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Design Process of Project Hunter
(IN PROGRESS)
Concept
Project Hunter aims to create a thirdperson view that is sensible within the game world. You may ask what do I mean by sensible? Before I answer, I would like to pose a few questions out there first.
Have you ever wonder how and why you as a player are viewing the player character a distance away? Are you perhaps a person that is standing behind and watching the player character?
And if you were how are you able to float and hover around as you look at the player character at different angles?
Also why can you see text and symbols for the player character?
Obviously, in normal circumstances, you are not a person standing and watching behind the player character. Hopefully by this point you shall understand what I mean by a thirdperson view that is sensible within the game world. I believe that if we are able to have a sensible thirdperson view we can create an increased level of immersion for the player.
Here's how Project Hunter make thirdperson view sensible within the game. The player's perspective comes from a flying artificial intelligence drone that is synced and linked to the player character. It is design to follow the player character and provide datas and infromation that the player will find useful and helpful.
Now the player understand why the view is a distance away from the player character, why it can float and hover around, and why it has text and symbols on the screen. The player should feel like they are working and interacting with a drone, rather than just a user interface that is convinient for the game.
User Interface
The user interface are designed with simple and clean lines, shapes, symbols and texts that is suitable for a futuristic sci-fi world.
The main trouble that I had with designing the user interface is how to make the player believe that they are interacting with a drone that is following the player character.
At first I created different user interface for different functions, such as scanning for clues and taking on quests, but it feels like a game user interface and not a drone user interface. Then I realize the transition between these different user interface created the impression that I'm switching from screen to screen, and I am constantly going in and out of the drone user interface.
The way I fix this issue was to make everything happen on one single user interface, at least make it look that way. There's a base user interface, this user interface will not change much, it behaves similar to the background of personal computer. Then the rest of the user interfaces behave like pop up windows or browser windows. This creates an illusion of everything happening on the base interface. No matter which user interface the player are using, they still feel like they are within the drone's interface.
There are 3 different modes within the drone's user interface.
In AUTO MODE, datas and informations will be display at the corners and the sides of the screen so as to not obstruct the vision of the player. For any interactable objects, a prompt will appear in the center of the screen to notify the player.
In MANUAL MODE, the player will be able to interact directly interact with the interface of the drone. The player can hide data and informtaion that are not essential if he or she finds it obstructive. Currently only the task information can be hidden, however in future updates more datas will have the same function. The player can also switch and select different assault mods that is installed within the drone, keep in mind that only have 2 assault mods can be active at a time. In future updates, I would like to incorprate a function where the drone can display character stats profile, and an area map that the player can toggle on and off.
COMBAT MODE functions similarly to AUTO MODE except datas that might be used in hostile situations such as player health, ammo in clip, total ammo, armed weapon, energy cell, and visual states will be displayed next the drawn weapon. These information are displayed close to the center area of the screen, so the player can quickly find the information they need.
Like I said before, as the player work with these different modes they should feel like they are interacting with a aritficial intelligence drone, rather than a game menu that is convinient for the game.
How Narrative is Done
To reinforce the immersion of the interaction between the drone and the player, the narrative within Project Hunter are told through environment that can be scanned by the drone. The drone will display information related to the current object of interest that the player focused on. Attentive player shall discover clues that can help reveal the story or solve in-game obstacles.
Combat Gameplay
In hostile situation, the player can have different approaches with the help of the drone. For example, use thermal vision or night vision to determine enemy position and sneak past them.
Stun enemies with drone’s assault mod and take them down by force.
