Mana Punch
Team Project Fall 2020-Winter 2020
Overview
Mana Punch is a project that my team and I worked remotely on for our senior capstone in the Fall of 2020. This project I was Lead Level Designer that was in charge of creating 4 fighting arenas and a HUB area. I was also tasked with running QA, analyzing QA data, game balancing, spell creation, and enemy waves.
For the four level arenas each had a different elemental theme attached to it. With each varying theme I made sure that the theme was brought out through numerous factors that includes color scheme, elevation, environmental hazards that can be used in favor or against the player, and enemy placement/spawning. For the main hub area this was a foundation that sent players to and from the arenas along with future sections of the game. Narrative elements such as the office space and an entrance to a tunnel that lead to the basement were present in the final build. The hub area also required unique lighting to guide players to accessible areas along with giving that feeling of a dark gritty atmosphere.
The project as a whole has sharpened my understanding of the possibilities of level design and how to make the most out of the tools you have been given.
Contributions
Mana Punch required a lot of thought towards game balancing and level design more than any other aspect of the project. The team and I decided on 6 base elements that would factor into our game's design. Each area would have it's own elemental theme, combat would be affected with each element theme having its own unique spell effect with combo enders, and finally the incorporation of game balancing so no spell is too overpowered or too weak but meant to be used for specific battle scenarios.
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