About
"Tectonicus" is a historical card-based auto-battler game, where you can experience & play a strategy game steeped in history & mythology.
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The aim of the game is to engage people in history and reflect on the past & their life. It's inspired by and designed to be a "Hearthstone" meets "Age of Empires", "Civilizations" & "Faeria".
Background
I joined this team to assist them in developing the game's single player "Story Mode" where my core focus was on the navigation & interaction in "Story Mode".
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This game is currently in development.
RESPONSIBILITIES
System Design
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Ownership of the single player's "Story Mode" navigation
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Collaborated with programmers to prototype the navigation system
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Researched different methods on how interaction in "Story Mode" should function
System Design
Ownership of navigation
"Tectonicus" has multiple game modes & during development, I was assigned the responsibility to develop the navigation and interaction system that's going to be used for the game's "Story Mode".
Learning new tools
To help illustrate my ideas & explain my way of thinking, "Figma" became an integral tool in my system design process.
Story Mode Navigation
The Brief
Since I was assigned the responsibility to research & develop the "Story Mode" navigation system, I used the mockup for the environment created by the Game Designer lead as a starting point.
Library Navigation Figma Prototype
Creating a Visual Prototype
Based on the "Library" mockup image, I successfully managed to create an interactive navigation prototype using a tool that was unfamiliar to me: Figma.
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Initially, I was hesitant to learn the tool due to preconceived notions that the program would be a pain to use & learn. But with some support from a member among the Designers, my notions were quickly debunked & became an adept user of Figma within a couple of days & it has become one of my must haves in my tool belt!
Narrative Choices Figma Prototype
Creating a Visual Prototype
Based on another mockup provided by the Game Designer lead, for the "Story Mode" of the game, the player will need to make choices that can have an impact on the world of the single player mode.
They will also get different card rewards & different collectibles called "Artifacts" that can be put up on display in the player's "office" that's a focal point for the "Story Mode" narrative.
Researched Conclusion
Research is important
Among my responsibilities, one of them was to conduct research & compare other titles to how interactions & navigations could function for "Tectonicus: On the Edge of War". For the "Story Mode", "Point and Click" games were some of the references that was used as comparisons.
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One of the main references used for research was the title "Return to Monkey Island", a "Point and Click" game that makes good use of creating eye catching environments & how to visually guide the player where to go next without communicating with words.
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Below you can find some conclusions based on my research that I later turned over to the Game Designer lead.