Seat Fighter
Seat Fighter
Seat Fighter
Team Size: 8
Team Size: 8
Team Size: 8
Role: Lead Game Designer
Role: Lead Game Designer
Role: Lead Game Designer
Development Cycle: 9 Months
Development Cycle: 9 Months
Development Cycle: 9 Months
Engine: Unity
Engine: Unity
Engine: Unity
Description: Seat Fighter is a PvP and PvE retro fighting game where two opposing players battle over an armrest! It was initially developed for the Ludum Dare 54 Game Jam and later expanded upon during the following semester and school year as a long-term project of the NU Game Studio Club.
Description: Seat Fighter is a PvP and PvE retro fighting game where two opposing players battle over an armrest! It was initially developed for the Ludum Dare 54 Game Jam and later expanded upon during the following semester and school year as a long-term project of the NU Game Studio Club.
Description: Seat Fighter is a PvP and PvE retro fighting game where two opposing players battle over an armrest! It was initially developed for the Ludum Dare 54 Game Jam and later expanded upon during the following semester and school year as a long-term project of the NU Game Studio Club.
Core Contributions:
Core Contributions:
Core Contributions:
Conceptualized the movement-based, Rock Paper Scissors-esque combat system and the Shove, Push, and Block actions.
Conceptualized the movement-based, Rock Paper Scissors-esque combat system and the Shove, Push, and Block actions.
Conceptualized the movement-based, Rock Paper Scissors-esque combat system and the Shove, Push, and Block actions.
Designed 5 unique playable characters, each with a distinct strength and weakness, by altering the execution times, stamina penalties, and position modifiers of their moves to enable strategies that align with player profiles.
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Created 5 unique enemy NPCs (one for each playable character) for PvE gameplay by modifying their reaction speeds and the output of their AIs in Unity to present players with challenges that necessitate distinct strategies.
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Organized playtesting and balanced gameplay using custom spreadsheets and in-engine scriptable objects.
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Design Goals:
Design Goals:
Design Goals:
Balance the shove, push, and block actions to allow players to pursue disparate strategies based on their player profiles and desires. A player's strategy should have distinct strengths and weaknesses that necessitate changes in behavior to execute and defend against successfully.
Balance the shove, push, and block actions to allow players to pursue disparate strategies based on their player profiles and desires. A player's strategy should have distinct strengths and weaknesses that necessitate changes in behavior to execute and defend against successfully.
Balance the shove, push, and block actions to allow players to pursue disparate strategies based on their player profiles and desires. A player's strategy should have distinct strengths and weaknesses that necessitate changes in behavior to execute and defend against successfully.
Have distinct playable characters that further allow players to pursue their desired strategies by changing the qualities of their moves. If a player wants to prioritize defense, they should be able to choose a character with qualities that make their block action, stamina, and position modifiers more potent to mitigate damage.
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Players can fight against NPCs that employ distinct strategies to simulate the behaviors of human players. These strategies should demonstrate a character's strengths and weaknesses, encouraging the player to adjust their tactics and win.
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Balanced gameplay in Unity by changing values in player and enemy prefabs and the enemy spawning scriptable object based on playtesting feedback to improve the feel of the player's abilities and difficulty over time
Awards and Accolades
Awards and Accolades
Awards and Accolades
Ranked 8th in Theme and 4th in Humor out of the 1597 submissions to the Ludum Dare 54 Game Jam
Ranked 8th in Theme and 4th in Humor out of the 1597 submissions to the Ludum Dare 54 Game Jam
Ranked 8th in Theme and 4th in Humor out of the 1597 submissions to the Ludum Dare 54 Game Jam
Finalist for Best Audio Design at the 2024 Student Game Awards
Finalist for Best Audio Design at the 2024 Student Game Awards
Finalist for Best Audio Design at the 2024 Student Game Awards
Post Mortem
Post Mortem
Post Mortem
What went well:
What went well:
What went well:
Players reacted positively to the simplicity of the PvP combat and our interpretation of the jam's theme (limited space)
Players reacted positively to the simplicity of the PvP combat and our interpretation of the jam's theme (limited space)
Players reacted positively to the simplicity of the PvP combat and our interpretation of the jam's theme (limited space)
The Unity NPC enemy AI configuration files and scriptable objects created by the programming team allowed me to quickly create new characters with distinct strengths and weaknesses.
The Unity NPC enemy AI configuration files and scriptable objects created by the programming team allowed me to quickly create new characters with distinct strengths and weaknesses.
The Unity NPC enemy AI configuration files and scriptable objects created by the programming team allowed me to quickly create new characters with distinct strengths and weaknesses.
Our artistic direction was consistent and well-received despite our programming-heavy team composition.
Our artistic direction was consistent and well-received despite our programming-heavy team composition.
Our artistic direction was consistent and well-received despite our programming-heavy team composition.
People were excited to have their picture taken and be added to the game as either a player character or an NPC.
People were excited to have their picture taken and be added to the game as either a player character or an NPC.
People were excited to have their picture taken and be added to the game as either a player character or an NPC.
What went wrong:
What went wrong:
What went wrong:
I had difficulty balancing the Shove move without undergoing a complete overhaul. Players familiar with fighting games quickly realized that it could overpower most opponents with ease due to its strength and speed.
I had difficulty balancing the Shove move without undergoing a complete overhaul. Players familiar with fighting games quickly realized that it could overpower most opponents with ease due to its strength and speed.
I had difficulty balancing the Shove move without undergoing a complete overhaul. Players familiar with fighting games quickly realized that it could overpower most opponents with ease due to its strength and speed.
The lack of dedicated artists resulted in little visual feedback during combat.
The lack of dedicated artists resulted in little visual feedback during combat.
The lack of dedicated artists resulted in little visual feedback during combat.
After the jam, we decided to remove the Dodge action since it added little to the overall player experience, while being inconsistent when interacting with an opponent's Shove and Push.
After the jam, we decided to remove the Dodge action since it added little to the overall player experience, while being inconsistent when interacting with an opponent's Shove and Push.
After the jam, we decided to remove the Dodge action since it added little to the overall player experience, while being inconsistent when interacting with an opponent's Shove and Push.
What I learned:
What I learned:
What I learned:
A lack of visual feedback through VFX and easy-to-understand UI elements can and will lead to frustration among players, even if your design is balanced and thorough on paper.
A lack of visual feedback through VFX and easy-to-understand UI elements can and will lead to frustration among players, even if your design is balanced and thorough on paper.
A lack of visual feedback through VFX and easy-to-understand UI elements can and will lead to frustration among players, even if your design is balanced and thorough on paper.
It's not fun to play against an opponent that always makes the right move. Enemy NPCs should make mistakes that replicate human errors, creating opportunities for the player to attack and demonstrate their skills.
It's not fun to play against an opponent that always makes the right move. Enemy NPCs should make mistakes that replicate human errors, creating opportunities for the player to attack and demonstrate their skills.
It's not fun to play against an opponent that always makes the right move. Enemy NPCs should make mistakes that replicate human errors, creating opportunities for the player to attack and demonstrate their skills.
You should often slow down and take a step back from the minutiae of a design and examine how players feel. Avoid tunnel vision when tinkering with numerical balance and in-engine values.
You should often slow down and take a step back from the minutiae of a design and examine how players feel. Avoid tunnel vision when tinkering with numerical balance and in-engine values.
You should often slow down and take a step back from the minutiae of a design and examine how players feel. Avoid tunnel vision when tinkering with numerical balance and in-engine values.