Beta Iterations

Feedback and Focus

We received a lot of feedback last iteration regarding our somewhat dry and confusing theming. The point of the game wasn't exactly clear either, both in terms of the plot/story, as well as the game goal (successfully completing the level). Everything seemed unnatural. The menus were boring and looked like placeholders, and all textures in the game were prototypes which made everything bland. We needed desperately to focus on theming, juicing and direction.

Change for Beta

Main Character

• Add death animation
• Add a reasonable background story for the main character and all the heist

Guards

• In planning stage, the guard's current action is displayed beneath their icon
• All guards are robots controlled by artificial Intelligence, which means they are vulnerable to EMP attack
• Guards can carry box around

Doors

• All the doors are controlled by transformers near them
• Guards can go through doors but the player cannot

Traps

• Logic is redesigned. All traps are achieved by EMP attack
• (Previous Freeze trap) If an EMP is placed around robots, they get stunned
• (Previous Distraction trap) If an EMP is placed on Transformer, doors that controlled by that transformer will be opened
• Guards around the transformer (within 10 - 20 meters) will be attracted to the transformer; they will start to repair it.

Dialogue

• Dialogue is much quicker and skip-able
• Shows up during playing phase now as well

Prison Break Heist

• No longer contains confusing planning phase bits
• Much shorter (no one likes tutorials)
• Added title pan at the end of level
• Now starts the game, then leads into the planning room (previous main menu)

Main Menu

• The "main menu" is now a room, where the player checks out heists they could look to pull off
• These heists are presented on whiteboards and include The Warehouse Heist, The Bank Heist, and Training
• Gives the player choices, no longer just "heist 0, then 1, then 2"

Warehouse Heist

• Added textures for everything
• Added Guards' carrying crate mechanic
• Much more interesting level decisions

Go play it!!!

WHATS NEXT

Next iteration, we're hoping that the game needs slight juicing changes, and some small balance changes. We have gone back and forth on whether sprinting (with shift key) is a good idea or not. Some levels also seem a little too difficult. Lastly, the heists need to seem a little bit darker. Having a heist in broad daylight makes no sense.