¶ Mistakes were made
It’s been difficult to figure out exactly where this video should sit within this series but I think now is the perfect time to explain why the game is very different from the original idea of the multiplayer battle royal originally planned.
As I mentioned in the Welcome and Introduction Video, given the time restraints we had along with a few other issues, this was not going to be possible.
The map was built and it seemed logical that a single player version to essentially clear the map each time would be a great alternative.
The goal at this stage was to finish the game, plain and simple. Get the learning project done and released.
JOP had done an amazing job creating all the node systems and mechanics and everything was bug free and working well.
I had playtested quite extensively and we addressed a couple of snags along the way. All was technically good. So we hit the release and gave each other a thumbs up, it had been fun!.
However, there was one huge glaring issue and that really didn’t sit well with either of us.
¶ The Importance of Playtesting
Whilst I had playtested thoroughly, this was more of a technical playtest rather than a player experience flow.
The Chests opened, weapons were dispatched correctly, gold was collectable and the baddies could be defeated and the counter went down, Nice!
Unfortunately, I had never actually sat down and played through the entire level to complete our game loop. We know it worked, but I hadn’t actually finished an entire cycle.
This was a huge problem.
After 2 attempts, it took me around 33 minutes to actually complete the map. This was super grindy, somewhat boring and honestly, it was just kinda bad.
33 minutes for a very long, difficult level. I’m sure if I wasn’t involved in the project I would’ve given up way sooner.
It was at this point we decided to create this series and document our process and expose our mistakes. Making games can be hard and it’s important to understand this.
Remember, be sure to Playtest your game thoroughly before you hit that release button!
¶ Time to Pivot!
That said, not to be disheartened, there was a logical plan to rectify this so we set about doing just that.
The obvious solution was to segment the game map into separate bitesize levels. This would ensure our game loop was shortened significantly and give the game a fighting chance.
Of course this presented a whole set of new challenges including how the player would navigate through the different stages, game flow and much more.
The biggest issue that immediately came to light was the game camera, and something shogun will address in later videos, but for now we needed to at least solve the game loop problem.
This is also exactly why the first few videos in this series highlight the importance of planning and game scope.
It was at this point JOP once again did an incredible job in creating the game map system that you’ll see now and we continued to add more and more features to turn this into a proper single player experience.
So our simple battle royal game was transforming into a full on single player game and expanding greatly from the original concept.
I think if we hadn’t decided to create this series we most likely wouldn’t have continued with this game, but where’s the fun in that!
¶ Summing Up
We hope that provides you a little bit of insight on why the game is very different to the original concept why we made the big pivot on release. Why playtesting is an essential part of your development process and shouldn't be rushed.
Try to ensure that you put yourself in the shoes or the minds of your players that you're trying to attract and see how the game is feeling really subjectively.
If possible, try and get a friend or a loved one to play your game but and when they're doing that, just watch over their shoulder and and don't say anything. Do not guide them in any way and just watch what they do and how they react, this can be extremely insightful.
Don't forget to use your Game Clips Replays where you can watch how your players are interacting with your game and take appropiate action if needed. This is a super powerful feature and can identify any key issues that might be arising in your game.
¶ Watch the Next Video
¶ Related Topics
Watch Us Build Series Game Design Foundation How to Get Game Ideas Dopamine In Games Game Scope & Feature Creep Game Scope Example What is a Core Loop in Games Core Loop Example How to Design Game Mechanics