Game System Designer
Mow Down is a local party game, where players ride lawnmowers to mow over objects to use in a battle against the other. The playstyle feels much like a tank battle game (like Wii Play: Tanks) that meets a chaotic party brawler (like Boomerang Fu).
On this project I got the responsibilities of a Gameplay System Designer, being responsible for general gameplay systems and player movement systems. This included:
Designing, prototyping, and balancing the core game loop.
Designing, prototyping, and balancing the 3C’s, containing:
Player movement, the way the player feels when rotating and moving.
Player controls, creating intuitive controls for controllers and keyboard.
Boost system, to give players an option to reposition.
Designing and prototyping a system to prevent spawn camping.
Respawn system, specialised respawn system to create random respawn locations.
I-frames, to give the respawning player an advantage.
QA testing to create fair and tense gameplay, making adjustments based on feedback.
Worked closely with other designers to align ammo systems with desired gameplay experience.
I was responsible during this project for creating player systems that would support a fair playstyle and encourage fighting your opponent. Below you can read more about:
University Project
Project info
8 weeks
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My contribution
Showcase
Core Gameplay loop
14 people
Local Party Game
Core Gameplay loop
Gameplay System designer
What
Designed a system that gives you more movement as a player. By pressing and holding down a button the speed of the player would increase hugely.
How
By mowing over grass that is not cut yet, you gain charge for the acceleration mechanic. This mechanic was simple to use and supported by UI elements to ensure players could focus their attention on the gameplay without micro-tracking their resources.
Why
From playtests it became clear that players often felt like they could not do anything after being hit and felt stuck. The other player would just hid somewhere far away from the player they just hit. To create more balanced gameplay we provided a system that closes distance more easily and opens up opportunities to players both offensively and defensively.
Boost System
What
Designed and polished a system that makes the players rotate their character in a smooth way which resembles the movement of a real lawnmower.
How
By having a smooth interpolation in orientation between the current and desired angle I tried to make it feel realistic & intuitive. It does require a small amount of time to get to the desired rotation, immitating a lawnmower..
Why
Using a small delay in the rotation process allowed players to punish eachother for small mistakes. Not only did this make the game more realistic but it also created a more tense PvP environment in which players could improve their skills to better the other.
Navigation System
What
When the players are hit they have to respawn somewhere else to make sure the gameplay stays interesting and challenging. For this I designed a system to ensure nice balancing and fair opportunities.
How
The moment a player gets hit they will be launched up in the air. They will then be teleported to one location from an array. These locations are scanned on coverage from the other player and distance, best item is selected. On top of this there are some i-frames.
Why
Before using a respawn system the players would always drive into each other and have an awkward facedown. The person with the most bullets or best timing would win. To make sure the game would keep progressing I designed a respawn system.
To assure they can engage in battle again without unfair scenarios, I chose for invulnerability frames. Enforcing the respawning player to use this to get a fair chance.
