The first screenshot of the Trinity battle system using primitives and some basic UI.
Proof of Concept
When I first started the project, I wasn't planning for it to turn into a capstone project. I was actually just messing around with the idea of a system to create tactics-style battles. Once I had the system made and started playing around with it, I started having a lot of fun, and developed some tools to go alongside it, including a character creator and an attack creator.
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Designed tactics-based battle system
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Created tools for rapid character creation
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Created tools for rapid attack creation
Alpha
Once I had decided that I wanted to present my work, I started overhauling the whole experience. The gameplay was fun, but there wasn't really anything framing the game. I got the idea to make a small demo that would ideally be a part of a larger experience, and show off that. So, I created an overworld system, complete with NPCs, saving, and quest progression.
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Created tools for managing dialog and NPCs
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Developed overworld characters and NPCs
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Developed saving system for tracking progress
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Refined battle system and overworld enemies
The first large-scale area designed with the 3D/2D aesthetic, the library foyer.
One of the final screenshots of the battle system. It was refined one more time after this for Golden Master.
Beta
This is where I start to make some mistakes. I spent so much time focusing on the framing, that I fell through when working on the gameplay system. I created a cutscene system that allowed me to have a greater control of the narrative of the game, but sacrificed valuable time that I could've used to polish combat. The narrative turned out great, and from playtests, people really enjoyed it! From a systems designer's standpoint, I believe that the gameplay during this phase suffered a bit from the scope of the project.
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Implemented animations and UI for battle characters
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Designed in-depth cutscene system using events
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Created new additive-scene loading system for effects
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Added additional narrative elements
Golden Master & IndieCade
In the end, I rushed to get in a boss-system for the game. Ultimately, I decided with a heavy heart that the mechanic wasn't polished enough to see the final version and cut it. I wrapped up my work on the project by spending some time with quality-of-life improvements and adding some additional player feedback in the combat. Although the project didn't end how I wanted, I was still fortunate enough to be selected for IndieCade 2019's Student Showcase. All's well that ends well!
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Created system for locking events behind inventory
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Added QoL features on the overworld
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Added additional effects during battles for feedback
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Added system for boss enemies (cut from build)
Exploring the library in the final build of the game.