Map Development

Development went ahead with many concepts from the initial prototypes being expanded upon, specifically a desire to show the consequences of your actions from the switchboard segments, hence the overworld segments. The overworld segments ended up being a big part of the project for me, as I would take on the role of level designer within the team to create a map that suited the evolving needs of the game's design.

 This involved creating several concept maps of key locations planned for the game, then arranging them in various configurations to meet different needs, depending on the desired pathing. Each map has a different focus: the first is meant to support extensive exploration, while the second is a stripped-down version containing only the bare essentials for the game loop. The third is a mix, having some exploration, but also a straightforward route from the starting point on the map to the end. The fourth and final would be another map that was a mix of exploration, but with more unconventional pathing, so that it opened up more exploration opportunities for the player. Eventually, after deliberating with the team, map 3 dubbed "The Big Park" was picked, as the team felt it was the best mix of elements within the concept, that also could appeal to multiple different playstyles, for those who wanted a more direct approach and those who wanted to explore and enjoy the experience more.

Miro To Unity

Miro was the original platform where much of the game map was constructed, as it was easy to construct, test and iterate upon map designs here. Miro was a tool commonly used throughout the project for collaboration and information storage, as in many game design projects. However, for this project, the team also used Miro to test map and narrative elements after the initial map design was decided.  Miro would end up being an invaluable tool for testing, used to playtest the level design and narrative elements of the game, with our Unity build built off the design and feedback from our Miro playtests. Miro ended up being so invaluable that we continued testing elements in for several months after the unity build was up and running, but being able to test quickly and cheaply while failing fast provided a great space for ideation on the project. On the left, you can see an example of what the work done in Miro build would eventually become in the final game.