Because it's there

Position

System Designer, Producer

Contribution

System Designer and Producer of this ongoing Capstone project.

Duration

Team Size

2023

12+

Genre

Engine

Roguelike third-person shooter

Unity

Platform

Dive into "Because It's There", a thrilling 3D third-person shooter with rogue-like elements set in the apocalyptic year 2050. As a Chasm Surveyor, venture into the enigmatic Cloud Chasm in the skies, a space that challenges human understanding.

Engage in exhilarating aerial combats, confront time-manipulating monsters, and uncover relics from a dimension beyond. Every venture offers a fresh challenge with unpredictable rewards, enemies, and encounters. Unearth the secrets of humanity's downfall, harness time, and rekindle hope for a devastated world. Crafted with Unity, this game seamlessly fuses intense combat, strategy, and an immersive storyline, perfect for those craving a balance of casual and hardcore gaming experiences. Dive in and conquer the unknown!

Balancing

Balancing Bullet Damage

Link to Spread Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11n-JH9uuMKWRaGqJKzTgaSyy2wnLv3Hy2FumnUR6fug/edit?usp=sharing

Flamethrower (Fire (gas))

Close Ranged Weapon

Ammo Type & Base Damage: By choosing fire (gas) with a base damage of 5, I aimed for a continuous, area-of-effect damage output. This supports close combat scenarios, encouraging players to engage in more strategic positioning.
Critical Hit Multiplier & Fire Frequency: The 2x critical hit multiplier combined with a high fire rate of 20/s compensates for the flamethrower's short range, making it potent at close quarters.
Ammunition Dynamics & Reload Time: With 100 ammunition capacity and a 3-second reload time, I balanced sustained firepower with the need for tactical reloads, ensuring players can't overly rely on continuous fire without thinking about ammunition management.
Damage Drop-off & Maximum Damage Reduction Distance: The damage drop-off starting at 2/m after 3 meters, along with a maximum damage reduction distance, emphasizes the weapon's effectiveness in close combat while reducing its viability at longer ranges.
Weapon Spread & Range: A 1 m radius spread over a 4 m range ensures the weapon covers a significant area, enhancing its role in crowd control and area denial.
Effects & Notes: The 'Burn' effect adds a layer of strategy, allowing for damage over time and area control, aligning with the weapon's intended short-range attack role.

Fire Mode 2 (Bullets)

Assault Rifle type Weapon

Ammo Type & Base Damage: Choosing bullets with a base damage of 15 creates a contrast with the flamethrower, offering a high damage output suitable for long-range engagements.
Critical Hit Multiplier & Projectile Speed: The same 2x multiplier, coupled with a high projectile speed of 500m/s, reinforces this mode's suitability for long-distance engagements, rewarding precision aiming.
Fire Frequency & Ammunition Dynamics: A slower fire rate of 4/s with 15 rounds per magazine balances the high damage output, necessitating careful shot placement and ammo conservation.
Reload Time & Damage Drop-off: A shorter reload time of 2 seconds and a gradual damage drop-off after 20 meters at 0.5m/s balances mid to long-range effectiveness with the need to manage distance and positioning.
Weapon Spread & Range: A tighter spread of 0.3m radius over a 200m range emphasizes precision shooting, aligning with the weapon's long-range role.
Notes: The design choice to make this mode suitable for long distances offers a strategic alternative to the flamethrower, catering to different play styles and scenarios.

In conclusion, the goal is to create a weapon with strengths at different ranges. The flamethrower offers consistent damage up close creating a strong area of control around the player but has limited range which the bullet mode covers. This approach offers the player tactical decisions allowing for a variety of playstyles to be developed increasing replayability and player expression.

*The numbers are subject to change based on additional playtesting results

Damage Calculation Formula

Link to Documentation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1huKabesNaSztMwe1windZ-rsDI2w4crPjJ9YcWPkQzU/edit?usp=sharing

Objective: The goal was to create a transparent and balanced damage calculation system for different weapons in the game, ensuring a fair and engaging player experience.
Key Variables Defined:
- DPS (Damage Per Second): Central to understanding weapon effectiveness over time.
- ABD (Ammunition Base Damage): Base damage value for each ammunition unit.
- CHM (Critical Hit Multiplier) and P (Probability of a Critical Hit): Critical for calculating bonus damage during critical hits.
- FF (Fire Frequency) and ANPS (Ammunition Number per Shot): Determine the rate and volume of damage output.
- DDPM (Damage Drop-off Per Meter): Essential for modeling realistic damage reduction over distance.
Damage Calculation Formulas:
- Developed formulas for calculating base, critical, and total shot damage, along with DPS at zero range.
  - BaseShotDamage = ABD * ANPS
  - CriticalShotDamage = (ABD * CHM - ABD) * ANPS
  - TotalShotDamage = BaseShotDamage + P * CriticalShotDamage
  - (At point 0) DPS = FF * (ABD * ANPS + P * (ABD * CHM - ABD) * ANPS)
  - DPS at range r = FF * ((ABD - DDPM * r) * ANPS + P * ((ABD -DDPM* r) * CHM - (BD - DDPM * r)) *ANPS)
- Incorporated a minimum damage threshold at maximum range to maintain weapon effectiveness over distance.
- These formulas were applied to different weapon scenarios, like the flamethrower (effective at close range) and a long-range gun, showcasing the versatility of the system.
Strategic Analysis:
- Adjusted variables like the critical hit probability based on playtest data, allowing for dynamic balancing.
- The damage drop-off system was carefully calibrated to ensure weapons remain viable in their intended ranges but not overpowering at others.
Balancing Philosophy:
- Emphasized creating distinct roles for each weapon, ensuring diversity in player strategies and choices.
- Sought a balance where skill and tactical decision-making are rewarded, rather than purely the weapon choice.
Outcome and Iterative Process:
- The documentation serves as a guide for game designers and programmers to understand and implement weapon mechanics.
- Open to revisions based on continuous playtesting, ensuring the game remains balanced and fun

System Design

Construction and Management System

The Main game Loop is directly linked to the Construction system for the players to use the upgrade system.

Link to diagram: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMkah0sQ=/?share_link_id=55668603069

Management Mode

Perspective: Top-down view

Core Gameplay Elements:

Assigning Work: Players select chasm surveyors based on skills and allocate them to tasks. Surveyors head to the designated facilities to work, with progress bars indicating task completion. Rewards are collected directly from these facilities.
Helix Interaction: Helix offers tasks that, when completed, grant EXP to level up the research base, enhancing overall efficiency.

Construction Mode:

Building Facilities: Using blueprints, players select and place facilities within the base. Each facility requires specific 'Resources' for construction.
Space Constraints: Facility construction is limited by available space.
Deconstruction: Facilities can be removed, returning a portion of used materials. Higher base levels increase the percentage of returned materials.
By strategically navigating between these modes, players optimize their base to best explore the Cloud Chasm's mysteries.

↑ Construction Pannel in Unity with UI mock up