Info

Genre: Party game

Roles: Gameplay & Scripting.

Time: 2 weeks

Team: 7 (3 Designers)

Platform: PC

Engine: Unreal 4

Version Control: Perforce

Theme: Physics-based, Goofy

Year:2019

Robotage

Robotage is a 2-4player party game goofy-deathmatch. 

Control robots who move by a physic-based spinning ball. 

The objective is to push the others off the map and be the last robot standing.  

My Contributions

  • Gameplay design

  • Blueprint Scripting

  • Player Controller

  • Organized Play-testing

  • Balancing

Content

 

Game Overview

Goal

Be the last robot rolling!

 

Design Pillars

Physic-based

Goofy

Copetitive

 

Game Loop

Try not to fall

off the roof!

Push others

off the roof

 

Mechanics

Controls

Easy to understand, not as easy to control! 

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One of the assignments for this project was Goofy controls.

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We implemented this by making the player control a physics-based ball.

The controls are very easy to understand.

Just aim the controller stick in the direction where you want to move. 

 

But since the characters are physic-based and the movement is Torque-based. Turning and changing directions does not happen instantly.

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It's the same thing with acceleration. It takes some time to spin up, Once you do you gain momentum very fast!

Attackers advantage

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To give players an incentive to attack rather than just rolling around hiding. We added an "explosion" to the collision. The higher the momentum, the more powerful the explosion.

Embrace the philosophy "The best defense is a good offense"

Dash
 

  • A large amount of force is applied in the direction the player is aiming towards

  • The movement change is instant and the player keeps the momentum.

  • Can be used to push others or save yourself 

  • On a short cooldown

  • Feedback via Sound, VFX, and Haptic (Controller vibration)
     

The dash is designed to be useful but dangerous.​

  • If you intend to push someone out but miss you are very likely to roll out off the rooftop! 

  • When reaching high speed the robot becomes hard to control.

Fence

 

The fence is designed to save players from a slowly rolling over the edge or getting a light push once.

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However, if you receive a hard push or come in with high speed you will fly through it. 

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Once a piece of fence is destroyed it is gone for the rest of the match. 

HUD

Simple game, simple HUD!

All players start matches with 3 extra lives

Player direction indicator

 

Blueprints

(Click to enlarge).

Final thoughts

Even though the basic idea of the game is very simple, it took a lot of work and playtesting to balance the player movement and mechanics to were we wanted them to be. 

This was our first game project. I think we all learned a lot, Making the game was a lot of fun and I am proud of the result.