Who Am I and What Did I do for the Project?

I'm Dameron Cook, I was the level designer and technical designer for this project. This means that I was in charge of the Camera, Character, and Controls for the game as well as the level blockouts for every level in the game.

What Was the Most Difficult Part of the Project?

The most difficult part of the project was level design. I'd never done arena style levels before or for a first person game, so there were a lot of firsts here. It was also tricky to develop the levels while the game was still in development. I felt like I was making guesses on how the game would work. To fix this first problem, I found inspiration to make levels in regular office environments. I took foyers, garages, and hallways and thought of ways to turn them into game levels. I then made sure that each level combined two of our movement mechanics in a unique way. This way, players were learning new skills and applying what they learned to the levels.  With that restriction in place, I was sure that the levels would be interesting, and I would be applying the same level design principles that I know and love. 

I think the second most difficult part of the project was keeping up flow. We had Spring Break in the middle of this project, and we all went to GDC. This meant that nothing was getting done on the project for a whole week. It was a very difficult transition to get back into the game and finish up everything that needed to be done. However, we were all able to pull ourselves together and pull through!

What Have I Learned from This Project?

I think I learned a lot about the importance of a proper planning phase when it comes to making a project like this. When we started the project, I threw out the idea of making a game built around a hook shot, shot gun. We never really properly discussed and built from there. I think all of us just generally went with the flow of the project without properly dissecting what would make the game better. I think when it comes to collaboration, regular meetings and discussion encourages critical thinking. Good games can't be made without critical thinking. I take the majority of responsibility for this as a designer. I needed to make sure that everyone was excited for the idea and building on top of it. That way, it could have been a genuinely collaborative experience. In general, games are better when made as a team. This game could have ended up a lot better if I had done that. In the future, I plan on fixing this in two ways. One is regular meetings where we discuss what we're working on. Two is going through person-by-person and making sure that their thoughts are heard.

What Am I Most Proud of from This Project? 

I'm proud of the movement system I programmed for the character. The player movement always felt super smooth, and I think the player could transition easily between different types of movements. I wish I telegraphed more to the player that their movement type changed, but I see that most players are quickly able to change up play styles. The camera control of the game also feels solid. I was able to dynamically change the FOV with the player speed to keep it interesting and to enhance the feeling of speed. I was also able to bolster the character of CORPORATE KILLER through the movement of the game as well. The character feels snappy and serious thanks to the responsiveness of the game's controls.