Entering the Atmosphere

Hello,
this week I'm going to talk a little bit about our goals for this project.  Specifically, go into a little more detail about what we plan to deliver at the end of this first quarter (which is 4 weeks away).

It perhaps goes without saying that at the very least, the game will be playable (and it already is!). In addition, most of the core features will be in place to expand upon in the second quarter.  This includes the player's resources, children, and enemies. 

The player will have a couple different projectiles/abilities at their disposal, which include:

1) Basic throwing knives: kill things!
2) Water spray: damages enemies and pushes enemies away
3) Wind: pushes enemies away, interacts with environment
4) Shield: protects player from enemy

These projectiles/abilities will also be easily togglable so that the player can change their projectile whenever they want.  Children also count as resources that need to be collected, so at the very least, the player will have the ability to collect (or kill) children.  

There will also be several types of enemies.

1) Booty Paladin: a large enemy that can only be defeated from behind
2) Meiosis: an enemy that when attacked breaks up into smaller enemies
3) Wizard Cat: a magical cat that shoots projectiles from its tail

Finally, there will be a couple environmental objects that the player will be able to interact with.  So far, these include:

1) Ponds: with Water spray, the player will be able to add water to ponds in order to reach boats or raise platforms.
2) Boats: with the Wind ability, the player will be able to propel boats in ponds in order to travel to new locations.

In addition to all this functionality, real art will begin to be layered on top.  The main character's model will be done, as well as some (or all) of the enemies.  A basic environment will also be completed in order to showcase the game's tone and to guide what kind of art needs to be produced in the second quarter. 

So that's the plan, and we're all working hard to make it a reality.  Next week, Kyle will be sharing what he's contributed to the project.  Please look forward to it! 

Welcome to Project Bala!

Since this is the first post, I'll begin by introducing the project as well as the team behind the scenes working to make this game a reality.

Project Bala is a Senior Studio project at SCAD Atlanta that started up at the tail-end of September of this year.  It is a twin-stick shooter adventure game where the player must traverse terrain, overcome enemies and obstacles, and save children along the way.  Players explore the world of Bala as the enigmatic Dream Witch, and learn a thing or two about her and her witchy powers as the adventure progresses.

Why Bala?  Because I'm bad at thinking up code names and because nobody said no.  Bala is the Spanish word for "bullet" and alludes to the spirit of the project: shooting projectiles at enemies and anything that moves without remorse.  Though it won't be that simple!

Currently narrating is Angelica Rodriguez-Vazquez, Project Lead and Art Lead, who at this almost precise moment in time is working on concept art and nailing the art style.

David Houston is second in command in terms of keeping the project on track, and is in charge of popping out concept art babies, and anything he needs to do!  He is our gusto and reason to stay alive and positive. 

Hank Silman is in charge of modeling characters and creatures and anything that moves.  In the event that other teammates churn out characters, he's in charge of quality control and making sure they're up to snuff.    

Kyle Bolton is sweeping the seas with his programming prowess and manning the Programming Team, comprised of Khoa and Daniel (stay tuned for their introductions), and handling the design side of things as well.  Because of his experience on other projects, he is keeping David and I in line and making sure everything runs smoothly.

Khoa Nguyen will be programming, and is also our designated Tech Artist.  He is going to make everything more beautiful than it already is.

And last but certainly not least is Daniel Jones, our third powerhouse programmer who will primarily (probably) be handling enemy behavior. Wowee!

That's all for now!  Now that that's all out of the way, stay tuned for real updates and posts by each one of us.  Thanks for reading!

 

One more thing!  Be sure to check out the projects of my classmates as well.  We're all working really hard to make some quality games, so check 'em out! (Links and links and links need to be added)

The Grind: Graham, James S., James E., Jordan, Bryan, Josef, Eugene

Dissonance: Alex, Nicole, Tian, Olsen, Jeff, Brice, Dantrell

Wash 'Em: Sarah, Matt, Josh, Brice

Imhotep, Zong