Haul

The Process​

This project was an assignment for our systemic design module whereby the game's systems would continue to operate and interact with each other independently without the player's involvement. Our concept revolved around a resource management game, which involved the player managing multiple resources and engaging in trade with neighboring islands for resources. Initially, we had also envisioned for more dynamic systems, such as random events occurring that would impact trade between islands. After careful consideration, we ultimately decided to scale down on the scope of the project. 
The game starts with the player receiving a set amount of resources, which gradually depletes over time due to maintenance cost of their land. Each island he player trades with are responsible for generating a key trade commodity. The price for each commodity are also influenced by the demand for each item at he time. In addition to generating income through trade, non player character (NPC) islands and the player are given the ability to maintain an army, used for patrolling of trade routes directly connected to their respective islands. By gaining control over these routes, NPCs and the player are able to impose tax on trade ships passing through, this serves as an alternative mean of income generation. We aimed to create a complex economic ecosystem by implementing these mechanics by replying on resource management, trade and through the control of trade routes. Scoping down and homing in on these key mechanics allowed us to focus more on the core gameplay aspects and to deliver a more cohesive experience within the time we had.

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User Interface and Experience

Initially, one of our team members was tasked with the designing of the user interface for the game. However, throughout the development process, we encountered some challenges which prompted us to convene as a team to improve upon the initial user interface mockup presented to us. To start, I collaborated closely with another team member to draw inspiration from the existing mockup in order to seek ways on how we could better improve it. Using Figma, we drafted a new mockup that provided a clearer understanding of the desired scale and size of the UI elements on screen.  As our game revolved heavily around resource management, it was important for us to ensure that players could easily view their own resources and the resource pool of other NPC islands. One major design goal we had was to avoid having the player constantly click into each island to access information about the available resources and make purchase. Recognizing this approach involved repetitive clicking and manual recollection from the player for too many numbers and resources, we introduced a global market feature. The global market allowed players to conveniently filter and view respective items and the prices sold by each island. This feature streamlined the trading process and provided a more efficient and user friendly experience for players. 

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Playtesting

Throughout the playtesting process, a crucial aspect we focused on was the balancing of trade amongst the NPC islands. We initially encountered a recurring issue whereby a single NPC island consistently dominated the majority of resources, leading to an imbalance in trade and other NPCs struggling to recover, resulting in a rapid decline in their population. We also found more areas where improvement could be made in the user interface. We addressed and made those improvements with the aim to streamline the player's interactions within the game, improve clarity and to provide players with a more intuitive gameplay experience. 

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Choice of art

Drawing inspiration from a few table top games, we decided to use hexagonal tillable pieces with differing heights to create the main island terrains. Being the only 3D artist for this project, decided to go with a more simplified and low polygon art style. To establish distinct environments for each island, we used differing land colors as well as incorporate trees and rocks that corresponded to the specific habitats. Most of the models created were designed to be tillable, allowing for efficient placement throughout the environment. To signify the primary commodity produced by each island, 3D models of the corresponding commodities were scattered within their respective islands. Another team member also drew over the 3D models of each commodity to create user interface icons to represent each commodity within the game's interface. Upon completing the key gameplay interactive assets, I focused on adding a layer of polish to enhance the overall visual appeal of the game. This involved implementing a water shader on a plane to simulate the presence of water surround the islands and ships. Small formal formations were also added underwater, alongside lamps and other decorative elements, all aimed at bringing more life into the environment to provide a more immersive gameplay experience. 

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Post-mortem 

Throughout the duration of this project, I learned the importance of playtesting and scoping within our means and the time we had. As we developed a systemic game where the player's interaction was primarily focused on on-screen user interfaces, we encountered instances whereby our initial user interface designs seemed sufficient but required further refinement to enhance the user experience. From constant playtesting of the game, we were able to identify areas of improvements that we did not anticipate and we were able to identify additional opportunities for enhancement to better serve the user's needs and overall experience.