Those Left Behind

Will you lead your family to a better future?

Week 6 – Preparations

Monday 3rd March – Art & Programming

Feedback from Game Designer and Programmer Louis (guest speaker):

  • Provide gratification and justification:
    • Make players care about numbers and reward them for doing actions using fun animations and sounds etc.
    • Consider adding a small mechanic to increase player enjoyment, giving them something to do when they may have to wait.
    • Smooth and streamline actions – instead of slow and tedious ‘drag and drop’ mechanic, consider implementing a double click.
  • Suggested research games:
    • Foundation – a cosy management game where you can follow characters around the world and see what they get up to outside of management.
    • Papers Please – a strong narrative conveyed with minimal things being said, creating a distinct atmosphere.

After lunch, the team sat down to discuss plans for the next playtest in week 9. This meant working on the feedback given from the previous playtest and expanding on it. We looked at what was most important and what could be prioritised in the next 3 weeks, especially with week 7 being reading week. Yiran wasn’t with us for this meeting but all points will be shared.

What do we want for week 9? (highest priority to lowest)

  • Instructions/tutorial – user clarity
  • Established UI
    • UI sounds
  • Refine drag & drop mechanic
  • Weekly requirements to include all resources
  • Week continuation. Player survives week 1 and can move on to week 2.

3-Week Plan: (Updated since Monday*)

Week 6MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday
Sprint Planning  

UI redesign meeting		Design tutorial storyboard – Anna Finish Ingrid concept art – Gabi UI unity grey box – Joe
Week 7 – formative feedbackMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday
Click to hold, click to drop mechanic – Joe  

Fix character placeholder mechanic – Joe		Survivor camp BG – Rosie Updated resource tracker script – Joe *  Finish Ingrid character art – Gabi
Week 8MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday
UI sounds – Yiran    Start resource camp buildings – Rosie

UI art assets – Anna *		GROUP PRESENTATION  

Dialogue scene music – YiranImplement art for UI – Anna*
Week 9MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday
Write up plan for playtest – Anna/RosieComplete resource camps – Rosie

Implement camp assests – Anna		Implement tutorial – JoePLAYTEST 2 Collect results  

Thursday 6th March – Changes

Sophie and Vanissa came around to check up on our team before reading week started to see where we were at and how we feel, the overall consensus is that everyone was fairly confident with the except of a few concerns over a potential lack of tasks within roles in the near future – me (Anna) feeling as though I hit a roadblock with my role as a World Designer and no longer having anything to produce in that regard, and Gabi the Character Artist noting that after she finishes the concept art and the final character for it, she also would seemingly have not much to do.

The solution was to split up some of Joe’s workload between the programming and the UI to give him space to focus on the mechanics, we came to the agreement that we would use Joe’s wireframe of a new UI and that I would design the art for it. Everything can be blocked out in Unity as a placeholder and then replaced with the art. To take the character art further, Gabi was suggested to create expression sheets for the characters. This would be especially useful during the dialogue scenes to make the characters feel dynamic and alive. With alterations made the 3-week plan, we will continue ahead with it as agreed.

In