puppet master

Puppet Master was a team project (4 students) that we did over the span of six weeks.  The idea of this course was to get acquainted with the workflow when working with clients.  Each of these clients would provide us with a problem/challenge to work on. The product had to adhere to the values and style (both in visuals and gameplay) of the repertoire of our client, which was Meteor Mug in our case. Their games are known to be fun, accessible, easy to pick up, and polished in look and feel.

The challenge Meteor Mug set for us, was to create a new mechanic, or redesign one of their mechanics, to entice the player to move and explore the map in a first-person bullet hell game. In the tests they conducted, players were reluctant to leave their outposts, mainly because of the chaotic nature of the game. Our task was to think of a unique approach to this issue, and proof its credibility to the client in a playable demo that looks and plays like a Meteor Mug game. 

My design solution in short was to introduce new mechanics to the already existing but kind of redundant raft that players could use to navigate. In order to power the raft, you now need to get on land to collect a fuel resource with your new extractor machine. You are able to switch between your gun and extractor at any time, since there are a lot of enemies hidden in the shallow waters. Once extracted, you need to bring the fuel back to the raft and refill the tank. Your gun also doesn't last forever. It's a special kind of water gun that uses compressed air to fire blasts, and with every bit you use, the pressure drops and your firing range does too. Luckily, the raft is equiped with an air-pressurizer. 

The introduction of these mechanics force the player to have a two way interaction with the raft. You need to get off it to collect resources, but you also have to come back to it te refill your weapon. These kind of mechanics also facilitate multiplayer very well, which is something the client had been thinking about.

During this project I had the role of mechanic & level designer, as well as the developer. It was a challange to manage time and resources with this amount of responsibilty, but it invited me to think and work in a result-driven way, which is something I can call myself a better designer for today.

I learned that communicating regularly with the client during all phases of a project is pivotal. At every opportunity you should ask the client questions to clarify their vision and to specify your concept and design. At the same time, you get the chance to show the client your interpretation and progress, giving them space te evaluate your work and provide feedback.