Prototype 2

Overview:

In prototype 2 I have built upon the core foundations I developed in prototype 1. After discussing with my group in our weekly meetings, we decided it would be best if I move forward with creating the narrative scene and not perfecting the camp scene so that we would be able to see the core game loop of the vertical slice. To achieve this we first brainstormed what the narrative scene should look like and flow like. It was decided that the player clicks on the screen to progress through the character’s dialogue and then eventually they are met with a series of choices, after they decide on a choice they are then transported back to the camp scene to then continue collecting their resources with a new camp placeholder system. This will be our vertical slices game flow.

The main addition to this prototype was a couple new scripts that manage the dialogue scene, these being the DialogueManager and the PopUpManager, NarrativeManager, and an addition to the camp manager. These scripts have continued to help build the foundations of a branching narrative game with resource management systems.

Research and Inspirations:

When thinking about what I want the narrative scene to look like in Those Left Behind I turned back to King of Dragon Pass. I know I should branch out and look at other games for inspiration but the more I searched and looked into games like Life is Strange and Fallout New Vegas the more I’m driven back to King of Dragon Pass due to not only its similar game loop but also similar narrative scenes. King of Dragon Pass nails the system of letting players make choices that drastically affects the gameplay further down the line, exactly what was envisioned for Those Left Behind. Visually speaking as well, it takes a similar approach to that of a visual novel as the text appears and the player then has to click on the screen to progress. 

Due to me being unfamiliar with both UI and narrative games i had to search for a tutorial or example of someone developing a narrative scene, luckily, i stumbled across Stellar Studios step by step tutorial on visual novels. He covered the basic Unity’s implementations of a dialogue system. Using this as a template and using the visual inspiration from King of Dragon Pass i had a clear image in my head of what it should look like.

What I developed:

In this prototype video you can see that I designed the narrative scene that allows the player to click through the dialogue and then they are met with different choices which one pressed takes them to the camp scene. In this next scene you can see that I developed upon the feedback from my group and implemented some camp placeholders which allow for characters to receive a benefit if they are placed in the preferred placeholder. 

Here are the notes that i had taken this week which helped to develop this prototype:

Dialogue Manager:

• The DialogueManager script controls the progression of the dialogue waiting for the character to click anywhere on the screen to show the next line of text and so fourth. In addition to the dialogue it also handles when to show player choices and allows the player to progress to the camp scene once all dialogue and decisions have been made.

Pop-Up Manager:

• The PopUpManager controls the data collected from the what choice button was clicked and sends that information back to the DialogueManager in order to remember the decision that was made and allow for a branching narrative system where the player choices impact the storyline.

Character Placeholders and Camp Bonuses:

• Another key feature of this prototype was the placeholder system. After discussing with the group and inferring from the GDD we decided to follow the ideas from the GDD and wanted to give each player a bonus for being allocated to their respective camp. To do this I created these placeholders for each camp, it detects if the player has been placed into the camp and allows the gamemanager to determine if the character placed in the holder should receive +5 instead of + 1 of the resource. In addition to receiving the benefits, I also choose this system due to UI clarity. With the current system the characters once placed in the camp get overlapped and as a player you are unable to see all characters at once, this way players can more effectively manage the characters.

Conclusion:

In prototype 2, there were some significant changes to the game’s playthrough. This was done through the new features in the narrative scene and the increased reliance on player interaction with different choices and character management. The DialogueManager and PopUpManager scripts allowed me to develop a branching narrative system, whilst the CharacterHolder script added another layer of strategy to the already existing camp management mechanic. With these features the game’s overall game loop is starting to really take shape.