the way!
Thanks for reading my blog all about my game idea & the research that i have undertook this week to be ready to create this game.
Hey there Aiobhe, It is nice to see that you have moved on with this Roly Poly idea. The name fits with the idea really. I am wondering how much time will be given in this game to get to the end of the maze. I am actually looking forward to this game creation and Yes I will get he fastest time no matter how long it takes 😂. -Tochi
ReplyDeleteHi Aoibhe, your game sounds great! And the timer would definitely bring out my competitive side and I'd ask everyone how they did and if I beat them. Have you thought about maybe alternatively if the ball gets stuck at the little barrier parts that the timer loses a few seconds? Not sure of the mechanics, but could add even more pressure to the player. I like that you've said the maze will be high so players can't see, I think that's definitely going to upset a few players but that's part of the fun. You've done a lot of research too, you have plenty of resources linked so hopefully that makes it easier for you to do. Sounds very interesting and I'm excited to see how it goes! I'm also curious to see how much you're going to give everyone. Will you have a easy, medium, hard option that determines this for you?
ReplyDeleteHey Aoibhe, just after reading about your game and it sounds like will be good fun to play!. I know I would spend hours playing it trying to win and beat my times from the previous games. What if , if the player gets 3 wrong exits in a row then the game is over that the player only has a number of chances to find the exit before the game is over? The video for the timer is very helpful as I will need one for my game. I wonder if the player is able to get the exits to be more noticeable to make it easier to find it only for a certain amount of time and if the player can't find it then the game is back to normal that they have to find it on their own. It sounds like a good game that ypu wouldn't get bored of cause keep wanting to try and win.
ReplyDeleteHi Aoibhe
ReplyDeleteI have to say the description was vary well done and easy to fallow, you left nothing out when describing the purpose of the game and how to play it. I also like how simple it sounds like it will be vary easy for you to make it. But I wonder will the view the camera have be of behind or in front of the ball that wasn't made vary clear in this post and I have to ask how are they going to navigate the maze will it be just blind luck or will the be little hints and clues along the way to help the player. I'm also concerned about something what if the ball gets stuck and cant move around because the halls of the maze are not fare enough apart.
Hi Aoibhe,
ReplyDeleteI think your idea is very solid and I love the concept of using a maze like an obstacle course. It was very well laid out and easy to understand. The idea of rolling around the maze till you tip it out is actually so simply genius I'm a little jealous I didn't think of it myself. Also having a timer is such a smart way of getting the player to come back to improve on their last attempt. I wonder if there is a way you could make it a bit more difficult to add a bit of replay value (meaning that the player wants to keep coming back) like maybe you could have parts of the ground raise up temporarily to block players just an idea. What if you made it so that the exits rotate around the outside so the maze just so there is a bit of challenge but that this can be turned off if the player would rather not have this element. You game sounds great anyway so keep going.
Hi Aoibhe!
ReplyDeleteI really love your game idea; I think it can be developed well and a really fun game to play! I really enjoy your writing because you describe everything really well and it was really easy to grasp and understand. It painted a picture in my mind! It is such a creative idea to do, I would've never even of thought it was possible to make! I like how you added a timer as it really makes people more competitive! How will you go in different directions? Will it be the arrow keys or perhaps other keys? One suggestion would be adding in a hole in one of the wrong paths so when you go wrong and you don't see the hole you'll fall and therefore die? Really enjoyed it overall, I’m looking forward to it being completed and hopefully I will be able to play it! Best of luck! -Megan