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Charles Django
Finalist for the national Search For A Star Design Competition
ReRooting
Not playable, this was more of a test, with a detailed progress log.
Helped Grads In Games connect to Abertay Students, and entered in 2023 and 2024.
Responsibilities
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Creating strict goals, pillars and conventions in response to the competitions scoring. Referring back to these during iteration.
Analysing requirements
Following AGILE to explore a concept, and showing my process of problem solving, risk management and opinions with documentation and videos.
Conveying my thoughts
Not just presenting my work, but informing students of Grads in Games and the SFAS competition, to encourage more signups.
Presenting
Implementing features, actions, widgets, AI, wave management, animations, etc. All focussed on playability ASAP to iterate on a unique 3Cs.
Blueprint Scripting & Mechanic Design
Finding progression different to "Get to Point B", and rapidly implementing with Asset Packs and terrain systems. Not the main focus.
Level Design
Role(s)
Technical Designer (Solo Developer)
Team Size
1
The Background
The original brief was to combine "two starting points". I chose "cyberpunk" and "plants", themes unrelated to games specifically in order to keep the project from just becoming a gimmick.
The submission involved a 15 minute showcase, a design document, and a development document. This project got through to the finals due to the complexity and intrigue of its core system.
Genre
Wave Defence Tactical Shooter with important resource management.
Duration
November 2023 - January 2024
The Project
An exploration of a "routing system", where plant nutrients are acquired from the environment, then channelled to different parts of the body to empower different actions.
The system is constantly present, and the loop involves analysing a situation, rerouting the correct nutrient to the correct actions, then responding. Additionally, combining certain nutrients creates more resources, that are used to upgrade actions and prevent overgrowing that's caused when nutrients are left for too long.
Details
The first thing I did was set out the Aim, internal goals, external goals, design pillars and themes of the game. Every decision I made HAD to link back to these in some ways, and tasks were split between three categories. Additionally, I split the project into sprints, where I'd list features at the start (along with potential problems), implement them, then review the issues encountered and problems after testing, affecting the product backlog.
Despite the restriction, the project was designed so it could easily continue development, and the design document ends with brief descriptions of 3 completely different projects that continue but spin the system, This was to ensure the project had longevity and that the restrictions only enhanced its potential. In fact, the core system was taken in a brand new, much better direction for a new project at DARE Academy 2024, to be shown at EGX.
Self management using AGILE and restrictions.
I followed a strict, problem-solving focussed approach. Where at the start and end of every sprint, I would go over the game and find anything that went against the goals of the project or could hurt the experience in other ways, then explore solutions, and add them to the backlog. The development document shows constant "problems and solutions" tables.
Unfortunately, due to being a prototype made in short time, I could never do full handsoff testing, but sprint 1 included discussion and showcasing the features with associates, then assisted testing of the micro features only in sprint 2, then further assisted testing of combat and progression in sprint 3.
Means of constantly iterating while still progressing.
A priority of the project was showing my thought process and approach during development, as well as the project on a more "emotional" level than just a feature list. Getting people to understand why the game is the way it is in a digestible and engaging manner. I found ways to blend professional detail without being soulless (in-person and in writing), how to appeal to player expectations to help them learn the project on their own, how to use consistent themes and tropes, and by extent, understood better how I think.
This was put to the test in the development document, design document, showcase video, finalist interview, context given to testers, and discussion at the Finals Day in Sheffield.
How to present a project.
Lessons Learned
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Pre-Production
Production
Post-Production
Gallery
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