A Level Design, Anyone? - Mami Update

Welcome back to another checkup on the Mami game project!

To start with myself, I’ve been working on the layout of the first ‘real’ (ethereal?) level of the game.  This post-introductory environment is very important to Mami’s design, as it is likely to be the final displayable part completed before the end-of-the-year product lock and crunch.  Therefore, I may have been a bit nit-picky on the details of the rough-drafts, but those things need to be considered.  After review, a wish-list of features was finalized to be included in level 1, regardless of the gritty details.

Other members of the team have been keeping things going as well.  Vector illustrations are being finalized for the protagonist, background assets are nearly complete, animations are under refinement, and certain tutorial/narrative assets have been written.  Team Squaybies is trying to keep busy!

In regards to stories, we’ve hit our average number of completed stories for the week and surpassed it; sounds like an overall productive week!  Now, let’s see if we can keep it up next week (especially with Spring Break the week after).  Take care until later next week to see any new progress made.

Crashing the Castle

What’s the best time you and 3 friends have ever had in front of a screen?  Well, if you’ve already had the pleasure of playing Castle Crashers, a run-through the colorful world was likely a party unto itself.

Let’s start with the unique art style; Castle Crashers uses bright colors, simple palettes, bold outlines, and a hand-drawn look to keep things simple.  The distinct silhouettes keep the player’s eye on their knight, while clearly defining what enemies are at hand.  Bright flashes and wonderful animations keep fights engaging; the environments are fresh and unique at every level.  Suffice to say that Castle Crashers is a very pretty game.

Now, what does this seemingly basic look convey in its play?  Silliness.  Sheer, unadulterated, silly fun.  The tale of the player’s trek across the land is fraught with ninjas, bears, skeletons slime bats aliens … too many varieties to include.  These antagonists are keeping the princesses of the kingdom hostage for the evil intentions of an all-powerful sorcerer in his massive fortress.  Not cliché enough for you yet?  Here’s a spoiler – the hero (you or one of your buddies) gets the girl at the end!  Just the unabashed nature of player motivation is worth playing this game.

With the praises I’ve already shoveled on this title, here’s a bow to wrap it up: the controls rock.  Direction is smooth, button presses are responsive, and the straight-forward consequences of what the player does never get turned-around on the player.  It feels ‘natural’ to do things in game.  And did I mention the starting room that prompts the players to test just what their knight can do?  Well, it’s brilliant.

If you are sick of my swooning, don’t worry – I’m done.  But please, if you have a few bucks and a handful of friends that like to have fun together, play this game.  You owe it to yourself to have as much fun as Castle Crashers offers, and it’s also a great study in how a game can take ‘simple’ to complex and epically enjoyable heights.

P.S.  I’m not sure what I’ll write on next, but it’ll come sooner or later.  Until then, take care!

• + Colorful palette is refreshing from level to level.
• + Tight controls with solid cooperative play.
• + Plentiful enemy, item, and power variety.
• + Sheer … fun to experience.
• - Not more games like this.
• A fix: Study this game, and make more like it!

Puzzles! Prototypes! Play!

Can you guess what this is about yet?  Well, it has been awhile, but I promise you that I’ll be writing about Team Squaybies and Mami – my school group game project – more frequently.  So, as a start, here’s what I’ve been doing recently.

A few weeks ago our group leader brought on the next stage of Mami’s development in the form of having a spree of stories written for this sprint (if you aren’t catching the lingo, check the wiki) concerning puzzles and prototyping.  Stories from map implementation to death-trap rhythms are being pursued to test their fit within the game.  As the official QA lead, this has been my calling!

Last week saw me write-up and test a paper-pencil prototype for the possibility of adding a map a la Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey, materials provided for by other group members.  The initial tests were promising, allowing me to formulate a general strategy for utilization, and a rule-set for future testing efforts.

Just today, a team member and I play-tested the rhythm sequences that would harm the player in-game from falling or flying objects.  At .5 seconds for falling, .5 for jump safety, we concluded that that timeframe would be a great start for any newb player trying the puzzle for the first time.  This was accomplished using only stopwatches and quick fingers; definitely a time-saver on a programmer-strapped team!

Well, there is of course more, but that would be taking away content from next week’s update.  Suffice to say that Mami is coming along nicely.  Take care, and stay tuned for more to come!