Chrono Shift - Prototype Sprint 1

The current project I am working on is a physical/digital prototype called Chrono Shift. During this first sprint, we were tasked with creating an idea for a 3d platforming game with unique mechanics and turning that into a paper prototype. The idea that my team and I decided to move forward with was about an average man who stumbles upon a mysterious artifact that grants him the ability to travel through time and morph into different characters on each adventure. The player would start with basic movement, e.g., walking, running, and jumping, and would gain a new skill with each subsequent level that they can use once they first receive it. Overall, I'd describe it as a skill-collecting 3d platformer.

Turning this concept for a digital game into a physical prototype was very difficult, especially because we have planned three unique movement mechanics for our game. We struggled initially to think of ways to accomplish this; however, we soon found a way to make it happen. We split the levels among ourselves, and each person created a physical prototype for each one. I handled the first level, making a simple grid-based map where the player keeps track of their movements and must use a special dash ability to pass over marked areas. The second level was the most challenging, yet rewarding, and was made by Ian. Players were faced with a cardboard structure set up to look like an orthographic side-view of a level. There were push-pins in specific areas where the player would have to take a ball attached to a piece of string and use gravity to swing the ball from one platform to the next while attached to these pins. Lastly, the third level was similar to the first but more complex and was made by Devin. The player had to navigate a grid-based map, but this time, use their gliding ability to move between areas of differing elevations.

Overall, the playtest went reasonably well. There wasn't much criticism from playtesters, and we received quite a bit of praise for the creativity of our second level, thanks to Ian, of course. All of us were really happy with how everything turned out, and we all worked well together and put a lot of effort and thought into each piece of the work. So far, we've only encountered minor issues with thinking of concepts and ideas for the game. There hasn't been anything catastrophic yet.

After completing this first sprint, we've been moving into the beginning stages of turning this concept into a digital prototype. We've primarily been working on coding aspects, but I am also currently working on creating the annotated map and 3d environment for the tutorial level of the game. This will be really helpful for everyone on the team because there will be a place to test the mechanics we are currently working on and get the level design and creation processes started with something simpler and easier to manage. This process so far has been different than my previous experiences working in teams to create digital prototypes. I feel that I've gained a lot of experience and confidence collaborating with my peers and have become more open to criticism and changing aspects of my ideas. I've previously had very negative experiences with small groups, and despite that being challenging, I believe it has helped in these ways, as well as my ability to keep on top of my workload and communicate with others. Luckily, my team and I have been communicating and working together very well, so I'm optimistic about the future of our project.